5 ms·
I've used both on a Mac. When Apple started offering both, I agonized but finally opted for glossy and haven't looked back. My preference on most things is matt
by aneth 15y ago
I've used both on a Mac. When Apple started offering both, I agonized but finally opted for glossy and haven't looked back. My preference on most things is matte - I always opted for matte when people printed photos from something called "film."
Here's why glossy screens are better, for me anyway:
1) It's better in sunlight. Counterintuitive I know, but it's far, far better. Matte screens diffract light and render the screen unreadable. Glossy screens can be made visible either passively (in very strong light) or actively if the screen is bright enough (as many now are.)
2) Glare is controllable and not diffused on a glossy screen. With a matte screen, glare manifests as blobs, and spread across the screen. With a glossy screen, glare is localized and easily defeated by repositioning the screen.
3) Matte makes screens less bright. It's a translucent filter, so of course it reflects and absorbs light.
4) Matte filters can be added, but a matte screen can't be made glossy.
The real solution: get rid of awful overhead florescent lighting. Ok, not that easy for most of you, but I think Steve Jobs probably wants those gone as much as he wants Flash gone. Any word on lighting at Apple?
- keen 15y agoIt's better in sunlight. I was initially skeptical; after using an iPad outdoors I found it hard to believe matte could be worse! But some quick research seems to confirm your point. Does anyone know of a solution to using screens outdoors? I hear the Kindle is good, but I'm thinking color screen.
- akgerber 15y agohttp://www.mirasoldisplays.com/ http://www.mirasoldisplays.com/ Interferometric Modulator MEMS screens are about to enter mass production.
- jankassens 15y agoA related patent: sun-lit screens: http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/03/25/apple-patent-watch-sun-lit-displays/ http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/03/25/apple-patent-watch-sun-...
- ender7 15y agoMy friend recently got a Sunbook, which he loves to use outdoors: http://www.cloversystems.com/SunBook.htm http://www.cloversystems.com/SunBook.htm (their website is horrific, but the product is decent). It's essentially a netbook with a special screen that can can work in both daylight and indoor light. In the sun, most of the colors wash away and it becomes a mostly black&white screen. But you can read it perfectly easily (similar to eink, but I don't think it actually uses eink, despite what their PR claims).
- rawsyntax 15y agoRe: #3... This is not an issue if your screen has sufficient brightness. I got a Dell u2410 and it's matte and seriously bright