Mac Book Pro (Late 2008) and glossy screen

And did you notice that in the video you can clearly see his face, hand and camera during the entire clip? Wow that wouldn't be annoying at all. (That was sarcasm.)

May be Apple can apply an anti-reflection coating, like the one used on eye-glasses or camera lens. However, this will add a lot to the cost and the coated screen will be hard to keep clean.

Perhaps a super fine matte screen like the focusing screen of a D-SLR camera is the way to go.

That would be called a matte screen and it is what they discontinued.

It is common practice to coat photographic lenses with a metallic layer with a thickness of one quarter wavelength (surface then shows a purplish or amberish hue). This procedure virtually cancels out all incident light and would seem to be a perfect way to tackle this problem.

Message was edited by: Steven Stenfert

Message was edited by: Steven Stenfert

I'm not sure if anyone's noticed - But the black border on the iMac is actually magnetic. I suspect if you got a window-pane sucker and used it on the mac screen that you would be able to pop out the glossy overlay.

...this I guess would open the door for third party screen overlays that simply have a magnetic border... But I haven't seen this, err, feature?, mentioned anywhere else.

"…popout the glossy overlay…": with 'overlay' do you mean the glasspanel?
If this were possible, the panel could then be processed: in a vacuum container, in which a suitable metal is being heated up to the gaseous phase, whereupon its molecules settle on the glass. Time, vacuum and temperature selected in such a way, that the resulting coat's thickness is exactly a quarter wavelength of somewhere in the middle of the visual spectrum. Ask your optician, he might be able to assist you (they treat the lenses of your glasses in exactly the same way.)

Going glossy is the worst hardware decision Apple has made since the horrible round 'pucklet' mouse they released along with the original iMac. I switched to a Logitech mouse when that happened and haven't looked back. (The Logitech budget two-button mouse is still far more usable than Apple's current Mighty Mouse.) If Apple sticks to their guns on this one, my next display purchase will not be Apple branded. Sure, I'd be forced to put up with a glossy display when mobile, but in the studio (where the bulk of the hours are spent) I'd never put up with it just because Apple says that's the way it is.

And... everyone that owns one says the new keyboard rocks... it's greatly improved. So we're only REALLY fussing about the matte.

If the keyboard is anything like the new aluminium keyboards, then I agree… they are brilliant.

That's because you aren't a photographer and don't understand that the problem has not only to do with glare but with color accuracy and contrast. Please by a glossy if you want one, but PLEASE don't try to force glossy screens on the rest of us. Especially when you don't really understand the issues that make many of us reject the glossy screen.

I'd say the same to those in the design and marketing departments at Apple.

One of the things I hate most about Apple as a company is that they don't let on what their intentions are to those of us trying to know whether we should wait or not, or whether we need to buy last years technology if we want t non-glossy screen. It's like we are the enemy rather than their loyal customer base. We deserve better from Apple, but all they show us contempt for wanting to know what is only reasonable.

If they are abandoning the matte screens, they should let us know, and not string us along, when in the end, the matte screens will serve no purpose for us. They need to treat their loyal customer base with a little more respect.

I think you could make the point without trying to put down people who want non-glare. I quite agree with you though. The Cinema display isn't in the same class as the 12 and 14 bit monitors out there. I suspect Apple wanted a larger profit margin, and didn't go for the more expensive models. But the price of these 12 and 14 bit monitors has surely come down (even if LaCie and Eizo hasn't lowered its pricing).

Yes, you are right! We should all be telling Apple to upgrade it's "professional cinema display." Otherwise we have to stop referring to these products as professional. If Apple wants to be perceived as semi-pro gear, then they are surely moving in that direction with new MBP and new 24-inch Cinema Display. And, if users don't continue to demand professional gear from Apple, then one shouldn't expect it to be produced.

Well said. No one seems to get that dialing down the contrast on the glossy is inherently problematic for resulting output file. And yes, having a matte screen in the field is better than not having one (since one cannot drag along a 14bit monitor.

Apple, please start listening!

I'm with you. It's inconceivable how Apple could so completely avoid the obvious step of listening to professionals, and abandon the matte screen. Will they

I love these passionate debates.

I have never used a glossy screen and do not profess to know anything about them, but you may find this reference amusing (assuming it is genuine, which I can't guarantee, I merely picked it up from another thread and put zero research tim in it)...

http://www.eizo.com/support/wp/pdf/wp_07-001.pdf

Bear in mind that some of the fiercest posters above refer to Eizo in support of the incontrovertible truth that a glossy screen is absolutely not acceptable for photography.

Calibrating a glossy screen is probably difficult however, if at all possible, which I don't know.

The bit-depth issue is probably also a serious one.