In Matlab, when displaying numbers in scientific notation, the default format uses the 'e' symbol, which some users prefer to avoid. To achieve a format without the 'e', one option is to convert the number to a string and replace 'e' with '10^', allowing for a more traditional scientific representation. The built-in 'format' options in Matlab, such as 'bank', provide limited decimal places, which may not meet the needs for precision. For more customization, users may need to create a custom formatter function. The discussion also highlights the importance of specifying whether the output is for command line display or file writing, as this can influence formatting choices.