ACDs isnt it about time?

Answer for #2: Dell UltraSharp. Their 20" is S-IPS, the 24" is pretty decent, and their 30" is better with more ports; all of them support HDCP.

Comparison from 2 years ago:
http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10442_7-6470175-1.html

zoran said:

...and those Ultra Sharp Dell displays, are they better than ACDs, in what ways?

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They have similar (if not identical) panels in the 20" and 30" models and support significantly more inputs beyond just DVI, including DisplayPort, HMDI, Component, and others. The only thing they lack compared to the ACDs is acting as a FireWire hub.

The 24" has an S-PVA panel, so it will not have as good color accuracy as the 23" ACD, but I don't need that (I don't do color matching work) so I bought they Dell 24" for all the extra inputs.

As to why Apple has taken so long to update the ACDs, they don't feel a need since they do not support commercially pressed Blu-Ray or HD-DVD movie playback (without third-party support) so there is no need for HDCP or HDMI in Apple's view so they see no need to update the ACDs to support it at this time.

ggjstudios said:

Comparison from 2 years ago:
http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-10442_7-6470175-1.html

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And the featureset of the Dell monitors have improved since then.

It's pretty pathetic. ACD's were introduced in 2004, with a single minor update in 2006 increasing brightness. $900 for a 23" monitor is a rip off no matter how you try spinning it.

The acd is a rip off for the average user looking for a do everything screen.
It fills a small but very needy and specialized niche market. For some it's a very good value compared to some extreme high end monitors

What can you update on the acd? I'm not sure if the specs could be bumped much more. response times are usually slower for this type of panel. Dell claims a faster response time but their measurement is measured from grey to grey. Apple has a much longer time, because they measure black to white.

Brightness could possibly be bumped, but like the 23' at 700 is not really that bad.

Led would drive the price way up, so not yet.

Hdcp? Not until apple is ready to roll out blue ray and that wont happen until macworld 09. If were lucky!

rpaloalto said:

The acd is a rip off for the average user looking for a do everything screen.

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While true, that really applies to any S-IPS/H-IPS screen, so Apple is not alone. The S-PVA panel is a better choice in terms of it's overall ability to handle a variety of tasks (and where it falters, calibration can help narrow the gap) and this is why it is popular in the current generation of displays with panels between 20-28".

aaquib said:

$900 for a 23" monitor is a rip off no matter how you try spinning it.

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Er. An Eizo 22" ColorEdge is between US$1400 and $1500. These are displays for those who need the quality; the ACD is a reasonable substitute.

Alright. waited long enough. Going to pick up a 30" ACD tonight.

aaquib said:

It's pretty pathetic. ACD's were introduced in 2004, with a single minor update in 2006 increasing brightness. $900 for a 23" monitor is a rip off no matter how you try spinning it.

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Errrrggg -- Wrong pick another number and try again.

That 23" is a good value for the money if you need an S-IPS panel. If not, you are looking at the wrong technology for your needs.

But it is NOT a "rip-off."

would a 30 inch ACD...

... at $750 be considered a good buy considering the lack of ports and overall age of the unit?

dante@sisna.com said:

Errrrggg -- Wrong pick another number and try again.

That 23" is a good value for the money if you need an S-IPS panel. If not, you are looking at the wrong technology for your needs.

But it is NOT a "rip-off."

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Exactly right! The ACDs are awesome and, for their target market, very good value. I'm glad Apple aren't updating them just for the sake of updating them: if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Phil A. said:

Exactly right! The ACDs are awesome and, for their target market, very good value. I'm glad Apple aren't updating them just for the sake of updating them: if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

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Well, that's inspirational. " Apple, just good enough."

I wonder how many monitor sales Apple has lost to NEC, HP and Dell over the last year. No wonder they removed computer from their corporate name.

Westsider 4 Mac said:

... at $750 be considered a good buy considering the lack of ports and overall age of the unit?

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Someones offered you a 30" ACD for 750 bucks? Take it.

Bubba Satori said:

Well, that's inspirational. " Apple, just good enough."

I wonder how many monitor sales Apple has lost to NEC, HP and Dell over the last year. No wonder they removed computer from their corporate name.

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I suspect A LOT. Dells and NEC represent very good value for money to performance ratio. Plus in terms of specs right now, the pros have moved on from the ACDs.

nick9191 said:

Someones offered you a 30" ACD for 750 bucks? Take it.

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If someone offers you an ACD for that price, and the warranty's over. Do not take it. Probably something wrong there.

I'm holding off

I don't know why this always happens to me but whenever I buy something and like a month or 2 later they come out with a new one, theirs alot of talk about the new cinema displays like built-in iSight, HDMI connection, LED-Backlit, OLED and touch screen, I think their all just rumors and people are just speculating, but I want a 30-Inch right now but willing to wait until the next special event that Apple has, Their are also talks about Apple may change up the displays when Intel Nehalem comes out and Apple may change the Mac Pro case for that and then upgrade the cinema display but this is what i been hearing in some forums but yet again it just speculating, all this rumors and speculations is getting to me and don't want to purchase a 30-inch right now I'm willing to wait a bit but I don't know how long I can hold off, I tryed to look for Product enhancement request for the Cinema Display on apple.com but they don't have a feedback on displays wonder why? but if any of you know how to get feedback on displays and if everyone write a feedback to Apple about the display maybe Apple may listen? but if Apple doesn't hurry at least by the end of this year to update the Cinema Displays that Dell 3008WFP looks mighty tempting.

If you seriously need an IPS panel now Apple is probably your only option unless you want to spend much more $$. For normal consumer use the Apple displays are too expensive. I just want their hardware to be HDCP ready.

zoran said:

So what are the differences between that eizo and the ACD, why is it worth purchasing it for?

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Image quality and reproduction from edge to edge, wide viewing angles, five year guarantee. Not some spurious useless spec for designers or photographer like response time. Eizo displays are well worth their price to those who know what the brand stands for.

If I could currently afford one, I would get one without hesitation. I've been waiting for new ACDs for some time but the current stand and the lack of HD connectivity are deal-killers for me. A monitor of this quality should reasonably have a five-year lifespan; the current ACDs aren't really designed to be future-proof to 2013, in my opinion.

Good resource: http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.aspx?catid=31&threadid=2049206

Personally I'm looking at the DoubleSight 25.5" right now. H-IPS panel, and the latest versions supposedly have a polarizer (like the NEC 2690 or 2490) for better blacks, which the ACD lacks.

zoran said:

Im gonna be very disappointed if Apple doesn't introduce new ACDs tomorrow. Its been too long since there has been no change except for a few minor specs! Their price hasn't dropped significantly and still is higher than the competition. Whats wrong with you Apple?

1. Do you have anything up the sleeve or is it just Apple policy never to lower prices to much?

2. What is it out there from other vendors that matches or overcomes those ACDs? Give me names people, and comparing tests with ACDs!

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Just get the ACD. Yeah i know they dont have HCDP. Also im pretty sure your Mac doesnt have a blue ray drive. What other connections do you need?
Let's be honest here. When you wake up on a beautiful sunday morning and you walk into your office...what monitor will make you smile? A black and huge dell or a slick and silver ACD?
Weird i know, but thats how i convinced myself to get the ACD over any other monitor!
Call me what you want

Don't But A Cinema Display Yet.....

Here is a link that HP has made a one billion colors 24-inch display that uses a back-lit display and I guess Apple will be next I hope

http://www.macworld.com/article/133875/2008/06/lp2480zxdisplay.html