MBP 15'' 2011 model High res Glossy or High res Matte?

I know this has been done to death and I had another post that I asked about this, but that other post wasn't centered about this. I'm really in between on which to get and I did test them in an Apple store, however I feel that my testing wasn't accurate. This is because it was the Matte display vs the glossy NON high res display. And the lights in the Apple store are crazy bright so it really made the Glossy reflect badly..at my house the lights arn't as bad. Also I couldn't exactly take both outside to really how bad the glossy reflects. And lastly, I was not able to watch a high def movie on either to really see which presented the film better.


I would love to hear some input from people who have the Matte display and from people who have the glossy high res display and listen to what they have to say about their screen and the other screen.

 

I think overall the Glossy screen looks better, but the lighting has to be right. The matte screen is more robust for many situations and lighting.

 

Well the only time I think I can ever get 100% control of lighting would be in my own room, however I don't plan on using my MBP just in my room.

 

if you are gonna be using the MBP in places where you cannot control the lighting then i would definitely recommend the matte screen. The glossy can be a big pain in the a** suppose if you're sitting in a room where there is a light source directly behind you. In than case you might as well use you screen as a mirror. People find that glossy screens have better color, but i feel that a matte screen looks just as good. Unless you plan on using your mac only in a single place i will always recommend an anti glare screen over a glossy one. If you have doubts then go to a nearby apple store, they always have a MBP with the anti glare screen on display(usually a 17in one), compare the 2 screens and decide for your self if there is a difference in terms of color, cause apart from that the antiglare is superior in very away.

 

I say go for the glossy. I've had a glossy Macbook Pro since 2007 and the glare never bothers me. I think a lot of people over exaggerate this problem to be honest...

Right now I am sitting in a hotel lobby with tons of fluorescent lights, as well as those spotlight type lights. No matter where I sit in this brightly lit zoo, I can simply tilt the screen a little forward or a little backwards and the glare goes away. It's all about adjusting the angle of the screen to your eyes.

This is a small price to pay for better colors, and, easier to keep clean!

 

I have the glossy and don't mind a little glare. It doesn't distract me really. The girl in the office next to mine has the 17" matte and it is very nice.

Really you can't go wrong either way unless your using it for professional photography, etc. In that case I'd say the matte.

 

The glossy screen is easier to keep clean? I heard it can attract fingerprints without anyone even touching it almost lol

Also does the glossy one hurt your eyes? Because I've had times where I'm in front of my screen for 5-6 hours at a time just writing a paper with no break and I look in the mirror only to have blood shot eyes and a bad headache.

 

ouch, yeah. looking at displays all day will do that. I will say though that a good high end matte display is nothing like the old matte displays from years ago. They are very bright and crisp. All the glossy does is put a sheet of glass over the display.

my glossy MBP display does get alot of finger prints but is only noticale when the screen is black. They are super easy to clean of course, just wipe it down with a damp wash cloth.

My matte high end rgb led display on my Dell also gets fingerprints but they aren't as noticable. Sounds like your going to have to see them in person in a setting that you will be using it mostly in order to decide. Either way though, you will not be dissapointed. Your eyes will be blood shot regardless nature of the beast

 

Yeah I was worried about that. Is a there a way to hit a middle ground between matte and glossy? For example would it work if I get a glossy display for the colors and etc, but put an anti-glare screen protector so it borrows a bit from both worlds or are anti glare screen films inferior to matte screens themselves?

 

I don't think I've really seen how good a MBP matte screen is but I'm using a Thinkpad T410 and after using an anti-glare screen, I don't think I could ever get a laptop with a glossy screen. It's rather annoying when you're looking at the screen and see a reflection, especially in bright lit areas. If given the option, I would take an anti-glare screen even if the screen specs/quality is worse than a glossy option.

 

This is precisely right. For me, I prefer matte or at least not extremely glossy with the glass. If you can get ideal conditions, the glossy will look really good. After some years of experience, however, I recommend matte. A large part about using a laptop is about being able to move around. You most likely won't have ideal lighting situations in the places where you will want to take the laptop.

 

Does the MBP 2011 model have a high quality matte screen with colors and resolution still? Because I've seen some pretty crappy matte screens...my current laptop which I paid $100 at walmart(mostly just bought so I can use word in class and etc) has a almost a gray tinge to everything.

 

The matte display on the MBP is pretty good. People out here are exaggerating the color difference between the Matte and glossy displays. They are actually the exact same display, same color gamut(i.e. the color everyone here is talking about) same contrast etc. The only difference is that the glossy adds a sheet of glass over the display to make the laptop look aesthetically better.
All the color differences people see are non existent IMO. So as i said go to a Apple store and see for yourself.

 

That's not quite accurate. A better descriptor for the two screen types would be "regular" and "anti-glare"

the matte / anti-glare screen has a coating applied to reduce glare from reflected light, which also blocks some light that originates from the screen. The regular screen tries to allow all the light through, but makes no attempt to stop reflected light.

 

you think its the same screen so it looks the same no matter what?

put on some yellow tinted sunglasses... same eyes, same world, and everything will look different. Yes the layer between your eyes and the screen can affect what it looks like. And there is a bit more difference than just having glass in front of it.

 

They are of course technically the same and i understand that the different coatings would make a difference but i did not see it so i went with the matte screen. That is why i am repeatedly telling the OP to go to an Apple store and compare the screens himself. Half of the people who comment here that glossy has better colors say it because that is what they found on the internet while researching before buying their laptop, how many have had experience with both the MBP anti glare and glossy displays. It is always to see for yourself and decide it yourself.

 

This would not be as good as just getting the matte screen, but it would be a decent option if you already ordered the glossy screen.

 

I did find the glossy screen more vibrant than the matte (and yes I've had both), and the glare isn't that bad either. Still, when you're often out and about, the matte screen is the safer choice.

Instead of buying the glossy and getting a protector over it (which IMO is rather inelegant), you could buy the machine with a matte screen and then got the external Apple display, which is glossy. That would allow you to have the benefits of a glossy screen at home where you can control the lighting environment, and still carry the laptop around without as much fear of glare.

Beyond viewing differences, the different screens also affect how the two machines look. The matte looks much uglier than the glossy--the matte has a really dull white bezel that is raised from the screen but still indented from the lid, whereas the glossy has that extra piece of glass with a really sleek black bezel, making the visible screen look like a single smooth surface.

 

No issues at all with my HI-Res glossy screen

 

IF you don't want to clean your screen definitely get matte. Glossy looks terrible if the screen isn't wiped down every couple of months.

 

Yeah, but matte is much tougher to wipe down if it ever comes down to it.

 

If you want the best of both worlds, get a glossy external monitor for home and get a matte MBP.
After all, you are buying a laptop which is meant to be used outside and carried around.
I think nothing beats a matte screen when used outside.

 

I can't believe we are still talking about Glossy vs. Matte, haha.

Now I certainly would like for you to explain how the matte screen on a MBP is much tougher to wipe down. I happen to own one and it's much simpler than the glossy to maintain mainly because the glossy will easily show even the slightest streak when wiping. I have the iMac so I know this to be very true.

 

I own an AG too.

But it's definitely tougher to clean than the glossy. Can you explain how it's not? Clean less frequently? Maybe, but that's not the argument here. Edge to edge glass vs fragile matte protector + different elevation bezel.

 

I've had (2) Air's, (1) 13" MBP and I currently own a 15" MBP matte and a 27" iMac and the iMac is a ****** to keep clean, let alone wiping it and crossing my fingers that no streaks are left. I can lightly dampen a cloth and wipe the matte screen and it's clean the first time and it hides smudges. There's no way anyone could say that the glossy hides smudges more than the matte or they are crazy. It doesn't take rocket science or a master in physics to figure this out. Any highly reflective surface will be much harder to maintain than a dull finish. One sweep of a dull finish and it looks clean against damn near polishing of a highly reflective surface to prevent steaks.

 

Communication break down. The cleaning "process" is tougher; albeit, streak free isn't as tough as you make it sound. It's glass, remember? A bit of alcohol goes a long way.

 

Arrogant much? Funny you're here defending a glossy screen and yet you have a matte version.

 

Funny that I'm bias free?

Just because I own something, it doesn't make it perfect. I'm not going off touting Apple's superiority over PC vendors.

 

And just who were you referring to that was actually doing that on this thread? You're starting to troll and flame along with showing arrogance and now I know who and what I am dealing with and you're not worth my time. This will be my last response to you.

 

MBP might have a glass coating, but no way in hell is that whole screen glass since glass adds a lot of weight. Heck, try holding a pair of "glass" prescriptions and the plastic / polycarb prescriptions in either hand and you will know.

 

I don't understand how I'm trolling/arrogant. I'm merely pointing out that edge to edge glass is easier to wipe down than fragile matte protector and a elevated fragile bezel. So kettle, meet pot.

 

matte protector? Is that like the sheet you apply from companies like photodon?

I have one on order and I will how it helps in reducing the glare. It is worst whenever I watch a movie or more like watch myself for two hours.

 

I meant the matte cover, whatever you want to call it. It's thin (and it's suppose to be) and fragile, definitely a lot more so than glass. But the glass is also the reason why MBP's glossy is glossier than "regular" glossies (e.g. even the MBA).

 

If you are talking about the actual LCD, then I have matte on my Lenovo, changed after getting a bright spot on glossy original, and it is no way fragile. In fact, it is easier to maintain, though sometimes you have to use a glass cleaner (like for sunglasses) to give it a good clean. Overall, I would say matte is very easier to maintain than glossy.