[farleftone]

I hate the glossy too, my gf is pining for her G5 but I think I have the reason...
Apple's annual report lists a law suit with Honeywell over a screen diffusion technology or something like that. If that's true then it may follow the pattern: Apple is just too cheap to pay for the right to use other people's technology.
Blue Ray? The licensing to too complex (read expensive).
DVI? Don't want to pay for it.
It's sad too because Apple makes an otherwise great computer. I am very glad I have a 15' laptop that is less than a year old. It's a sad day when you can only use your computer in one corner of the living room because thats where there is no glare.
No, I will not buy another Apple if I can avoid it, nothing is as important as seeing your computer.
Steve in Honolulu

[Dan Frakes]

musicplusmac said:

even the macbook pros only have firewire 800! I'm an musician and I have home studio that's based around my first gen macbook pro. I was totally expecting the new line up to be so amazing that it would make me WANT to upgrade. Firewire 400 is way too important to me.

An inexpensive FireWire 800-400 adapter or cable will let you use your FireWire 400 devices with any FireWire 800 port.

[Dan Frakes]

panny said:

ECONOMICS

I can understand the frustration... but unfortunately this is all based on economics. I saw a post on the previous article stating that more people want a matte screen than a glossy one... one problem, they didn't actually purchase them! I'd love to know the actual sales data when consumers had the choice - that will tell you all about the decision.

During today's Apple event, during the Q&A section, Job said that between product sales and user feedback, the vast majority -- "with a capital V on Vast" -- prefer glossy.

[gandhi]

chill B,

Firewire 400 is backwardss compatible with 800, all you need is a 800 to 400 cable and you are golden. Also, there are rumors out there that firewire has been implemented over the same physical connection as the ethernet port. So perhaps in the not too distant future, with many people using wireless connectivity for their internet, the ethernet port will double as the firewire 3 port (3.4gbps or 5 times the speed of fw800!).

[texchiu]

i agree! bring back the matte! it was a main factor in me choosing a macbook pro over a macbook.

[Dan Frakes]

montgomery_burns said:

The standard DisplayPort and HDMI connectors are already small enough that Apple could have used those if they wanted to. There is even an industry standard Mini HDMI connector that is even smaller than Apple's own proprietary connector:

According to Apple, HDMI can't drive Apple's 30-inch displays. So they had to use the industry-standard DisplayPort, and they had to go with Mini DisplayPort because of space constraints.

[Izimbra]

I also like Matte. However, I think this article, and most of the comments, miss a key point: Because the screen is glass, it can easily accept a self-adhesive matte screen cover. The closest example is the very good matte screen protectors sold at Apple stores for the iPhones. I'm sure we'll see them for the new laptops and they work extremely well. A glass screen with a quality self-adhesive matte overlay is every bit as good as the matte screens in Apple's previous notebooks.

[Dan Frakes]

peetz said:

People who say the love the glossy screen -- just don't get it.

Or maybe they just have different preferences than you?

(For what it's worth, I was quite skeptical of the glossy screen, but after using a MacBook Air since March, I have to say that it's never bothered me, and the colors and brightness are great.)

[griffman]

{quote:title=Dan Frakes wrote:}During today's Apple event, during the Q&A section, Job said that between product sales and user feedback, the vast majority -- "with a capital V on Vast" -- prefer glossy. {quote}Not that it's at all scientific, nor that the macosxhints.com audience is anything like normal ... but still, the following is interesting:

http://www.macosxhin...aid=-1#comments

Out of 345 voters at the time I'm posting this, nearly 28% (97 people) have stated that they will not be purchasing a new MBP due to the glossy-only screen. Another 16% (58 people) dislike the glossy screen but will buy the machine anyway. Add those two together, and 44% of the poll respondents would be happier with a matte screen. I'm no math whiz, but that hardly strikes me as showing that the "vast majority" prefer glossy screens.

(Then again, I can see how the result would be true in a lab test: placed side-by-side in ideal conditions, there's no comparison: the glossy screen would win the test every time. Let someone see them in far-from-ideal conditions, though, and I bet the results would be much different.)

-rob.

[montgomery_burns]

Dan Frakes said:

According to Apple, HDMI can't drive Apple's 30-inch displays. So they had to use the industry-standard DisplayPort, and they had to go with Mini DisplayPort because of space constraints.

So is Apple's MIni DisplayPort connector currently part of the DisplayPort standard? If not, does Apple plan to submit this connector to the DisplayPort association for inclusion in the standard?

[dhassler]

I also will not be upgrading my 15" MBP due to the lack of a matte screen. When I use friend's glossy notebooks and iMacs, I nearly have panic attacks from the reflections, and can't imagine having to look at that every day. I'm surprised that Apple would omit this option, especially since they claim to be making inroads into business enviornments. Haven't they used glossy screens under overhead fluorescents?

Hopefully they will keep the matte option on the current 17", and offer it on the next round of upgrades.

[sporks]

Amazing how you survived all those pre-LCD years when you stared all day at a CRT screen.

[repmek]

I waited for the new iMac line to get the option of a matte screen. I did not happen. Two months ago I bought a last generation used white iMac off of ebay. Now the same happens with the macbook pro. I will have to replace my 5 year old powerbook with a used or refurbished unit. I do not want a matte screen. I do illustrations and other color critical work, a glossy screen is no option whatsoever. Very disappointed.

[kitko]

I bought the MacBook Pro recently and paid the premium only to get NON-GLOSSY screen. I'd be OK with smaller screen and on-board graphics of a MacBook. Fortunately, I bought it from the Apple refurb store so it wasn't much, still, I'm glad I got the old model. Yes, new one's faster, but reflections are not worth it. However, checking the refurb prices NOW, I think I'm going to kick myself :-)