Which 30" LCD Monitor

[smogsy]

I will be Purchasing a Mac Pro Next Year once The Next Gen Is Here (saving up)

i want complement the Mac Pro with 2x30" Monitors i'm thinking of buying these monitors before i get my Mac Pro As i Could Use Them at a lower Resolution on my MacBook

So Which 30" Monitors Would You Recommend?

I Will Not Be using the Mac Pro for Colour crucial work but will be doing the following:
Dreamweaver CS3 (for my website)
Photoshop CS3 (to design my website updates and other graphics)
Xcode (i will creating free OSX applications for the mac community
Iphone SDK (Creating Apps for Free Download in App Store)
Net Searching
Music
MSN




This is Possible i will Purchase From
http://www.overclockers.co.uk/productlist.php?groupid=703&catid=17&subid=1121

Hope You can Suggest a Mointor
Budget For Each : £1200

[t0mat0]

Sounds like you don't have too much pressing need for the more expensive monitors that do color v. well. A decent Dell could do you? somewhere like http://www.xbitlabs.com could help you.

[smogsy]

i was thinking of the 3008wfp tbh it would match my desk perfectly,

as my desk is gloosy black :D ill have noise at xbit

[Lord Zedd]

So Which 30" Monitors Would You Recommend?

Anything other than Apple's current outdated, overpriced and featureless monitor.

[Spanky Deluxe]

Anything other than Apple's current outdated, overpriced and featureless monitor.

But it looks so good!!! Back when I bought mine it was equal in spec to the Dell and nothing else was out. Don't know how it compares vs the Dell one now though. I wouldn't say its that overpriced though, £1199 vs Dell's £979.30. Since I can get the Higher Education discount, I can get the Apple one for £1031.14. I'd rather pay the extra £50 for an Apple metal one. I don't care for all the different connectivity options, the one thing I *would* like though is HDCP compatibility through the DVI cable. An extra USB port wouldn't go amiss either.

BTW to the OP, you can only use one external monitor with your MacBook and the only really viable resolution you could use is 1280x800 otherwise everything will be blurry and will be a pain on your eyes. I really would advise waiting until you buy your Mac Pro. For all we know, new ACDs will be out by then and you might prefer a matching display. If you buy an ACD with a Mac Pro and get Applecare all through the same purchase then the ACD is covered by the same 3 year extended warranty.

[CWallace]

The Dell 3008FPW and the NEC LCD3090 are probably the two best 30" consumer displays on the market now in terms of features and value.

[smogsy]

i think i will go for the 3008wfp, but the only thing that worries me is they have had bleeding problems? is this common? or some displays only?

btw spanky im using my macbook with my TV @ 1920x1080 and looks great :cool:

but depending on how gd dell can downscale it maybe blury

[nick9191]

Anything other than Apple's current outdated, overpriced and featureless monitor.
Please don't spout rubbish.

The picture quality is far superior to any junk ass Dell monitor I've ever seen, and comparable NEC display is around double that price.

Apple do many things, but one of them is not ripping off their professional customers.

Also because they are not outwardly saying so, or changing the design, they are not using the same technology in the display that they were 2 years ago. The panels change on a regular basis, and the current panel is the same as the 30" Dell, except with a superior backlight.

Just an FYI to the OP, you can't use more than 1 external display with a Macbook.

Get the Cinema Display, you will not regret it.

[kabunaru]

So Which 30" Monitors Would You Recommend?


30" Apple Cinema Display.

[panoz7]

btw spanky im using my macbook with my TV @ 1920x1080 and looks great :cool:

You may already know this, but just in case you don't, all 30" monitors require dual-link dvi connections to run at full resolution. My 30" ACD supports a max resolution of only 1280 x 800 when connected to a non-dual-link source (like your macbook) which I just confirmed by plugging in my powerbook.

From what I've read online the Dell 30" supports a max resolution of 1920 x 1080 when connected to a non-dual-link source. If you're planning on using one of the 30's with your macbook for an extended amount of time before you purchase the Mac Pro the ability for the Dell 30" to run at higher resolution when connected to the macbook might be the determining factor when choosing one over the other. 1920 x 1080 is still going to look blurry since it's not the native screen's resolution (unlike on your tv where 1920 x 1080 was most likely the native resolution). I'm also kind of confused as to why it would support only 1080 vertical pixels instead of 1200 since 1920 x 1080 doesn't fit the aspect ratio of the screen. Perhaps the forums where I read that the dell supports that resolution are wrong. Dell's site doesn't mention anything about it. I'd make sure to confirm with dell before you buy it.

That said, I'd strongly recommend waiting until you purchase the mac pro before doing anything. Dual 30's is a lot of screen real-estate for what you're doing. I'd purchase a single 30" to begin with. You might be surprised at just how big a 30" screen is... I know I was.

[nick9191]

Even if the Dell display and the Cinema Display were identical (which they pretty much are except for the better backlight on the Cinema Display), Apple actually includes optimized drivers for the Cinema Displays in OS X, not available for a third party display.

Actually heres a great idea, buy one Apple Cinema Display and one Dell display (there about the same price in the UK), and see which one you like more. I know which I'm putting my money on.

[smogsy]

thanks panoz

although i want the DualScreen Experience more than anything when i used my 22inch dell +macbook screen i was getting so much more done

same now when im using a macbook+TV

specially with what im planning to do coding/graphics/msn/net at same time.

i was going to get 2x24inch but i know after a few months i will want to get te 30inchs and waste money doing it that way

[jessica.]

Since you know you'll eventually move to a machine that will drive the 30" ACD at it's native resolution I say go with the ACD. That is unless you find that spending $1500+ on a panel that is only going to be a panel. In other words, you can't plug your PS3, XBOX, etc etc into it. I know you can if you use some fancy work around, but generally speaking the ACD is a display, not a TV/game console.

Just think about whether or not you'll miss the lack of inputs. I don't personally, but I have a place where I can have a 30" ACD and a TV next to it.
Since color isn't critical to you I would say just think about the inputs or lack-thereof and go from there.

[panoz7]

One other thing to consider, especially if you go with the dell screens which can easily be rotated, would be to go with one 30" and two 20".

A 20" display's horizontal resolution is the same as the 30" display's vertical resolution... so you could put a vertically rotated 20" on either side of a horizontal 30" and get almost as many pixels as two 30's but still have a central screen.

[smogsy]

ill think about the ACD

Just to Give you a Idea this is my room, so as u seen ps3,Wii is connected to the Sammy TV
http://insnation.net/gallery/d/2306-2/IMG_0394.JPG
http://insnation.net/gallery/d/2316-2/IMG_0397.JPG


large
http://insnation.net/gallery/d/2305-1/IMG_0394.JPG
http://insnation.net/gallery/d/2315-1/IMG_0397.JPG

[shiny-blanket]

Well I'm placing my order for a 30" ACD, after living with the Dell 2407WFP-HC. After much callibration, the colours on the dell are still way oversaturated for my liking.

Oh and I get 35% off a brand new ACD :)

[DeuceDeuce]

I had a budget of about $1200 for a monitor as well and I decided to buy a used ACD with Apple Care left for two years rather then the lower end 30 Dell. Best choice I have made in a long time.

[Digital Skunk]

If you aren't doing any color specific work any 30" will do, but they all pretty much use the same panel and will cost you roughly the same price. The Dell that is comparable to the ACD is $2000, while many others will be that same price with deals or bargains.

Just make sure you are getting an IPS panel if you want the best you can get. I would hate to spend anything over $1000 for a cheap TN or PVA panel at 30 inches.

[smogsy]

well, i do like the ACD and there ok. in the Apple store last time i looked (2 weeks ago)

i dont think i want one Mainly Due to Lack of HDCP i know its not necessary for my work. but its always nice to have specially as its a nice future proofing.

But, The Dell 3008WFP i like, has bleeding issue, i can seem to find a article explaining if has been fixed in there new Revision or if its just some Units. but Like You Said Below it is a IPS

[Digital Skunk]

well, i do like the ACD and there ok. in the Apple store last time i looked (2 weeks ago)

i dont think i want one Mainly Due to Lack of HDCP i know its not necessary for my work. but its always nice to have specially as its a nice future proofing.

But, The Dell 3008WFP i like, has bleeding issue, i can seem to find a article explaining if has been fixed in there new Revision or if its just some Units. but Like You Said Below it is a IPS

Yeah, that's the Dell that is definitely on par with the HPs and ACDs and NECs on the market. I heard of that issue too, but there are other issues with other panels and connections on other monitors as well.

The best you can do is get them and keep a keen eye out for any issues that may arise. We all take chances when it comes to mass produced electronics.

[smogsy]

thanks digital.

Key Question Buy Now Or Later?
Its in This Weeks Offer @ £985.83

Or Wait What Till Mac Pro + Snow Leopard + These

[Digital Skunk]

thanks digital.

Key Question Buy Now Or Later?
Its in This Weeks Offer @ £985.83

Or Wait What Till Mac Pro + Snow Leopard + These

Strickly personally....

I'd wait. But that's just me. I like unboxing all my toys at one time. Mac Pro, two 30" displays, etc.

But if you need one or two now then get them now. Or if there is ever some deal that you just can't pass up, go get em.

[nick9191]

I'd like to clarify that I'm not saying the Dell is a bad monitor. If you want to save the few hundred quid, and are looking at HDCP at some point in the future then this is the way to go.

However I'm hoping Apple will update there range of displays at some point with the next Mac Pro, so why buy them now? For starters you can only use 1 of them with the Macbook, secondly it will look god awful at 1920 x 1200, and thirdly you'll be able to save some money.

So wait until you buy the Mac Pro until you buy the display, and you'll hopefully be able to buy an far, far superior quality Cinema Display, with the features like HDPC that you request.

Of course if they dont update them then by all means get the Dell, if anything to tell Apple they need to update them. Vote with your wallet.

[CWallace]

It is important to remember that some Dell monitors, including the 20" and 30" widescreen units, do use the same technology panels as the Apple Cinema Displays do - In-Plane Switching (IPS). Their quality is right up their with the Apple, and they also offer a three-year warranty out of the box. The 3007FPW 30" costs a bit less then the ACD and has two DVI inputs instead of one. The 3008FPW costs a bit more then the ACD, but has two DVI inputs, HDMI, component, S-Video and digital media readers.

Yes, the 24" units use S-PVA panels which give up absolute color accuracy, but they still look very good for general use (I am very pleased with my 2408FPW).

[countermike]

hi ...
well i have a dell 30 inch and i ordered my mac pro + Apple 30 inch two days ago ,

with my personal experience and playing around with my mates apple 30 inch , im going for an apple 30 inch , as i have had the dell for almost an year ... now selling it to my friend and getting the new setup .

im my personal ( strictly) i like the Apple monitor rather the dell monitors, so yer for me Apple monitor is Far far better.

just to let u know , will post more when i get my monitor next week :) lol

[Digital Skunk]

I go with Apple mainly for that FW400 port which I get use out of everyday. It's be nice to have a media reader, but only if it's going to use FW800.

Which I do hope is on the next bezel design for the ACDs.

[smogsy]

The 3008FPW costs a bit more then the ACD, but has two DVI inputs, HDMI, component, S-Video and digital media readers.


Here in the uk the 3008wfp is cheaper
ACD
1,199.00

dell 3008wfp
£985.83 inc VAT (atm)
normally £1100

I think if Applle does not Update there Screens with aat least HDCP on DVI and a HDMI Port ill defo go with the dell

[Lord Zedd]

Please don't spout rubbish.

It isn't. They have a 14ms response time. Apple's displays are long overdue for new technology.

[CWallace]

It isn't. They have a 14ms response time. Apple's displays are long overdue for new technology.

IPS panels have lower response times then PVA or TN. The only way Apple could improve the response time is to choose a different panel technology.

If you mostly play games or watch video on your display, then you're likely better off with an S-PVA panel.

If you do "color-critical" work, you will want to stick with an IPS panel. Since a major Apple market is professional and prosumer photography and video work, Apple uses IPS panels in their displays.

[Digital Skunk]

IPS panels have lower response times then PVA or TN. The only way Apple could improve the response time is to choose a different panel technology.

If you mostly play games or watch video on your display, then you're likely better off with an S-PVA panel.

If you do "color-critical" work, you will want to stick with an IPS panel. Since a major Apple market is professional and prosumer photography and video work, Apple uses IPS panels in their displays.

Thanks Wallace, was about to say that myself.

[pastrychef]

The 3007FPW 30" costs a bit less then the ACD and has two DVI inputs instead of one.

The Dell 3007WFP and 3007WFP-HC only have one dual-link DVI input.

[CWallace]

The Dell 3007WFP and 3007WFP-HC only have one dual-link DVI input.

That would explain why I was looking at the 3008, then, since I needed two DVI (though both need not be dual-link). :o

[cxc]

IPS panels have lower response times then PVA or TN. The only way Apple could improve the response time is to choose a different panel technology.

If you mostly play games or watch video on your display, then you're likely better off with an S-PVA panel.

If you do "color-critical" work, you will want to stick with an IPS panel. Since a major Apple market is professional and prosumer photography and video work, Apple uses IPS panels in their displays.

TN Film Panels have by far the best response time (5ms btb on 24-28in screens)but limited viewing angles. I have looked at the LG 2600 something but didn´t like it at all bc it was way too bright at even Zero setting and also suffered from way oversaturated colors I couldn´t get rid off. There is a competing device from Samsung that looked MUCH better to me. I forgot the part number but it´s the one with the black and red bezel.
As for the 30in ACD using the same panel as the 3008 and LG W3008H, this piece of information is wrong. The part numbers are different as are the specs. The LG W3008H is the least expensive of the bunch and not bad at all.
Provided that the 30 in ACD uses the same panel as in 06 -and I have not seen anything that would contradict this notion - it is too expensive.
While the ACD is still a good 2D and Video performer it´s totally useless for ANY gaming imo and also obviously for br playback (AnyDVD HD discounted)
There is a new revision (A2) of the 3008 out right now that will probably correct some of the issues. It also sports great interpolation features that make it the 1st choice for gamers that don´t own ultra expensive VGA Kit and those who simply need other resolutions than the native to look very good as well. You can always call DELL and strike a deal. Don´t pay the suggested retail.

[smogsy]

i find it funny that on dell.co.uk the 3007 or 3008 doesn't exist to buy on home section :eek:

lucky i can get from ocuk

[Jrb599]

Please don't spout rubbish.

The picture quality is far superior to any junk ass Dell monitor I've ever seen, and comparable NEC display is around double that price.

Apple do many things, but one of them is not ripping off their professional customers.

Also because they are not outwardly saying so, or changing the design, they are not using the same technology in the display that they were 2 years ago. The panels change on a regular basis, and the current panel is the same as the 30" Dell, except with a superior backlight.

Just an FYI to the OP, you can't use more than 1 external display with a Macbook.

Get the Cinema Display, you will not regret it.

You posted the rubbish. Apple offers ok quality at very high prices.

Samsung and Dell is what I would recommend.

[zmttoxics]

BTW to the OP, you can only use one external monitor with your MacBook and the only really viable resolution you could use is 1280x800 otherwise everything will be blurry and will be a pain on your eyes. I really would advise waiting until you buy your Mac Pro. For all we know, new ACDs will be out by then and you might prefer a matching display. If you buy an ACD with a Mac Pro and get Applecare all through the same purchase then the ACD is covered by the same 3 year extended warranty.

Lies. I use 1680x1050 on my macbook all the time, looks fantsatic.

[panoz7]

Lies. I use 1680x1050 on my macbook all the time, looks fantsatic.

I'm assuming you're using the 1680 x 1050 on a 20" monitor where it's the native resolution. On a 30" ACD the maximum resolution the macbook can drive is 1280 x 800 which is blurry enough on it's own since it's no where near the native resolution of the panel. Spanky Deluxe was suggesting that if you run the macbook at a different resolution then that, which on a 30" ACD has to be lower then 1280 x 800 since that's the max it will be even blurrier which is true.

[zmttoxics]

I'm assuming you're using the 1680 x 1050 on a 20" monitor where it's the native resolution. On a 30" ACD the maximum resolution the macbook can drive is 1280 x 800 which is blurry enough on it's own since it's no where near the native resolution of the panel. Spanky Deluxe was suggesting that if you run the macbook at a different resolution then that, which on a 30" ACD has to be lower then 1280 x 800 since that's the max it will be even blurrier which is true.

That doesn't make sense. You should be able to run a higher resolution then that, just keep the same aspec ratio as the 30". It might not look as pretty as native, but it will work. You cant tell me that it will ONLY run 1280x800. If there something in place to make macbooks default to that on ACDs, then I would never recommend one.

And its a 22" lcd.

[panoz7]

That doesn't make sense. You should be able to run a higher resolution then that, just keep the same aspec ratio as the 30". It might not look as pretty as native, but it will work. You cant tell me that it will ONLY run 1280x800. If there something in place to make macbooks default to that on ACDs, then I would never recommend one.

And its a 22" lcd.

Believe me or not it's true. Here's a screen shot of my 30" connected to my powerbook which doesn't support dual link:

http://accipitergallery.com/photos/Picture 1.png

I'm not sure why Apple decided to limit non-dual-link connections to 1280 x 800 but they did. From what I've read, and posted about earlier, the 30" dells don't have the same limit.

22" or 20"... you know what I meant. I'm not denying that your macbook can output at a higher resolution then 1280 x 800, just that it can't when connected to a 30" ACD.

[CWallace]

The MacBook should be able to drive a non-ACD 30" display to 1920x1200. It should be able to drive the ACD to that, as well, since it is a supported resolution for that display. :confused:

[JeffDM]

That doesn't make sense. You should be able to run a higher resolution then that, just keep the same aspec ratio as the 30". It might not look as pretty as native, but it will work. You cant tell me that it will ONLY run 1280x800. If there something in place to make macbooks default to that on ACDs, then I would never recommend one.

And its a 22" lcd.

I understand your skepticism, but it's true, I had the same experience too. My 30" monitor came in a day or two earlier than the Mac Pro, so I hooked it up to my PowerMac G5 with only a single link DVI, and I only got 1280x800. The same G5 could output 1920x1080 to a digital TV too. It's as if Apple skimped on a scaler in the display or something, because that's exactly half the resolution both vertical and horizontal, and the image was pixel doubled. If it was the 23" ACD, then I think it would work just fine at native pixels.

[Spanky Deluxe]

That doesn't make sense. You should be able to run a higher resolution then that, just keep the same aspec ratio as the 30". It might not look as pretty as native, but it will work. You cant tell me that it will ONLY run 1280x800. If there something in place to make macbooks default to that on ACDs, then I would never recommend one.

And its a 22" lcd.

Yes you can run it at in-between resolutions. In OS X you have to use custom resolutions but in Windows you can choose them to be what you want, the 30" ACD will accept pretty much anything. However, it looks rubbish at any resolution that can't be factored into 2560x1600.

I've just created the following image to show you what different resolutions look like on a 30" ACD (make sure to click on it to get the full scale larger resolution):

http://att.macrumors.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=122553&d=1215423855

Now, since I have font smoothing switched on (as anyone with an LCD will have), the letters all look quite smooth and the artefacting produced by the 'bad' resolutions aren't as pronounced in the text. You can really see it in the icons etc though. Running a 2560x1600 resolution screen at 1920x1200 looks *awful* and will probably hurt your eyes because its all so distorted. However, I would say that running games at 1920x1200 doesn't matter that much and in a way has the same affect as a bit of antialiasing. Work wise though, 1920x1200 is unusable on a 2560 screen. Take that from someone that is using a 30" ACD right now.

[amik]

I'm quite happy with my HP LP3065 and was able to get it for under $1,000 over 5 months ago. It may be even cheaper now.

[zmttoxics]

I understand your skepticism, but it's true, I had the same experience too. My 30" monitor came in a day or two earlier than the Mac Pro, so I hooked it up to my PowerMac G5 with only a single link DVI, and I only got 1280x800. The same G5 could output 1920x1080 to a digital TV too. It's as if Apple skimped on a scaler in the display or something, because that's exactly half the resolution both vertical and horizontal, and the image was pixel doubled. If it was the 23" ACD, then I think it would work just fine at native pixels.

Which graphics card do you have in your G5? I dont have 30" anything, so I am just wondering if mine WOULD do the samething as yours. Mine is a 6600LE dual dvi head (pcie).

This all sounds wonky about the dual versus single link dvi stuff on the 30" ACD. But I will have to take everyones word for it. So my question is, is it just on the ACD, or all 30" monitors?

[smogsy]

acd and many some others

dell does 1920x1200 with single link

[shiny-blanket]

Really don't know how long I can wait for the ACD update, I can get 35% off until August, should I bite the bullet. My current Dell (2407WFP-HC) colours drive me insane.

[JeffDM]

Which graphics card do you have in your G5? I dont have 30" anything, so I am just wondering if mine WOULD do the samething as yours. Mine is a 6600LE dual dvi head (pcie).

This all sounds wonky about the dual versus single link dvi stuff on the 30" ACD. But I will have to take everyones word for it. So my question is, is it just on the ACD, or all 30" monitors?

Just 30" ACD. No other brand or size has ever had that kind of thing.

Mine was the ATI 9700 or 9800, I forget the real numbers, it only had single link DVI. A card with a dual link DVI port will behave they way you'd expect, I think I have the AGP version of that card and it worked fine with the ACD 30".

[Spanky Deluxe]

All screens that support resolutions over 1900x1200 through DVI use dual-DVI connections. Single link DVI does not have enough bandwidth for 2560x1600 so you *must* use a dual link graphics card.

[JeffDM]

All screens that support resolutions over 1900x1200 through DVI use dual-DVI connections. Single link DVI does not have enough bandwidth for 2560x1600 so you *must* use a dual link graphics card.

I think everyone here understands that. That's not the issue.

The problem is that it makes intuitive sense that it should be able to "fall back" to 1920x1200 when there is a single link, not 1280x800. The 30" ACD does the second.

[Spanky Deluxe]

I think everyone here understands that. That's not the issue.

The problem is that it makes intuitive sense that it should be able to "fall back" to 1920x1200 when there is a single link, not 1280x800. The 30" ACD does the second.

No, OS X does that. The ACD can easily display 1920x1200. I've done it in Windows loads and I can set it to that in OS X too. Don't know why I've got it and nobody else apparently has, maybe its to do with the fact that I have an HD TV attached to my Mac too.

It looks aweful at 1920x1200 though. Awfully blurry and horrible. It would make my eyes sore after a while. I've only ever set it to that when I've decided to mirror my displays so that I can play WoW on the big TV or for full screen BBC iPlayer on my TV (since iPlayer seems to insist on only maximising on your primary display). In fact, most of the time I've changed it down to a 1920 resolution, its been 1920x1080 which is exactly as aweful as 1920x1200 on this screen, just with letterbox bars at the top and bottom.

If you run a computer LCD at anything other than its native resolution then you're insane.

[JeffDM]

No, OS X does that. The ACD can easily display 1920x1200. I've done it in Windows loads and I can set it to that in OS X too. Don't know why I've got it and nobody else apparently has, maybe its to do with the fact that I have an HD TV attached to my Mac too.


Does it display that when attached to a single link card? OS X did not show me any option higher than 1280x800 for any single link DVI connection to the 30". I've only seen 1920x1200 as an option when it's attached to a dual link DVI connection.

[Spanky Deluxe]

Does it display that when attached to a single link card? OS X did not show me any option higher than 1280x800 for any single link DVI connection to the 30". I've only seen 1920x1200 as an option when it's attached to a dual link DVI connection.

I don't know. To be honest, its more down to the graphics driver than anything else - similar to how some cards allow you to rotate your screen and some don't. There are tools, however, to enable custom resolutions. If you're determined in giving yourself a migraine, you'll be able to get the 1920x1200 resolution.

[kjs862]

I'd personally would pick up a second hand monitor for the mean time and just wait till Apple refreshes their cinema line.

[JeffDM]

I don't know. To be honest, its more down to the graphics driver than anything else - similar to how some cards allow you to rotate your screen and some don't. There are tools, however, to enable custom resolutions. If you're determined in giving yourself a migraine, you'll be able to get the 1920x1200 resolution.

Knowing for sure whether or not your connection was dual-link is an important detail here. If you don't know, then it's not a data point.

For me, it's not really necessary. I only wanted it for the one day that I had the monitor but not the dual-link computer that was on the same order. Though I do sometimes like to sit back a ways, and a lower resolution is needed to make that comfortable, and with a dual-link DVI connection, I can set 1920x1200, but not the one or two times I had tried it with a single link connection. It just seems so bizarre.

[Spanky Deluxe]

Knowing for sure whether or not your connection was dual-link is an important detail here. If you don't know, then it's not a data point.

I don't quite know what you mean there. With my Dual-Link DVI connection I can choose all of those resolutions. I've just plugged it into a Single-Link DVI port and it limits it to 1280x800. To enable 1920x1200 through Single-Link with a 30" ACD you'd have to use something like SwitchResX (http://www.madrau.com/html/SRX/About.html).

For me, it's not really necessary. I only wanted it for the one day that I had the monitor but not the dual-link computer that was on the same order. Though I do sometimes like to sit back a ways, and a lower resolution is needed to make that comfortable, and with a dual-link DVI connection, I can set 1920x1200, but not the one or two times I had tried it with a single link connection. It just seems so bizarre.

I've never found the need to reduce the resolution further back, its still fine for me at about a meter and a half, beyond which it becomes a bit unnatural a sitting position for me. Each to their own though.

I would say though to anyone considering buying a 30" screen, if you don't have a dual link graphics card, don't bother. Its not worth it. Its easy to think you'd like to get a 30" screen and then match it with a Mac Pro/MacBook Pro later on but you'd be better off waiting and purchasing them both at the same time. Now if you really can't wait, 1280x800 isn't an aweful resolution. Before getting my 30" ACD, I was using a 30" LCD TV as my computer monitor with a resolution of 1280x768. Switching to 2560x1600, however, was like wearing goggles underwater compared to without.

Back when I purchased my Mac Pro, I agonised for ages about whether to get a Mac Pro with the upgraded ATI graphics card and with extra RAM and get a 24" ACD or whether to skimp on the graphics card and the RAM and get the 30" ACD. I'm very happy I made the right decision. I upgraded the RAM a few months later when the prices had crashed and happily made do with the graphics card until now. Out of all the Apple products I own, this 30" ACD is probably my favourite.

[JeffDM]

I don't quite know what you mean there. With my Dual-Link DVI connection I can choose all of those resolutions. I've just plugged it into a Single-Link DVI port and it limits it to 1280x800.

That's exactly what we've been saying all along, what was so hard about it? It sounded like you didn't know what connection you were testing, and that detail was what we were discussing.

To enable 1920x1200 through Single-Link with a 30" ACD you'd have to use something like SwitchResX (http://www.madrau.com/html/SRX/About.html).

Thanks. I don't understand why this is necessary in order to max out a single link connection.


I've never found the need to reduce the resolution further back, its still fine for me at about a meter and a half, beyond which it becomes a bit unnatural a sitting position for me. Each to their own though.

My desk is probably a little different, it has considerable depth. Maybe my eyes aren't that great, I can read it, but the text is a bit small for comfortable reading.

[sash]

I'd go for 2 Apple 30" (especially with your budget). The only thing which would bother me at the moment, is the fact that Apple displays have not been upgraded for a long time, so their upgrade in some near future is quite possible.

sash

[supercooled]

My Mini is connected to my 30" Dell at 1920x1200 with a single link DVI cord, FYI.

I feared that it would be restricted to 1280x800 when I bought my Mini last week but luckily that is not the case.