MacBook display

[sunset]

That about says it...  I'd like to purchase a MacBook, not Pro, but with a matte screen because the glossy finish isn't accurate for viewing and doing image correction for printing digital photography.  Colors and saturation appear much more enhanced/intense than the original file on a matte screen.

Has anyone had any experience with this or heard if Apple's planning on coming out with a matte screen model any time soon???  [keeping my fingers crossed here] I don't understand why the 'powers that be' made the decision to produce only the glossy screen in that model...?    

  , in advance, for your thoughts/opinions.

Laurel

[giantmike]

I highly doubt they are going to get away from the glossy screen. From what I have seen, most PC laptops these days also have glossy screens, which likely means they are now cheaper than matte screens. So, that is why Apple puts them on the cheaper laptop family.

I'll have a lot more experience with one soon, but I did play around with a glossy screened MacBook back when they first came out. I was actually surprised that the reflection wasn't that bad, which was my main concern.

[Paddy]

If you do a search on "matte vs. glossy LCD" you'll find the debate seems to be highly subjective. Some people love the glossy screen, some hate it. For editing photos though, it would appear that the glossy screen is less accurate - though laptops in general are not very good for doing accurate work on photos. Simply changing the angle of view makes the saturation and contrast totally different, which is a problem, since it's hard to calibrate your viewing angle!! For working on photos, a high-end desktop LCD (one that gets good reviews for this type of work) or a high-end CRT like the LaCie Electron Blue are still your best bets.

[sunset]

Thanks Giantmike and Paddy,

The reflection factor doesn't concern me as much as the inaccuracy of color, etc., of photos.  I really don't plan on doing 'high-end' editing on the laptop--use my G4 & Apple Cinema display for that.  Guess I didn't want to review photos taken on a trip and have them be 'way off base'.  Still would prefer matte...  

Paddy--I remember, years ago, you recommended the LaCie Electron Blue monitors.  At that time I 'listened' and got a refurbished one which I loved and used until I got this one.  That monitor is still being used at my husband's Gallery altho', when I go down there to help them, the color isn't as bright and sharp as I remember it.  That MAY have something to do with the graphics card that's in the old, beige G3 tower they're using...  

Laurel

[Mayo]

QUOTE

the color isn't as bright and sharp as I remember it

CRT monitor brightness and color accuracy change with age. Recalibrating the monitor on a regular basis can extend its useful life, but at some point it will become impossible to mitigate the aging process.

I recall reading somewhere that a CRT that is used daily has a useful life of around three years as far as color-correction pros are concerned...

I think that it is possible to calibrate a portable Mac screen so that it will be accurate enough, particularly after you have used it for a short period of time. You can create a monitor profile that will compensate for the enhanced colors and saturation and switch to it when working with digital photos.  Calibrate it next to your Apple Cinema Display and get the MacBook image to look as close as possible to the ACD. If you are going to be using it primarily in the field and will be saving critical work for your home/work Mac, I think that even a glossy-screen MacBook will do nicely for you.

[sunset]

Thanks, Mayo!!  I'm sure you're right about the CRT's 'length of term'.  I'd hate to think how old that monitor is and how old it was when I got it many moons ago.  

Your thoughts regarding the MacBook make sense and calibrating it along side the ACD sound like a great idea.  Now I just have to be certain that my embroidery program, which uses a dongle, will work on the PC side via Boot Camp.  The person at the Apple Store, who I spoke to, assured me that it would.  I think 'Thomas' is my middle name...  

I have another question, for a friend, but will start another thread...