Dual CRT -> Dual LCD Screens... worth it?

[arn]

Hey all...

Has anyone recently made the switch from CRT's to LCD's... how's it been?

Right now, I've got a dual monitor setup... 21" Trinitron and 19" Trinitron.

1600x1200
and
1280x1024

I'm also about to move to a new apt... and the current space required by such a setup is not negligable. I had considered moving to LCD screens... but it would require replacing _both_ of my screens.... and a brief look at Apple's 22 or 23" options would birng such a switch up to $7000 (ouch!).

I dismised this as a possibility... but then I saw that you could get non-Apple LCD's relatively inexpesively...

I saw a recent rebate on Dell 17" LCD's for about $400 each. So $800 to replace my system with dual 1280x1024 screens. It would be a drop in rez on the one monitor... but space savings and convenience might outweight it. $800 is certainly more doable- but still a bit extravagent for no added functionality... just more appealing looks.

Anyone done such a switch? Or would this be a total waste of money? :)

arn

[Rower_CPU]

I've done something similar at work, switching from a 19" Trinitron to an Apple 17" and a Dell 15".

For me it was worth it for the added clarity of text, and lack of flicker...of course I didn't have to pay for it. ;)

I'm sure you're familiar with all the arguments for LCDs other than the clarity issue: energy consumption, heat dispersion, size and weight.

The arguments against only hold for certain uses, and I don't know if you're that big of a gamer or if color representation is crucial for you either.

Personally, I'm never buying another CRT, and the prices keep coming down. :)

[ShaolinMiddleFinger]

All I can say is that I love my LCD (Viewsonic VX900, $809@pcconnection.com) and I plan on buying two more!


Note: Apple Displays are definately not worth it! If you want really high resolution go with the Formac 2017.

[MacAztec]

Yeah, I think its worth it....

But, you might want to check out the 19" Dell LCD. Its like 150 dollars more, and its 2 inches larger.

Or, I hear ViewSonic has the best LCDs around.

[MacAztec]

This is what I would get...

http://viewsonic.com/products/lcd_ve800.htm

[iJon]

depends on how much space you have. i use a apple 17 and 22 inch flat panel at work, and at home i use a apple 17 and 21 inch crt. the crt's are much more crisp looking plus with higher resolutions. i plan on getting a apple 19 inch if one does come out. i like the look of apple's lcd but beware, crt's are much better looking at the time. most people dont care that much unless they are graphic professionals.

iJon

[jrv3034]

I just went to B&H Photo and Video in NYC, and saw the Formac 17.4" LCD next to a Mitsubichi Diamondtron 21" CRT. I truly could not tell the difference between the two (other than the LCD being slightly smaller). The brightness of the Formac was incredible, with absolutely no flicker of course, and 1280x1024 resolution, at only $699.

If the Formac 17.4" display was that good, I can't wait to see what the Formac 20" LCD looks like at 1600x1200, and it's only $1699. Compare that with Apple's 22" at $2499 with only 1600x1024. To me, it's no contest. The second I can get my hands on it, that Formac 17.4" is MINE!!!

[janey]

me have seven cinema hd displays. i think they're worth it because 1. I'm supporting apple by buying one of their products 2. formac lcd's in my opinion do not look as good as a cinema display 3. I have something designed by Jonathan Ive, my idol, on my desk and 4. the switch is worth it. However, the difference between a CRT and an LCD is so great that for programming I use the LCD's and for graphics and stuff I use the CRT's because I find it more easier to calibrate it.

There's a reason why Apple's 22" cinema display's resolution is 1600x1024 (widescreen). If it was 1600x1200 it would look like crap.

[vniow]

Originally posted by übergeek
me have seven cinema hd displays. i think they're worth it because 1. I'm supporting apple by buying one of their products 2. formac lcd's in my opinion do not look as good as a cinema display 3. I have something designed by Jonathan Ive, my idol, on my desk and 4. the switch is worth it. However, the difference between a CRT and an LCD is so great that for programming I use the LCD's and for graphics and stuff I use the CRT's because I find it more easier to calibrate it.

There's a reason why Apple's 22" cinema display's resolution is 1600x1024 (widescreen). If it was 1600x1200 it would look like crap.


Okay, let me get this straight.

Your 14, in college, have 7 Apple Cinema displays, a dual 1.25 ghz Powermac, 17" iMac, iBook and a Tibook?

Have you even seen the specs for the Formacs or seen them in person? They beat Apple's all to hell even if they're not widescreen.

But back on topic...

I think that LCDs are overrated. The quality is no doubt better for most things (color calibration is not one) but until they come down in price (or affer more rebates like Dell) then I would stick with good CRTs for cost reasons, but since you're moving to a space that may not allow you to keep your current CRT setup, that is a great deal on those flat panels and I would not pass it up, especially if you're going for space savings.

Plus, if you can afford 3 for $1200, then go for it.http://img.ranchoweb.com/images/veronica/ppphhht.gif

[DavidFDM]

I had dual Hitachi/RasterOps CRTs, First a 21"/17" combo then the 21"/19" combo. They were all very nice but moving them was a pain and they dominated my desk. I had no room for my calculator, swatch books, etc. Plus, they attract a lot of dust and eat a lot of electricity. I have dual 17" Apple Studio Displays I bought on eBay for around $700 each and have been extremely happy. One is on my GeForce 3 card via the ADC the other is on the basic Radeon card with an ADC to DVI connector. Works flawlessly. If you have a relatively normal sized desk and you value it, go with the LCDs.

[arn]

Thanks for the input guys... sounds like the lure of the dual LCD's is not simply me being greedy... :)

Anyhow... I'm going to keep an eye on it.

The CRT's could move to the new place... I'm just very aware of my lack of desk space and my keyboard is practically falling off my desk as it is.

I'm going to watch... and see what Apple has to offer in this realm. LCD updates must be coming... with the 15" LCD's droppage last year.

Unless a particuarly tempting rebate offer comes along, I might see if I can jump on an Apple introduction of products (which usually have a good value when they are introduced... but not so much late in their lives).

My main hesitation with moving to the current inexpensive LCDis I value both size and resolution. 17" LCD's bring me 1280x1024 rez... but it appears you have to jump to at least 20" and more to get higher native resolutions... and this costs $$$. Such as the Formac - $1699. I can't justify 2 x $1699 - no matter how kick-ass it would be. :)

arn

[Kwyjibo]

hmmm, i'm also looking at the viewsonic lcds although id lie kto spend less tha 500 for 17in. Arn why don't u make this a poll? and find out what kind of lcd everyone uses. Kwyjibo

[Chaszmyr]

Its my experience that any LCD that costs less than $700 isnt worth getting... and to get one that cheap you need to be careful abuot which you choose.

[iJon]

Originally posted by arn
Thanks for the input guys... sounds like the lure of the dual LCD's is not simply me being greedy... :)

Anyhow... I'm going to keep an eye on it.

The CRT's could move to the new place... I'm just very aware of my lack of desk space and my keyboard is practically falling off my desk as it is.

I'm going to watch... and see what Apple has to offer in this realm. LCD updates must be coming... with the 15" LCD's droppage last year.

Unless a particuarly tempting rebate offer comes along, I might see if I can jump on an Apple introduction of products (which usually have a good value when they are introduced... but not so much late in their lives).

My main hesitation with moving to the current inexpensive LCDis I value both size and resolution. 17" LCD's bring me 1280x1024 rez... but it appears you have to jump to at least 20" and more to get higher native resolutions... and this costs $$$. Such as the Formac - $1699. I can't justify 2 x $1699 - no matter how kick-ass it would be. :)

arn
i would assume new lcd's would come out in the weeks to come since its everything is overdue for upgrades. it only makes sense for apple to have new monitors soon. if they dont they are making a big mistake by only having two lcd's which are both 1000 dollars or more. i would guess new lcd's with powermacs, just my guess though.

iJon

[janey]

I have seen the formac LCD's in person and they honestly suck.

I am 14, in college, have 7 Apple Cinema HD displays (it's not some crappy 22 inch dealie), 5 dual 1.25 ghz Powermacs, 2 17" iMacs, 1 iBook, 1 TiBook and hopefully by the end of February one 17" PB.


Do you have a problem with that?

<edit>
Did I neglect to mention the fact that out of the computers listed up there I only personally purchased with my own money one power mac g4, one iBook, one TiBook, one cinema display, and the 17" pb?
</edit>

[Rower_CPU]

Originally posted by übergeek
I have seen the formac LCD's in person and they honestly suck.

I am 14, in college, have 7 Apple Cinema HD displays (it's not some crappy 22 inch dealie), 5 dual 1.25 ghz Powermacs, 2 17" iMacs, 1 iBook, 1 TiBook and hopefully by the end of February one 17" PB.

Really? How so?

Every comparison I've read (professional product reviewers) puts the Formacs above Apple's displays. Formac certainly appears to be better on paper, too, considering specs, etc.

You should feel very lucky to have that much apple gear. What do you do with all of it?

[iJon]

Originally posted by übergeek
I have seen the formac LCD's in person and they honestly suck.

I am 14, in college, have 7 Apple Cinema HD displays (it's not some crappy 22 inch dealie), 5 dual 1.25 ghz Powermacs, 2 17" iMacs, 1 iBook, 1 TiBook and hopefully by the end of February one 17" PB.


Do you have a problem with that?

<edit>
Did I neglect to mention the fact that out of the computers listed up there I only personally purchased with my own money one power mac g4, one iBook, one TiBook, one cinema display, and the 17" pb?
</edit>

im sure you will prove me wrong, but does anyone else have a hard time believing this, 14 in college, or 14 taking college classes, there is a difference. plus all that apple stuff.

iJon

[amnesiac1984]

Originally posted by iJon

i would assume new lcd's would come out in the weeks to come since its everything is overdue for upgrades. it only makes sense for apple to have new monitors soon. if they dont they are making a big mistake by only having two lcd's which are both 1000 dollars or more. i would guess new lcd's with powermacs, just my guess though.

iJon

Actually iJon, they have four LCD,s 15" 17" 22" & 23". Although they may have discontinued the 15" but I haven't checked. The 15" and 17" are way under $1000.

[janey]

I'm supposedly "rich" b/c my relatives are multimillionaires and i help them out with their computer problems.

Not taking college classes *RIGHT NOW*. Did last semester. Stuck in middle school until I have a better excuse to get into the EEP (calstatela.com/eep).

I love Apple. I have tons of Apple gear. Do you have a problem with it? Do you want some of it?

[amnesiac1984]

übergeek, are they yours personally or do they belong to the college? Personally I'd swap my dual 1ghz DDR for 5 Dual 1.25's anyday! heh :P

[Rower_CPU]

Originally posted by amnesiac1984
Actually iJon, they have four LCD,s 15" 17" 22" & 23". Although they may have discontinued the 15" but I haven't checked. The 15" and 17" are way under $1000.

The 15" is listed in the displays pages, but it's not listed in the store section, and hasn't been for months now.

The 17" is $999, technically under $1000, but that's splitting hairs.

[iJon]

Originally posted by amnesiac1984
Actually iJon, they have four LCD,s 15" 17" 22" & 23". Although they may have discontinued the 15" but I haven't checked. The 15" and 17" are way under $1000.
ok ok sorry, the 17 is 1 dollar under a thousand, my bad, thanks for the correction. i was counting the 15 inch because it is discontinued, you CANT get it anymore. i could go way back and say a lot of the apple lcds are less than a thousand. the point of my post was that apple has "3" lcd's for sale. all of them are 1000 or more.

iJon

[janey]

The computers I own are personally mine. Then once in a while I borrow some (if I have some party or something) from my neighbors.

Then the PC's are something totally different.
But since you guys here are all like apple freaks i won't go into it.

I just don't like the LOOK of the formac lcd's.

[amnesiac1984]

I like the apple LCD's as I have one :). I didn't realise the 17" was $999, sorry didn't occur to me as I got mine in pound sterling for £648 i think with edu discount and the DUal Display offer when I got my machine.

[vniow]

Originally posted by übergeek
I'm supposedly "rich" b/c my relatives are multimillionaires and i help them out with their computer problems.

Not taking college classes *RIGHT NOW*. Did last semester. Stuck in middle school until I have a better excuse to get into the EEP (calstatela.com/eep).

I love Apple. I have tons of Apple gear. Do you have a problem with it? Do you want some of it?


No offence meant, it all just seemed a bit hard to believe.

[janey]

Originally posted by vniow



No offence meant, it all just seemed a bit hard to believe.

Yeah whatever. I get used to that. To people who have less than 3 computers in the whole house it just seems unbelievable. For people who think that Mac users are exotic and rare creatures it's impossible.

[iJon]

Originally posted by übergeek
I'm supposedly "rich" b/c my relatives are multimillionaires and i help them out with their computer problems.

Not taking college classes *RIGHT NOW*. Did last semester. Stuck in middle school until I have a better excuse to get into the EEP (calstatela.com/eep).

I love Apple. I have tons of Apple gear. Do you have a problem with it? Do you want some of it?
i wasnt trying to doubt you, just seemed odd. so if your in middle school why do you say your in college. just curious.

iJon

[edesignuk]

Originally posted by übergeek

Yeah whatever. I get used to that. To people who have less than 3 computers in the whole house it just seems unbelievable. For people who think that Mac users are exotic and rare creatures it's impossible.
I don't think it's the amount of computers u have that is hard to believe, it's the fact that you are 14 and have $$$$$$$$$ worth of Apple kit :) :eek:

[Choppaface]

Originally posted by übergeek
Stuck in middle school until I have a better excuse to get into the EEP (calstatela.com/eep).

what is that link supposed to lead to? considering I get closing popups it can't be a very respectable company/institution whatever it is....

[saabmp3]

Well, just for anyone looking for what college he's going to, it's http://www.calstatela.edu/, not .com. However, this does seem a little fishy to me, especially considering I have seen alot of young kids post on BB's with lots of fake information about what they have just to get attention. Anyways, why would ANYONE post any school as a .com? Nearly 99% of them are .edu, and 100% of the respectable ones are .edu.

Lastly, eeee is the accronym used by many schools for Electrical Engineering (I know this because I am an eeee student at RIT), eee may be correct, but I'm hesitant.

BEN

[benixau]

hey give him a break.

<common views>he may not be able to type. you know he is getting a mac so obviuosly his computer knowledge is not as great as the rest of us</common views>

now i just think he made a spelling mistake. i know i do when i am typing faster than usual. so what?? i thought we dont mind spelling mistakes and bad grammar here unless it is truly terible.

but then again, he is going into engineering ......

[Rower_CPU]

Actually it's the Early Entrance Program (EEP) at CSULA:

http://www.calstatela.edu/academic/eep/

I'm not sure where I stand on the whole "pre-pubescents in college" issue, but if you think you're socially and emotionally mature enough to handle it...

[benixau]

oops. oh well. how was i supposed to know. im an aussie. here we say things like:

mate's screwin the system
givin it to the dean

ok we actually dont, but i have never heard of an eep. mmdreg, i know you live in oz, care to comment??

[amnesiac1984]

all you guys talking about this HE when its actually a SHE! Anyway this thread has gone a little off topic me-thinks

[Nipsy]

arn, if you want resolution, but can't justify a lot of expenditure:
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&sku=320-4105

Stack that with a coupla Dell coupons, and you might save another $150.

I'd get one of these, and then get another one when you can afford, cause the extra real estate is worth it!

Also, if you pay your power bill, you may save a few bucks per month per monitor.

[peterjhill]

We have a bunch of the dell flatscreens. They are pretty nice, They have dvi,vga,composite, and svideo inputs and a selector on the front to pick what input you want to look at. a cool option would be to hook your desktop up to the dvi and your laptop could connect to the vga input, when you were at home, that way you could switch between them. Or if you have a dedicated server nearby, hook that puppy up to the vga.

They are pretty nice. Maybe trade your smaller crt for a flatscreen, then wait a year, then get a 21" for the same price :D

[Tiauguinho]

Arn, I am about to switch to LCD's as well. I've been looking at the Formac 20.1'' and the Cinema Displays from Apple. The Formac specs are awsome, the warranty is even better : 3 Years or 2 Dead Pixels... And then there is the price question... $1699 compared to the expensive Cinema Displays. Sure, the Apple LCD's look great and they are Widescreen, but is the difference in Specs really that big?? I've seen the Cinema Displays and have played a little with them. I can tell you that i love the Widescreen! As for Brightness and color contrast, well i couldnt tell a difference between them and my current Sony Trinitron CRT. We know that the LCD line will be revamped in a couple of weeks (we've been talking this since September... quitte sad that they have such an old line of LCD's...), and the question that I make is will they meet the Formac current specs? Will the price drop a lot? I surely hope so, since they are very expensive with comparable offerings. How about the warranty, will they still have the 10 dead pixels policy?

I have to decide wich one will I buy until the end of the month, but the thing that trully anoys me, is that besides loving the Apple Cinema Displays and wanting one for me, the Formac specs and the price (the price matters a lot!) makes them a trully must buy!


P.S. I would ask owners of the displays mentioned here to make a real world comparison between the Formac and the Cinema Displays... Is all the difference is specs really that noticable??? Thanks in advance!

[Nipsy]

Originally posted by Tiauguinho
Arn, I am about to switch to LCD's as well. I've been looking at the Formac 20.1'' and the Cinema Displays from Apple. The Formac specs are awsome, the warranty is even better : 3 Years or 2 Dead Pixels... And then there is the price question... $1699 compared to the expensive Cinema Displays. Sure, the Apple LCD's look great and they are Widescreen, but is the difference in Specs really that big?? I've seen the Cinema Displays and have played a little with them. I can tell you that i love the Widescreen! As for Brightness and color contrast, well i couldnt tell a difference between them and my current Sony Trinitron CRT. We know that the LCD line will be revamped in a couple of weeks (we've been talking this since September... quitte sad that they have such an old line of LCD's...), and the question that I make is will they meet the Formac current specs? Will the price drop a lot? I surely hope so, since they are very expensive with comparable offerings. How about the warranty, will they still have the 10 dead pixels policy?

I have to decide wich one will I buy until the end of the month, but the thing that trully anoys me, is that besides loving the Apple Cinema Displays and wanting one for me, the Formac specs and the price (the price matters a lot!) makes them a trully must buy!


P.S. I would ask owners of the displays mentioned here to make a real world comparison between the Formac and the Cinema Displays... Is all the difference is specs really that noticable??? Thanks in advance!

If price matters a lot, you'd be silly to pay $850 for the Formacs looks/warranty, when a similar Dell is only $850:
http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&sku=320-4105

[arn]

Here's something that came up on DealMac:

http://www.compusa.com/products/product_info.asp?product_code=288547&cm_ven=dealm_site&cm_cat=deals11_1&cm_pla=site

$279 for 17" LCD 1280x1024 (after rebateS).

Can't say I know anything about KOGi monitors or their quality... and it's Analog input.

arn

[zac4mac]

Arn, I was looking at a couple of Kogis at compUSA yesterday and they were way off in color - one was very blue - and fuzzy. Don't even consider a flat panel that doesn't have DVI. I really hate to say it, but the Dell monitors seem to be the current "best deal". We have a couple of the 20" and 17" at work and they're very sharp. I'm actually thinking of getting one to replace my old Apple MultiSync 20" CRT as my main, maybe move it into the corner as a palettes monitor... I need to move my main further back, with my old eyes, I almost have to sit in the kitchen now..

Zack

[arn]

Originally posted by zac4mac
Arn, I was looking at a couple of Kogis at compUSA yesterday and they were way off in color - one was very blue - and fuzzy. Don't even consider a flat panel that doesn't have DVI. I really hate to say it, but the Dell monitors seem to be the current "best deal". We have a couple of the 20" and 17" at work and they're very sharp. I'm actually thinking of getting one to replace my old Apple MultiSync 20" CRT as my main, maybe move it into the corner as a palettes monitor... I need to move my main further back, with my old eyes, I almost have to sit in the kitchen now..

Zack

yeah - I didn't expect too much from the Kogi's... it does look like the 20" Dell is the best deal. $850 or so for a 20" with 1600x1200 rez.

Even with Apple's new display... I expect their 20" will be comparable in price to Formac's ($1699) - in which case, getting two Dell 20" would be the same price.

arn

[jrv3034]

Originally posted by arn


Even with Apple's new display... I expect their 20" will be comparable in price to Formac's ($1699) - in which case, getting two Dell 20" would be the same price.

arn

You're probably right. However, would you be able to live with them while people here are saying "Dude, you're getting a Dell"?;)

[iJon]

hey guys dell has a new promotion. on the 20 inch you get 50 dollars off automatically, then you get a 5 percent discount on top of that. totaled, a 20 inch flat panel will cost 899, wow that is cheap. plus ground shipping is free and i think you only have sales tax if you live in texas. 899 for a monitor with no tax and straight to your door sounds like a good deal for me, i would get on my my pc, my apple monitor is getting a little fuzzy on my pc.also if i am correct, the ipod will fall under the 10 percnt discount.

iJon

[Nipsy]

Originally posted by iJon
hey guys dell has a new promotion. on the 20 inch you get 50 dollars off automatically, then you get a 5 percent discount on top of that. totaled, a 20 inch flat panel will cost 899, wow that is cheap. plus ground shipping is free and i think you only have sales tax if you live in texas. 899 for a monitor with no tax and straight to your door sounds like a good deal for me, i would get on my my pc, my apple monitor is getting a little fuzzy on my pc.also if i am correct, the ipod will fall under the 10 percnt discount.

iJon

That's expensive!

This morning it was $849, with 10% off, for a total (including CA sales tax) of $827 delivered. It will probably be that cheap again next week.

[iJon]

Originally posted by Nipsy


That's expensive!

This morning it was $849, with 10% off, for a total (including CA sales tax) of $827 delivered. It will probably be that cheap again next week.
thats odd, i wonder why they would change a promotion over the day. i may have done something wrong. i dont really care, im not getting one now. ill wait till summer till they come down even more.

iJon

[arn]

Originally posted by iJon
hey guys dell has a new promotion. on the 20 inch you get 50 dollars off automatically, then you get a 5 percent discount on top of that. totaled, a 20 inch flat panel will cost 899, wow that is cheap. plus ground shipping is free and i think you only have sales tax if you live in texas. 899 for a monitor with no tax and straight to your door sounds like a good deal for me, i would get on my my pc, my apple monitor is getting a little fuzzy on my pc.also if i am correct, the ipod will fall under the 10 percnt discount.


Actually they were 15% off a day or two ago... which brought it to $850.

Looks like the cheapest they ever were was $759 (link (http://dealmac.com/articles/45006.html)) in december.

arn

[JupiterZen]

Originally posted by arn
Hey all...

Has anyone recently made the switch from CRT's to LCD's... how's it been?

Anyone done such a switch? Or would this be a total waste of money? :)

arn

A year ago I switched to the 17" LCD Studio Display and it had been a very nice experience. I wouldn't want another bulky big monitor on my desk ever again.

But be careful with inexpensive LCD monitors. I know it's tempting, but the are inexpensive for a reason. Mostly the quality of the viewing angle and contrast ratio are bad on inexpensive models. And you will not enjoy your dual monitor setup if the colors shift al over the place if you move your eyes from one monitor to the other.

Go to a store and check out the viewing angles with your own eyes and decide if you can life with that.

[Nipsy]

This morning was nice when they were $849, + another 10% off for $764.

To bad I didn't have any orders pending with Dell...

[iJon]

hey guys, im looking into a flat panel because my old apple vision monitor is just way to big. this is gonna be for my pc. I have a applevision 21 inch monitor but from measuring it, its about 18-19 inches viewable. what lcd would be about the same as im looking at in screen size. i was thinking and 18 inch monitor, can someone tell me if they would think that is right.

iJon

[benixau]

uh huh. just remember - WATCH THE RESOLUTION.

alot of 17"/18" LCDs are 1280x1024. you want one that is abit higher than that. also remeber, unless it is a very very very .... good monitor, using it at anything less than its native (max) resolution is going to give you jagged lines, blur etc.

that is the curse of lcd monitors. i have found that only recently have lcd monitors had resolutions that can even begin to match that of an equivilently viewable CRT.

eg:
17" CRT = max @75Hz : 1600x1024
15" LCD = native res : 1024x768

big ibg difference. only the "HD" or UXGA LCD monitors have a good enough resolution to match the specs of crts.

beware, take caution and always ask if you have a question. the worst that can happen is that you dont get the monitor. but your eyes, and you boss may thank you later.

good luck

[iJon]

Originally posted by benixau
uh huh. just remember - WATCH THE RESOLUTION.

alot of 17"/18" LCDs are 1280x1024. you want one that is abit higher than that. also remeber, unless it is a very very very .... good monitor, using it at anything less than its native (max) resolution is going to give you jagged lines, blur etc.

that is the curse of lcd monitors. i have found that only recently have lcd monitors had resolutions that can even begin to match that of an equivilently viewable CRT.

eg:
17" CRT = max @75Hz : 1600x1024
15" LCD = native res : 1024x768

big ibg difference. only the "HD" or UXGA LCD monitors have a good enough resolution to match the specs of crts.

beware, take caution and always ask if you have a question. the worst that can happen is that you dont get the monitor. but your eyes, and you boss may thank you later.

good luck
thanks, rez isnt all important to me. i only play games on my pc and i play all of them at about 800x600 or whatever the standard is. Just from what ive read the dell's seem to be a great buy, i wouldnt get one for my mac. i would get an apple monitor. i have been looking at the dell 18inch which if i catch dell at the right time i can get it for about 500 something. im also gonna take a look at sony and samsung. i will probably find what i think would be nice and see what other people who have used them has to say.

iJon

[janey]

Originally posted by Choppaface


what is that link supposed to lead to? considering I get closing popups it can't be a very respectable company/institution whatever it is....

hey i am so sorry...it's http://www.calstatela.edu/academic/eep
i was typing so fast i wasn't paying attention to what i was writing.

btw, i'm a girl not a guy and i'm in middle school and i take college classes :)

why do i have tons of apple stuff i don't know

[iJon]

Originally posted by übergeek


hey i am so sorry...it's http://www.calstatela.edu/academic/eep
i was typing so fast i wasn't paying attention to what i was writing.

btw, i'm a girl not a guy and i'm in middle school and i take college classes :)

why do i have tons of apple stuff i don't know
well you see now, there is a difference in taking college classes and being in college.

iJon

[janey]

Originally posted by iJon

well you see now, there is a difference in taking college classes and being in college.

iJon

yeah but taking college classes in college and taking college classes in middle school (entirely possible) has a difference...and i currently am an enrolled student at a college.
:)

[iJon]

guys help me out here. i can get a real good deal on a 19 inch samsung monitor about the same price as the 18 dell monitor. the only thing is that the samsung is analog and the dell is digital. could any one here who has maybe tried both or could tell me if i could tell a difference with the digital or analog. all i do is play games and stuff, nothing huge were i need exact precision on my screen. i need some input.

iJon

[janey]

don't get anything from dell. they suck. windoze loving bastards.

[iJon]

Originally posted by übergeek
don't get anything from dell. they suck. windoze loving bastards.
wow thank you for you input, that right there settled it for me, samsung it is. please some real input, also windows doesnt run on dell monitors so i really dont care if it has there name on it.

iJon

[janey]

Originally posted by iJon

wow thank you for you input, that right there settled it for me, samsung it is. please some real input, also windows doesnt run on dell monitors so i really dont care if it has there name on it.

iJon

Windows doesn't run on dell monitors? Wait...i have a dell right here and it has a dell LCD and it's running windows xp pro...

[MacAztec]

Originally posted by übergeek


Windows doesn't run on dell monitors? Wait...i have a dell right here and it has a dell LCD and it's running windows xp pro...

He means you dont have to run windows on a Dell monitor.

[janey]

oh i got it...it sounded like he said you can't use a dell monitor to use windows. :)

don't yell at me because i'm using a PC right now...i find that programming on a PC just makes me wanna write better programs.

[iJon]

Originally posted by übergeek
oh i got it...it sounded like he said you can't use a dell monitor to use windows. :)

don't yell at me because i'm using a PC right now...i find that programming on a PC just makes me wanna write better programs.
I am not yelling at you, i have a pc too and i love it. I was asking for some input betweet the two monitors. then you just said dont buy dell, dell sucks. i dont want this thread to turn into a pc mac war, all i wanted was some input on two monitors. thats all, wasnt yelling.

iJon

[janey]

Okay. Great.
PC's are good for some things and Macs are good for everything else.

[zac4mac]

Personally, I could care less who made the monitor - it's just an output device. I'm all Mac, have several running at anytime(oldest is a Luggable, newest, an 800 iBook), but I run a Compaq 17" CRT as a palettes monitor. Heck, I even have an M$ mouse on my duallie. I use them for the same reason I use Macs - they work. If you feel bad about having a Dell monitor, slap an Apple sticker over the logo...

Z

[janey]

it's not really the fact that the LCD's are from Dell that's bugging me it's the quality.

[iJon]

Originally posted by übergeek
it's not really the fact that the LCD's are from Dell that's bugging me it's the quality.
well from what ive read dell has very good monitors. but somebody like you who has like 7 hd monitors i really wouldnt expect you to say much good about anthing else since that is about the best out there. i was looking at a samsung but ive decided not to get an lcd because my games will get a lag on the screen and i dont wnat that. i dont want to get fragged nwo do i?lol

iJon

[Nipsy]

I have seen, touched, and used a boatload of the Dell LCDmonitors over the past 6mos or so, and they are good. Very few abnormal pixels, above average in all attributes, and my favorite, 0 color discrepancy on all 3 I set up on a triple headed machine.

They are not market leaders (in brightness, or viewing angle, etc.), but they are quality.

I'm waiting for the right coupon combo to buy 3 of the 20" panels, and I am:
a) blessed with 20/8 vision (which means I'm seeing things very clearly)
b) anal

They certainly aren't Apple (or Formac, or IBM), but they are of very high quality for the price!

[Over Achiever]

Originally posted by benixau
uh huh. just remember - WATCH THE RESOLUTION.

alot of 17"/18" LCDs are 1280x1024. you want one that is abit higher than that. also remeber, unless it is a very very very .... good monitor, using it at anything less than its native (max) resolution is going to give you jagged lines, blur etc.

that is the curse of lcd monitors. i have found that only recently have lcd monitors had resolutions that can even begin to match that of an equivilently viewable CRT.

eg:
17" CRT = max @75Hz : 1600x1024
15" LCD = native res : 1024x768

big big difference. only the "HD" or UXGA LCD monitors have a good enough resolution to match the specs of crts.

beware, take caution and always ask if you have a question. the worst that can happen is that you dont get the monitor. but your eyes, and you boss may thank you later.

good luck

Just looked around, and if price is not an option, then check out this WQUXGA 22" display from Viewsonic. IBM makes a similar display.

http://www.viewsonic.com/products/lcd_vp2290b.htm

9 megapixels (3840x2400, 204 ppi) and can also run 1920x1200 nicely as well. The 204 ppi is very sharp...for comparison apple's displays generally have ppi of 95-100 (except for the 15 and 22" which have around 85 ppi density). Also high rez laptops like UXGA 15" laptops generally have 130-140 ppi...

So yeah...here clarity is not a problem if you have $6000 to blow...and don't mind the exceptionally tiny menu bars and such. This LCD is only for a specialized market, but just to let you know such an option is available.

[alset]

A note on Macintouch shows that 10.24 will not work with Dell LCDs.

http://www.macintouch.com/mosxreader10.2pt57.html#mar26

Dan

[Rower_CPU]

Originally posted by alset
A note on Macintouch shows that 10.24 will not work with Dell LCDs.

http://www.macintouch.com/mosxreader10.2pt57.html#mar26

Dan

I'm going to have to check this at work tomorrow.

I've got a Dell 15" FP hooked up to my PowerMac and haven't seen a thing wrong. Maybe I'm using the VGA instead of DVI...but I doubt it.

[scem0]

There are some $150 LCDs on dealmac.com right now. Only
14.1" but 2 of them would make a great setup. I am very tempted.

;)

and look at this!

http://www.bestbuy.com/Detail.asp?m=488&cat=497&scat=&e=11218171

14 inch LCD for $140 after $50 rebate.

I am extremely tempted. Should I get 2?

[daniel77]

once i get money to get a mac, i want to get the lowest end powermac and a 17'' FP

[Mr. Anderson]

I had a dual setup, and had a monitor die on me. They were both CRTs. I've got a new LCD at work hooked up to my TiPB and/or the dual 1.25GHz. I'm am really having a hard time just using one monitor, though. I really got used to the acreage. When I buy a new mac when the 970s come out, I'm going to get dual 20" LCDs. Until then, I'm going to suffer it out on my 17" CRT at home.

D

[Rower_CPU]

:::UPDATE:::

The link above regarding 10.2.4 not working with non-Apple LCDs hooked up to DVI is not true.

The Dell 1503FP I have at work is hooked up via DVI into my MDD and I'm running 10.2.4.

[scem0]

you can buy a 14 " LCD for $140 at bestbuy or bestbuy.com.

http://dealmac.com/artclick.html?49127,68049
or
http://dealmac.com/articles/49127.html

Im thinking about getting 2 of these.