Glossy or Anti-glare Screen?

Matte screens are a lot easier on the eyes, for people with thick glasses (like me).

another vote for matte.

Anti-glare for professional use

Hey all,

I have been a PC user for years and just switched over to a Mac. I'm an IT professional and have worked as a graphic designer, a CIO, and every position in between. I know there are differences of opinions on Mac vs. PC, but from a business standpoint I will never go back to a PC. 6 months of continuous operation (video production, server management, graphic design, application development) without a single headache (this is full use with 40k miles of travel and 6 moths operation in rural Haiti) means that the extra $1000 was definitely worth it in terms of productivity.

However, I'm writing this to talk about the screen. I decided to buy a 17" MPB with the anti-glare screen, and after my initial shock (I was surprised that there was no protective glass, just the anti-glare coating on the LCD) I have been happy with the decision. In all practical situations, inside and outside, I've much preferred the anti-glare screen. In April of this year (2011) I had three staff members join me in Haiti, all equipped with new MBPs (2 15" and 1 13"), all with glossy screens. In every situation, the screen on my laptop was more usable than theirs.

The only downside is that there is no protective sheet of glass. I travel with my computer in a Pelican case where it's safe from damage. However, I brought it along on a trip two months ago in a LowePro backpack with my camera equipment, and was asked to gate-check the bag when I went to board (it was a tiny plane). When I got my bag back two hours later it was obvious that the bag had been thrown against something rigid as the notebook chassis had been been bent like a banana. The impact was on the ports side of the chassis, right at the USB port furthest from the screen. The screen would not close properly. I was able to bend the case back into shape (mostly) and now the screen clicks shut properly. The screen has two small scratches (only noticeable when the screen is off) near where the spacebar would be, probably from where the screen nicked the chassis on impact. Most laptops won't take this kind of abuse (anyone know another laptop that can survive airport damage and be bent back into shape?) but I do wish I'd kept the little bit of foam that the computer came with.

I was also surprised that the bezel has stayed clean. Dust creeps into every crevice in Haiti, and the metal bezel creates a nice little shelf at the bottom of the screen for dust to settle and congeal. This never happened, and I've been able to get the screen - the whole computer really - back to like-new condition (except for the stress-fractures from the impact) with window cleaner.

It's not shiny and the screen looks smaller when it's off, but anyone looking to buy a computer that is a usable tool and not just a fashion accessory should go with the anti-glare screen. It's simply a better functioning screen. It is easier to damage, but in 6 months of heavy duty field work in a developing country, the only damage I've seen was due to baggage handlers.

Plus the 1920x1200 LCD is just lightyears ahead of anything else on the market. The spacing between pixels is tiny - every time I look at a lower-resolution screen - even other MBPs - I find myself thinking they look like there's an overlayed grid of black lines that shouldn't be there.

Go with the anti-glare, but keep the foam to protect the screen when it's folded shut, and never, ever trust it to baggage handlers.