8 ms·

Notes on Apple's Nano Texture (2025)

257 points by dsr12 9mo ago

brdd 9mo ago
They give you a cleaning cloth? Did I accidentally throw mine away!?
- seemaze 9mo ago
  not to worry. Apple will gladly provide a replacement in exchange for USD$19 https://www.apple.com/shop/product/mw693am/a/polishing-cloth https://www.apple.com/shop/product/mw693am/a/polishing-cloth
  - rhplus 9mo ago
    A microfiber cloth apparently so notable that it even has its own Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Polishing_Cloth https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Polishing_Cloth
  - hammock 9mo ago
    You bought a car that requires premium grade fuel, you gotta pay for the premium grade.
  - jsheard 9mo ago
    Pay attention to the compatibility list though. If you use the Cloth™ on an iPhone 4 or earlier then you're in uncharted territory, who knows what could happen.
- unsnap_biceps 9mo ago
  Yeah, it was in the box with all the compliance paperwork, where the stickers used to be.
  - emchammer 9mo ago
    Apple doesn't even include stickers anymore?
    - mannyv 9mo ago
      I heard they didn't but I got stickers in both my iphone and macbook pro boxes. Go figure.
      - unsnap_biceps 9mo ago
        They stopped including them in late 2024, https://www.macrumors.com/2024/11/07/rip-apple-stickers-kind-of/ https://www.macrumors.com/2024/11/07/rip-apple-stickers-kind... But perhaps that's a north america only thing and other countries continue to receive stickers.
        hbs18 9mo ago
        It's not US only, I didn't get stickers with my EU market iPhone Air.
- cbeley 9mo ago
  I thought the same. I had no idea there was a special cloth in the box. I'll have to dig it up and search for it. It sounds like a quality microfiber cloth is still fine though.
daft_pink 9mo ago
You’ve convinced me that this might be worth it on a laptop display.
2OEH8eoCRo0 9mo ago
Apple makes panels?
- jborichevskiy 9mo ago
  Not to my knowledge, I think Samsung was one of their manufacturers for a while, but they do have patents on nano texture which differs somewhat apparently from traditional matte screens. I'd love to understand more of the differences and more about their manufacturing process though.
jjtheblunt 9mo ago
excellent article...well done
- jborichevskiy 9mo ago
  Thank you!
therealmarv 9mo ago
Alcohol? After research on Apple they allow: For infrequent cleaning of hard-to-remove smudges, you can moisten the cloth with a 70-percent isopropyl alcohol (IPA) solution. source: https://support.apple.com/en-us/104948 https://support.apple.com/en-us/104948 But never apply it directly on screen. I think it's important to mention you just do not use "some alcohol" but it should be 70% isopropyl alcohol solution. Btw. alcohol is a very good way to destroy the old glossy screens (non nano texture).
- TheSamFischer 9mo ago
  [dead]
- jen729w 9mo ago
  > Btw. alcohol is a very good way to destroy the old glossy screens (non nano texture). Respectful disagree. My partner's family's go-to surface spray has always been a home-made mix of ~30% methylated spirits to water. That's the only bench spray I've used for 10+ years and I can report it's as effective as any commercial spray, and 10% the price. Just mix it at home and use it everywhere. Kitchen, bathroom, anywhere else. I speak as a clean-freak. It works. It's also amazing for cleaning laptop screens. I spray it directly on. I shouldn't. I do. I type this on a 5-year-old Macbook Air whose screen has been cleaned countless times using this method. It looks like this. (The moon-surface-like texture at the top is the texture of the reflected wall, above.) https://share.cleanshot.com/bnHrCQDZ https://share.cleanshot.com/bnHrCQDZ 1. Make this mixture in a $1 spray bottle at home. 2. Lock your laptop and press Escape so the screen turns off. Lay it screen-back-down, keyboard open at about 80°, so it sits on the bench. 3. Spray a small amount of this mixture on the screen, directly. But don't be shy. Just don't have the screen be swimming. 4. Wipe carefully with a kitchen towel. 5. Repeat as necessary. So far the only danger I've found is catching an abrasive particle in the cloth in the wiping process. A pre-wipe can alleviate the issue.
  - commandersaki 9mo ago
    I do similar but 30% Isopropyl Alcohol and I mix with distilled water.
spamfilter247 9mo ago
The Flatirons are such a unique foothills, they're instantly recognizable.
crazygringo 9mo ago
Not a single demonstration of contrast? We've had matte screens for a long time that don't show glare. The problem is, the blacks are much more washed-out because that light still has to go somewhere, so it's basically just being smeared across the entire display. This page shows lots of side-by-side photos of content that is primarily white, and most of the black bits (like text) are too small to make out. The comparison needs to use things like busy photographs with bright areas and black areas. Then you can judge how much more washed-out the black areas look. The second photo makes the Nano texture look pretty washed-out, but sadly doesn't include the traditional glossy laptop next to it for comparison, so it's impossible to tell. Also, in all the side-by-side photos the Nano screen looks like it's set to much brighter. So any fair comparison should have them set to equal brightness. There's no universe in which a glossy screen is going to make the white areas look darker, as they are in all these examples. I'm very curious if/how the Nano is better, but unfortunately these photos don't do anything to demonstrate it.
- MrScruff 9mo ago
  Contrast is worse, it's a trade off. For me in most environments there will be bright reflections on the glossy screens, even indoors - your brain actually does a good job of ignoring them to the point you're not even conciously aware most of the time, but when you smear them out with the nano texture display it's just way more comfortable to look at, for me at least. If I was focused on watching movies, or grading photos in a dark room then glossy would be the way to go.
  - cosmic_cheese 9mo ago
    Depends a lot on the screen and environment in my experience. A glossy Apple Studio Display or iMac (both of which have a decent antiglare treatment despite being glossy) in an office setting for example isn’t too bad. On the other hand, your average touchscreen laptop (which are always almost-mirrors with no hint of treatment, for some reason) with screen angled up slightly and overhead fluorescent tube lighting or a skylight on the other hand? Borderline useless if the screen isn’t bright enough to outshine the strong glare covering 40-60%+ of the screen.
  - 9mo ago
ant6n 9mo ago
Unfortunately they don't have it for the MacBook Air. Only the heavy Pro.
walterbell 9mo ago
> I have to swat other people’s hands away when they try to point something out on my screen with their pizza fingers. How are fingerprints on iPad Pro nano texture touchscreens?
- mperham 9mo ago
  I’ve been using a nano iPad Pro for a year or so now and fingerprints have never once bothered me. The cleaning cloth works great. I love the nano screen as reflections are just not a problem any more.
  - criddell 9mo ago
    I just bought an iPad Pro and really wanted the nano-texture, but that would mean I would also have to upgrade the storage and it made the device too expensive for me. I bought a Paperlike 3 screen protector and it's ok. Not great, not terrible.
    - mperham 9mo ago
      Yeah, the screen is a very costly upgrade but since I'm on it so many hours per day, I was willing to pay the price. Glare is just never a problem, no matter where I am.
egypturnash 9mo ago
I've been using a sunshield I made out of some black mat board for at least a decade now. There's a few little magnets in it to cling to the magnets hidden in my Mac's lid. It's been on like 3-5 computers now, looking increasingly battered; whenever I upgrade I get to see if the magnets are in the same orientation or not. Works great, I keep it in the padded pocket in my laptop bag next to the computer and the drawing tablet and take it out when I'm sitting in the park.
- mixmastamyk 9mo ago
  Have any links to picture, plans, or similar? Or did you just wing it?
  - egypturnash 9mo ago
    I basically winged it. One piece of mat board and a roll of black drafting tape gave me more than enough room to make a first attempt, figure out what I didn't like about it, and make a new one.
markbao 9mo ago
This is a great option if you work outdoors a lot. As a designer though, I couldn’t get used to the “dusty” appearance of the nano texture (and yes, contrast loss – glossy displays are just more punchy) at least on the Pro Display XDR. You mostly get used to it if you aren’t doing design, I’m guessing. Def a tradeoff that depends on your lifestyle if you work outside a lot (or want to). It does look nice there in the mountains
lycos 9mo ago
I don't touch my display on my MacBook and it's always yucky because of the finger oils on my keyboard, so the thought of having to use a special cloth to clean it always seemed like too much of a hassle for me compared to the glossy display. I did wonder if this improved ever since they added nano texture to the ipad pro, but sounds like fingerprints are still annoying.
- dylan604 9mo ago
  For the longest time, I kept the sheet of foam that comes with the new laptop. Eventually that got lost. I then picked up a pre-cut bit of microfiber that fit the laptop and thin enough to allow for full closing. Once you get in the habit of remembering to put the cloth back before closing the lid, you'll be amazed at your screen's lack of oils.
- whalesalad 9mo ago
  I can't even type on a keyboard that is oily so I make an effort to never eat around my machine and always keep my hands clean. I clean my macbooks about 1x per month using isopropyl on a microfiber cloth.
  - ayeung 9mo ago
    I clean my MacBook Pro keyboard daily (or almost every time I use it) with either water only or if it’s really yucky, a ~30% isopropyl alcohol spray. I use a regular yellow microfiber towel (usually from the giant bag I pick up from Costco every few years) Afterward I use it to wipe off the screen. Personally I’ve never had any issues with screen coating except on the older 2012-2015 MacBook Pros where my fingernails eventually caused the coating to scratch by the webcam (when opening the display, I suspect) A note about new microfiber towels: they need to be washed prior to use or they’ll leave little bits of plastic micro fibers all over whatever you’re trying to clean Most of the time plain water and moist microfiber towel will make it look new again. It does nothing for wear on the keycaps though my command key and a few keys like A, Z, W, and S are wearing away and look slightly glossy.
- brailsafe 9mo ago
schmuckonwheels 9mo ago
I've been saying glossy screens are pure cancer for 20 years and every time I was dismissed as a Luddite that should get with the times. Now they can sell you "nano texture" at a premium after getting you hooked on functionally terrible displays (they look pretty in the store though). My worst experience with glossy displays was when I had to perform some work outside on a sunny day and I comically could not see a single thing. It looked like a pure black square. I laughed, packed up and left, and told my boss it wasn't happening.
- tdesilva 9mo ago
  glossy screens are better for visual clarity, especially contrast (reduces eye strain when reading text)
  - schmuckonwheels 9mo ago
    Yes the visual clarity of staring into a reflection of my own shirt, and any light within 10m. There is no worse eye strain that looking at anything that isn't supposed to be on the screen. It's 90% noise.
    - cubefox 9mo ago
      The glossy screens have like 2% more contrast but 300% more distracting reflections.
- koiueo 9mo ago
  How dare you even trying to compare otherworldly nanotexture™®© to a regular horrible PC matte screen! Unappealing PC matte screens are for old farts who can't appreciate sexy rounded corners and perfectly rendered fonts¹ ¹ assuming your display yields over 300dpi If you are a cool kid, you'll prefer glossy screen any day. Only with deep contrasty blacks will you be able to appreciate your low-contrast macos interface or your low-contrast VScode solarized theme. Occasional gorgeous reflection of stunning you squinting at the screen is just a nice bonus. But I have to give it to Apple: PC glossy screens are mostly even worse.
t1234s 9mo ago
It's a shame they don't offer it on the macbook Air
jeffgreco 9mo ago
It looks great but I can't imagine I'll be up to the cleaning protocol. For outdoor use, I've had some decent success with the app Vivid which hijacks various MacOS abilities to superbrighten your display: https://www.getvivid.app/ https://www.getvivid.app/
- jborichevskiy 9mo ago
  Yes, the HDR boost is awesome as well, combined with nano texture it feels like overkill, but I love it.
Daneel_ 9mo ago
While I’m glad for the author, in that they’ve found something that delights them, this just seems like a really long-winded way to say “matte screens have less glare” - not a new fact.
- cubefox 9mo ago
  There are special surfaces (also used in some TVs I believe) which actually reflect somewhat less light. I assume this "nano texture" is something like that. (Of course the screen being matte also helps.)
jborichevskiy 9mo ago
Author here, I published this a few months back but have been continuing to use it on a daily basis - everything I wrote stands Feel free to ask any other questions!
- hmottestad 9mo ago
  I tried the iPad Pro with Nano Texture and found the display to have a rainbow grain, especially on pure white backgrounds. Are you bothered by anything similar on the MacBook?
  - adastra22 9mo ago
    You’re not the only one to mention that in this thread. I’ve had a nanotextured MacBook as a daily driver for about six months, and I have no clue what you are talking about. Maybe the issue is iPad only?
    - AlanYx 9mo ago
      Rainbow isn't really the right term. It's more of a sparkling effect. Apple actually uses the term "sparkle" for this characteristic in their patent for the display treatment (see para 0073). They also mention that different diffractive layers can be used to minimize the effect, so it is possible that the issue is worse on some devices than others.
      - adastra22 9mo ago
        Well whatever it is, my MBP screen looks perfectly fine. It's like a matte display, but not with the colors all washed out like the matte displays of yore. No visible artifacts of any kind that I can see.
  - jborichevskiy 9mo ago
    I personally haven't noticed that. I am also primarily coding & writing rather than image editing or such so am less sensitive to things like that fwiw.
dijit 9mo ago
I recently purchased a "paperlike" for my iPad Pro (M4, if it matters). I'll be honest, it has made the writing like 20% better, but the touching about 50% worse. The feel of the screen is somewhat irritating, though it looks nice when the backlight is dim so I thought I'd go to Apple and check out the nano-texture. All I can say is that subjectively, I liked it even less. I have no idea how people can live with nanotexture on iPad screens. That said, a consistent issue I have with my Macbook Air and my iPad pro is that the "peripherals" touch the screen. My Macbook ends up with oily cubes where the keyboard and its edge has rubbed up against the screen display; and similarly on the iPad I have a perpetual line where the smart folio has its segments. I thought I had unusually oily hands and started washing more frequently, but that seems to have made the problem worse somehow. :\
- sponnath 9mo ago
  There's honestly not much you can do to prevent the "oily cubes" problem, especially if you keep the laptop docked often. You'll just have to clean the screen more often. I've seen some people place a keyboard-sized microfibre cloth in between the keyboard and display but I'm not sure how well that actually works in practice. It might cause other issues.
  - dijit 9mo ago
    Boo! Hiss! … (Thanks for the advice.)
  - swiftcoder 9mo ago
    > I've seen some people place a keyboard-sized microfibre cloth in between the keyboard and display but I'm not sure how well that actually works in practice. It might cause other issues. The tolerance is tight enough here that folks used to damage their displays this way. You need an extremely thin layer here if you are going to do this.
    - sponnath 9mo ago
      Absolutely. I honestly wouldn't ever recommend doing this. Imo, you should just spent a little extra time cleaning your display over taking dubious preventative measures.
snitzr 9mo ago
I ordered a custom matte film from this company for my 27-inch iMac: https://www.glarestopper.com https://www.glarestopper.com Works great. I also got a huge one for my TV. Once I learned how to press the bubbles out I was good. The trick is to use a larger bubble to catch the smaller ones and press them out the sides.
RicoElectrico 9mo ago
How is this different from the Steam Deck optional etched glass?
thih9 9mo ago
> The screen needs more effort to keep clean than a normal screen and comes with a special wipe that needs to be used instead of microfiber > I’ve learned to bring my special wipe when I bring my laptop, and I slip a few rubbing alcohol wipes in there as well. Not for me then, the extra flexibility wouldn't be worth the loss of convenience; I prefer low maintenance and I work mostly indoors anyway. Still, good to have options, I guess. In any case, that was a good and helpful review!
kccqzy 9mo ago
I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: the nano texture screen decreases the apparent pixel density, so much that my eyes don’t perceive them as retina screens. With nano texture, my eyes feel like looking at individual pixels even though they are not. It introduces a noticeable blurry effect. It’s a huge turn-off. Apple introduced retina screens back in 2010 and this viscerally felt like going back to 2009. I do not recommend buying nano texture screens without having seen one. I get it that some people won’t be bothered but it’s a big no-no for me. Traditional matte screens are way better.
stevage 9mo ago
It's nice to know there are people whose preferences are so different to my own. I'm much happier using a computer indoors, as much as I love doing other things outdoors.
- NSUserDefaults 9mo ago
  I love the nanotexture on my 2020 27” 5k Intel iMac.
- sgt 9mo ago
  Agreed. Glad he's happy, but there's no way I am using a computer for a long time outdoors.
hmottestad 9mo ago
I tried the iPad with Nano Texture and didn’t really like the rainbow effect that shows up on white brackgrounds. So I ended up returning it. A while later I had an idea to mount an iPad to my fridge so that I could check the weather, add things to my shopping list, play music, etc. I bought the rather expensive iPad with Nano Texture screen and it has been amazing to use. There is a big window opposite the fridge, and without the nano texture the glare from behind makes it hard to read what’s on the screen. Not sure I would enjoy nano texture on my MacBook. For outdoor use I found that Vivid is great to turn up the brightness using the extended range of HDR that Apple doesn’t otherwise allow me to use.
- layer8 9mo ago
  What's annoying is that the bezel is still glossy. Bright reflections moving across it tend to be distracting.
  - 0xWTF 9mo ago
    > the bezel is still glossy ... on the iPad. I have a nanotexture MacBook and double-checked. It's textured all the way across. But you're right, the bezel of the iPad is glossy (1). Why would they do that? Is it masked off or a separate piece of glass? (1) https://www.reddit.com/r/ipad/comments/1cwppel/m4_ipad_pro_standard_vs_nano_texture_glass_an/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ipad/comments/1cwppel/m4_ipad_pro_s...
  - ebbi 9mo ago
    Apparently they leave it glossy so that it doesn't impact the camera quality. I remember reading this somewhere but can't confirm the source sorry.
    - layer8 9mo ago
      They would have to leave the sensors out, but could cover the rest of the bezel. They don’t do it because then the sensors would be more visible. But I’d prefer them to put function over aesthetics.
    - deleted 9mo ago
nine_k 9mo ago
Oh, I see Macbook screens may become actually usable again. All the Macbooks my employers issued to me previously were only usable with an external screen, or at least with all ceiling lights off, and away from windows.
orliesaurus 9mo ago
I thought you could pick a nano texture film on Amazon for cheap ?
jiveturkey 9mo ago
> massive step forward umm, anti-glare/matte used to be the norm for LCD. Around 2005-2006 that changed. As laptops became more of a consumer product, and DVD watching was an important usage, the glossy screens became the norm. https://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=26396 https://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=26396 So, I would call it a massive step backwards! The 2006 MBP had an optional glossy screen, and the 2008 was the first one with default glossy. Around 2012 Apple dropped the matte option altogether.
msephton 9mo ago
+1 for the nano texture lovers. such a huge QOL improvement if you take your laptop to various places where you can't control the lighting.
nntwozz 9mo ago
I'd like this for the iPhone where glare is actually a real problem and fidelity is less of a concern. I would never consider a matte display at home because I keep my computers in dark environments like a real nerd.
littlestymaar 9mo ago
> Overall a massive step forward for outdoor computing “Step forward” that wouldn't have been needed in the first place if Apple didn't kill mat screens in the first place.
IndySun 9mo ago
If you're going to compare screen reflections at a certain physical point, put the screens you're comparing (they're real easy to move) at that certain physical point. Don't put them side by side. Poor reviews are worse than worthless.
- jborichevskiy 9mo ago
  Appreciate the suggestion!
- gruez 9mo ago
  >Don't put them side by side. Poor reviews are worse than worthless. In this particular case it's probably fine because the pictures are outdoors, and the reflections are (presumably) far away, so parallax isn't that much of an issue.
  - IndySun 9mo ago
    Thank you. Yes, your distance point (ie the sun!) is valid. I could have added, also maintain the exact camera position too. And had I spent more thought on replying, I'd suggest a short video would surely be most informative. I liked the article overall.
0xWTF 9mo ago
So, a friend of mine happens to be a very senior high energy laser engineer in the Valley and knows way more about optics than any reasonable person. If I shared his bone fides, it would out him, but suffice to say we had a chat about the XDR screen one time, mainly in comparison to the Dell, and he uses Windows while I use a Mac or Linux. With the utter confidence of someone who has better things to think about he said "Oh, the texture is created by exposing it to hydrofluoric acid. That's just the only way you do this." And then went back to talking about the lack of physical controls, which is what ultimately led him to buy the Dell. All that to say, this Jon.Bo statement "Basically, it’s a coating" is false. It's not a coating. When you're looking at a nanotexture screen, you're just looking through glass. Since I'm sure someone will challenge me, I looked it up. Here's Apple's patent: https://patents.google.com/patent/US20220326413A1/en https://patents.google.com/patent/US20220326413A1/en and the key section from paragraph 0117: "The surface of the glass cover member may then be chemically etched. Chemical etching techniques for glass cover members may involve using a suitable acid or base (e.g., a hydrofluoric acid-based etchant)". I love their little redirections, like "a suitable acid or base". Also: don't try this at home kids. Quick notes from our friend Gemini: Safety & Dangers of HF Vapor * Extreme Hazard: HF vapor is highly corrosive, toxic, and can cause severe burns, blindness, and systemic poisoning, even at low concentrations. * PPE Required: Full protective gear, including chemical suits, respirators, and face shields, is essential. * Ventilation: Must be done in a dedicated, high-flow chemical fume hood with water access.
- AlanYx 9mo ago
  That same paragraph also describes ways in which it can be accomplished other than chemical etching ("...chemical etching, laser ablation, mechanical removal of material, mechanical pre-treatment followed by etching, lithography in combination with etching, and combinations thereof."). There are also paragraphs describing applying "a plurality of inorganic dielectric layers". Like most patents, it's hard to understand what has actually gone into production here. Could be done in a variety of ways consistent with the patent. The inorganic coatings are mentioned in claim 1, so the actual new aspect is probably the combination of etching and specific coatings.
- kccqzy 9mo ago
rsimmons 9mo ago
Found my cleaning cloth in the box after reading this!
nayuki 9mo ago
> Typical matt displays have a coating added to their surface that scatters light. However, these coatings lower contrast while producing unwanted haze and sparkle. > Etched into the glass at the nanometre level, the nano-texture scatters light to further minimise glare So both matte displays and nano-texture glass scatter light, and they both reduce contrast.
impure 9mo ago
I noticed the difficulty cleaning too. It's why I still consider a matte screen protector superior: you never have to clean it.
stormed 9mo ago
What's the color accuracy like with the nano texture display? I'd consider buying one if it doesn't make any colors come out dull and washed
bradgessler 9mo ago
I shot the Phlex on Rails video course outside last summer with a glossy screen and barely notice reflections or glare, mainly because I setup shop under the shade of large oak trees. The bigger issue with direct sunlight is the glare off the chassis and heat, even when it’s 75F/24C outside. I wrote about it at https://beautifulruby.com/articles/portable-workstation-iteration-one https://beautifulruby.com/articles/portable-workstation-iter... if you want to see the setup.
burgerone 9mo ago
Is this just a standard matte screen? That's really not something new or innovative...
- ObiKenobi 9mo ago
  It is not, you did what I usually do, read the title and jump directly into comments. It's a special coating which works differently to standard matte screens wich makes it way superior.
  - burgerone 9mo ago
    I did read the article and can correct you because it's not a coating, it's etched. What I would like to know is why anyone should choose that over a normal matte display panel. I don't see the purpose
arjie 9mo ago
You have to be careful wiping these. I've always ignored instructions, wiped the Macbook screens directly for all my life. Do that on one of these and you'll get these little white smudges visible on blacks.
tomduncalf 9mo ago
Tangent but the screen scratches mentioned from the keyboard are annoying. Every generation of MacBook has suffered from them and everyone’s seems to have it after a while, I guess it’s just physics when it gets stuffed in a bag etc, but any good tips to avoid it? I’ve heard mixed things about keeping a cloth in there
- bayindirh 9mo ago
  I'm on my third mac which has a glossy screen and tight tolerances. I won't sweat it. The hardness of the coating is getting better with every generation. I'm on my M1 MacBook, which I'm using for ~4 years every day. The scratches are visible, but becomes almost invisible when I clean the screen. Moreover they're invisible when the screen is on. My 10 year old Unibody also has them, and while they're worse, they're not visible either. The best defense is having a padded case and using it even carrying in a bag. Carrying a cloth can bend and damage the screen in worse ways.
bpev 9mo ago
Re the screen rubbing on the keyboard, I've really enjoyed using the Ghostblanket from UPPERCASE, which is just a small microfibery-kinda liner meant to fit on top of the keyboard when it's closed. Also good for keeping finger oils off the screen. Dunno how that interacts with the nano texture, but I feel like it's made my MacBook screens last a decent bit longer. There's other brands that also make these kinds of cloths, but Apple lowered the clearance between the keyboard and screen after around the 2016 MacBook? So the old brand I was using stopped fitting.
- orthoxerox 9mo ago
  Products like these make me feel like a grandma wrapping her remote in plastic.
- user_7832 9mo ago
  It's interesting to learn MBs also have this. I think my Framework (13) is the first laptop where I noticed such scratches, while my cheaper HP did not have it. Or is it lesser on glossy screens?
  - bpev 9mo ago
    I think it's more prevalent on thin laptops? because the screen clearance is lower, and they're laptops that tend to be in transit more; pressure pushing the two sides together in backpack or when picking it up in one hand.
whizzter 9mo ago
This reminds me of why my old 2003 Toshiba Portege R100 so far has been my favourite alltime laptop. - It was thinner overall than a Macbook Air, BEFORE it came out (watching people get hyped about Air's was just a snooze) - Transreflexive screen in color (like that "daylight computer" in TFA), not the brightest when it comes to light but certainly bright enough, and more improtantly worked 100% without issues outside in the sun (turning the screen _towards_ the sun was actually a better choice!). It's really a shame they went out of favour for "glossy" displays. - Extra ram and that Pentium M cpu that was neck-to-neck with P4's for certain workloads (telling people of compile times had people in disbelief)
wooger 9mo ago
It’s always amusing how much Apple’s adoption of generic tech is hyped up and overanalysed online, and made into a must have feature making all alternatives unsuitable. The nano texture screen coating is clearly better for my purposes vs a glossy screen. Reading text gives less eye strain and there’s a slight ePaper-esque quality to things that’s just relaxing. Maybe some argument to be had for pure media consumption or image editing. I don’t think Apple’s screen coating tech is anything magical or different to what’s on tons of decent monitors, Benq for one. For marketing reasons, Apple only make this screen available in the MacBook Pro. For my use, this is needless extra cost, weight and bulk. I’m already paying hundreds extra for a coated screen, there’s no reason it can’t be made available on the MacBook Air too. I’d still buy a MacBook if nano coating didn’t exist, the screen ratio, SoC and trackpad quality are still not close to being matched. Not to mention the fact that basically no other laptop is even available to buy in the UK with a US keyboard layout.
- xutopia 9mo ago
  You clearly don’t know what Apple’s nano texture is nor have you read the article. Nano texture is not a coating. It is different than the coatings offered by competitors because of this.
  - eloisant 9mo ago
    From what I read it's the same thing as the etched screen of the Steam Deck which is not a coating either. Again, Apple didn't invent anything.
    - zimpenfish 9mo ago
      > it's the same thing as the etched screen of the Steam Deck Steam Deck nano-textured display: late 2023 Apple nano-textured display: late 2019 Might be the same but Apple have a 4 year headstart. > Apple didn't invent anything They do have the patent though - https://patents.google.com/patent/US11199929B2/en https://patents.google.com/patent/US11199929B2/en
    - elzbardico 9mo ago
bookofjoe 9mo ago
I wonder if in Apple's skunkworks there's a never-to-be-released software/hardware NanoOn/NanoOff function....
quentindanjou 9mo ago
> Closing the MacBook results in slight rubbing on the screen at the bottom of the keyboard I really believe something needs to be done on that issue. As the author said, this isn't a new issue and is becoming the weak spot of any MacBook. Like we have full metal shell but the own keyboard causes damage to the screen.
animanoir 9mo ago
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Terretta 9mo ago
The Daylight Computer is a delight — the perfect tablet for blue skies and no shade. https://daylightcomputer.com/ https://daylightcomputer.com/

257 points by dsr12 9mo ago

brdd 9mo ago

They give you a cleaning cloth? Did I accidentally throw mine away!?

seemaze 9mo ago
not to worry. Apple will gladly provide a replacement in exchange for USD$19 https://www.apple.com/shop/product/mw693am/a/polishing-cloth https://www.apple.com/shop/product/mw693am/a/polishing-cloth
- rhplus 9mo ago
  A microfiber cloth apparently so notable that it even has its own Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Polishing_Cloth https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apple_Polishing_Cloth
- hammock 9mo ago
  You bought a car that requires premium grade fuel, you gotta pay for the premium grade.
- jsheard 9mo ago
  Pay attention to the compatibility list though. If you use the Cloth™ on an iPhone 4 or earlier then you're in uncharted territory, who knows what could happen.
unsnap_biceps 9mo ago
Yeah, it was in the box with all the compliance paperwork, where the stickers used to be.
- emchammer 9mo ago
  Apple doesn't even include stickers anymore?
  - mannyv 9mo ago
    I heard they didn't but I got stickers in both my iphone and macbook pro boxes. Go figure.
    - unsnap_biceps 9mo ago
      They stopped including them in late 2024, https://www.macrumors.com/2024/11/07/rip-apple-stickers-kind-of/ https://www.macrumors.com/2024/11/07/rip-apple-stickers-kind... But perhaps that's a north america only thing and other countries continue to receive stickers.
      - hbs18 9mo ago
        It's not US only, I didn't get stickers with my EU market iPhone Air.
cbeley 9mo ago
I thought the same. I had no idea there was a special cloth in the box. I'll have to dig it up and search for it. It sounds like a quality microfiber cloth is still fine though.

daft_pink 9mo ago

You’ve convinced me that this might be worth it on a laptop display.

2OEH8eoCRo0 9mo ago

Apple makes panels?

jborichevskiy 9mo ago
Not to my knowledge, I think Samsung was one of their manufacturers for a while, but they do have patents on nano texture which differs somewhat apparently from traditional matte screens. I'd love to understand more of the differences and more about their manufacturing process though.

jjtheblunt 9mo ago

excellent article...well done

jborichevskiy 9mo ago
Thank you!

therealmarv 9mo ago

Alcohol? After research on Apple they allow: For infrequent cleaning of hard-to-remove smudges, you can moisten the cloth with a 70-percent isopropyl alcohol (IPA) solution. source: https://support.apple.com/en-us/104948 https://support.apple.com/en-us/104948 But never apply it directly on screen. I think it's important to mention you just do not use "some alcohol" but it should be 70% isopropyl alcohol solution. Btw. alcohol is a very good way to destroy the old glossy screens (non nano texture).

TheSamFischer 9mo ago
[dead]
jen729w 9mo ago
> Btw. alcohol is a very good way to destroy the old glossy screens (non nano texture). Respectful disagree. My partner's family's go-to surface spray has always been a home-made mix of ~30% methylated spirits to water. That's the only bench spray I've used for 10+ years and I can report it's as effective as any commercial spray, and 10% the price. Just mix it at home and use it everywhere. Kitchen, bathroom, anywhere else. I speak as a clean-freak. It works. It's also amazing for cleaning laptop screens. I spray it directly on. I shouldn't. I do. I type this on a 5-year-old Macbook Air whose screen has been cleaned countless times using this method. It looks like this. (The moon-surface-like texture at the top is the texture of the reflected wall, above.) https://share.cleanshot.com/bnHrCQDZ https://share.cleanshot.com/bnHrCQDZ 1. Make this mixture in a $1 spray bottle at home. 2. Lock your laptop and press Escape so the screen turns off. Lay it screen-back-down, keyboard open at about 80°, so it sits on the bench. 3. Spray a small amount of this mixture on the screen, directly. But don't be shy. Just don't have the screen be swimming. 4. Wipe carefully with a kitchen towel. 5. Repeat as necessary. So far the only danger I've found is catching an abrasive particle in the cloth in the wiping process. A pre-wipe can alleviate the issue.
- commandersaki 9mo ago
  I do similar but 30% Isopropyl Alcohol and I mix with distilled water.

spamfilter247 9mo ago

The Flatirons are such a unique foothills, they're instantly recognizable.

crazygringo 9mo ago

Not a single demonstration of contrast? We've had matte screens for a long time that don't show glare. The problem is, the blacks are much more washed-out because that light still has to go somewhere, so it's basically just being smeared across the entire display. This page shows lots of side-by-side photos of content that is primarily white, and most of the black bits (like text) are too small to make out. The comparison needs to use things like busy photographs with bright areas and black areas. Then you can judge how much more washed-out the black areas look. The second photo makes the Nano texture look pretty washed-out, but sadly doesn't include the traditional glossy laptop next to it for comparison, so it's impossible to tell. Also, in all the side-by-side photos the Nano screen looks like it's set to much brighter. So any fair comparison should have them set to equal brightness. There's no universe in which a glossy screen is going to make the white areas look darker, as they are in all these examples. I'm very curious if/how the Nano is better, but unfortunately these photos don't do anything to demonstrate it.

MrScruff 9mo ago
Contrast is worse, it's a trade off. For me in most environments there will be bright reflections on the glossy screens, even indoors - your brain actually does a good job of ignoring them to the point you're not even conciously aware most of the time, but when you smear them out with the nano texture display it's just way more comfortable to look at, for me at least. If I was focused on watching movies, or grading photos in a dark room then glossy would be the way to go.
- cosmic_cheese 9mo ago
  Depends a lot on the screen and environment in my experience. A glossy Apple Studio Display or iMac (both of which have a decent antiglare treatment despite being glossy) in an office setting for example isn’t too bad. On the other hand, your average touchscreen laptop (which are always almost-mirrors with no hint of treatment, for some reason) with screen angled up slightly and overhead fluorescent tube lighting or a skylight on the other hand? Borderline useless if the screen isn’t bright enough to outshine the strong glare covering 40-60%+ of the screen.
- 9mo ago

ant6n 9mo ago

Unfortunately they don't have it for the MacBook Air. Only the heavy Pro.

walterbell 9mo ago

> I have to swat other people’s hands away when they try to point something out on my screen with their pizza fingers. How are fingerprints on iPad Pro nano texture touchscreens?

mperham 9mo ago
I’ve been using a nano iPad Pro for a year or so now and fingerprints have never once bothered me. The cleaning cloth works great. I love the nano screen as reflections are just not a problem any more.
- criddell 9mo ago
  I just bought an iPad Pro and really wanted the nano-texture, but that would mean I would also have to upgrade the storage and it made the device too expensive for me. I bought a Paperlike 3 screen protector and it's ok. Not great, not terrible.
  - mperham 9mo ago
    Yeah, the screen is a very costly upgrade but since I'm on it so many hours per day, I was willing to pay the price. Glare is just never a problem, no matter where I am.

egypturnash 9mo ago

I've been using a sunshield I made out of some black mat board for at least a decade now. There's a few little magnets in it to cling to the magnets hidden in my Mac's lid. It's been on like 3-5 computers now, looking increasingly battered; whenever I upgrade I get to see if the magnets are in the same orientation or not. Works great, I keep it in the padded pocket in my laptop bag next to the computer and the drawing tablet and take it out when I'm sitting in the park.

mixmastamyk 9mo ago
Have any links to picture, plans, or similar? Or did you just wing it?
- egypturnash 9mo ago
  I basically winged it. One piece of mat board and a roll of black drafting tape gave me more than enough room to make a first attempt, figure out what I didn't like about it, and make a new one.

markbao 9mo ago

This is a great option if you work outdoors a lot. As a designer though, I couldn’t get used to the “dusty” appearance of the nano texture (and yes, contrast loss – glossy displays are just more punchy) at least on the Pro Display XDR. You mostly get used to it if you aren’t doing design, I’m guessing. Def a tradeoff that depends on your lifestyle if you work outside a lot (or want to). It does look nice there in the mountains

lycos 9mo ago

I don't touch my display on my MacBook and it's always yucky because of the finger oils on my keyboard, so the thought of having to use a special cloth to clean it always seemed like too much of a hassle for me compared to the glossy display. I did wonder if this improved ever since they added nano texture to the ipad pro, but sounds like fingerprints are still annoying.

dylan604 9mo ago
For the longest time, I kept the sheet of foam that comes with the new laptop. Eventually that got lost. I then picked up a pre-cut bit of microfiber that fit the laptop and thin enough to allow for full closing. Once you get in the habit of remembering to put the cloth back before closing the lid, you'll be amazed at your screen's lack of oils.
whalesalad 9mo ago
I can't even type on a keyboard that is oily so I make an effort to never eat around my machine and always keep my hands clean. I clean my macbooks about 1x per month using isopropyl on a microfiber cloth.
- ayeung 9mo ago
  I clean my MacBook Pro keyboard daily (or almost every time I use it) with either water only or if it’s really yucky, a ~30% isopropyl alcohol spray. I use a regular yellow microfiber towel (usually from the giant bag I pick up from Costco every few years) Afterward I use it to wipe off the screen. Personally I’ve never had any issues with screen coating except on the older 2012-2015 MacBook Pros where my fingernails eventually caused the coating to scratch by the webcam (when opening the display, I suspect) A note about new microfiber towels: they need to be washed prior to use or they’ll leave little bits of plastic micro fibers all over whatever you’re trying to clean Most of the time plain water and moist microfiber towel will make it look new again. It does nothing for wear on the keycaps though my command key and a few keys like A, Z, W, and S are wearing away and look slightly glossy.
brailsafe 9mo ago

schmuckonwheels 9mo ago

I've been saying glossy screens are pure cancer for 20 years and every time I was dismissed as a Luddite that should get with the times. Now they can sell you "nano texture" at a premium after getting you hooked on functionally terrible displays (they look pretty in the store though). My worst experience with glossy displays was when I had to perform some work outside on a sunny day and I comically could not see a single thing. It looked like a pure black square. I laughed, packed up and left, and told my boss it wasn't happening.

tdesilva 9mo ago
glossy screens are better for visual clarity, especially contrast (reduces eye strain when reading text)
- schmuckonwheels 9mo ago
  Yes the visual clarity of staring into a reflection of my own shirt, and any light within 10m. There is no worse eye strain that looking at anything that isn't supposed to be on the screen. It's 90% noise.
  - cubefox 9mo ago
    The glossy screens have like 2% more contrast but 300% more distracting reflections.
koiueo 9mo ago
How dare you even trying to compare otherworldly nanotexture™®© to a regular horrible PC matte screen! Unappealing PC matte screens are for old farts who can't appreciate sexy rounded corners and perfectly rendered fonts¹ ¹ assuming your display yields over 300dpi If you are a cool kid, you'll prefer glossy screen any day. Only with deep contrasty blacks will you be able to appreciate your low-contrast macos interface or your low-contrast VScode solarized theme. Occasional gorgeous reflection of stunning you squinting at the screen is just a nice bonus. But I have to give it to Apple: PC glossy screens are mostly even worse.

t1234s 9mo ago

It's a shame they don't offer it on the macbook Air

jeffgreco 9mo ago

It looks great but I can't imagine I'll be up to the cleaning protocol. For outdoor use, I've had some decent success with the app Vivid which hijacks various MacOS abilities to superbrighten your display: https://www.getvivid.app/ https://www.getvivid.app/

jborichevskiy 9mo ago
Yes, the HDR boost is awesome as well, combined with nano texture it feels like overkill, but I love it.

Daneel_ 9mo ago

While I’m glad for the author, in that they’ve found something that delights them, this just seems like a really long-winded way to say “matte screens have less glare” - not a new fact.

cubefox 9mo ago
There are special surfaces (also used in some TVs I believe) which actually reflect somewhat less light. I assume this "nano texture" is something like that. (Of course the screen being matte also helps.)

jborichevskiy 9mo ago

Author here, I published this a few months back but have been continuing to use it on a daily basis - everything I wrote stands Feel free to ask any other questions!

hmottestad 9mo ago
I tried the iPad Pro with Nano Texture and found the display to have a rainbow grain, especially on pure white backgrounds. Are you bothered by anything similar on the MacBook?
- adastra22 9mo ago
  You’re not the only one to mention that in this thread. I’ve had a nanotextured MacBook as a daily driver for about six months, and I have no clue what you are talking about. Maybe the issue is iPad only?
  - AlanYx 9mo ago
    Rainbow isn't really the right term. It's more of a sparkling effect. Apple actually uses the term "sparkle" for this characteristic in their patent for the display treatment (see para 0073). They also mention that different diffractive layers can be used to minimize the effect, so it is possible that the issue is worse on some devices than others.
    - adastra22 9mo ago
      Well whatever it is, my MBP screen looks perfectly fine. It's like a matte display, but not with the colors all washed out like the matte displays of yore. No visible artifacts of any kind that I can see.
- jborichevskiy 9mo ago
  I personally haven't noticed that. I am also primarily coding & writing rather than image editing or such so am less sensitive to things like that fwiw.

dijit 9mo ago

I recently purchased a "paperlike" for my iPad Pro (M4, if it matters). I'll be honest, it has made the writing like 20% better, but the touching about 50% worse. The feel of the screen is somewhat irritating, though it looks nice when the backlight is dim so I thought I'd go to Apple and check out the nano-texture. All I can say is that subjectively, I liked it even less. I have no idea how people can live with nanotexture on iPad screens. That said, a consistent issue I have with my Macbook Air and my iPad pro is that the "peripherals" touch the screen. My Macbook ends up with oily cubes where the keyboard and its edge has rubbed up against the screen display; and similarly on the iPad I have a perpetual line where the smart folio has its segments. I thought I had unusually oily hands and started washing more frequently, but that seems to have made the problem worse somehow. :\

sponnath 9mo ago
There's honestly not much you can do to prevent the "oily cubes" problem, especially if you keep the laptop docked often. You'll just have to clean the screen more often. I've seen some people place a keyboard-sized microfibre cloth in between the keyboard and display but I'm not sure how well that actually works in practice. It might cause other issues.
- dijit 9mo ago
  Boo! Hiss! … (Thanks for the advice.)
- swiftcoder 9mo ago
  > I've seen some people place a keyboard-sized microfibre cloth in between the keyboard and display but I'm not sure how well that actually works in practice. It might cause other issues. The tolerance is tight enough here that folks used to damage their displays this way. You need an extremely thin layer here if you are going to do this.
  - sponnath 9mo ago
    Absolutely. I honestly wouldn't ever recommend doing this. Imo, you should just spent a little extra time cleaning your display over taking dubious preventative measures.

snitzr 9mo ago

I ordered a custom matte film from this company for my 27-inch iMac: https://www.glarestopper.com https://www.glarestopper.com Works great. I also got a huge one for my TV. Once I learned how to press the bubbles out I was good. The trick is to use a larger bubble to catch the smaller ones and press them out the sides.

RicoElectrico 9mo ago

How is this different from the Steam Deck optional etched glass?

thih9 9mo ago

> The screen needs more effort to keep clean than a normal screen and comes with a special wipe that needs to be used instead of microfiber > I’ve learned to bring my special wipe when I bring my laptop, and I slip a few rubbing alcohol wipes in there as well. Not for me then, the extra flexibility wouldn't be worth the loss of convenience; I prefer low maintenance and I work mostly indoors anyway. Still, good to have options, I guess. In any case, that was a good and helpful review!

kccqzy 9mo ago

I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again: the nano texture screen decreases the apparent pixel density, so much that my eyes don’t perceive them as retina screens. With nano texture, my eyes feel like looking at individual pixels even though they are not. It introduces a noticeable blurry effect. It’s a huge turn-off. Apple introduced retina screens back in 2010 and this viscerally felt like going back to 2009. I do not recommend buying nano texture screens without having seen one. I get it that some people won’t be bothered but it’s a big no-no for me. Traditional matte screens are way better.

stevage 9mo ago

It's nice to know there are people whose preferences are so different to my own. I'm much happier using a computer indoors, as much as I love doing other things outdoors.

NSUserDefaults 9mo ago
I love the nanotexture on my 2020 27” 5k Intel iMac.
sgt 9mo ago
Agreed. Glad he's happy, but there's no way I am using a computer for a long time outdoors.

hmottestad 9mo ago

I tried the iPad with Nano Texture and didn’t really like the rainbow effect that shows up on white brackgrounds. So I ended up returning it. A while later I had an idea to mount an iPad to my fridge so that I could check the weather, add things to my shopping list, play music, etc. I bought the rather expensive iPad with Nano Texture screen and it has been amazing to use. There is a big window opposite the fridge, and without the nano texture the glare from behind makes it hard to read what’s on the screen. Not sure I would enjoy nano texture on my MacBook. For outdoor use I found that Vivid is great to turn up the brightness using the extended range of HDR that Apple doesn’t otherwise allow me to use.

layer8 9mo ago
What's annoying is that the bezel is still glossy. Bright reflections moving across it tend to be distracting.
- 0xWTF 9mo ago
  > the bezel is still glossy ... on the iPad. I have a nanotexture MacBook and double-checked. It's textured all the way across. But you're right, the bezel of the iPad is glossy (1). Why would they do that? Is it masked off or a separate piece of glass? (1) https://www.reddit.com/r/ipad/comments/1cwppel/m4_ipad_pro_standard_vs_nano_texture_glass_an/ https://www.reddit.com/r/ipad/comments/1cwppel/m4_ipad_pro_s...
- ebbi 9mo ago
  Apparently they leave it glossy so that it doesn't impact the camera quality. I remember reading this somewhere but can't confirm the source sorry.
  - layer8 9mo ago
    They would have to leave the sensors out, but could cover the rest of the bezel. They don’t do it because then the sensors would be more visible. But I’d prefer them to put function over aesthetics.
  - deleted 9mo ago

nine_k 9mo ago

Oh, I see Macbook screens may become actually usable again. All the Macbooks my employers issued to me previously were only usable with an external screen, or at least with all ceiling lights off, and away from windows.

orliesaurus 9mo ago

I thought you could pick a nano texture film on Amazon for cheap ?

jiveturkey 9mo ago

> massive step forward umm, anti-glare/matte used to be the norm for LCD. Around 2005-2006 that changed. As laptops became more of a consumer product, and DVD watching was an important usage, the glossy screens became the norm. https://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=26396 https://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=26396 So, I would call it a massive step backwards! The 2006 MBP had an optional glossy screen, and the 2008 was the first one with default glossy. Around 2012 Apple dropped the matte option altogether.

msephton 9mo ago

+1 for the nano texture lovers. such a huge QOL improvement if you take your laptop to various places where you can't control the lighting.

nntwozz 9mo ago

I'd like this for the iPhone where glare is actually a real problem and fidelity is less of a concern. I would never consider a matte display at home because I keep my computers in dark environments like a real nerd.

littlestymaar 9mo ago

> Overall a massive step forward for outdoor computing “Step forward” that wouldn't have been needed in the first place if Apple didn't kill mat screens in the first place.

IndySun 9mo ago

If you're going to compare screen reflections at a certain physical point, put the screens you're comparing (they're real easy to move) at that certain physical point. Don't put them side by side. Poor reviews are worse than worthless.

jborichevskiy 9mo ago
Appreciate the suggestion!
gruez 9mo ago
>Don't put them side by side. Poor reviews are worse than worthless. In this particular case it's probably fine because the pictures are outdoors, and the reflections are (presumably) far away, so parallax isn't that much of an issue.
- IndySun 9mo ago
  Thank you. Yes, your distance point (ie the sun!) is valid. I could have added, also maintain the exact camera position too. And had I spent more thought on replying, I'd suggest a short video would surely be most informative. I liked the article overall.

0xWTF 9mo ago

So, a friend of mine happens to be a very senior high energy laser engineer in the Valley and knows way more about optics than any reasonable person. If I shared his bone fides, it would out him, but suffice to say we had a chat about the XDR screen one time, mainly in comparison to the Dell, and he uses Windows while I use a Mac or Linux. With the utter confidence of someone who has better things to think about he said "Oh, the texture is created by exposing it to hydrofluoric acid. That's just the only way you do this." And then went back to talking about the lack of physical controls, which is what ultimately led him to buy the Dell. All that to say, this Jon.Bo statement "Basically, it’s a coating" is false. It's not a coating. When you're looking at a nanotexture screen, you're just looking through glass. Since I'm sure someone will challenge me, I looked it up. Here's Apple's patent: https://patents.google.com/patent/US20220326413A1/en https://patents.google.com/patent/US20220326413A1/en and the key section from paragraph 0117: "The surface of the glass cover member may then be chemically etched. Chemical etching techniques for glass cover members may involve using a suitable acid or base (e.g., a hydrofluoric acid-based etchant)". I love their little redirections, like "a suitable acid or base". Also: don't try this at home kids. Quick notes from our friend Gemini: Safety & Dangers of HF Vapor * Extreme Hazard: HF vapor is highly corrosive, toxic, and can cause severe burns, blindness, and systemic poisoning, even at low concentrations. * PPE Required: Full protective gear, including chemical suits, respirators, and face shields, is essential. * Ventilation: Must be done in a dedicated, high-flow chemical fume hood with water access.

AlanYx 9mo ago
That same paragraph also describes ways in which it can be accomplished other than chemical etching ("...chemical etching, laser ablation, mechanical removal of material, mechanical pre-treatment followed by etching, lithography in combination with etching, and combinations thereof."). There are also paragraphs describing applying "a plurality of inorganic dielectric layers". Like most patents, it's hard to understand what has actually gone into production here. Could be done in a variety of ways consistent with the patent. The inorganic coatings are mentioned in claim 1, so the actual new aspect is probably the combination of etching and specific coatings.
kccqzy 9mo ago

rsimmons 9mo ago

Found my cleaning cloth in the box after reading this!

nayuki 9mo ago

> Typical matt displays have a coating added to their surface that scatters light. However, these coatings lower contrast while producing unwanted haze and sparkle. > Etched into the glass at the nanometre level, the nano-texture scatters light to further minimise glare So both matte displays and nano-texture glass scatter light, and they both reduce contrast.

impure 9mo ago

I noticed the difficulty cleaning too. It's why I still consider a matte screen protector superior: you never have to clean it.

stormed 9mo ago

What's the color accuracy like with the nano texture display? I'd consider buying one if it doesn't make any colors come out dull and washed

bradgessler 9mo ago

I shot the Phlex on Rails video course outside last summer with a glossy screen and barely notice reflections or glare, mainly because I setup shop under the shade of large oak trees. The bigger issue with direct sunlight is the glare off the chassis and heat, even when it’s 75F/24C outside. I wrote about it at https://beautifulruby.com/articles/portable-workstation-iteration-one https://beautifulruby.com/articles/portable-workstation-iter... if you want to see the setup.

burgerone 9mo ago

Is this just a standard matte screen? That's really not something new or innovative...

ObiKenobi 9mo ago
It is not, you did what I usually do, read the title and jump directly into comments. It's a special coating which works differently to standard matte screens wich makes it way superior.
- burgerone 9mo ago
  I did read the article and can correct you because it's not a coating, it's etched. What I would like to know is why anyone should choose that over a normal matte display panel. I don't see the purpose

arjie 9mo ago

You have to be careful wiping these. I've always ignored instructions, wiped the Macbook screens directly for all my life. Do that on one of these and you'll get these little white smudges visible on blacks.

tomduncalf 9mo ago

Tangent but the screen scratches mentioned from the keyboard are annoying. Every generation of MacBook has suffered from them and everyone’s seems to have it after a while, I guess it’s just physics when it gets stuffed in a bag etc, but any good tips to avoid it? I’ve heard mixed things about keeping a cloth in there

bayindirh 9mo ago
I'm on my third mac which has a glossy screen and tight tolerances. I won't sweat it. The hardness of the coating is getting better with every generation. I'm on my M1 MacBook, which I'm using for ~4 years every day. The scratches are visible, but becomes almost invisible when I clean the screen. Moreover they're invisible when the screen is on. My 10 year old Unibody also has them, and while they're worse, they're not visible either. The best defense is having a padded case and using it even carrying in a bag. Carrying a cloth can bend and damage the screen in worse ways.

bpev 9mo ago

Re the screen rubbing on the keyboard, I've really enjoyed using the Ghostblanket from UPPERCASE, which is just a small microfibery-kinda liner meant to fit on top of the keyboard when it's closed. Also good for keeping finger oils off the screen. Dunno how that interacts with the nano texture, but I feel like it's made my MacBook screens last a decent bit longer. There's other brands that also make these kinds of cloths, but Apple lowered the clearance between the keyboard and screen after around the 2016 MacBook? So the old brand I was using stopped fitting.

orthoxerox 9mo ago
Products like these make me feel like a grandma wrapping her remote in plastic.
user_7832 9mo ago
It's interesting to learn MBs also have this. I think my Framework (13) is the first laptop where I noticed such scratches, while my cheaper HP did not have it. Or is it lesser on glossy screens?
- bpev 9mo ago
  I think it's more prevalent on thin laptops? because the screen clearance is lower, and they're laptops that tend to be in transit more; pressure pushing the two sides together in backpack or when picking it up in one hand.

whizzter 9mo ago

This reminds me of why my old 2003 Toshiba Portege R100 so far has been my favourite alltime laptop. - It was thinner overall than a Macbook Air, BEFORE it came out (watching people get hyped about Air's was just a snooze) - Transreflexive screen in color (like that "daylight computer" in TFA), not the brightest when it comes to light but certainly bright enough, and more improtantly worked 100% without issues outside in the sun (turning the screen _towards_ the sun was actually a better choice!). It's really a shame they went out of favour for "glossy" displays. - Extra ram and that Pentium M cpu that was neck-to-neck with P4's for certain workloads (telling people of compile times had people in disbelief)

wooger 9mo ago

It’s always amusing how much Apple’s adoption of generic tech is hyped up and overanalysed online, and made into a must have feature making all alternatives unsuitable. The nano texture screen coating is clearly better for my purposes vs a glossy screen. Reading text gives less eye strain and there’s a slight ePaper-esque quality to things that’s just relaxing. Maybe some argument to be had for pure media consumption or image editing. I don’t think Apple’s screen coating tech is anything magical or different to what’s on tons of decent monitors, Benq for one. For marketing reasons, Apple only make this screen available in the MacBook Pro. For my use, this is needless extra cost, weight and bulk. I’m already paying hundreds extra for a coated screen, there’s no reason it can’t be made available on the MacBook Air too. I’d still buy a MacBook if nano coating didn’t exist, the screen ratio, SoC and trackpad quality are still not close to being matched. Not to mention the fact that basically no other laptop is even available to buy in the UK with a US keyboard layout.

xutopia 9mo ago
You clearly don’t know what Apple’s nano texture is nor have you read the article. Nano texture is not a coating. It is different than the coatings offered by competitors because of this.
- eloisant 9mo ago
  From what I read it's the same thing as the etched screen of the Steam Deck which is not a coating either. Again, Apple didn't invent anything.
  - zimpenfish 9mo ago
    > it's the same thing as the etched screen of the Steam Deck Steam Deck nano-textured display: late 2023 Apple nano-textured display: late 2019 Might be the same but Apple have a 4 year headstart. > Apple didn't invent anything They do have the patent though - https://patents.google.com/patent/US11199929B2/en https://patents.google.com/patent/US11199929B2/en
  - elzbardico 9mo ago

bookofjoe 9mo ago

I wonder if in Apple's skunkworks there's a never-to-be-released software/hardware NanoOn/NanoOff function....

quentindanjou 9mo ago

> Closing the MacBook results in slight rubbing on the screen at the bottom of the keyboard I really believe something needs to be done on that issue. As the author said, this isn't a new issue and is becoming the weak spot of any MacBook. Like we have full metal shell but the own keyboard causes damage to the screen.

animanoir 9mo ago

[dead]

Terretta 9mo ago

The Daylight Computer is a delight — the perfect tablet for blue skies and no shade. https://daylightcomputer.com/ https://daylightcomputer.com/