Actual iMac screen sizes?

[Tumbleweed666]

Could someone, pretty please, post the actual screen size for their 20 and 24 inch screens please, the Apple store only says the actual whole iMac size and when I phoned Apple they couldn't tell me, just they they were 20 and 24 inch diagonal!! I am trying to compare to my 15 x 12, 19inch LCD on my current PC, I get the impression the 20 inch might be a similar height?
I have searched in here and couldnt find anything.
Looking to order before the weekend and cant get to a store before then and am swaying between 20/24. If there was a 22 that's the one I'd get for sure :-)

[JayLenochiniMac]

For some people, 24" isn't an option. However, if you're swaying between 20/24, definitely get the 24" (if only for the superior panel).

[MTI]

20-inch iMac
Height:18.5 inches (46.9 cm)
Width:19.1 inches (48.5 cm)
Depth:7.4 inches (18.9 cm)
Weight:20 pounds (9.1 kg)1

24-inch iMac
Height:20.5 inches (52.0 cm)
Width:22.4 inches (56.9 cm)
Depth:8.1 inches (20.7 cm)
Weight:25.4 pounds (11.5 kg)

The 20/24" indicates the viewable LCD image size, measured diagonally.

[SnowLeopard2008]

For some people, 24" isn't an option. However, if you're swaying between 20/24, definitely get the 24" (if only for the superior panel).


I'm not sure the superior LCD panel argument works for the newer iMacs. I remember the old iMacs, the LCD panels varied from the 20" to 24" but both were excellent panels.

[Tumbleweed666]

20-inch iMac
Height:18.5 inches (46.9 cm)
Width:19.1 inches (48.5 cm)
Depth:7.4 inches (18.9 cm)
Weight:20 pounds (9.1 kg)1

24-inch iMac
Height:20.5 inches (52.0 cm)
Width:22.4 inches (56.9 cm)
Depth:8.1 inches (20.7 cm)
Weight:25.4 pounds (11.5 kg)

The 20/24" indicates the viewable LCD image size, measured diagonally.

MTI, thanks but those figures are not the size of the actual viewable screen, just the size of the whole iMac including the bit below the screen and the borders surrounding it. I know that, say 24 inches is the diagonal, what I am looking for is the horizontal and the vertical sizes of the screen that go along with that. For example, my 19 inch PC screen has dimensions of roughly 15 x 12. If 20.5 x 22.4 was the size of the "24" inch iMac screen , then (unless Pythagoras was wrong) it would actually be a 30 inch on the diagonal, screen, not 24 inch :-)

[nutman]

find the aspect ratio for the monitor and do some logarithms on it. i am not too sure but i think it is 10:9.

[czachorski]

My 24" viewable area is:

24" diagonally
20.25" x 12.75" horizontal x vertical

From Apple, the native resolutions are:

Resolution
20-inch model: 1680 by 1050 pixels
24-inch models: 1920 by 1200 pixels

So both have a 16:10 aspect ratio. By scaling my 24" measurements, it can therefore be deduced that the 20" has the following viewable area:

20" diagonally
16.9" x 10.6" horizontal x vertical

If someone with a 20" could pop a ruler on their screen and verify, I am sure the OP would appreciate it.

[Scarlet Fever]

find the aspect ratio for the monitor and do some logarithms on it. i am not too sure but i think it is 10:9.

it's 16:10 for widescreen computer displays, and 16:9 for widescreen TVs.

[frazzm737]

Just got out the ruler--my 20" iMac has a viewable screen area of 17" x 10 3/4"--that is the area inside the black border.

[MTI]

I was at the local Apple store on Saturday and pondered whether the 24" panel was going to be "too big" given the desktop distance, so I compared it with the 20" (located on other side of the store, of course) and after demo-ing it with multiple apps/windows and a iTunes movie . . . the 24" is the clear winner, at least for me.

[JayLenochiniMac]

I'm not sure the superior LCD panel argument works for the newer iMacs. I remember the old iMacs, the LCD panels varied from the 20" to 24" but both were excellent panels.

What do you mean the argument doesn't work for the newer iMacs? The new 20" has TN film panel and the new 24" has H-IPS panel. The old white iMacs have either IPS or MVA panels (both superior to TN film) in the 20" and 24" screen sizes (only the 17" had TN film).

[Tumbleweed666]

My 24" viewable area is:

24" diagonally
20.25" x 12.75" horizontal x vertical

From Apple, the native resolutions are:



So both have a 16:10 aspect ratio. By scaling my 24" measurements, it can therefore be deduced that the 20" has the following viewable area:

20" diagonally
16.9" x 10.6" horizontal x vertical

If someone with a 20" could pop a ruler on their screen and verify, I am sure the OP would appreciate it.

Excellent, thank you very much czachorski, looks like I'll be getting the 24 inch :)

[iamthedudeman]

What do you mean the argument doesn't work for the newer iMacs? The new 20" has TN film panel and the new 24" has H-IPS panel. The old white iMacs have either IPS or MVA panels (both superior to TN film) in the 20" and 24" screen sizes (only the 17" had TN film).

Actually, we don't really know the specs on the 20' or the 24' panels. We don't know if the 20' is a TN or not, it is a new panel with a model number of
AUOptronics M302EW02, as far as specs who knows but apple and AUO. Same goes for the 24'. We don't currently know who makes the panel in the 2009 model.

I own both models and I cannot tell a difference in quality other than the screen size. Brightness is about the same also. The 2009 20' panel looks far superior to it's 2008 counterpart.

[Arne]

My 24" viewable area is:

24" diagonally
20.25" x 12.75" horizontal x vertical

From Apple, the native resolutions are:



So both have a 16:10 aspect ratio. By scaling my 24" measurements, it can therefore be deduced that the 20" has the following viewable area:

20" diagonally
16.9" x 10.6" horizontal x vertical

If someone with a 20" could pop a ruler on their screen and verify, I am sure the OP would appreciate it.

well I don't have a 20" but you are right if I didn't make a mistake calculating it using sin, cos and tan (and I'm shure I didn't ;) )

[JayLenochiniMac]

Actually, we don't really know the specs on the 20' or the 24' panels. We don't know if the 20' is a TN or not, it is a new panel with a model number of
AUOptronics M302EW02, as far as specs who knows but apple and AUO. Same goes for the 24'. We don't currently know who makes the panel in the 2009 model.

I own both models and I cannot tell a difference in quality other than the screen size. Brightness is about the same also. The 2009 20' panel looks far superior to it's 2008 counterpart.

From Tech Specs on Apple's iMac site:

Typical viewing angle
20-inch model:
160° horizontal
160° vertical

24-inch models:
178° horizontal
178° vertical

They are the same as the 2008 counterparts and strongly suggestive of TN film vs IPS. Brightness is still not the same according to tech specs. How do you know you're not looking at a better quality TN film panel in the 2009 20"? If you visit the MacBook Air forum, people there regularly knock the MacBook screen as being vastly inferior to the MBA screen despite being the same panel type.

[Tumbleweed666]

Could someone, pretty please, post the actual screen size for their 20 and 24 inch screens please, the Apple store only says the actual whole iMac size and when I phoned Apple they couldn't tell me, just they they were 20 and 24 inch diagonal!! I am trying to compare to my 15 x 12, 19inch LCD on my current PC, I get the impression the 20 inch might be a similar height?
I have searched in here and couldnt find anything.
Looking to order before the weekend and cant get to a store before then and am swaying between 20/24. If there was a 22 that's the one I'd get for sure :-)

UPDATE 2 WEEKS LATER - I am SO glad I got the 24 inch rather than the 20. Arrived this morning, just unpacked it, up and running within 5 minutes, beautiful.