When Apple unveiled its new aluminum MacBook and MacBook Pro last October, we were impressed by the hardware. The unibody construction, massive buttonless glass trackpad and Nvidia chipset were all things that added up to an impressive piece of kit.
One thing that we weren’t sure of right away was the glass-covered display. While we’ve come to accept that today’s LCD displays, particularly on notebooks, are mostly of the glossy variety, Apple took it a step further with a glass sheet on top of what already appears to be a glossy LCD screen. The affect is an unsettling double-reflection from a display that’s mirror-like.
We’ve spent a considerable amount of time with the full range of Apple notebook displays, from the matte and glossy from the previous generation MacBook Pro to the “glassy” unibody MacBook. And we’ll be the first say that the aesthetic designs of the new unibody MacBooks are worthy of a museum, but in terms of usability, the glass-covered screen is a pain to work with even when indoors.
Clearly, Apple has heard our cries and for that reason is now offering a matte option for its new 17-inch MacBook Pro, which will probably spread to the 15-inch version. But maddeningly, what used to be a no-charge option for a matte display now costs $50. No one’s happy with that, but Apple probably knows that those who care about having a matte display would be willing to pay.
Engadget got its hands on one of the first 17-inch MacBook Pros with the matte display. Check out the picture below for a side-by-side comparison with a 15-inch unibody.
If it weren’t immediately obvious, the matte screen has the aluminum border around the frame, which some feel looks a little odd. I’ve gotten used to the all-black borders, but Jane, our news editor, said that the notebook is even better with the matching trim. Even if Macs don’t interest you, Apple has a strong influence on the notebooks that PC makers design, so sound off with your opinion in the comments!
Wish Apple would have offered the matte display on the 15" Pro. As much as I like matte displays I'm not about to spend $3,000 just to have one with an Apple logo on it.
/thread
Because the laptop enter the "mainstream" and for most people the laptop is status item. It has to look good before it works good. Anyone that actually does any real job with notebook will select matte screen, especially if you value your eyesight. Would be funny, after some time someone will have a bright idea for quick cash by suing computer manufactures for ruing their eyesight.
i think your wrong. i find it very helpful. if someone now comes by and asks i can point them to the posting and i can warn them before they throw out their hard earned money. also the negative press puts pressure on apple to fix the problem.
Glossy screens have the absence of fuzzyness. they have a sharp contrast, but they also have reflection.
There's no way I'll buy a screen with an extra mirror like glass substrate in front of it, that will reduce the sharpness of the screen, and at the same time increase glossyness.
That's like adding 2 bad properties on top of each other!
Then again, Apple's never been my thing, so I couldn't care less what they will produce. It's just that some manufacturers abuse salespower. I hope many will have the common sense to turn back to regular pc's or laptops.
where are the law suits?
Hey Apple, Lenovo makes some great workstation notebooks, faster, more configurable and with matte screens for less
Because making a statement without any support ending with "/thread" always earns you an internet win, bravo.
Dogs >> Cats
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Which is why most of the company kept its old MBPs when the new ones came out: we just needed the screens to work, and glossy doesn't work.
"Dear Apple fans who don't want the extra sheet of glass - even though we don't need to put glass on your Mac and it will reduce production costs, we are going to charge you $50 extra because we know you're willing to pay it. Thanks for the extra money. We need all we can get."
Maybe, it costs more, I don't know. But it's stupid. Matte is most definitely better in some situations. I'm typing by a window on my glossy screen, and it's tough to see with the reflections from the outside. I would much rather have matte, but you just about can't buy a good matte screen anymore.
I hated glossy from the beginning, as it requires that you're in basically a dark room with little to no light especially behind you. Otherwise you're basically in every movie or application, staring at yourself when the screen turns darker. Forget about "playing" outside too. Glossy has become a bit better over time with semi-glossy AR coatings but still I prefer matte even if my first ViewSonic was a bit aggressive and the scattered light brightened dark sections significantly under bright light. My current Samsung (XL20) is near perfect for a matte finish.
that's an old sales trick to get higher price, what you do is give what does not sell as default and ask for a slightly higher price for what people want. people fall for it all the time and pay more. dell does the same thing, they give you the drive that they need to get rid of as the default, and then they ask you for the full price for the one that they would really have given you, notice they don't give you credit for the memory, drive that you replaced.
haha holy buddy, if you hate toms F**k off, don't let the door hit you in the A**