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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

MacBook Pro

re: glossy screen.

The glossy screen is the exact same LCD panel as the matte screen. It DOES NOT have any increased color saturation or different color representation. The only difference is the top plastic membrane, it is glossy or matte. Only difference.

The glossy screen can give the impression of more deeply saturated colors in some viewing environments. However, this is an artificial perception and it seems to work best in environments with overhead fluorescent or mecury lights -- like retail store environments. But the glossy screen catches glares and reflections so badly that it can be all but unusable in many lighting situations. I have to specifically make effort to place my glossy screen MBP where I won't catch a reflection and it's a major inconvenience. Matte screens don't have this issue.

When viewed in a dimly lit environment with no apparent glare or reflecting light or even in the dark. You can not tell if the LCD is glossy or matte, it will look the same. Colors and all.

Glossy sucks, but go try one out for yourself if you don't believe me.

I only have one complaint about the 17" Macbook Pro. And it's also the same complaint I have over their new wireless keyboards... Apple needs to pull their heads out of their asses and realize that many people do still need that numerical keypad. The 17" MBP has enough room for it, so wtf? Apple can take their whole minimalistic style too far sometimes.
 
I've found glossy screens actually work better in some bright lighting conditions. With matte screens, light hitting the screen from any direction will diffuse through the surface, lowering contrast. In sunlight, this can sometimes make the screen impossible to see. With a glossy screen, you'll get more distinct direct reflections... but if you can adjust the angle of the screen to eliminate direct reflections, you don't have the diffusion problem to nearly as great an extent as with a matte screen.

I went with glossy on my MacBook Pro after checking out both at Apple's Fifth Ave. NYC store. That store is pretty ideal for an evaluation because there's tons of sunlight coming in through the central glass staircase, and there are laptops lined up facing it. A more typical retail store environment probably doesn't provide very good conditions for making a decision.
 
I think the 7200-RPM drive is being underrated. This upgrade gives you pretty good bang for the buck. Capacity is less important than speed for these already-compromised laptop drives.

Yes, glossy screens are the biggest step backward in computing in 20 years. Unbelievably dumb.

Finally: The biggest aggravation on the Apple laptops: No Delete key. They only have a Backspace key, mislabeled "Delete."
 
Stokestack said:
I think the 7200-RPM drive is being underrated. This upgrade gives you pretty good bang for the buck. Capacity is less important than speed for these already-compromised laptop drives.
Click to expand...

Sure, the 7200rpm does perform a bit faster. Might be worth it, but it does consume more power and the performance gains are pretty marginal. Usually only measurable with benchmarking software or noticeable on large file transfers (actually more noticeable with transfers of large numbers of random small files). Once again, it's an issue that each potential buyer will have to assess for themselves.

As for the glossy screen. I do agree with Chris Kenny somewhat -- the glossy does have some advantages in sunlight or other intense light environments. This is a big reason why Apple chose glossy screens for the Macbook and Macbook Air... But all things considered, I don't find myself using my Macbook Pro in the park or at a sidewalk cafe all that often... For most down to earth and more common work environments, I've found the glossy screen to be a real problem.

Finally: The biggest aggravation on the Apple laptops: No Delete key. They only have a Backspace key, mislabeled "Delete."
Click to expand...

That's pretty much an Apple keyboard thing in general. I usually just leave mine in the box and go for a Logitech. Same thing with that bloody awful mouse that Apple has. Has Apple ever made a mouse that was worth a shit? Seriously? The only thing cool about the "MightyMouse" is the scroll-ball instead of the typical wheel, but it's not without issues either.
 
I second the request for some MacBook benchmarks (redcine / alert). My first purchase before a tower will be a laptop - thinking about transcoding to hd or sd prores, anyone know how long said transcode would take? My last resort may have to be a flash drive and the apple store, but some solid experience would be amazing.
 
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