Glossy vs. Anti-Glare Poll Results
Okay, we get the message. You've voted and the results are overwhelmingly in favor of the classic anti-glare screen. This is a landslide.
Here's how we view the market and usage scenario for the glossy screen models now only available on our Lenovo 3000 line: first, nearly every manufacturer supports a glossy screen. This technology is, in our opinion, aimed at the consumer who seeks a degree of sharpness in their display for viewing movies, working with images, and who is attracted to a sharp and shiny design experience.
As the comments point out, there are some downsides to glossy — light reflectivity, propensity for displaying fingerprints. Anti-glare is popular with business users for a variety of reasons, but I think those reasons can be summed up as an intolerance for reflections in work environments where overhead lighting is the norm.
Stay tuned for a new poll this week.
David Hill
Lenovo Meet the Modder Dean Liou
Lenovo Meet the modder- Chris Blarsky Dairy 2
Lenovo Meet the modder- Chris Blarsky Dairy 1
Lenovo H320 desktop
October 17th, 2006 4:20 pm
Hi David – don’t know whether you remember me, from Red Herring. Hope you saw the piece, and that I did it justice. I’ve been reading the blog with great interest since learning about it from Churbuck. Thanks again for showing me all that very cool stuff at RTP!
October 18th, 2006 3:12 pm
I joined the “glossy” crowd when I bought a MacBook that didn’t have an option for the classic “anti-glare” display.
I happen to prefer the glossy screen as I think it looks much nicer and I’ve never noticed an issue with glare or reflection.
Fingerprints are admittedly more noticeable but it’s not a big enough issue to make me regret my purchase — I’d go glossy again, even given a choice.
October 18th, 2006 3:20 pm
I, and many people I know, consider glossy laptop screens a dealbreaker. A desktop I could be more lenient with, because I’d have the opportunity to position the monitor to point in such a way that light did not reflect off of it.
A laptop has to be able to be used in as many lighting environments as possible.
Thank you for understanding your customers better than most laptop makers seem to.
October 18th, 2006 4:25 pm
I think this poll is terminally skewed, to the point of being wholly irrelevant, due to the likelihood that most average consumers (the type of people that like glossy displays, largely) are off on myspace or in solitaire or an AOL chat room somewhere and not on a professional-targeted design blog.
Preaching to the converted and then asking for their opinion doesn’t yield surprising results, typically.
October 18th, 2006 5:56 pm
I’m an anti-glare man myself. I think what drives a lot of the glossy-screened purchases are the people who are going for the “shiny” experience. The same conundrum that drives people to purchase TVs with over-saturated color, even though it’s not “good” color is the same psychology that makes people like shiny screens in Best Buy.
I would think that those in visual media would absolutely hate any glare, much much more so than a “businessman” working with Excel or surfing the net. And a shiny screen does not make anything sharper, per se. It’s all perception.
“I think this poll is terminally skewed, to the point of being wholly irrelevant, due to the likelihood that most average consumers (the type of people that like glossy displays, largely) are off on myspace or in solitaire or an AOL chat room somewhere and not on a professional-targeted design blog.”
I think most consumers, beyond the “ooh shiny” mentality discussed above, couldn’t care less either way. (And if you can indeed make the claim that this is a professionall-targeted design blog, then I think it proves my point that the creative types like the anti-gloss screens.)
October 18th, 2006 6:30 pm
I’m curious how many people who voted against glossy have actually used a laptop with a glossy screen long enough to get used to it. I’m a designer who likes my glossy screen. It’s so much brighter and cleaner. Though I don’t have to deal with overhead lights, and I prefer to use an external display at my desk. If you’re going mobile (it is a laptop right?) it’s very easy to slightly adjust the angle if you get reflections.
Just wanted to throw this in because I’d like to continue to have the option in the future. Don’t forget polls tend to attract those with negative opinions, so the results may be quite different from reality.
October 18th, 2006 10:49 pm
The common and overall problem with glossy screens is, that these are mostly too sensible for mirroring due to the higher light reflectivity. This makes glossy screens pretty unusable in brighter ambiences with overhead or side lights (…no matter if indoors or outdoors). If the person in front of the screen additionally also wears bright clothes, it’s often like looking into a perfect mirror.
The only advantages glossy TFT panels have so far are, they offer more luminance since they don’t have a sand blasted surface and thus don’t absorb so much light from the backlights. And due to the surface and optimized black filters etc. glossy panels usually tend to also show colours in a much more vivid fashion.
So people who do a lot of multimedia work (working with images, videos etc.) will for sure have more of a favor for glossy panels. – But business people and working professionals in other domains will for sure overall prefer “good quality” anti-glare panels.
October 19th, 2006 12:02 am
[...] Design Matters ? Blog Archive » Glossy vs. Anti-Glare Poll Results [...]
October 19th, 2006 12:28 am
John Boston wrote:
[quote]the likelihood that most average consumers (the type of people that like glossy displays, largely) are off on myspace or in solitaire or an AOL chat room somewhere and not on a professional-targeted design blog.[/quote]
I’m also a designer who prefers glossy screens (although as with any screen, the quality can vary widely among brands and models). You people who think that glossy screens are only for dumb mass consumers attracted to shiny objects are off the mark. Talk about skewed, how about instead of calling them “glossy”, we more accurately call them “anti-crappy-contrast” screens? Yes, you obviously have more glare, but in return you get higher contrast, blacker blacks, more accurate color (again, with the better-quality screens), and increased sharpness due to the light not being diffused while traveling through the rough anti-glare finish.
October 19th, 2006 6:29 pm
[...] At Design matters you can read a Lenovo poll result on what does people prefer regarding the kind of screen. I personally like Glossy despite under certain circunstances it’s troublesome. But in a dark room is fantastic. Anyway, the issue is that 86% of the voters prefer Anti-Glare. I might be wrong…! [...]
October 22nd, 2006 4:34 am
[...] Manufacturers must be in for a surprise when Lenovo released results from its recent user survey, which found out that majority of laptop users prefer matte, anti-glare screens instead of the glossy ones! [...]
October 28th, 2006 3:19 am
I wouldn’t have bought my current Lenovo 3000 if it didn’t have the glossy screen I’ve gotten used to.
November 18th, 2006 7:32 pm
I’m a graphic designer, and will like to know if anti-glare is better for color match to what you are designing or glossy screen?
March 14th, 2007 1:51 am
Gloss-screens are the new way to go, for me. Everyone complains about glare, but they are just people who are traditional and afraid of change. You have to actually USE one everyday for a long period of time before you can judge. Gloss screens are not “blurred with glare everywhere” or anything close. The color vibrance is fantastic.
Honestly, I can’t stand going back to the matte finish on other laptops anymore. Seriously, it’s annoying.
May 14th, 2007 1:56 pm
The thing that most people don’t understand is that anti-glare doesn’t make glare disappear. Instead it spreads it on a bigger area. It also diffuses the light coming from the screen itself, thus reducing contrast and brightness. When you see glares on a glossy screen you notice them because they are sharp – on an anti-glare screen the same glare exists as well, it is just blurred so that you don’t notice it so easily.
So on a glossy screen a glare is more a distracton, but it also guides you to place yourself and the monitor in a glareless position. Which can be good.
May 17th, 2007 3:14 pm
Glossy screens are a huge gimmick!
I noticed them over the last year, considering a new laptop. I actually imagined they were possibly some kind of advance – WRONG!
So, when my my old Dell C600’s screen-hinge broke I got a glossy laptop – well they are practically the only option – and gave the Dell to my brother.
Forget using a glossy near a window or outside – you know… on the move! :/
That old Dell’s resolution and absence of glare makes me quite nostalgic. My brother’s fixed the broken screen-hinge – maybe he’ll swap.
Any suggestions for some kind of anti-glare film?
July 11th, 2007 1:42 am
Im getting a macbook pro with in the next week. I have opted to get the glossy screen for at college. The crispness and vibrance of a glossy screen is outstanding. I cant wait to start editing pics and vids on my new mac!!!
July 19th, 2007 3:21 pm
Hello, I am debating whether to go with glossy or anti glare screen. I will be using the computer for CAD, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc. I want to try to avoid having to move the screen everytime I move due to color, light distortion from akward angles. I have a crap Vaio which overheats and shuts off, but the screen is great, no distortion of color or luminocity at any angle. I will be purchasing a Dell soon, I just need help on deciding the type of screen. Thanks.
July 27th, 2007 8:00 pm
Hey Ppl… some useful advice pls.
I’m deciding between an anti-glare or a glossy screen. I seriously have no idea whats the difference between both. Im buying a Dell laptop and want to know which one to buy it with. Btw, im gonna be using it in my university. Just the usual stuff… surfin net, watchin movies, games and course work obviously.
Thanx alot guys.
August 8th, 2007 2:06 am
[...] So todays announcement was the new iMac. Wasn’t much of a surprise as it was due, and the rumor sites were pretty consistent. The new design wasn’t much of a surprise either. I love the metal, and think it’s great on the G5/Mac Pro. I never really cared for the glossy display, but I don’t think that’s a deal breaker. Lenovo did a poll on screen preference and found the overwhelming majority (86%) preferred anti-glare. It’s definitely my preference. I do however think it matters more on laptops than on desktops since laptops will on occasion be subject to lighting that produces glare, while a desktop is typically setup in a position that wouldn’t facilitate the problem. [...]
August 9th, 2007 10:54 pm
Please sell laptops with anti glare display and tell the retailers to put them on their stores. The glossy displays kill my eyes.
August 16th, 2007 8:50 pm
Hey guys, how about leaving the poll open to see how opinions start to skew over time?
Also, John Boston [... I think this poll is terminally skewed, to the point of being wholly irrelevant, due to the likelihood that most average consumers (the type of people that like glossy displays, largely) are off on myspace or in solitaire or an AOL chat room somewhere and not on a professional-targeted design blog...]
Isn’t that like saying that you shouldn’t ask a chef what kind of food they enjoy? We all eat. We all use computers. Every opinion is valid as long as it’s based on experience, not prejudice.
August 20th, 2007 12:51 pm
I do alot of graphics work in Photoshop. The glossy screen on my laptop is ok if I turn off the room lights. But given preference, I choose the 22 in Samsung anti-glare monitor on my desktop hands down. I would like to find a power laptop without the glossy screen. It seems that the only matte screen units are the bottom end Celeron types. Can anyone help me
August 24th, 2007 10:19 pm
I am 62 and trying to decide on matte or glossy for a new MBP. I wonder if people’s preferences in the poll changes as their eyes get older? For example, in normal lighting conditions indoors can the over 60 crowd read text better on glossy or matte screens?
September 10th, 2007 5:53 pm
I almost decided not to buy a new iMac 24 after reading lots of warnings in discssion forums like this, but I finally took the plunge after spending a few hours playing with the machine at the Apple store. I must say that after a week of heavy use, I couldn’t be more pleased.
Yes, there are some reflections, particularly on blacks, but I find my eyes and brain quickly learn to ignore those, and after shifting positions slightly, the reflections are a non-issue. The screen is so bright and sharp that all but the brightest reflections are easy to ignore. I actually find it easier to use in a brightly lit room because the screen doesn’t wash out the way the matte screens do. I don’t care if color correction is slightly off; I’m not a professional, and I’m not even sure if it really is off as some say.
For me, the improvement in picture vibrancy makes for a better computing experience. I find looking at a matte screen now like looking through a gauze filter and just plain muddy looking. I encourage anyone who is hesitating on a glossy screen to at least give them a try before judging.
November 8th, 2007 5:05 pm
We have a few ThinkPads and Toshiba notebooks in our office; the ThinkPads all have matte screens, and the Toshiba’s are all glossy.
Everyone using the glossy Toshiba screens hates them. Nothing but complaints about the glare and reflections. They wish they could’ve gotten matte instead, but it wasn’t an option. Yet all the ThinkPad users either outright love their screens (myself included) or have no criticisms against them.
Seems clear that matte wins, at least in a business environment. I personally won’t have glossy. (Keep going with matte, Lenovo!)
December 6th, 2007 11:24 am
I find that glare makes my laptop almost unusable in my office or anywhere there is light. I am already dumping my new laptop for a matte one.
December 6th, 2007 8:13 pm
Even I love my thinkpad very much I have to criticize its screen quality. unless you have a T61p or some other high-end models the matt screen always look a bit wash out. If you compare different machines on the shelf the glossy screen are undoubtedly more attractive. it is like the debate of ‘wide screen vs standard aspect’, people would find his own way to accomodate the change.
i think for business machine it is alright to be matt surface but if you want to sell one in the shop to a consumer…no way
December 11th, 2007 9:41 am
Guys … I’m been a video, photo, and Mac addict for over 20 years. I’ve read ALL the pros and cons, and played with both matte and glossy at the local Apple store. Guess what? I purchased a 17″, 2.6GHz, 200 gb 7200 drive, with a hi-res GLOSSY!!!!!!! WOW!
What I found in my investigation is that if you’re a PRO, get a good quality monitor so you can calibrate until the cows come home! As for glare, tilt the screen. There are more important issues in life. As for the difference in screens, go with Glossy. The visual difference in screens is obvious. If you want dull, stick with matt. If you can’t make a decision, get a life!
December 16th, 2007 5:13 am
I am in the situation of havint to decide between a Dell Precision M4300 (glossy) or a Dell Latitude D830 (anti-glare). The Precision has got more functions than the Latitude, even if I do not need most of them, not now. And I remember that the only time I had a real problem with my old glossy LG laptop was under the full daylight. It seemed too dark even at maximum brightness. Of course, i cannot be sure that it depended on glossy.
I wonder if the “glossy problems” are a good reason to go for the Latitude. I wonder if a WSXGA+ screen has got better viewing angles if it is glossy or not.
February 27th, 2008 5:41 pm
Folks saying you can’t see the glossy outside? Well I have had two anti-glare Dell laptops, and you can not see those outside in the sunlight either, almost impossible on my inspiron 8200.
Being a graphics professional, I am amazed at how much brighter and more colorful glossy makes my graphics look, Anti-glare really dulls everything down no matter what lighting I have.
February 28th, 2008 4:11 am
Todd, Nothing looks good outside you are correct (except possibly the X6* tablet systems which are very usable in sunlight. You are correct that the screen appears brighter and colours look better on a glossy screen but being able to see a picture of myself and all the lights in the office, in whatever i’m looking at is not worth it for most of us. For most graphics work, a decent external monitor is needed (such as the l220x which is bright with good colour reproduction without being glossy)
February 28th, 2008 10:49 am
Let’s throw another item into the mix. As screen resolution increases (say, between 800×600 and 1440×900), is there a noticeable difference in anti-glare vs. glossy? Does a higher resolution factor in? Just curious to see if anyone out there has opinions on this based on their experiences.
March 2nd, 2008 4:08 pm
Wouldn’t it be nice…?
If you could push a button on your keyboard, or mouse, or the display itself and the screen could change from anti-glare (matte type) to anti-reflective (glossy type) when you wanted it to. However, the technology to provide such a feature is probably not here yet.
I’m in the market now for a third laptop. In the past, I have always purchased laptops with a matte screen the most recent was in May of 2007.
Since my last purchase, there has definitely been a change in display type selection. I usually had the option of both the matte screen and glossy screen when configuring a non-business general-purpose laptop model. Now I mostly only have the choice of the glossy screen.
After reading the article, which I have pasted below, from the http://www.screentekinc.com/pi.....background website, I can see that I had better decide which environment I mostly plan to use the laptop in before purchasing because the matte screen is suitable for certain situations and the glossy screen is suitable for certain other situations. My guess would be that my decision making will be similar to making a decision between a CAD-based graphics card and a gaming-based graphics card.
A gaming graphics card can still do casual less-intensive CAD and the CAD graphics card can still do casual less-intensive gaming. Since I lean mostly towards more intensive gaming and casual CAD then I probably will choose the gaming-based graphics card.
If I decide to get another matte type display then I probably will need to choose a business-class laptop which unfortunately doesn’t tend to cater to powerful consumer multimedia and gaming as much. On the other hand, if I decide to get a glossy type display, it appears that I can get faster hard drives, better dedicated gaming graphics cards, and experience photos and videos in more vivid colors. Increased eyestrain, I guess I will just need to purchase a glossy and find out for myself.
Here is what ScreenTek had to say about glossy versus non-glare:
“Both anti-glare and anti-reflective LCD screens serve a distinct purpose. Anti-glare LCD screens may be better suited to office environments, where spreadsheets, word-processing, and similar tasks are the norm – along with many light sources and less flexibility in screen placement. Anti-reflective, on the other hand, may be better suited for graphics, gaming, and multimedia applications – like watching DVDs. While anti-reflective high-gloss LCD screens may seem superior in all facets, they are better suited in indoor environments where ambient light conditions are not as bright. This way the user gets ambient light reflection reduction without sacrificing any image quality. Anti-glare, on the other hand, may be better suited to the outdoors or indoor environments with brighter or direct light. In this situation, the user may be better off sacrifice image quality for maximum ambient light reflection reduction.”
March 30th, 2008 12:39 pm
I don’t see any plausible argument in favour of matte screens. I travel all over the world with my Lenovo glossy screen laptop, in different lighting conditions every day, doing mostly media and graphics work, and I have never had a problem with glare. Colour accuracy is also better on glossy screens because of the rich blacks. But MOST IMPORTANTLY, if you use your computer to create anything of value, a glossy screen will definitely help to show it off and sell it. If you want to be stubborn and stick to matte screens, don’t complain when your work fails to impress anyone.
May 7th, 2008 5:33 pm
I have 1st hand experience with glossy and anti-glare screens. I kept the glossy screen Dell for 1 day before sending it back, it mirrors everything, most of the time I was just sitting there looking at myself, thinking how I needed to shave. In a dark room the screen looked awesome, rich colors, sharp images, but with a light source overhead or behind, the reflections where too bothersome for me. Long live anti-glare screens.
May 29th, 2008 9:43 am
I have a glossy notebook and an LCD matte anti-glare screen at home and i have to say a glossy screen looks much better and i would choose one over any anti-glare screen any time any day.
May 29th, 2008 7:00 pm
Maybe Lenovo/Thinkpads in the future can give us 2 flavors to choose from…Regular or gloss…
the many posts here seems to like gloss…could the poll maybe off?
So I say: give us both.
June 21st, 2008 5:00 pm
Does anyone know which Lenovo models still have the anti-glare screens? I am considering the R61 or T61 but cannot findout if these have the glossy screens. I do not like the glossy screens and would not purchase one of these models if this was the case.
July 23rd, 2008 3:34 am
It’s been 2 years since this poll. As some readers have pointed out, most people who voted against glare-type screens probably didn’t use them (only saw them at the shops). Now that glossy screens have proliferated and dominated the market, it would help if a new poll was conducted. Alternatively, a more detailed poll that asked three segments of users would help :
A. Those who have mainly been using matte screens.
B. Those who have only mainly used glossy screens.
C. Those have used both types extensively (> 1 year each).
July 27th, 2008 9:34 am
I just sent back a pretty hi spec laptop – toshiba sat p300 172..because of the screen. I hated it..could see reflection of everything and it was really annoying..im on an old toshiba sat with a matt screen and its great..can anyone advise me what kind of laptop i can get without the anti glare panel/glossy screen? I was looking at a zepto but zepto said about 90% laptops have these screens now and they are pretty much a manufacturing standard.
The screens at my uni cmputer rooms dont reflect and have really great colour – noticeable on my myspace page which has some colourful pics on a black background. I want something vibrant with minimal shine. HELP!
August 29th, 2008 12:11 am
I came across a fantastic deal from Dell.. But alas !! there was no option to select Anti-glare screen. I have a laptop with Gloosy screen which i hate because our office has lot of overhead lighting. I decided NOT to buy the GLOSSY and let go the DELL deal.
November 28th, 2008 7:29 am
I was surprised to see the poll results but then I read the comments – and the majority of people prefer glossy!
In my experience, glossy screens are so much more visually appealing. They are brighter, have better contrast, and are much sharper. Like many have said, glare is really not that big of an issue. It’s a laptop – you can adjust the screen angle and position to easily reduce the most annoying glare. I would never trade less glare for washed out colors, fuzziness, and graininess. Side by side, glossy wins every time.
It’s a shame that Lenovo doesn’t offer an option on the T series. Matte belongs to the past – like my Thinkpad loyalty. Just bought a beautiful glossy Macbook Pro with high resolution WXGA+ LED because Lenovo wouldn’t get with the times and offer high-quality screens with their otherwise fantastic machines. Come on Lenovo! The screen is a huge component of a laptop experience and Thinkpads should not skimp in this area.
Now if Lenovo comes out with a glossy, WXGA+ LED T500 in the next few months, I’ll be first in line to sell my MacBook Pro and buy two T500s – one for myself and one for my wife.
November 28th, 2008 11:29 am
I just want good old IPS (or other non-TN) displays back.
December 12th, 2008 4:12 am
Has anyone had any joy from using relatively cheap ‘anti-glare’ plastic films on their glossy screen laptops to minimise reflections?
My rapidly ageing (too slow)Dell Inspiron 8000 has the 15″ 1600×1200 matte screen that remains unmarked and can still impress me with its clarity – particulary when compared to a lower resolution matte screen. My first and second impressions of glossy screens, albeit on the shop shelves, are that they are just too distracting with reflections – particularly if you wear light clothing and tilting the screen to avoid seeing yourself isn’t really an option! As suggested in this forum, I should really experience a glossy screen for a day or so in different lighting conditions.
I would like a 15.4″ Dell XPS with a top of the range video card (gaming) AND WSXGA+ or WUXGA matte screen as is available on the Dell M4400 Mobile Work Station (which is AUS$1000 more expensive and has an inferior gaming card – as of Dec 08).
January 14th, 2009 8:15 pm
as for a while i use macbook white 2.4ghz 4gb 667mhz ram and antiglare screen. and i know, my macbook never had let me in trouble. i saw the glossy screens, but i think i will never have glossy. i am sure, glossy make people happy. of course i know why.the graphics shown on it are more vital and nice and fresh. this is true. but to get a errorless gaphic u surely never will use a glossy screen. why? cause when you design on a matte(antiglare) screen, yo correctly have the real clear nice colors, also when you work with videos and so on, animations also. later you may atrakt it by compare your product over a glossy screen, then your product shines nicer. but do work on a glossy screen, errorfull will became your graphical products in many case, and atrakting it again on a glossy screen, you will see more errors than before. atrakting it on a matte screen, you will find the errors you made, this is the difference as i may has been teaching all the time and said, bay
January 19th, 2009 12:01 pm
It seems official – all notebooks have gone glossy. I am from the half of people here who want choice, for the matte screens, no matter what the glossy people say (I feel the same way about flat screen tv cabinets). I can’t understand why these large industries can’t offer both choices. D
oes anyone know where I can find one the last matte pc notebooks?
Thanks
January 19th, 2009 2:30 pm
@solin http://www.lenovo.com/psref/pdf/tabook.pdf
February 15th, 2009 7:29 pm
So nice to see so many people noting their preference for anti glare screens. After looking everywhere… and a few years ago getting a vaio ONLY because of the matte screen (it died after 2 days) .. then replacing it with an hp glossy I will never again buy anything but anti glare. I find that I am only comfortable working at night. Why have a laptop if I can’t use it in different environments? (x brite plus glare = annoyance! )
Bought a mac and don’t enjoy using it AT all at any brightness setting.
As a consumer, and a stubborn one that realizes buying what is provided …. doesn’t give manufacturers the impetus to make what is wanted…. I just won’t vote with my dollars on products I only use with much personal discomfort and irritation.
I also, want to find a matte – anti glare notebook (with windows xp)
February 15th, 2009 7:32 pm
Is there a specific term to look for in the specifications to assure that the display is anti glare?
February 21st, 2009 5:52 pm
hi, i purchased my lenova s10 antiglare 2 days ago.well before thati have a option of purchasing s9 with glossy screen but screen size is 8.9 n antiglare s10 screen size is 10.2 inch.well even size doesnt matter for me so that if looking for compac then better to go for more compac.even i m not aware about glossy n antiglare factor so when i read this info in broucher i have to decied what should i purchase so i just call to one of my friend n he siad antiglare is btter it also good for eyes.and well i decied to go for s10 antiglare but after 2 days i m not satisfy with antiglare .yes screen is dull as compare to brighter glossy picture n movie quality seriously show blur.no for viewing media n etc antiglare is realy a brain less choice.ppls talkig about lights problem well buddys this is laptop u can adjust it.overall even i m ready to sell it n wana go for glossy screen.ok after two days it definately give me some minimum of 20$ loss but thats ok.
March 24th, 2009 10:13 pm
Using computers for over 20 years.
Matte IS the way to go.
Sure you might can do glossy IF you can control the environment to reduce the glare/reflections.
If you don’t get eyestrain/headaches from glossy screens without any environmental changes, consider yourself lucky for now.
Eventually it will come and the need for glasses.
April 11th, 2009 1:07 pm
I agree with pros and cons of glossy vs anti glare.
Yesterday, I had a chance to see old Dell E1505 1280/800 glossy vs Thinkpad T60 1280/800 matte lcd screens side by side indoor under fluorescent light.
All the people around me agreed that the old Dell glossy looked much better in every aspects such as brightness, contrast and readability.
Especially when you look at characters in web pages or programs like MS office word. The clarity and clear edge of ‘a,b,c,d…’… glossy knocks out matte, period.
In Matte screen, characters were obviously diffused and blurred making it hard to read.
Glossy reflects lights…but with my personal experience. I would say, ” So what?”
April 27th, 2009 10:53 am
Does anyone know where I can get hold of an S10 with matte 10.2″ 1024×600 screen please? Everyone seems to sell the newer S10e, which for somereason they slapped on a glossy surface, and, can you believe it, shaved of 24 pixels from the already minimal vertical res!
July 23rd, 2009 6:29 pm
I just returned a MacPro 15 inch laptop to the store because the glossy screen was damaging my eyes. I now have to go to the eye doctor and pay $140.00 for treatment and I only had the darn computer for 5 days,,,,, AND,,,,,, it had the anti glare shield on the screen that cost me $54.00.
For practically ten years, I have have 2 (two) Apple computers. One desktop and one laptop. I sit in front of them for hours and never had an eye problem. I purchased a new MacPro 15 inch and experienced burning of the eyes, a pain in the left eye that won’t go away causing an office visit tomorrow and pain in my head and neck.
WHAT THE H*#^% HAS THE COMPUTER INDUSTRY DONE TO THEIR COMPUTERS ? ? ? Apple is suppose to be the best. I research the web and there are thousands of complaints about the glossy screen burning the eyes. My Bad ! Because who would have ever thought that you had to research the web regarding an Apple computer. They are suppose to be the best!
IF WHAT I JUST EXPERIENCED CONTINUES, WE ARE ALL GOING TO BE BLIND !
August 1st, 2009 4:37 pm
Being someone who develops and administers in console environments such as UNIX and Linux via my laptop (through terminal software), I absolutely despise glossy screens. The black background of the terminal acts like a mirror with these displays and forces me to gaze longingly at myself and get distracted. I’m too darn beautiful for my own good! Well, not really. But it really is irritating to have to look at yourself when you are trying to get work done, especially when you’ve pulled a binder for 48 hours and look like you just walked off the RMS Titanic.
September 14th, 2009 12:33 pm
Being a graphic designer and photographer, I prefer the anti-glare display myself. The glossy is nice, but it shows to many finger prints, and reflections sometimes that make it hard to work from.
September 24th, 2009 3:24 am
First, for lighting I have a 100W equivalent compact fluorescent off to my left side, with a reflector pointing it at the wall and ceiling, so it gives indirect light neither behind nor in front of me. I’ve used a 19″ Trinitron CRT for years, and glare hasn’t been a problem (it has an anti-reflective coating on the glass).
I recently acquired a Samsung 205BW 20″ LCD with a matte (anti-glare) screen. I used it for about a week until I had to take it in for service. I remember noticing a sort of speckly grainy appearance to solid colored areas, but it worked well. I was given an HP 2159m 21.5″ LCD as a loaner. It has a glossy screen. I figured I’d hate it, having been of the “glossy is dumb” thinking. Since it was just a loaner, I didn’t really care since I wouldn’t be keeping it, so I approached it with an open mind, knowing that either way I’d gain some useful experience with glossy. When black, I can see my reflection and the white wall behind, though not that bright. In use, I hardly ever notice reflections. I have come to love the image, and the lack of the speckled grainy appearance; solid colored areas are perfectly clean, as they looked on my old CRT.
So at this point I have to first admit that I had formed an irrational bias against glossy, which had no basis in actual experience; actual experience shows that it’s perfectly acceptable in the lighting of my room. Once I get my Samsung back I’ll be able to form a definitive opinion of which works better for me. I’m kind of attached to this glossy-screened loaner after less than two weeks with it, and have downloaded a bunch of colorful wallpaper desktops to take advantage of its vibrant color, something I had never done with any other display.
December 11th, 2009 7:12 am
Just wanted to say, that in the past I had 2 matte notebooks and the screen was never a problem. Having the second one for about half a year, I spotted a slim HP machine with decent specs and good price – but with a glossy screen. I decided to buy it thinking that if a lot of people use glossy screens, I will get used to it as well.
That was one of the worst computer shopping decisions I have ever made… The screen works like a mirror almost everywhere and in most places it is impossible to position it in a way that does not put strain on my eyes. After several months I am going to definitely replace it with even less powerful machine just to get rid of this screen. If I only find ANY matte screen notebook…
What I use it for? Programming, some graphics and photo editing, browsing the web and other general usage, preferring low brightness for eye comfort.
December 22nd, 2009 7:34 pm
When people argue for the “true” color of a matte screen, I think they’re forgetting something. What is “true” color? There is no ultimate “true” color. Even on matte, there is no exact definition of “true” color settings. Where is this one almighty-god-matte-display that defines “true” color? Or any almighty standard? Truth is, when people say the “true” color of a matte screen, they simply mean the color is true to what was standard – the color as displayed on a matte screen, presumably with a certain calibration.
If every display had always been glossy, thus the colors more saturated, the contrast BETTER, etc., we would be calling colors as displayed on a glossy “true” color. The majority creates the standard, and as more and more displays are switching to glossy, I would argue that even if there were such a thing as “true” color, and even if it were true that matte is where you’re going to get that “true” color, it’s pretty irrelevant at this point – I’m designing for people to view on their monitor, and chances are at this point that that monitor’s glossy. And sorry, but so-called “false” color looks better than “true” color. It’s not a matter of liking over-saturation: I can desaturate my images to match the saturation of a matte display, and it still looks better in gloss. While “true” color is unquantifiable and thus a non-issue, one quantifiable factor in an image is it’s sharpness – there is no questionable standard when it comes to what “sharp” means – and sorry, but glossy wins that war hands down.
But for those who still insist, here’s a tip: want that matte look in your images when using a glossy? Desaturate, give it a grained blur, and throw a crappy haze layer over the whole thing.
January 24th, 2010 8:40 pm
So, glossy screens are superior for watching movies, but they are a pain when reading text.
Why laptop manufacturers presume that all people will be using their laptops to watch movies?
Why most of them suddenly stop making non-glossy screens?
You can’t have constantly bright wide-screens so close to your eyes for a long time.
The winners are the marketeers and eye doctors!
Thanks for Lenovo, for giving the option of having a glossy screen or not.
February 14th, 2010 1:17 pm
I HATE GLOSSY SCREENS!!! THEY ARE EXTREMELY DISTRACTING
February 21st, 2010 5:46 pm
First there are only 3-4 laptops on the market that produce colors well so anyone who says color reproduction is good in 99.9% of laptops. I have used both type of screens for years. For me glossy is very uncomfortable to use due to the glare. Glossy screens are more vivid, due to light being reflected back before reaching the lcd panel. The panel underneath the has the same characteristics regardless of the substrate (glossy, anti-glare, etc.) covering it. Also please don’t compare new glossy to old matte. The screen door effect alone will bias the results. Read the videophile forums like AVS to understand while glossy is only good in environments with well controlled light. Why do you think theaters panel everything in black fabric? I wish there was a low or very low gloss screen. I could deal with it.
February 23rd, 2010 2:57 pm
I have a nice wide matte Acer at work that gives me a perfectly flat, consistent picture from edge to edge. I have an M1530 with a glossy screen at home and the differece is startling. I find it nearly impossible to use because of all the reflected ambient light. I have never had this problem with laptops before. There must be something wrong with me.
March 8th, 2010 6:19 am
Put it mildly: IT IS JUST IMPOSSIBLE to work on the new glossy Imac.
Way too much reflection.
I hope Apple find a solution. In the meanwhile I am keeping the glossy 27 Imac connected with the good old matt monitor!!!
I am a graphic designer and the new monitor is simply not suitable for graphics. Work on it for eight hours and it is excruciating. I simply could not expect that from Apple.
March 21st, 2010 11:58 am
I use both. I think with the shiny screen the colors are richer because the shine actually lets the color reflect back on itself deepening it.
I have many windows where I live and need to use a matte screen for TV, but with my laptop I can adjust the screen to minimize glare.
March 23rd, 2010 7:24 pm
Ok, everyone has their opinion. I personally use my laptop mostly in an oceanfront room with 10 windows.
With a “glossy screen” I can hardly even see the screen or photos so the enhanced color glossy provides in darker rooms is lost to me. I also like to use my laptop outdoors on our decks.
To get a machine with a screen that I could see I had to go with Toshiba’s R500 transflective screen. In the reviews the color reproduction of this screen in not good but in reality I can at least see the images on the screen.
I am looking for a less expensive laptop for my wife to use in the same conditions. How do I find out the details of screens on individual Lenova products, such as matte, gloss, nit, etc. Panasonics 500 nit screen is very good in the outdoors. Why don’t manufacturers publish the lcd’s specs so we can make an informed decision????
May 1st, 2010 12:03 am
Sadly my Dell Inspiron 8600 has just bitten the dust and I’m looking for a new laptop.
The manufacterers must be off their tree if they think I’m going to settle for a high-gloss screen. I thought everyone decided 10 years ago that high-gloss was a dud – think back to CRT screens with clip-on anti-glare devices YUK!!!
What are PC makers thinking? Or not…
May 12th, 2010 10:01 pm
The glossy screen issue when looking for a suitable laptop has been a real problem. Nearly all the computers that are displayed in stores have glossy screens. Nearly all stores that display these machines also have an abundance of overhead fluorescent lighting. A salesperson that demonstrates these machines with glossy displays simply cannot do so without glaring reflections. And yet, most buyers don’t seem to mind.
For those of us who could not live with a glossy screen there is hope. Anti-glare film. YouTube has a few videos of the installation of a matte film on a glossy screen laptop. Said installation may not be for the faint-of-heart though since dust specks and air bubbles are going to be a problem.
At least there’s a choice for those of us who buck the current trend in glossy displays.
Hooray!
June 2nd, 2010 1:53 am
My friends bought laptops with glossy screens. (They didn’t realize about the reflection problem when buying.) They both suffered from headache and eye strain because of the reflection. And after 6 months, one of them had to buy an extra monitor, and the other one just sold it and bought a new laptop altogether (This time matte screen). I used their laptops from time to time and I also hate the glossy screen cuz the glare really strains my eyes. Glossy screens are good for movies, and are OK if you don’t use it for too long (10-20 mins maybe OK). For any work that requires reading or typing, esp. for a long period, these screens totally fail. I’m looking for a new laptop right now and I’m desperate cuz almost all laptops nowadays are having glossy screen! I think I’m going to buy Thinkpad mainly because of this reason!
June 2nd, 2010 1:56 am
FYI: my friends switched from Acer (I’m not sure which models) to Thinkpad x61. And I think I’m going to buy Thinkpad x201. All because of the glossy screen irritation problem.
July 3rd, 2010 2:12 pm
As a designer and a retoucher I would not put my eyes on a glossy screen, that is a stated fact.
When I retouch I can perceive even the smallest speck of dust on the screen (and try to brush it out!) just imagine if I had the overhead light, or a picture hanging from the back wall or ceiling beams reflecting even beyond subconscious perception.
I have a glossy screen in my website-test machine that is a MacBook, and I hate it.
Besides that, who cares for the vibrant colors, once they go through a printing process they are gone forever, anyway.
F8 on Photoshop …
July 16th, 2010 1:16 am
My Acer Travelmate is biting the dust and I am in the same boat as all of the matte screen lovers. I do web design, graphics, video, writing, etc. The glossy screens are totally ridiculous. I have argued with Dell, HP, all of them today. Dell business machines only have 2 gigs of RAM and are not upgradable but they are matte.
I’ll just get a Thinkpad despite the stupid red pointer in the middle that reminds me of 1995. What an eyesore that thing is. But IBM it is.