[Macworld]

Post your comments for Review: Power Support MacBook Pro Anti-Glare Film here

[palane]

Well, if I ever do get tired of the glossy screen, I'm headed into the clean room to apply the film!
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[bugjuice]

I'm glad there's options. I bought my MBP a year-and-a-bit ago and saved hard, got all the trimmings with it, including upgrading the processor (2.6) and RAM, since I had a feeling it was a good upgrade that'd suit my needs for a long time. Then less than a year after, Apple went and stuck glossy screens in them! I hate glossy screens with a passion. If I want to look at myself while I work, then I'll buy a mirror or find some hack to have PhotoBooth permanently on and overlaid the OS. I'm glad I bought the mac I have, and consider it still higher and better than these models, mostly based on the screen alone (and yup, mine has the video card problem). I really hope Apple ditch the glossy screen only, and have it back as an option for those who want it, and those who don't

[allochi]

I've never used glossy screens, because I always use 17" MBP, but now I find myself with a question since I want to buy a new unibody 17" MBP, should I just buy the glossy and apply the film on it? or just pay extra and get the matte? is it me or the second shot looks reacher in colors and less reflective than the third shot?
Thanks I really enjoyed reading the post.
Sorry if this post appears twice.

[Adammiller]

I use a glossy screen at work on a 20 inch aluminum iMac, I use a glossy screen on my 15 inch MBP and I use a glossy screen on my 24 inch aluminum iMac at home. All three machines are used for video, graphic design, animation and photography so I spend a lot of time looking at the glossy screens. At home im in a very controlled environment dark room with a ambient light behind the monitor... ideal conditions for any screen but at work the lighting is above me, behind me and to the sides of me... not so ideal and I use the MPB all over the place in all kinds of lighting conditions. So to get to the point, not once have I ever looked at any of the three screens and wished that they weren't glossy. Over Christmas my brother was home with his 15 inch matte MBP and I wanted to puke after looking at it. None the less I do feel that its a strange move to not offer the matte screen. I wouldn't ever even think about getting one myself but I understand that some people might. Someone just told me the other day that the glossy screens are bad. When asked if they ever tried one, they said no. If your like this and think that the glossy screens suck but haven't tried one out, stop by the apple store and see what you think. The lighting conditions there are far from perfect for viewing a computer so you should be able to get a good sense of what it will be like in the wild.

[RamaFan]

Amen. I've never had a problem with my glossy screens once I got used to thema and my eyes adjusted. My old windows laptop is hard to look at and read on now that I am.

[lin2log]

Oh puh-leeeeze...
Sorry, but anyone that considers a glossy screen a step DOWN to a matte, quite obviously never even SEEN one (when the computer was ON of course) let alone USED one. Period. Ironically all I EVER seem to read or hear is from just those people. Since IMO complete utterly irreverent nonsense such as "If I want to look at myself while I work" can only come from just those individuals (who even unabashedly admit to the fact!). What's worse is to actually consider the older screen in any way BETTER. It's so perfidious.
I for one have a) now worked with my unibody 15" for 3-4 months now and travel constantly with it. Not ONCE in that entire time have I been annoyed by, let alone even noticed the higher reflectivity of the screen compared to my old MBP! In fact, once when I was sitting in a café, I didn't even realize I was sitting with my back to a window(!) until the MBP went to sleep! That's when I went "whoa!" and came to realize the superb benefit of the supreme brightness of the LED screen. And b) I've seen a direct comparison between both the "old" screen glossy and matte, side by side AND next to my unibody. Anyone that has, will never be able to actually claim the matte is in any way superior to the glossy with a straight face. The colors and most of all the sharpness of the image is light-years ahead of the matte. The added brightness of the LED also reduces the likelihood of even noticing reflections (if it's not the SUN itself, in which case even a MATTE wouldn't make any better of it!). Bottom line: if anything, the MATTE is a trade-off no one should be willing to settle for. In fact, looking at the before and after pictures above make my point, and painfully so.
Oh and by the way, the FOCAL PLANE your eyes work at when sitting in front of the screen is so completely some where else than that plane on which reflections are on (FAR behind the screen) so that these aren't even in focus, therefore blurred. With a decent camera that's easily made obvious, not like the one that was used here. (but I guess the quality camera you use, depends on the point you're trying to make.) So purely THAT fact moves "grievances" like those into irrelevance.
But hey, as long as there's something to whine about to give us the feeling to be on top of everything and/or WAY ahead of everyone else.
Sure, Apple only came up with the glossy idea (practically years after PC manufacturers by the way) just to tick people off. Not because it actually presents an advancement in both quality and ergonomics. No way. Never.

[FrankCDN]

The only was I found to get dust to a real minimum was to do the procedure in the bathroom after a shower. Leave your laptop close by to the bathroom, take a shower and once done, wait a couple minutes with the door open. Then bring in your laptop and apply.
Taking your time is necessary to avoid ai bubbles. Gently scrap the film down w/ a credit card as you lower it on the screen.

[palane]

lin2log - That's one of the silliest things I've read in awhile. While a glossy screen doesn't bother me, there are those who find it a problem.
Do you really think that a MacWorld editor has never seen or used any of the glossy Macs? C'mon!
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[flybynight]

Apparently Jonathan Ives has never been to a custom framing shop. They make glass with anti-glare coatings. To me, this would seem to be the best option. The anti-glare screen offered on the 17" appears to be basically the same as what Tech Restore does - cram an old anit-glare screen into the frame and throw away the glass. I'm confused why they couldn't just use anti-glare glass? You would think they could leave a spot without the coating for the iSight.

[griffman]

If you had actually bothered to read anything I've written about matte vs. glossy in the past, you'd find that I owned and used a MacBook for about six months, trying to adjust to the reflections. I couldn't do it, and it's for the exact reason you state in your post: the focal plane.

While people who enjoy using glossy screens have no problem focusing on just one plane, my eyes -- and those of others who dislike glossy -- aren't capable of doing that. In a perfectly dark room, the screen is fine. But as soon as there are any reflections, that's where my eye focuses. This constant shifting of focus gives me a headache within about 30 minutes of using a glossy screen.

I honestly believe this is a physiological thing, and no amount of "getting used to it" is going to solve the problem. I tried, using the MacBook, and it makes no difference -- even after months of hours-a-day usage, the glossy screen was just as annoying on day 180 as it was on day one.

What I really don't understand is all the anger directed at those of us who prefer matte displays: what's the problem with choice, especially when that choice has existed in Mac laptops for nearly 20 years?

-rob.

[lwdesign]

Tolerance is a wonderful thing. It keeps people from killing each other. Tolerance means: "I may not like the things you like, or dislike the things you dislike, but it's OK if you like or dislike those things." A blessedly small percentage of any group of people are intolerant of others' likes and dislikes, and feel it their duty or prerogative to criticize them because of these. They cannot understand why others don't think the way they do and try to force their viewpoints or beliefs on others. This makes them unpopular with the majority of the group, but they rarely realize that their actions are the cause of their unpopularity.
Some like the new glossy screens from Apple and some don't (me included). It's your right to disagree with my opinion, but not to chastise me or call into question my mental health for thinking so. Please allow others the freedom to think what they want. It's the reason people left the old world to come to America: freedom of thought. It is fundamental to the American way of life. Please practice tolerance whenever possible. It makes a better, more livable world.

[folklore]

I'm surprised that the film worked as well as it did. That's good news for those of us that have difficulty with the glossy screens.
Thanks for this review, Rob. And don't let the haters discourage you - plenty of us are interested in these options.

[hbissell]

I just purchased the Power Support anti-glare film for my MBP a few weeks ago, and have also been pleased with it. I saw the recommendations to work in a clean room, so I brought my computer to a large library to avoid the pet hair at my home or the dust in my industrial office. The film was easy to apply. I also had a few air bubbles at first. There were some large ones that were easily pushed to the edge with a credit card. Then there were smaller ones that didn't want to move. I read elsewhere to wait 24 hours and most would disappear on their own. I nervously waited and, indeed, the following morning there was just one little bubble left that I was able to shove to a corner with a credit card. The trick is definitely to work in a clean environment.
The difference it has made to my glossy screen is amazing. My office has a window that was making reading on my computer impossible. For the last few months I've been printing out everything because on-screen reading gave me too much of a headache. This screen protector has been a lifesaver for me. I don't work with color, so can't speak to the impact on color quality.
I highly recommend this product for anyone who reads lengthy documents on their computer or works near windows/glaring lights.