Mac Book Pro (Late 2008) and glossy screen

You can always wait for the 2nd and 3rd generations of the new macbook pro, if you really have to get one now, buy the previous generations (which should be quite stable and cheaper, A LOT cheaper). With the typical 1st generation, there bounds to be many problems, usually Apple will fix it in the next revisions when the problems become way too apparent. As usual don't buy the hype. You don't always have to be the first person to get the new coolest toy. Patience is virtue, and in this case you could save money, remember the iphone fiasco? or the scratchy ipod/ipod nano? what about the G4 cube? Some of Apple blunder products are purely for neat looking design, they look great, and they work to an extend, but not quite as practical.

been waiting months for a new macbook pro. I'm not buying yesterdays technology in an old mbp and I'm not buying a glossy screen. I'm shopping for a new laptop.

The problem is that there is glass plate on top of the screen...

speaking to the FW 400 thing - the FW 800 port it does have is backwards compatible.

FYI.

So put the plastic on top of the glass plate?

hello XSemperIdem5,

I am indeed very happy with the PB G4... this is the best design ever for a portable mac for me...
it has the most screen area covered with the display, this new design is nice but has too much of 'black glass border' on the sides of the display....
though the idea of the unibody is great... this is why i love mac.... they really make masterpieces...

on the other hand, i still will wait til they make portables with the ports 'behind' and Not on the sides.. another reason why i still use my lovely PB G4... i was expecting this new version to go back to the back ports... but, well, one can't have it all.... can I?

maybe i'll buy this new one once the 'matte' screen comes out...

Message was edited by: Sungyub Han

Glossy Screen! Oh no! boo-hoo; we don't want it!

Ok so all you naysayers out there. I got one for ya'. Have you actually used a new Mac with the glossy screen outside of the Apple store? For at least more than a couple of hours? I was skeptical when I got my new iMac a few months ago. I had heard complaining up and down from people about the lack of an option.

Well six months in and I love my glossy screen. "But, but... why?" Says a pro photographer buddy of mine (I just dabble). I say. "Sit down here and pull up a few photos." He does and low-and-behold the glossy screen isn't a problem. At all.

Those of you knee jerking need to learn that once the screen is on and under your own lighting control it's not problem. Your eyes and color calibration will adjust to give you a great picture; on screen or printed. Yes I can see my reflection when it's off. And when I look at it and really think about it to adjust my eyes when it's on. But otherwise, no problem.

And before you say 'this if for a MacBook without controlled lighting'. Let me point out that using your laptop, glossy screen or not, outside in sunlight is no good anyway.

Give it a try. You'll be surprised by the results.

I hardly think that the glossy-only MBP is the result of a rush to production. It seems to me that this is a calculated and deliberate move by Apple, ever since the aluminum iMac came out modeled after the iPhone, to eventually transfer its entire Mac display line, including the ACD's, to the glassy glossy configuration. I have to believe that Apple did try a matte version of the glass panel to see if it could indeed offer people a matte or glossy option, but most likely rejected it because it either created a wax-paper like effect over the screen, seeing as how the glass surface isn't the screen itself but is instead an extra surface floating above the screen, or because its looks didn't fit into Apple's sleek and smooth glassy aesthetic. As for weight, surely the plate of glass needlessly adds to the weight of the machine, thus making it more expensive and less environmentally-friendly to ship the computers from China. Apple likes to tout the fact that glass is recyclable, and while that's true, it's also the case that a computer display doesn't actually need a plate of glass hovering over it to be functional.

@ Ramafan, you can't control lighting at a client site. It's not about using it outside and I don't recall anyone saying that. It's about portability without the the ability to control the environment in which it's used.

And, for the record, my wife has a white MacBook. I can't use it for more than 30 minutes without getting a headache trying to look past my reflection -- pretty much regardless of the environmental lighting.

Jobs' told reporters that the matte screen will be gone as Apple is moving to all glossy so I guess people better get used to it sooner rather than later.

lenn

Apple could AT LEAST supply a proper, well-designed hood for the darn thing.

it has opened my eyes up to what's available in the PC laptop market. matte, glossy, firewire, vga, 13", 17"...whatever configuration you want, it's available. I've pooh poohed that all these years because Apple provided my minimal requirements. till now. I tried a glossy screen. I have a huge bright window to my left. In fact, I just ordered a new MacBook Pro! I'll be using it at work where lighting isn't an issue and I'm not working on photographs and trying to look through a reflection. What Steve doesn't seem to get is "one screen to bind them all" doesn't work for all. The arrogance of providing no options is just plain foolish.

I totally agree as a professional photographer. It is also very worrying that there is only one Firewire port [800] and I run all my readers and portable hard drive backups on Firewire 400 ports. Always having at least the 2 present firewire ports occupied with TB HDs on the 800. Is this another example of a half-cocked launch with gimmicks such as trackpads featured at the expense of the real features that should be kept. Not enough ports and why not built-in card readers?

bigglesworth,

the FW 800 port is actually backwards compatible. so all of your FW 400 devices will still work.

I think a solution for everyone is:
http://www.powersupportusa.com/

It's the same company that makes the anti-glare film for the iPhone.
They haven't released one for the new MacBook's yet, but hopefully soon enough.

If they do, they ought to have it only cover the LCD, and not the entire glass, since it will blur out the camera.


A side note, you guys recall when iMac went glossy/glass? At first there were a lot of talk, and now we have all gotten used to it.

And honestly, you have to look at the new MacBook's screen to be a judge, the LED helps a lot. They are vastly improved compared to the current iMac's because of the LED screen.