Glossy or Matte Screen?

[sprint]

I'm about to buy a new Macbook Pro, and one question popped out of my mind:
Which one is better, the Glossy or the Matte Screen?

Can you post your experiences about this matter, so they can help me decide?

[Yuiichi]

I have used both, and it's really a matter of personal preference.

Glossy screens attract fingerprints and they also reflect light - in this aspect, they're sort of hard to position sometimes. Other than that, they have fabulous contrast and brightness. This is my prefered screen type.

Matte screens are a little less vibrant (in my opinion) and are more ordinary. Thats basically the downside to them - the contrast is a little lower. They might be preferable to you.

I really think the best thing to do is go down the a local Apple store and see the difference. Play around with either one for a while and get a feel for the picture quality and what not. I don't think you can go wrong either way

[divigation]

Actually, it isn't a matter of preference, it is a matter of usage. (First off, it is silly to purchase a Pro machine with an exceptional display and then have them **** it up for you, but...) The reason you would want a glossy screen is if the computer's primary use is going to be for watching and looking at things. If you want to use the machine to produce anything that you will want to match what you are seeing on screen, outputting either prints or videos, then you will not want to have Apple make this far more difficult by having them give you a high contrast, high saturation monitor. A glossy screen is a distorted screen, it makes photos, movies and the like sure look pretty, but if you want the world to see what you see, you better hope that they have a glossy screen too, because otherwise they won't. If you are not going to be outputting or sharing with people on their machines, it makes things pop by increasing contrast and saturation. I personally think that it is asinine that this is even an option on a Pro machine, but the pro machines are for everyone just the same. Although if you are a bad photographer, it will make your poor photographs look better!

[korinwoodo]

The glossy ones are good for like the first 5 minutes when youre like "HOLY **** THIS SCREEN IS SO NICE OMG" and then after that your eyes die and your just like ******.

Matte for me.

[nicks]

My opinion is that the glossy makes everything look THAT MUCH BETTER. I've had my MacBook for about 8 months now and the only time I notice the glossy-ness is when I'm realizing how good things look.

Yes, there are reflections, but when my focus is on whatever I'm working on, I really don't notice that ceiling light in the side of my screen. Sounds dumb, but unless I think about it, those things don't stand out to me and bother my work at all.

But you'll have to do what works best for you. If you're easily distracted, you're probably better off with the matte.

[neyoung]

Divigation is correct. If you are going to be producing graphics, videos etc then the matte screen is best. You want the user to experience the content the way you created it. By using a matte screen you'll come that much closer to being able to match the colors on your screen with those that your user will have.

That being said I bought a glossy. I don't do professional work, so I like whats on my screen to look its best. And I think the glossy screens do just that. Honestly, you won't be disappointed with either. Get the glossy if you want things to look amazing on your screen. Matte if you want to be able to display colors EXACTLY how they should appear.

[jphilo]

I'm a fan of the matte screen. I switched 18 months ago and I was drawn to how beautiful things looked on that screen. When they added the glossy I saw it as just a way to attract more of a market, to give people an option.

If you've got money and want to have the best of both worlds... get a glossy Mac and a matte Apple 30" display. SWEET!

[baseballboy828]

Glossy-Blacker blacks, better saturation, contrast
Matte-Easier on eyes, generally easier to see

Take a look at both in the store and take time to figure out which you want. It is a matter of preference. Be careful to avoid the "wow" factor of the glossy screens, because it may look nice, but it might not be great for extended periods of viewing. Check them both out.

Also, like other people have mentioned, if you are a graphic designer or do any design work, go for the matte.

[llamame]

Do only the MacBook Pros have a glossy/matte option? If so, then do MacBooks and regular LCD monitors come in matte, or something different from glossy and matte?

[Yuiichi]

You're correct, only the MBP's have the option to choose between Glossy and Matte. Macbooks only come in Glossy, and the Cinema Displays only come in Matte.