Glossy vs. anti-glare (matte) screens? Pro's and Con's...

[Crunch]

I'd really like to get some opinions regarding this subject. I've never had a glossy display on any of my laptops, but now that I'm about to take the plunge and get another notebook as well as a monitor, I'd like to know what you guys think about this subject.

Thing is, I keep running into really nice screens, only to find out that they're glossy. I didn't realize that there seem to be quite a few more glossy displays on notebooks, All-in-One's, and stand-alone monitors, than there are anti-glare (matte). Can anyone tell me what the advantages of glossy screens are? So far, I've read that they have better contrast as well as more vivid colors. I don't really need to be able to see the display in direct sunlight, which seems to be another common factor upon which a lot of people base their decisions when it comes to what type of screen to buy.

I have no real bases for comparison, and thus far, the glossy screens that I have seen in stores often seem very reflective. What do you guys prefer and why?

Finally, a friend of mine told me about some kind of anti-glare coating that effectively gives a glossy display a matte finish. Has anyone here tried this?

Thanks very much!

[ZaZ]

I think you're right that as a general rule glossy screens tend to have better contrast, which is why people some prefer them, though your UXGA Flexview is 500:1, which is high for a notebook LCD. I'm not really not too picky. Some people have a hard time dealing with the glare. I suppose it would depend on your preferences. Give me good contrast and some viewing angles, and I'm happy.

The biggest factor whether a LCD works outdoors is the brightness of the screen. If you can find one of those high brightness T400, which area about 3x brighter than a typical notebook screen, that might be a good option. Plus I heard, not seen one myself, they are decent screens, though certainly not as good as your T60pp.

[AMATX]

Glossy screens bother me so much that they're just a show stopper.

If I wanna see my reflection that much, I just go look n a mirror...

Only way I'd consider glossy is if I were mainly using an external monitor, so that it wouldn't matter.

Never heard of a matte 'coating'; would be interested in this, if someone could chime in.

[GomJabbar]

Glossy? Isn't that something out of "Alice's Restaurant"?

'You can get anything you want - at Alice's Restaurant' [except matte].

[TTY]

I prefer matte displays.
The reason is that reflections, which are caused by sources of light - such as windows or electric light bulbs -, are less disturbing on matte displays than on glossy displays.

[craigmontHunter]

I had a acer laptop with a glossy screen, and I hated it, the screen gave me headaches, and I could not focus. Using my friend's macbook pro, I find the gloss to be even more annoying. Glossy screen are (IMHO) less usable in sunlight because they reflect the light, while my t41, the light reflects off the *back* of the screen, brigntening up the image to the point of being useable for text, if not much else. the best way to see what you like is to find a friend with a notebook with a glossy screen and test it in the situations that you would use a computer.

[Navck]

Glossy screens are great when your conditions are either: Pitch black, blindly bright with light source NOT reflecting off the screen.

Matte screens are great when your conditions are: Everything that the glossy screen sucks at. Does OK in pitch black but fairly decent with the light source behind you or behind the screen.

[Marin85]

I consider even my ThinkPad screen producing way too much reflections. Now you get the idea