Shiny Screens Suck: Asus Agrees!

The entire range of Asus 2011/2012 netbooks will be equipped with matte screens, as the head of the firm's netbook division agrees with our long-held view that the reflections caused by glossy panels are annoying for users.



The Asus 2010/2011 range of netbooks will be the last models to feature glossy screens as 'from the end of the third quarter of 2011, all our remaining netbooks will be matte', confirmed the head of netbooks at Asus Taiwan. We've been badgering manufacturers about their glossy screens for years now, and just as we were beginning to give up hope, it seems that things could be set to change.

We also met the firm's 'number two' design guy, Jimmy Chu, in his trend lab. He explained that the matte finish wouldn't just be coming to screens.


He told us that matte materials are coming back into fashion in Europe in a big way, which means that Asus' netbook casing is also set to see its high-gloss finish toned down in favour of a more matte appearance.

Matte finishes are gaining ground in Asia too, a market that historically prefers super-shiny products. The balance has yet to be tipped there though, as according to Asus 'here in Asia, it's 50/50 between matte and gloss'.

> Laptop Reviews: Compare PC and Mac Laptops and Netbooks

> Buyer's Guides: Our Pick of The Best Products