1 30 ACD or 2 23 ACD? [Archive]

iMouseHD

Feb 13, 2008, 08:48 PM

the dual setup

I'll second the dual display route. I'd love a 30 but I have found that using a dual system for video/photo editing is easier on my eyes and focus, esp for longer sessions. Nothing scientific there but it's what works for me.

kuebby

Feb 13, 2008, 08:51 PM

I'd say 1 30", but that's just me. The split between monitors always bothered me, one monitor is just more organized.

itsallinurhead

Feb 13, 2008, 09:04 PM

Dual for use with Aperture.

gotzero

Feb 13, 2008, 09:20 PM

I have two 23"s. I voted for 1 30".

If you get a 30" you could always get a second later...

If you buy a 30" and wish you had two 23"s I would be open to a trade.

mmccaskill

Feb 14, 2008, 07:22 AM

I have two 23"s. I voted for 1 30".

If you get a 30" you could always get a second later...

If you buy a 30" and wish you had two 23"s I would be open to a trade.
Well I couldn't really buy another 30 inch. The 8800GT requires both DVIs for a 30 inch. I'm not certain if one can put in another 8800GT. But if so, then I'd have to go that in order to get another 30 inch.

gazfocus

Feb 14, 2008, 09:16 AM

Well I couldn't really buy another 30 inch. The 8800GT requires both DVIs for a 30 inch. I'm not certain if one can put in another 8800GT. But if so, then I'd have to go that in order to get another 30 inch.

I'd go with the 2 23" ACD's. That's what I'm planning on getting. The beauty of having dual displays is that you can have 2 apps open full screen (1 in each screen).

I know the new feature in Leapard makes this possible with virtual desktops but it's not quite the same as having 2 desktops there in front of your eyes in my opinion.

mmccaskill

Feb 14, 2008, 09:36 AM

At first I wanted 1 30 ACD, but then I thought that after I'd buy it that Apple would release new models with iSight.

If this is true then, two 23s with two iSights. Weird. Which is why I don't think they will come out with iSight in them.

jeremy.king

Feb 14, 2008, 10:11 AM

What are you using the machine for?

BryanLyle

Feb 14, 2008, 11:31 AM

I have a Dell 3007 and a Dell 2405 hooked up to my mac pro. Love the extra space of the 30, but also need an additional monitor to have windows running (for work).

dante@sisna.com

Feb 14, 2008, 03:57 PM

The single 30 for sure.

You'll appreciate the larger vertical distance top to bottom --

I have used two 23's, two 30's and now use a 30" and a 23".

The 30 is the way to go for any sort of pallet heavy work.

Then add a second monitor for your email, web searches etc and you are set.

netdog

Feb 14, 2008, 03:59 PM

Once you try a 30", after you get over how big it is, everything else seems puny.

mmccaskill

Feb 14, 2008, 07:08 PM

Seems more people prefer the 30 inch. I'm a software developer so most of what I do is look at Eclipse all day. I'd love it if the put iSight in it. I'll wait for a little while more.

Tallest Skil

Feb 14, 2008, 07:18 PM

The 8800GT requires both DVIs for a 30 inch.

Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah... no. No. The 8800 GT (and the 2600, for that matter) have Dual-link DVI ports. Two of them. The 30 ACD only needs one Dual-link port. Thus, you can have two 30s on one card. The 30 doesn't need two ports, it just won't work at full resolution with a single-link port.

jeremy.king

Feb 14, 2008, 07:53 PM

Seems more people prefer the 30 inch. I'm a software developer so most of what I do is look at Eclipse all day. I'd love it if the put iSight in it. I'll wait for a little while more.

I'd go for the dual then. One for code, the other for testing/email/itunes/etc... Damn this setup for work is nice! You hiring? ;)

mmccaskill

Feb 14, 2008, 08:42 PM

Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah... no. No. The 8800 GT (and the 2600, for that matter) have Dual-link DVI ports. Two of them. The 30 ACD only needs one Dual-link port. Thus, you can have two 30s on one card. The 30 doesn't need two ports, it just won't work at full resolution with a single-link port.

Seriously? Wow! I misunderstood then. I think that settles the which one to buy issue. Thanks so much.

bbeers

Feb 14, 2008, 09:03 PM

For what I do, (Graphic Design) I love the two screens. Gives me the ability to two applications in full screen mode. Helps me focus on only one screen at a time if i need to. Sometimes the ADD will get a little out of control and focusing on one program in one screen is easier than two programs in one BIG screen.

CWallace

Feb 14, 2008, 09:38 PM

For me, it depends on the situation.

At work, I need to keep Outlook open all the time plus there is another app I tend to work in and monitor, so I find having dual 24" monitors is effective because I can keep Outlook and that app open on the right-hand monitor and use the left one for what I am doing at the moment.

But at home, I focus on only one task at a time so while I have a 24" iMac right now, when I move to the Mac Pro it will be with a 30".

If you find you only work in one app at a time, unless that app has a slew of menus that gets into the way of viewing your content (photo manipulation, video work, illustration), then a single 30" might work better for you compared to two 23" displays.

Neutral Gamer

Feb 14, 2008, 10:24 PM

1x30" or 2x23" ? Ha, both options are for wimps.

This is my idea of a potential setup; having your cake and eating it as well ... :D

dante@sisna.com

Feb 15, 2008, 10:14 AM

I'd love it if the put iSight in it. I'll wait for a little while more.

You will NOT see an iSight in an Apple 30"

They would loose the entire corporate market due to the security concerns an included iSight would pose.

jeremy.king

Feb 15, 2008, 10:19 AM

You will NOT see an iSight in an Apple 30"

They would loose the entire corporate market due to the security concerns an included iSight would pose.

But they have them in their laptops? Even IBM is including them in some of theirs.

Why else would Apple stop selling iSights if they didn't plan to integrate into their displays?

bbeers

Feb 15, 2008, 10:22 AM

1x30" or 2x23" ? Ha, both options are for wimps.

This is my idea of a potential setup; having your cake and eating it as well ... :D

Ok it is official, I am jealous of your setup.

BlizzardBomb

Feb 15, 2008, 10:27 AM

You will NOT see an iSight in an Apple 30"

They would loose the entire corporate market due to the security concerns an included iSight would pose.

Security concerns? Like a hacker could see some middle-aged man working at a computer?

Well anyway, I'd say a 30" purely for the additional vertical resolution.

But here's a quick pixel comparison:
4,096,000 pixels - 1x 30"
4,608,000 pixels - 2x 23"

FastMan

Feb 15, 2008, 01:40 PM

1x30" or 2x23" ? Ha, both options are for wimps.

This is my idea of a potential setup; having your cake and eating it as well ... :D

OK, running for the tape measure to see if I have room. NICE!!

Neutral Gamer

Feb 15, 2008, 04:52 PM

Ok it is official, I am jealous of your setup.

OK, running for the tape measure to see if I have room. NICE!!

As much as I'd love to say that's my setup ... I'm afraid it's not. It's a photo I found on either Flickr or the Mac Rumors "Post your setup" thread - I can't remember which. (I'm sure I'm not the only one who searches the net for photos of ACD setups, saving them and then salivating/deciding which one looks the best!).

But yep, once you see that setup, you IMMEDIATELY want it. That's why I'm seriously considering a Mac Pro over a MBP as my next computer. I think 3x30" ACD's would just be TOO much of a wide perspective to take in for most people. Having a 30" as your primary and two smaller monitors on the side I think is the optimum solution. I've got 2x19" and 1x17" monitors connected up to my PC at the moment and it's just way too wide to use efficiently as they're CRT monitors and can't be positioned properly.

Now hurry up and release the new MBP's so I can decide which awesome setup to get ... :cool:

mmccaskill

Feb 19, 2008, 07:50 PM

I'll have everyone know, I went with 1 30 ACD. What really did it was being corrected that the 8800GT has 2 dual-link DVI ports. So say next year, I buy another one.

That would be awesome. 2 30 ACDs. Rock!

dante@sisna.com

Feb 19, 2008, 11:56 PM

mmccaskill

Feb 21, 2008, 10:41 AM

Crap. Apparently I didn't order it to be delivered to work but my house. Which means I'll stay home tomorrow to grab it.

gazfocus

Feb 21, 2008, 10:58 AM

Crap. Apparently I didn't order it to be delivered to work but my house. Which means I'll stay home tomorrow to grab it.

Glad you decided on one in the end :)

I bought a 23" ACD (will eventually use 2 on one system) and love it to bits

ProMod

Feb 21, 2008, 01:22 PM

Interesting observation: my original 23" was a week 49 2007 model, the new one is week 52. The new one came in the new packaging with the Leopard imagery, the old one with the Tiger background.

I loved how when I returned mine, the guy at the Apple store said this of my observation that the box had been opened and resealed: "Oh, we always double seal these boxes, because they are so heavy." Then he brings out my new one and it is single sealed. I didn't say anything. :rolleyes:

mmccaskill

Feb 21, 2008, 03:47 PM

Well I went home to get it, then brought it back to work. I can never go back to under 30". Superb monitor.

ProMod

Feb 21, 2008, 04:24 PM

What packaging did it come in, just out of curiosity? Leopard or Tiger?

dante@sisna.com

Feb 21, 2008, 10:07 PM

Well I went home to get it, then brought it back to work. I can never go back to under 30". Superb monitor.

I read yah loud and clear.

In two months you may start coveting a second 30".

Careful.

The junk is powerful.

spaceballl

Feb 22, 2008, 12:45 AM

Using dual monitors is a truly great experience - I really recommend it.

Malfoy

Feb 22, 2008, 02:12 AM

I have 2 30"s and voted for the 1 30.

dante@sisna.com

Feb 22, 2008, 04:43 AM

Using dual monitors is a truly great experience - I really recommend it.

Yep.

Once you go 30" you never go back.

Once you go dual 30" you really never go back.

Neutral Gamer

Feb 22, 2008, 05:17 AM

Yep.

Once you go 30" you never go back.

Once you go dual 30" you really never go back.

Out of curiosity, is the relationship linear? i.e.

Once you go tri 30", you really, really never go back.
Once you go quad 30", you really, really, really never go back.

Or is the dual setup the optimum combination? Doesn't it get annoying having nothing exactly in the middle of your field of view for you to focus on, i.e. two monitor frames rather than screen space. Not to mention not being able to have your dock in the middle and having your menu items on the far left hand side. Surely a tri setup would make the most sense or would that just be overkill?

Wild-Bill

Feb 22, 2008, 05:30 AM

I have two 19" Dell 1900FP LCD's. Had them for years on my PC setup, and now that the PC has given up its drives to live in my Mac Pro, the Mac Pro has the dual 19's. I love the dual monitor setup, and now with Spaces it opens up a whole other world as far as workflow and productivity.

I am in the market for a 24" LCD though. I don't want the Apple 23" because, quite frankly, it's old. I would set it up as the 24" as the primary "obviously" and put one 19" in Portrait mode and relegate it to Mail and word processing duties.

Anyhow, I am all for the dual monitor camp and recommend it wholeheartedly to whoever was thinking about it.

(The leftover 19" will go to my 12" Powerbook).

Malfoy

Feb 22, 2008, 06:56 AM

Out of curiosity, is the relationship linear? i.e.

Once you go tri 30", you really, really never go back.
Once you go quad 30", you really, really, really never go back.

Or is the dual setup the optimum combination? Doesn't it get annoying having nothing exactly in the middle of your field of view for you to focus on, i.e. two monitor frames rather than screen space. Not to mention not being able to have your dock in the middle and having your menu items on the far left hand side. Surely a tri setup would make the most sense or would that just be overkill?

I agree with you on most points. I 'started' with
http://neveroutgunned.net/s2s/trisetup2.jpg

in college.

switched to a single dell 24" and missed the screen space
so went to a single 30" missed the screen space
so got a 2nd that brought me here

http://neveroutgunned.net/s2s/apt/AptTour17.jpg

but like you inquired, I miss having a center focus so....

I'll probably get a 3rd 30" screen late this year or early next.

Unless they make something bigger.:eek:

Neutral Gamer

Feb 22, 2008, 10:10 AM

Malfoy, you're old setup is how my current setup is; I've got 3 CRT monitors as well but looking at yours that transition from CRT to LCD makes such a difference. So much more space on the desk and everything looks so stylish especially with that excellent glass desk of yours. I tell ya though, with 3x 30" ACD's, man would we need large desks!

I originally bought my 17" MBP with the intention of connecting it to a 30" ACD but I'm glad I sold it now as it just wouldn't be able to quench my thirst for extreme screen real estate and resolution.

Now the only question is not whether I can afford to buy a Mac Pro with the trio of ACD's but more whether I should! But what a setup it would be ... I'd expect friends and family to bow down when in its awesome presence and man would I feel smug as hell (even more so than your typical Apple user) ... :cool:

Any idea how many people on Mac Rumors have the holy grail of three? You seen / heard of many people boasting about it?

dante@sisna.com

Feb 22, 2008, 01:08 PM

Out of curiosity, is the relationship linear? i.e.

Once you go tri 30", you really, really never go back.
Once you go quad 30", you really, really, really never go back.

Or is the dual setup the optimum combination? Doesn't it get annoying having nothing exactly in the middle of your field of view for you to focus on, i.e. two monitor frames rather than screen space. Not to mention not being able to have your dock in the middle and having your menu items on the far left hand side. Surely a tri setup would make the most sense or would that just be overkill?

I have a 30" HP LP3065 dead center. Off to the left I keep a MBP 17" High Res running all the windows flavors -- this MBP is my Windows testing unit for the websites I develop. To my Right I use a second 30" ACD which I sometimes swap out for an older ACD 23. The second 30" is at a sharp angle to the first and I really have to look around to see the far right side, but this is useful for storing stuff like Adobe Bridge, which I depend on, but only use a few times per hour.

My setup is weird, perhaps, but it works for me. I think you are right: a dual 23" or tri 23" would probably be hot for Video, Design and Web work. I went with 30"'s for the depth and I like the massive field of view.

Neutral Gamer

Feb 22, 2008, 02:56 PM

My setup is weird, perhaps, but it works for me.

Your setup sounds interesting, I'd love to see it, have you got any photos of it?

I think you are right: a dual 23" or tri 23" would probably be hot for Video, Design and Web work. I went with 30"'s for the depth and I like the massive field of view.

Yeah, having each monitor devoted to a certain task or class of tasks can definitely increase productivity as you know exactly where everything is and it's less likely to be cluttered up with certain windows being obscured. Of course virtual desktop managers such as Spaces can to an extent emulate multiple, task related monitors.

But not having to wait even half a second for the transition when you quickly want to check something and always being able to keep your eye on certain things through peripheral vision really gives multiple monitors the advantage. Add Spaces or other desktop managers (Dekstop Manager on Tiger is still my favourite) to the mix and you've got an insane desktop.