LegionSB

>> "then we can abandon the doomed effort to somehow cobble together huge, powerful apps like Maya and Photoshop out of a mess of JavaScript and XML."

Or, you know, we could develop better tools for the web.

I'm amazed that this discussion always takes the stance that we're stuck with what we're using for web development now, as if nobody could possibly develop better languages and tools for web use.

If by "magic thinking", you mean "a basic understanding of concepts like angle of incidence/reflection", then sure, magic. Or basic science. Your choice.

Don't go by sketchy memory. Take one of each laptop - borrow a co-worker's, if necessary - go outside, and expose each screen to direct sunlight.

Observe how the matte screen diffuses the light across the entire screen surface.

Also observe how glossy screens (which, it turns out, don't come in parabola shapes, and as such aren't reflecting all incoming light to one point) aren't washed out like the matte. There's glare, of course, but you'll quickly see the difference.

Given sufficiently bright direct light, matte glare is MURDER compared to reflective glare. Matte is ideal for office settings, but far inferior in sunlight.

Well that settles it: my wife is definitely not part dolphin.

Why is this story in English? The only people who care read Portuguese.

Nonsense. You have it backwards. Matte screens really require the ideal lighting conditions.

Easy test: take one of each, and go outside.

Sunlight washes out a matte screen to the point of being impossible to use.

Glossy screens reflect much of that light away, leaving the screen still legible.

As someone that used to do a lot of work outdoors on a laptop, there's no comparison. Glossy screens are usable in FAR, FAR more varied lighting conditions. Too much direct light and a matte screen becomes completely useless.