Mac Pro laptop - glossy or anti-glare?

[innerimager]

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Moderators- feel free to move this where you think it's best located.

 

I have a 15" mac pro with an anti glare screen. I am about to get a 17'' and before getting the same I wondered if anyone here has experience using the regular glossy screen for photo editing. I know the advantages of anti-glare. I rarely work outside and generally have control of my ambient lighting when I edit. I am wondering if the increased contrast, especially deeper blacks on the glossy, might even be an advantage over the anti glare screen. Thanks for any advise on this. best....Peter

[mby]

I've the 15" MacBook Pro w/ glossy screen plus the external glossy monitor and couldn't be happier; no problems with reflections in real life here... - Would buy it again.

 

Best,

Michael

[digger1914]

I have had 2 15" MBP with the matte screen, and have recently changed to one with the glossy screen.

 

So far it has all gone well, but I do not use it outside much. You do see more reflection, but that has not been a problem for me yet.

[Nicoleica]

I've got a glossy screen on my macbook too. Apart from it being a small screen for any serious work, I find it very pleasant to work with. My main machine is a 24" glossy screen iMac, with an additional 24" screen too. No problems with reflections on either that can't be solved by a teeny bit of re-positioning if needed.

[Borbarad]

As for Glossy, its not so much a question about what you like but what you want.

 

If color proofing is key for you stay far far far far away from glossy (you simple can't proof a glossy screen correctly). Else.. up to you.

 

 

B

[Frank Sprow]

I've had both. For fun viewing, watching movies and playing games the glossy is great. It is very inaccurate for post-processing adjustments even with color calibration schemes - for that purpose go with the matte display. Or get a dedicated display for photo editing when needed.

[doublep]

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I hate glossy with a vengeance.... but it seems to work for other people. For a calibrated environment, I would definitely advise the anti-glare screen.

[innerimager]

Thanks everyone. Let me modify the question. Given that color accuracy is a problem on glossy screens, what about B&W processing? Thanks again.....Peter

[robert-gregory]

Before I bought my new MacBook Pro 17" i7 a couple months ago I spent an hour+ at the Apple Store looking back and forth between the two side by side; photos, video, text… . Although I'd always had a matte screen on my previous Apples I was open to a switch if not for just something different - modern.

 

That I saw was a bit unexpected. I'd heard how the glossy screen [at least in the previous models] had deeper blacks, a sharper image, and more 'pop' in colors.The new matte 17" looked just as good, but I didn't need to make any compromise adjustments in screen angle or try and ignore the reflections. The matte is just the better way to go for me. Colors are great, blacks are black, no reflection problems (which give me a headache) - with the matte it's just a easy laptop computer to work with. The glossy does look great (if you can get past the reflections), but for day-to-day - matte doesn't feel like the compromise version.

 

A bit about the colors: The glossy does have a bit more 'pop' bit higher saturation look and not so 'true' look maybe. The matte's blacks are very good and there may be a bit more in the grays. I'm happy with my colors so far. Still need to calibrate your screen either way.

 

+1 what Frank said too.

[adavis47]

+2 Frank

[pascal_meheut]

+1 what Frank said too.

 

+1. I have to MBP, a 17" and a 15" both with matte screen and I prefer it to the glossy screen for day to day work.

The glossy screen on the iMacs and the iPads is really wonderful for movies or so and really not a problem but I simply prefer the matte one.

[geesbert]

I just got a MBP with the new antiglare screen and I truly love it. my old MBP was only about 15 months old and pretty speced out, but this new screen was reason enough to get a new one. it is fantastic! it profiles much better, next to my desktop Eizo it is really close, the higher resolution really helps, especially with lighroom. I don't like the silver bezel though, but I can live with that....

 

once I got it, I realised how much I hated the glossy display and how badly it profiled. go for it, you won't regret it.

[Printmaker]

If I understand your question, you are asking about photo editing and not color correcting. If that is the case, then there's nothing wrong with the glossy screen on the MBP.

 

I use my MBP 13 in the field to take a first look at what I've shot then do the final work in the studio on one of my LaCie 22 Blues. The big old CRTs do a great job displaying what the final print will look like.

 

My only complaint with the MBP is that damn track pad. When writing or laying out an ad in InDesign, the art zooms in and out at the slightest touch or, worse still, spins in its box. Sure, I know... do it back at the studio. But sometimes its nice to do the work with the client there and when you can reshoot from a different angle or light. If only there was some way to get an old fashioned track pad into the MBP...

 

Tom

[innerimager]

Just ordered it with an anti-glare screen. Many thanks for the input everyone. best....Peter