Glossy PixelBright Laptop Displays

Since day one of the MacBook launch there has been a lot of talk about the choice of a glossy screen in these units. The official name for these panels is PixelBright and they're commonly found in consumer laptops.

So what's the bright (sorry) idea?

Here's the low down on PixelBright panels from Screentek Inc:

PixelBright LCDs: "In the past, LCD screens were only available with an anti-glare surface. Nowadays, consumers have the option of purchasing an LCD screen with an anti-glare surface (rough matte) or anti-reflective surface (smooth high-gloss) depending on the users’ environment.

Both anti-glare and anti-reflective LCD screens serve a distinct purpose. Anti-glare LCD screens may be better suited to office environments, where spreadsheets, word-processing, and similar tasks are the norm - along with many light sources and less flexibility in screen placement. Anti-reflective, on the other hand, may be better suited for graphics, gaming, and multimedia applications - like watching DVDs. While anti-reflective high-gloss LCD screens may seem superior in all facets, they are better suited in indoor environments where ambient light conditions are not as bright. This way the user gets ambient light reflection reduction without sacrificing any image quality. Anti-glare, on the other hand, may be better suited to the outdoors or indoor environments with brighter or direct light. In this situation, the user may be better off sacrifice image quality for maximum ambient light reflection reduction.

Ultimately, this comes down to each user's personal preference. Every user is different, and the best way to determine which screen type is best for you is to stop by your local consumer electronics retailer to see them both for "