Seeking Advice on Screen Quality of MacBook Pro

[wparsonsgisnet]

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I left the M8 forum to post this!! Just remember, you DigiForum members may outnumber us M8 users, but we post more (in my case, probably because I need to find out too much).

 

I am contemplating the purchase of a MacBook Pro, 15", with all the bells and whistles. Based on earlier comments it appears I should order the matte screen.

 

I am using a Sony 19-inch lcd screen on my windoze box and find it easy to work with when viewing. It is tethered to an nVidia card with a lot of memory, using a DVI cable. This offers me about twice the resolution of a standard vga interface.

 

I also use the Pantone Huey calibration device.

 

If I spring for one of these wonder-boxes, will the matte screen give me quality images upon which to base editing decisions, and do I need to haul the Huey with me?

[Guest guy_mancuso]

Bill i went with the glossy screen. suggestion load up a key flash card with a nice image and go down to a local Apple store. I'm sure there is one in Boston and load up the Matte and Glossy laptop and see what seems better for your use. Glossy will reflect more but the images look crisper to me.

 

Also Bill if you do use a white card in your shots than you can really just go by that when processing. It may not be perfect looking but the images are tuned to the white card so you still will be fine. Actually to be honest the Apple MacBook Pro is pretty darn accurate out of the gate.

[wparsonsgisnet]

Thanks, Guy. There's a woman in my office with one of these, the glossy, I believe. I'll talk with her.

 

And, I'll definitely take some files to the Apple store. Got one 15 minutes away (in modern terms, that's right next door).

 

Naturally, I've got millions of nice images.

 

Regards,

[macusque]

Contrary to Guy I went with the matte screen for my MBP 17".

 

I saw some MacBooks glossy screens at the local Apple Center and while they have that "wow!" appereance for watching DVDs or playing games, I found matte screens (the new improved matte found on the MacBook Pro, not the older type in the PowerBook) more accurate regarding colors and with much wider viewing angle.

More accurate for judging sharpness for prints and also much less reflections.

Images on the glossy screens are very nice, but I trust more the matte screen for prints.

 

Anyway I don't know if MacBook Pro glossy screens are different than those found as standard on MacBooks and of course YMMV.

[Hartmonstr]

Bill, I have owned seven or eight Apple laptops since the original Powerbook 180 and can say without hesitation that the current MBP (I have a fully loaded 17") is a very capable machine. That said, depending on your workflow you may want to consider a few things before purchasing:

 

First, when choosing a screen you should first consider where you will be with the computer when you're workling with it. If you are in an environment with controlled lighting and no windows behind you, the advantages of the gloss screen will probably be beneficial. However, if you will be in brightly lit rooms, or a coffee shop with lots of windows, the gloss may be more more problematic. The glare is considerable, but in the right environment the advantages of the screen are awesome.

 

Screen finish aside, I agree with Guy that the quality of the MBP LCD screen is excellent. I calibrate all my monitors with a $1800 Gretag Eye-One Photo device and after it does its thing on the MacBook the 'before' and 'after' is virtually identical. So you will have excellent color fidelity right out of the box.

 

I work every day with the MPB and a tower with a dual 30" and 23" Cinema screens side by side. The Cinemas are definitely brighter than the laptop screen. If this is to be your only imaging workstation you may want to consider adding a Cinema for a dual screen setup. If so, you probably will not ever need a tower. (BTW, I do almost all my image processing on the laptop, but my actual image editing is done with the Cinema setup, for obvious reasons.)

 

As has been noted, a trip to the Apple store for a test drive is really the only way to know what is right for you. The MacBook Pro is a very capable machine that with the proper setup can satisfy most imaging needs.

 

John Hrtman

[wparsonsgisnet]

John, thanks for all that info.

 

The MBP will, of course, be everywhere that I cannot control the environmental illumination.

 

At home, I expect to use an external screen (the bride keeps compaining that my room is too dark, and that I should raise the blinds), but on site I'd like to be confident of the ability to view correctly. It's really nice to know Apple got the calibration right.

 

I am torn between the 15 and 17-inch versions. I would like portability, but also want the most detail I can get. For some reason, I keep thinking I'm buying for the long-term. Funny how that keeps not working out.

 

If you were off-site, had to make editing decisions based on the screen, I take it you'd do the matte; how about the 15 vs the 17?

 

Many thanks,

[Eoin]

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Bill,

 

I also run a 17" MBP matte screen and throughly recommend the whole package. I have a PPC G5 at home with dual 23" Apple cinema displays. I will however say the images are clearly better on the ACD than the MBP display. There is nothing wrong with the MBP display but it is clearly outclassed by the larger ACD's.

 

I also profile all displays with an EyeOne. I would warn against the glossy screen unless you are in very controlled lighting situations. I would also question the choice of 15" wide over 17" wide given the aspect ratio tends to make things smaller than a standard 15" screen. You do however have the existing sony 19" that you can hookup when at home but the change from 19 to 15 will be quite drastic IMO.

[Guest guy_mancuso]

Bill one thing of note as Apple was very smart here in adding a DVI output. this alone is HUGE because really you can use 1 computer for travel and at home . Just add a 23 or 30 inch display and it works awesome at home than you can hit the road as normal. There is not another laptop that can push a 30 inch cinema display around in DVI. i worked like this for over a month waiting for my desktop to come in. The 30 inch came first and i used the laptop like this with great success. This alone is a HUGE advantage over a PC laptop which i think at the time only Aleinware offered a DVI output on a 6 k laptop. Things may have changed since then but i consider this a big advantage and would never buy another laptop without a DVI built in. This may help on decision to go 15 or 17. if adding a ACD than 15 makes sense but if not than the 17 becomes more in line. Also depending on if this is a desktop replacement or travel laptop. This gives you some idea's to think about

[BerndReini]

Bill,

 

I have the 17inch Matte screen, my friend has the 15inch glossy screen. He used to love the glossy screen, now that he's trying to print from it, he really regrets it. I talked to several photographers and the Apple support and all of them recommended the matte screen for critical color management.

 

Also, do yourself a favour and go with the 17inch. With a photo up and the tool palette, even that is still restrictive, but it works in a jam (or on an airplane).

[Hartmonstr]

When it comes to deciding between the 15" and 17" screen, there is no substitute for pixels, IMHO. I am very happy to add a pound or so to the weight for the advantage of that larger screen. My son has the 15" and there's no comparison when working in Photoshop or C1 or Lightroom.

 

I also have the original 17" PowerBook, and even though the screen size is the same for both machines, the resolution of the new MBP is higher, so your images look sharper, and you can see more on the screen. (You will notice that menus and text also get smaller, but I haven't found that to be a problem with my over-50 eyes.) The MPB also supports high resolution projection, so when I present I use a Canon realis SX6 projector with a DVI cable, which at 1400 x 1050 has almost twice as many pixels as a standard XGA projector. It's as close to slide projector quality you can get.

 

Of course, you can get higher resolution by plugging a monitor in - but that's kind of hard to do on a plane or a hotel lobby. I'd go for the 17" in a heartbeat.

 

John

[macusque]

if adding a ACD than 15 makes sense but if not than the 17 becomes more in line. Also depending on if this is a desktop replacement or travel laptop.

 

Great advise, fully agree.

 

Sadly my choice to go with the 17" didn't mean I'm not drooling over a 30" ACD

[marknorton]

Not Apple, but I bought a Sony SX (13.3", 2.16GHz, 2Gb, 160Gb, 1.7kg) which has their "X-Black" screen, probably similar to Apple's glossy screen and I like it very much. I did look at Apple, saw the matt screen and thought it lacked crispness and saturation. One reason for not going with the Apple was the lack of a docking station and, unless I'm mistaken, a built in SD card reader.

[wparsonsgisnet]

So cool.

 

'nuther question. I haul my camera gear around in a backpack (I like anonymous). It looks like crap, of course. A laptop fits very nicely in the pack, where it rests against the back, of course.

 

I've hauled windoze and PowerBook laptops this way with no problems. If I do this on a regular basis (think daily, so I can take all my stuff to the day job), will pressure cause any problems to the screen in the MBP?

 

I figure I should orient the thing so that the base of the MBP is against the spine.

 

Yup, DVI is the way to go. One of the reasons I'm looking at this laptop is that it really has all this stuff as standard.

 

I also plan to put some version of Final Cut on this box and capture video from the camera, live to disk. I'm still researching this part of the project.

 

Thanks to all,

[Guest guy_mancuso]

That is what i felt also Mark was the crispness and saturation was lacking with the matte although maybe more accurate. You really have to look at use too. i use the laptop for tethered and travel but usually all my processing is done on the desktop. The laptop also runs 2 big shows for me in a production booth with lots of images, so for me overall the 15 inch made more sense but every time I see a 17inch of course i droll over that. LOL

[wparsonsgisnet]

... so for me overall the 15 inch made more sense but every time I see a 17inch of course i droll over that. LOL

 

Every time I read one of your posts I end up wanting to go out and buy 6 lenses and now both a 15 and 17-in laptop.

 

How big IS your office in the house?

[jonoslack]

John, thanks for all that info.

 

I am torn between the 15 and 17-inch versions. I would like portability, but also want the most detail I can get. For some reason, I keep thinking I'm buying for the long-term. Funny how that keeps not working out.

Hi Bill

We have both a 15" and a 17" macbook pro around here - both matte screens. I can't add a great deal to the matte screen discussion (I don't like photo editing on glossy screens). I bought the 15" originally, and then passed it on to the wife and got a 17" - I do all my photo editing on it (with Aperture and CS3) mostly with a 23" Cinema display attached.

 

I'd go for the 17" every time - it's a drag carrying a computer around, but if you have to, the difference between the 15" and the 17" is nothing compared to the difference in using them. I spend quite a lot of time lugging mine around airports (Schipol is the worst!), and I'd still stick with the 17".

 

good luck with your decision

[wparsonsgisnet]

Thanks, Jono et al. Just what I needed to hear.

[Guest guy_mancuso]

My office is very small 10 x12 and my 30 inch takes over , which is what i like. LOL

I built a office in my 3rd bay of my garge and enclosed it with it's own air conditioning , TV and such. Almost all of my work is location and use the garrage for any product work or rent a studio. It's just easier this way for me and i don't have to pay a seperate rent charge every month. Okay off to a shoot but hit the Apple store and play around see what you like.

[wparsonsgisnet]

My office is very small 10 x12 and my 30 inch takes over , which is what i like. LOL

I built a office in my 3rd bay of my garge and enclosed it with it's own air conditioning , TV and such. Almost all of my work is location and use the garrage for any product work or rent a studio. It's just easier this way for me and i don't have to pay a seperate rent charge every month. Okay off to a shoot but hit the Apple store and play around see what you like.

 

C'mon, we need pix of this! We all knew there was more to be seen behind that big, black suv in the driveway.

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[miami91]

Not Apple, but I bought a Sony SX (13.3", 2.16GHz, 2Gb, 160Gb, 1.7kg) which has their "X-Black" screen, probably similar to Apple's glossy screen and I like it very much. I did look at Apple, saw the matt screen and thought it lacked crispness and saturation. One reason for not going with the Apple was the lack of a docking station and, unless I'm mistaken, a built in SD card reader.

 

Too late for your decision Mark, but for other Mac users out there, BookEndz makes docking stations for Powerbooks ( BookEndz - Docking Stations for Apple ). I've had one for my G4 Powerbook for years, and it's performed reliably. Great for managing the many cords/cables one encounters at home (printers, full sized kb and mouse, external monitor, external storage, etc.).

 

Jeff.