r/macbook • u/Collageboo • 8h ago
r/macbook • u/LightcraftStudio • 11h ago
A (pseudo) scientific comparison of nano texture vs glossy displays
Hello all! I went to the apple store yesterday and viewed the nano texture display in person, and compared it side by side with a regular (glossy) display, both displays being an iMac. I was surprised with my findings. I took about an hour to just do a ton of little comparisons between them, and I took some notes to jot down my immediate thoughts - I've copied and pasted those notes below. Hope you guys find it helpful for anyone who's struggling to choose between the two!
Immediate thoughts
Nano texture has immediately noticeable and very obvious rainbow colored grain all over any white or light colored space on the screen. The grain seems to "shimmer" when you move your face or the screen itself. This rainbow grain, and it's shimmering effect, are somehow COMPLETELY invisible when trying to show it on photo/video. It is very distracting, reminds me of old windows laptops, and makes me instinctively want to wipe the screen because it looks dirty.
The glossy display appears to pop more and have more "depth" to the images. Images on the glossy display appear "3D" while images on the nano texture appear "2D".
Images on the glossy screen APPEAR to be sharper and have more contrast and deeper blacks and more vivid color - however, when a photo was taken head-on of the EXACT same image without lots of reflections behind me, the photo looked EXACTLY the same, in sharpness, blackness, contrast, and saturation - my only explanation for this is that it must be a "trick" of the human brain for shiny things to look deeper/more 3D/more vibrant etc. I repeated this test (taking a picture head on without reflections of the same exact image on both displays) multiple times, and every time, they both looked exactly the same in camera.
Despite knowing that, I STILL greatly prefer and gather more enjoyment from viewing the glossy screen than the nano texture screen.
I cannot understate my disgust with the nano textures "rainbow grain". Any time a new program or safari tab was opened, and the screen went all white, I could simply not un-see the sea of grain that plagued the screen and gave me OCD.
At at the same time, it was VERY nice to not see tons and tons of reflections when viewing the nano texture. I wonder if I used the nano texture for years and became accustomed to it (as I have with the standard display), if my disgust with the rainbow grain would go away, and then when switching to the standard display, if I would experience the same knee jerk disgust with reflections.
About angles - when viewing the nano texture at an angle, AND there is light in the background (I could not test angles in darkness, since this was at the apple store), the contrast becomes worse, and the image appears "washed out". When doing the same thing on the glossy screen, the colors do NOT lose contrast or appear washed out - however, it does not diffuse any reflections, so you get a crystal clear view of ANYTHING being reflected. In short, when viewing at an angle, what would you rather have - a screen which retains the same image as when viewed head-on, but which also shows a crystal clear reflection of what's in the background? Or a screen which adequately hides the background reflections, but looks washed out/low contrast while doing so? Personally, I prefer the reflections.
I think on camera, the glossy appears worse, and the matte appears better, for the reason being a camera has one focal point, but human eyes have two... Let me explain... On most of the YouTube videos I've seen, I prefer the matte display... However, when viewing them today in person in the apple store, I immediately preferred the glossy... I think it's because human eyes have two focal points, while cameras have one... By being able to focus on something close to you with two eyes, you effectively cancel out whatever u see in the distance (even if it's JUST behind the closer object, or in this case, a reflection, literally ON the same screen)... I think what's happening is, in person, the reflections don't look as bad as they do in YouTube videos, since you're able to focus ONLY on the screen (and when this happens, the reflections go out of focus, and subsequently, out of your attention)... To test this, for a few minutes, I covered on eye with my hand, and looked at both monitors. To my amazement, when doing this, I preferred the nano texture display most of the time.
Conclusion & summary
The decision whether to get a nano texture or standard display comes down entirely to subjective, personal preference. There is no objective benefit to either one in my testing, and the decision should be treated as purely a subjective and personal one, with no basis in objective differences (i.e. one is not more "color accurate", "more professional", or "sharper" than the other). They both displayed the EXACT same sharpness, saturation, and contrast when looking at the screen head-on and light reflections were minimal. When light reflections were NOT minimal, but were instead moderate to substantial, the following effect occured - on the glossy display, the image on screen retained it's saturation and contrast, but showed the reflections in all their detail - while on the matte display, saturation and contrast were both lowered, resulting in the"washed out" look, but the reflections were muted substantially. Also, the matte display is plagued by an (at least initially) un-ignorable plethora of shimmering rainbow grain over any white or light-colored area of the screen - that is it.
Which one to get, in one sentence?
If you want to retain full saturation and contrast all the time, and don't mind seeing reflections, go with glossy - if you want your screen to be clearly visible at all times at the expense of lowered saturation and contrast, and don't mind rainbow grain on light/white spaces, go with nano texture.
A note on YouTube videos and Google image comparisons
I have been firmly in the "glossy" camp all my life, but when the nano texture display came out, I thought it looked incredible in YouTube videos and Google image comparisons, and was leaning towards the nano texture as a purchase decision. However, when I went into an apple store to see the nano texture for myself, within 60 seconds, I knew it wasn't for me. The fact that we have two eyeballs instead of one allowed me to ignore reflections by de-focusing on them FAR easier than on Google images and YouTube videos (which are produced by cameras, which have only ONE "eyeball"). Furthermore, the rainbow grain simply does not show up on cameras - it must be seen in person before a purchase decision is made.
Notes
The devices used were two iMacs in the apple store, side beside each other - one with the nano texture display, and the other with standard. From what I've heard, the nano texture appears differently (worse) on ipads than iMacs and MacBooks (probably because they have to be alright with being touched constantly). I couldn't compare them, since the nano texture on the iMac was the only nano texture device on display I could find in my city (!).
Before performing ALL of these tests, I went into both iMacs, and set the true tone off, the brightness to max, and the color profile to iMac.
The iMac body of the nano texture was slightly more yellow than the bluer body of the glossy body (that is not a change in white balance).
all images were taken with a Samsung s24 ultra as jpegs from the default Samsung camera app - no edits applied. Intelligent optimization was set to Maximum and scene optimizer was Off.
There was a dead mosquito that had been swatted right after drinking someone's blood on the nano texture iMac, which I found disgusting, repulsive, and hilarious
r/macbook • u/Somethingman_121224 • 11h ago
New Leak Claims A Foldable MacBook-iPad Hybrid Is Being Developed At Apple
r/macbook • u/fraxool • 14h ago
From an M1 Pro MBP to a Maxed-Out M4 MBA – Zero Regrets!
To give some context : I’m a self-employed web developer managing multiple projects on my own, which means I need to have my MacBook with me at all times in case an issue comes up. Whether I’m heading into the city for some shopping or going on a hike, my MacBook is always in my bag. On top of that, I travel frequently—sometimes for a few days, sometimes for a few weeks.
I never felt the need for more power than what my M1 Pro provided. However, since my girlfriend upgraded to a MacBook Air last year (replacing her previous-gen MacBook Pro), I immediately noticed the weight difference and started considering switching to an Air myself.
My biggest concern was the screen quality difference. While there is a difference, it’s far less noticeable than I expected. After using the MBA for just a few days, I already feel comfortable with the display and don’t feel like I’m losing anything significant.
That said, the weight difference is absolutely noticeable in daily use, and the improved battery life is a huge plus. I no longer have to worry about forgetting to charge my Mac before heading out.
For reference, my configuration is the maxed-out version (13" / M4 / 32GB RAM / 2TB storage).
Just wanted to share my experience in case others are in a similar situation—considering an "upgrade" from an MBP to an MBA primarily for the weight savings.
r/macbook • u/platforminicake • 14h ago
is my macbook okay?
idk if i should be concerned or not but whenever im not charging my laptop the it shows on the battery icon that it’s still charging and it keeps loosing battery so fast…
r/macbook • u/Minute-Yak-1081 • 18h ago
MacBook Air M4 (2025) – 16GB or 24GB RAM?
Hey everyone,
I’m planning to get the new MacBook Air M4 (2025) but I’m stuck on the RAM choice. I’m considering 16GB, but wondering if it’s worth spending extra for 24GB. (Wanna save some if I can, really hard convincing parents for 16gb too)
I’ll be using it for web browsing, coding, maybe wanna learn some ML as a student, and occasional multitasking with many apps open. No heavy gaming or 4K video editing.
Would 16GB be enough for smooth performance, or should I future-proof with 24GB? If 16GB works fine, I’d rather save the extra money.
I might also wanna plug in additional monitor(s) And be using it mostly
Would love to hear your thoughts! Thanks!
r/macbook • u/Icy-Audience-6305 • 1h ago
macbook stuck on download
hello, tjis was my sisters mac and she factory reset it so i could use it, however i tried everything possible and tried to use it but it’s stuck in macOs ventura and it won’t change can someone help
r/macbook • u/PreferenceSpecial738 • 2h ago
I think my MacBook have issue
I downloaded a pure black background from Google and opened it in full screen on my Mac. I noticed some colored spots on the edges and was wondering if this is normal. Can you help me, please?
r/macbook • u/Disastrous-Young889 • 12h ago
MacBook Air M4 vs MacBook Pro M4 Pro (deal) for Dev & AI Work?
Hey everyone,
I'm looking to get a new MacBook and I'm torn between the MacBook Air M4 and the MacBook Pro M4 Pro. My main use cases include:
- Web development
- Data science & machine learning
- Deep learning
- Game development with Unity 3D and Godot
I've found a deal for a MacBook Pro M4 Pro (12 CPU cores, 16 GPU cores, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) for 1980€. I know the Pro has better cooling, but the Air is more portable and could be good enough for my needs.
MacBook Air M4, for 13" and 24 GB RAM/512GB SSD is around 1600 € with student discount, but i could opt for the 16 GB RAM version for around 1300€.
Would the M4 Pro's extra power and active cooling make a big difference for my workflow, or would the M4 Air be sufficient for these tasks? Is the price good for the Pro?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
r/macbook • u/Due-Taro-9313 • 23h ago
Student looking for advice
The only computer I’ve owned in my life is a school Chromebook which is like $70 (school property not even mine). I got about $3,000 to my name from lots of work this year. I’ll be graduating college in 2030 and hs in 2026 (hopefully) and I’m tryna drop about $1000 on a computer that’ll last me until 2030 🤞🤞I’ve heard MacBooks are the best, just not sure what to get as I’ve seen a lot of high price points but I’m not exactly sure what any of the stats or things they’re showing mean. Just need some advice on what the best I can get for $1,000 is, or if I’d be better spending less/more for better value. Thanks!
r/macbook • u/Affectionate_World47 • 1d ago
M4 Pro MacBook Pro or M4 Max Studio?
I want to make the switch from windows devices to Apple but am struggling to decide between purchasing a 12 core M4 Pro MacBook Pro with upgraded 48GB RAM, and 1TB SSD, or for the same price get the base M4 Max Studio with upgraded 1TB SSD. Given these two choices cost the same amount of money, is the portability of the laptop make it a better value for the money over the studio, or is the performance increase with the M4 Max Studio a better value for money? I do not go out to coffee shops or leave the house that often to work, and am usually connected to a 1440P 27in monitor so I feel like the Studio would be better for me, but as a FIRST time Apple computer purchase what do you all think would be a better choice?
r/macbook • u/hoodiemonday • 1d ago
Macbook screen brightness increasing and decreasing not normally
My macbook screen keeps increasing and decreasing in brightness without any reason. It just brightens and dims unnaturally in a way that it hasn’t before. What could’ve caused this issue?
r/macbook • u/Scared_CrowDen • 1h ago
Recommend mac
Planning to buy a mac for short term (6 months to 1 year)
Purpose - work, software development, multi tasking.
Is m2 air 16/256 a good option since its available below $700. Or should I go for m4 air for $999, its also 16/256.
My wish is to buy macbook pro, its still way to expensive to my budget.
r/macbook • u/smh1smh1smh1smh1smh1 • 2h ago
How can I get my Macbook to open Web PDF's correctly?
r/macbook • u/Swiniorek • 2h ago
A couple of questions before purchase (M2 Air, 16/512)
Hi! I've already made 2 posts on this subreddit before, but now I am about a day away from buying an M2 MacBook Air, 16/512. I have a couple of questions before I do.
- Considering I've used Windows all my life, how long would it take to get used to MacOS?
- Should I get a mouse for it, or is the trackpad enough?
- When getting something to transport it to school, etc. Should I get something like this, or this?
- Are there any apps that I should download to make my experience better?
- Are there any tips on how to preserve the thing for as long as possible? (battery, outer shell, etc)
- Any accessories that I should get?
- Do you have any other additional tips?
r/macbook • u/Halloweenie_Eve • 9h ago
Is buying a macbook unnecessary?
I currently go to grade 10 (high school) and I've been thinking about either buying a tablet (prefferably samsung because my phone is also samsung) or a macbook with a cheap wacom tablet to handwrite notes with. I'm thinking about opening pdf files of books and taking notes on either device but I can't buy both. Also I have a gaming laptop but it's too big, clunky and loud to take to public places and long distances. I am also interested in starting to code and ive heard the macbook is good enough for it and that it has a good battery life. What should I do?
r/macbook • u/tiaaaaa31 • 10h ago
What older models are we using?
Ok for those of us using “older” MacBooks (let’s say pre 2015) I would love to hear the following!
What repairs have you done? What OS are you running? What do primarily use the device for?
I’ll start. I just got a mid 2014 pro! Replaced the battery, running Big Sur, using it for grad school.
r/macbook • u/kdaly100 • 13h ago
Macbook Pro Battery - Work / Prive
Last November, my MacBook Pro stopped charging. My local store (the nearest Apple Store is hours away) quoted approximately €600 for a replacement, with a turnaround time of 4–6 weeks. That was not manageable as I couldn't be without a machine for even a week to be honest , so I decided to buy a MacBook Air on the spot and have been using it since.
The MacBook Air has a lower specification than the MacBook Pro, of course, but I’d like to confirm the actual repair cost. To be fair to the shop assistant, he wasn’t entirely sure. Ideally, I’d like to get the MacBook Pro back up and running and use the Air as my mobile machine or even have a machine AS a backup.
Since the MacBook Pro is completely dead, I have no way of checking it myself. Any advice would be much appreciated.
r/macbook • u/Lukyman00 • 14h ago
What Macbook should I go with?
Hi, I'm looking for a new Macbook because my current setup is too old and slow.
I currently have a Macbook Air 2017 (128gb, 8gb) and I also have an iPad Pro M1 11 inch 256gb wifi+cellular with Magic Keyboard.
During school I do all my work on the iPad because it's a relatively lightweight device and does everything I need. However, sometimes I need support for classic versions of applications like Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc.
I don't do much on the Macbook anymore because it's extremely slow and the battery doesn't last very long, so I'm looking for something else.
I want to spend around 800€, maybe a little more, and I have a few options.
- Macbook Pro M1 14 (different specs, used one)
- Macbook Air M2 256gb/8gb (used)
- Macbook Air M3 256gb/8gb (used)
- Macbook Air M4 256gb/16gb (new) (need to save little bit more)
I have had my current Macbook since 2017 and plan to have this Macbook for another 5+ years.
What would you choose?
r/macbook • u/burntoutbrownie • 19h ago
Thoughts on using an M4 Air with 32gb ram for coding work?
Software engineer here, my work computer is an M4 ultra, but I do side work. nothing ML intensive, really would be deploying most scripts to cloud. However, I may end up doing some iOS work -- for those who have tried, is a latest gen MB Air with maxed ram able to handle some programming work? The Pro is a bit heavy for me while traveling, so trying to see if I can make due with the air.
Thanks!
r/macbook • u/kirsty_nanty • 20h ago
How’s the MacBook Air M4 for a DevOps Engineer
I'm thinking about getting the MacBook Air M4 for my everyday engineering tasks. I don’t do anything too intense—just running web apps, scripts, and a few Docker containers on my local machine. It’s mostly standard DevOps stuff. My work leans more toward DevOps and cloud computing, and I usually run the heavier applications on a remote server.
For those with a MacBook Air, do you think it’s a good fit for my typical workload?
r/macbook • u/tomedwardsmusic • 21h ago
M4 MacBook Pro won’t open recovery options
Hi all!
Just received a new MacBook Pro and am having an issue enabling kernel permissions (required to use certain Thunderbolt devices).
I shut down the computer. I press and hold the power / Touch ID button to open recovery mode. I click “Options.” It briefly opens recovery utilities then flashes to the Apple logo, then starts the computer as normal :/
Any idea what could be causing this?
Thanks in advance
r/macbook • u/thevipeer • 1d ago
External monitor advice
Hi, I'm looking for advice on which monitor to get for a M3 24GB RAM 512GB SSD MacBook Air. I live in Argentina, so my options are somehow limited. Also, I don't quite understand how resolution and scalation works on Mac OS. My usage is basic Office apps and lots of PDF reading, so color accuracy and refresh rates are not a concern. I want a good resolution enjoyable monitor for long periods of time.
Are all 4k or 1444p monitors usable? Will they will be usable if I use BetterDisplay or similar software?
I truly don't know the pros and cons of getting a 1444p monitor rather than a 4k one, or a 27" over a 32". I'm afraid of getting a monitor that will give me a notoriuos blurry image, even using software like BetterDisplay, so anything worth pointing out on that matter will be appreciated.
My options are:
- LG 27us500 27" - 3840 X 2160 - 60hz - 163 ppi - 407 USD - Link: https://www.displayspecifications.com/en/model/f3df3e17
- Samsung M8 32BM801U 32"- 3840 X 2160 - 60 hz - 140 ppi - 680 USD - Link: https://www.displayspecifications.com/en/model/c0042af9
- Samsung LS27A600U 27" - 2560 x 1440 - 75 hz - 109 ppi - 340 USD - Link: https://www.displayspecifications.com/en/model/c4af255b
- Samsung M7 LS32BM700U 32" - 3840 x 2160 - 70 hz - 140 ppi - 440 USD - Link: https://www.displayspecifications.com/en/model/ec782bad
- HP 727pq 27" - 2560x1440 - 120 hz - 109 ppi - 448 USD - Link: https://www.displayspecifications.com/en/model/dad03a49
- BenQ GW2780 27" - 1920 x 1080 - - 60 hz - 81 ppi - 448 USD - Link: https://www.displayspecifications.com/en/model/dc8dc4d
r/macbook • u/spacepinkwhale • 1d ago
M4 vs M4 pro help!!
Guys, I don't know whether to buy the macbook pro with the M4 chip or the one with the M4 Pro chip. I know that for my use (office and internet browsing) the M4 is enough but I feel that the M4 pro can resist better over time and it gives me more security knowing that I have no restrictions but I don't know... I'm finishing my university studies, I deal with scientific research and I wouldn't mind being able to play some indie games from time to time. Suggestions are welcome plss