I spent 20 minutes in the Troy, MI Apple Store today, putting two brand-new Santa Rosa-powered MacBook Pros side-by-side for the purposes of (a) checking out the new 15.4″ LED display and (b) finally settling in my mind the glossy v. matte debate.
First off, the LED display is gorgeous. It’s far brighter than the old CCFL display, and that’s immediately apparent. The whites are brilliant white, and the blacks are deep black. The screen was so impressive that it outshone (as it were) the high-def screen on the nearby 17″ MacBook Pro. No, the 15.4″ LED doesn’t have the pixel density, but it makes the 17″ HD screen look dim by comparison (even though the HD screen is very impressive from a resolution standpoint).
If you have any concerns about the 15.4″ LED screen on the new MacBook Pros, don’t. I saw no evidence of yellow tint or discoloration. They’re gorgeous and definitely the new standard. A year from now, LED panels will be all you see.
As for glossy v. matte, I have to vote a resounding glossy. I don’t do any pre-press color work, so dead-on color accuracy isn’t necessary for me, so you mileage may vary depending on what you do with your machine. Side-by-side, though, the glossy looks like a next-gen screen next to the matte, even though they’re both LED-powered. There were some reflections in the glossy screen, but even given the Apple Store’s bright, fluorescent environment, they didn’t bother me one bit. I have to imagine that in 95% of non-press use cases, the glossy screen’s deeper colors, whiter whites and richer blacks will be preferred. It’s certainly a more striking screen at first glance, and using it is very satisfying.
The matte screen was bright and nice — brighter than my rev A MacBook Pro’s 15″ display — but text was blurrier, as essentially a matte screen uses a coating that serves as a low-level diffusion filter to mitigate reflections. When I say “blurry” I don’t mean any blurrier than a standard notebook screen, and I mainly say it in contrast to text on the glossy, which was very, very sharp.
So, the LED screen is gorgeous and glossy is the way to go unless you are a true color professional. There are many debates raging right now about this, and the two sides are pretty even, so I’ll go ahead and assume this blog post will settle the debate once and for all. Is that a misguided assumption?
Of course not. Please.
28 responses so far ↓
Barry // June 14, 2007 at 3:29 am
Thanks for the description. I have been tossing up about this issue for a while now, and your description has made my mind up. Glossy for me! Cheers
Baz
Brian Purkiss // June 14, 2007 at 7:30 am
Thank you very much for the heads up.
I believe I shall be purchasing a Mac Book Pro in the next little bit, and the description is greatly appreciated.
Jennifer // June 14, 2007 at 9:06 am
As a MacBook user with a glossy screen, I must say I disagree. I think the glossy is perhaps the only thing that drives me nuts over my MB sometimes. Well, let me mitigate this a bit, the reflections really become obnoxious when using the computer in sunlight. Unless the angle is _just_ right, the reflections make it almost unusable. Now, maybe they have solved some of this issue with the new glossy screens, but I doubt it. However, if you do not think you will be using this computer outdoors (or in a sunny room) _ever_, then yes, the glossy is quite spiffy.
Just thought I’d throw my 2ยข in.
Brutus // June 14, 2007 at 9:53 am
I struggled with the decision to go matte or glossy, and I ended up agreeing with you. I don’t typically have bright lights right behind my head, so glossy wins. Even after three months of constant use, in various locations, I like the glossy better than my previous matte LCD. Now if I could cheaply trade up to LED and whatever else Apple releases next. : )
Jonathan Dann // June 14, 2007 at 11:05 am
Well I’m waiting for for my glossy 15″ display as I type this. I’m not getting anything done, but then it seems like the delivery people aren’t either! I need it before I move!
Oh.. relevancy, I agree. I tested a matte and a glossy in Paris a couple of days ago, and the glossy was amazing. Made me sure of my purchase.
Top Posts « WordPress.com // June 14, 2007 at 7:59 pm
[...] Impressions of the MacBook Pro’s LED display: glossy v. matte all over again. I spent 20 minutes in the Troy, MI Apple Store today, putting two brand-new Santa Rosa-powered MacBook Pros […] [...]
beanie // June 15, 2007 at 1:58 pm
LED screen flicker? Seems there are many reports of LED screen flicker on the new displays when it is not at max brightness or that the flicker is more apparent when not at full brightness.
Bill // June 15, 2007 at 2:21 pm
Although we do not know if the flickering is substantial, you can see why waiting for revision 2 may be a good idea. Of course, all you need to do apparently, is turn the brightness to max. It will still have a better battery life. But reports state that a firmware patch seems on the way.
Jeff Ventura // June 15, 2007 at 3:59 pm
Is this the “flicker” that happens when a finger is passed momentarily over the ambient light sensor that’s in the left-hand speaker?
Bill // June 15, 2007 at 7:09 pm
I do not think so. Some sites have very few people with the experience. Although the topic had about 50 posts on one forum, only 3 people had the experience. One guy got it replaced and the newer MBP did not flicker, as he reported. MacFixit claims ’several’ reports of this problem, but had only two comments and they referred to another that claimed others had the same experience, and that they got the MBP replaced with a non-flickering unit.
Jeff Ventura // June 16, 2007 at 12:04 am
@Bill: I’ll hold off a few weeks until the first run bugs are worked out. That’s my SOP with most new Apple hardware (or any vendor’s, for that matter).
Bill // June 16, 2007 at 10:36 am
I have been lucky with no problems with the first G4 and Mac Pro Tower. I never use my laptops, which are both Dell that are 7 and 4 years old. I got lucky with them as well, but my friends have some very bad experiences with many types of Dell hardware failures, under warranty or soon after. The difference was customer service. My Pro Tower had the wrong video card. A quick phone call with almost not waiting resulted in a new card the next day. They did not ask for the old one to be sent back. Dell was a nightmare for all of them. Also, they got refurb parts and were asked to replace the parts themselves, which is why I got involved. I had more knowledge then many of the people to whom they had spoken. My IT people [The supervisor just resigned to create his own consulting company. Bummer!] all use HP. But our expensive Workstations have had their share of hardware problems as well. My very verbose point is that, as you know, Apple service will make you happy, so fear not. That seems to be the experience of this new LED situation as well.
Carl Hancock // June 21, 2007 at 10:07 am
What about text? Not page layout, just good ol’ word processing. Those of us who live in libraries typing research papers need to know which is better for long term viewing of black text on a white background–glossy screen or matte screen?
Comments?
ash // June 22, 2007 at 2:47 pm
I’ve got the flickering issue too on my new MBP 2.4 ghz, after using it a week it got better, but anyhow I’m still hoping for apple to acknowledge the problem.
brandon // June 25, 2007 at 9:33 pm
My eyes aren’t the best.. stigmitism and contacts.. does glossy vs. matte make a difference in working with it?
Jeff Ventura // June 25, 2007 at 9:52 pm
@brandon: don’t think there’s a hard and fast rule here. Many think text is sharper on a glossy (I’m one of them), but the glare/reflections might not agree with you.
I’d go see each in person before making a call.
nuxx // July 21, 2007 at 8:17 pm
When I first got a black MacBook (inherently glossy) about a year back, my initial impression wasn’t unlike yours. The screen appeared more appealing and radiant. After a year of use, through which I also frequently used a nonglossy HP and a glossy fujitsu/siemens - I have become wiser though. For first impressions and under certain conditions you may find a glossy screen more appealing than a matte. But for mobility and practicality and general use, it quite simply becomes a nuisance. You’ll find yourself CONSTANTLY adjusting the angle of your screen to make up for some speck of light inevitably overpowering the pixels your just trying to read. You’ll sweat of stress from cleaning off fingerprints from the incredibly susceptible screen (yeah… I don’t touch my screen either… still they get there somehow - it’s a law of nature) And finally… you may actually find that text is actually less pleasant to read, on a glossy screen - I find that a matte screen has similar qualities vs glossy… as paper has vs CRT - when it comes to strain on the eyes… matte screens are somehow “easier” to focus on.
I wrote this from my NON glossy 17″ MBP @ 1920×1200 and I can happily say I that have matured beyond using glossy displays.
Benjamin Asher // July 23, 2007 at 9:28 pm
PLEASE BE WARNED!!!!
I have one BIG problem with the new LED display. While I love the better black and white color representation, it has the ablity to show too much. It can show 110% of the color gamma spectrum, and that constitutes a problem. It can show more white than some pictures contain. It is hard to explain, but rather than show clipping (loss of detail in highlights) it shows a patchy look in the highlights of a photo, even in the skintoned highlights of a model’s cheeks. This makes it appear as though it is the fault of the photographer or image editor, but is just the over zealous ability of the new screens. It is more apparent at a slight angle, anything but exactly straight on, which is what I used to love about Apple displays. But what am I supposed to do? I haven’t even read anyone else with the same problem?
Benjamin..
leafy // July 24, 2007 at 1:14 pm
I just got my 2.4G MBP tonight, and yes I have the flicker too. The flickering seems to be a lot more subtle after the initial few hours of use, but I am returning it for a new one anyway.
Roger // September 19, 2007 at 11:35 am
Choice. Regarding matte v gloss, people prefer either for their own reasons. I prefer matte. Therefore, in the case of the iMac, Apple should provide that choice, rather than enforcing their view on us. Dropping the matte screen from the iMac is pathetic.
bleiberg // October 22, 2007 at 9:52 pm
I also agree with the glossy sentiment. It seems that everyone online who complains about reflection and loss of accuracy has either never seen a glossy display in their life and is just basing their argument off of a need to be combative and misinformation, or experiencing only a cheaply made glossy. Most PC glossies and certainly the MBP and MB look better than their counterparts in the matte section. And this effect is only exacerbated by the LED MBP screen.
rofllol666 // November 25, 2007 at 7:59 am
I’m glad have a glossy display!
CDeez // December 4, 2007 at 1:18 pm
I have just bougt a MBP ith a glossy screen. After reading hundreds of debates on this, I actually changed my order from a matte screen to a glossy screen.
Cheers
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Joel // June 12, 2008 at 11:31 am
Thanks for the review. I was getting worried about my soon-to-arrive (glossy) purchase… glad to know there is nothing to worry about. Can’t wait.
James Terlecki // June 29, 2008 at 9:53 am
This was an interesting evaluation, however, I have one question: most other forum comments seem concerned over reflection. Mine is over color accuracy. Even people at the Apple store say that the matte provides truer color than the glossy. I find it hard to believe that the finish on the screen has any impact whatsoever on the color accuracy. Video cards and other hardware contribute some. Software contributes some. I use a Huey Spyder to calibrate my monitors every 30 days and then I allow Photoshop to control the color, not the printer. How can the surface of the screen have any impact on color?
BittenByDesign.com // July 1, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Although I do a lot of web work, the amount of press work I do means I do need a matte screen, and wanting to work outside when I can means that glare and reflection can be a problem.
But nice to see an impartial review of the products.
Jeff Ventura // July 1, 2008 at 9:50 pm
Unfortunately, impartial is impossible because users have different needs.
Me? I’d take the glossy because I want the color depth and saturation. But I don’t do pre-press work, and press-ready color accuracy isn’t a priority for me.
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