In the near future I plan on buying an Apple Cinema Display for use with my 2010 MBP. No matter what I do, I won't be buying new. 27" Cinema Displays go for $850 refurbished. 24" displays are around $500 on eBay/Craigslist. The extra 3" isn't a big deal to me when comparing the two. What I'm most concerned about is PPI. The 27" is ~109 PPI and the 24" is ~94 PPI. Will I be disappointed if I buy the 24" Cinema Display, especially considering that my MBP has a hi-res screen?
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24" vs 27" Cinema Display
- Thread starter Nielsenius
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If you can afford it and have the desk space for it, I don't see why you would want to get 24" over 27". While extra 3" may not seem significant, 2.3 million pixels vs. 3.7 million pixels will (about 60% more).
As for the pixel density, since you are used to even higher PPI on the MacBook Pro, yes, you will likely find text on 24" to be fuzzy looking.
As for the pixel density, since you are used to even higher PPI on the MacBook Pro, yes, you will likely find text on 24" to be fuzzy looking.
When you put it in terms of millions of pixels, the 27" sounds much more appealing. What I didn't mention was that my budget is rather limited. But, I'm not one to settle for less. I guess I'll just save up and get the 27". Is there any chance that a new 27" Cinema Display with Thunderbolt would cause existing refurbished displays to drop in price?
If you watch this link the 24inch ACD comes in stock from time to time. This is how I picked up mine. 1920x1200 is plenty of real estate.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/FB382LL/A
http://store.apple.com/us/product/FB382LL/A
Personally I would pick the 24" due to 16:10 ratio and size (depends on how big your desk is). If you're worried about real estate, just run dual screens with your macbook. I find that set up better than having one big screen alone.
Of course, you should do what you can afford. However, if you can afford it, there is no substitute for large, high pixel count screen. I personally do not want a screen with less than 2560 pixels across. My 27" iMac (home) and my Dell U2711 (work) are both 2560 X 1440. I also have a 30" monitor at home that is 2560 X 1600.
I have decommissioned all of my 1920 X 1080 and 1920 X 1200 monitors. I just think that the step from 1920 to 2560 is huge!
/Jim
I have decommissioned all of my 1920 X 1080 and 1920 X 1200 monitors. I just think that the step from 1920 to 2560 is huge!
/Jim
Thanks, I'll keep an eye on that.
I agree about the 16:10 ratio. I would prefer to have a display with the same ratio as my MBP.
Yeah, the 27" seems so much better than the 24". But, with wanting a Magic Trackpad, BT keyboard, and Bookarc, I don't know if I can justify spending over $1,000 on peripherals.
I respectfully disagree. For some, such as front-end developers and creative folks, dual screen may be a must have, but I personally find the setup to be more trouble than it's worth. Mac OS X is pretty crummy when it comes to dual screen. Lion doesn't even support dual screen when you run apps in full-screen mode.
I am a developer and many of my peers have dual screen setup. Most of the time, only 1 monitor is active. I rather have just 1 large screen as the OS is optimized for just 1 screen.
Yeah, until Lion gets better multi-screen support I wouldn't go dual screen (I like using full screen apps sometimes).
At this point, I'm just going to save my money and get a refurbished 27" Cinema Display. Actually, I've sent my application into a number of local Apple stores in hopes of getting a job there as a Specialist. I'm just a teenager and I don't have a great source of income at present. However, I feel that my resume and cover letter were done very professionally.
Where's the store you applied for? Tell me now so I can NEVER STEP FOOT IN THERE - EVER!
All kidding aside, good luck to you
I always thought the jump from the 24 to the 27 wasn't worth it. However when Apple gave me a free upgrade as they couldn't fix my 24 I was amazed at the difference. It's so much more screen real estate and the increased ppi is really great.
I prefer 24' at 1900X1200 since I can actually read the fonts without constantly upsizing them. I've had the 27" in an iMac.
You can buy a new 27" ACD with free shipping and no tax for $921.98 at B&H Photo.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/735904-REG/Apple_MC007LL_A_27_LED_Cinema_Display.html
Check Apple Insiders price guide for the latest best price.
http://www.appleinsider.com/mac_price_guide/
You can buy a new 27" ACD with free shipping and no tax for $921.98 at B&H Photo.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/735904-REG/Apple_MC007LL_A_27_LED_Cinema_Display.html
Check Apple Insiders price guide for the latest best price.
http://www.appleinsider.com/mac_price_guide/
I *kinda* have both. I have a 27" iMac and a 24" Cinema Display.
I like them both for different reasons. I have poor eyesight, so I like to do most of my reading on the 24. For things like photo and video editing, I like the 27.
I don't believe in adjusting resolution on Apple displays. Things look horrible in non-native resolution.
I like them both for different reasons. I have poor eyesight, so I like to do most of my reading on the 24. For things like photo and video editing, I like the 27.
I don't believe in adjusting resolution on Apple displays. Things look horrible in non-native resolution.