Best Monitor for Mac mini setup.

[nyprospect]

Hi guys.Well after all the alarming news about the new imacs,i am considering a mac mini and a monitor.Ok i have an acer monitor.Its a tn panel.Its fine,but.Is there a better monitor out there to be used with a mini?Im sure there is but..what would you spend for a monitor to use with a mini.I'm sorry about the structure of this question.help me

[edesignuk]

There's always a "better" monitor, just depends on what you're willing to pay for it.

You can hook up pretty much anything to a mini providing it doesn't require dual-link DVI.

So, what's your budget?

[kaidomac]

You can use any monitor up to 1920x1200. Currently the largest LCD I've seen with that resolution is the 27" Dell monitor, which has a nice silver lining that matches the Mini. You can go bigger if you get a 1080p LCD or Plasma Television. I just picked up a 24" Dell, which was on sale for $569 ($330 cheaper than the Apple 23" LCD!). It's the new "HC" model (High Color?) that has really good colors (92% color gamut etc.). I would definitely recommend this model, it's awesome!

[Tara Davis]

Originally Posted by nyprospect

Hi guys.Well after all the alarming news about the new imacs,i am considering a mac mini and a monitor.Ok i have an acer monitor.Its a tn panel.Its fine,but.Is there a better monitor out there to be used with a mini?Im sure there is but..what would you spend for a monitor to use with a mini.I'm sorry about the structure of this question.help me

What alarming news? That it's a much better deal than a mini + monitor if you need a complete desktop system?

I have two minis, but only because I'm using them for headless applications. If I needed a monitors with those systems, I would have bought iMacs and enjoyed not only top-notch LCDs, but significantly better specs.

[nyprospect]

I just went to bestbuy online and they are selling white imacs all sizes.Would any of you purchase an old imac or the new imac?

[OldCorpse]

You need to weigh the good and the bad. The white iMacs have a better screen, but the AL iMacs are better in every other way.

Personally, I'm waiting. I think the AL are still too new, there are a lot of bugs to be worked out. I'll wait until they have a better screen too. And I don't want to buy a white iMac, since they really are limited at 3GB RAM for the kind of work I want to do on them.

In fact, I thought you had the right idea - mini + monitor... except you don't already have a monitor, which makes the deal less great financially (FWIW, the Dell monitors give you the best bang for the buck).

If you really need a computer, I'd go with the AL iMac, just be prepared to return it in case the screen is defective (a lot of them are).

[FatSweatyBlldog]

The mini is a great machine, that is actually adequate for most users.

Your acer monitor will obviously work with the mini, but as pointed out, either the Dell 20'' (2007WFP) or the new 24'' are great monitors, with good support.

There's any number of reasons why someone might prefer a mini over an iMac, cost being just one of the them.

[supersize]

I am actually looking to sell a Dell 24" monitor soon if your interested PM me.

[PNW]

It really depends on what you want to use the computer for and what you mean by "better". If you are really wanting more real estate, you aren't likely to be happy with the acer, whereas if you just think you might want better specs you may find they aren't worth the money. We have a mini as our common computer. It's hooked up to a cheap 17" flat panel and is perfect for surfing the web, email, calendar, and music. There is always a better option but in this case we wanted the small size and would never realize the advantages of a higher end monitor. On the other hand I was happy to shell out $$ for better monitors for my digital darkroom box.

Things to consider:
If you get a white iMac you will get a more powerfull computer than the current mini for less $ than a current mini plus equivalent monitor.
Obviously with the new iMac you'll get even more computer though you'll also spend even more money.
Just buying the mini is your cheapest option, and you can always get a "better" monitor later if the acer doesn't work out.

[ADent]

The best monitor for you mini would be an Apple 23" Cinema display.

The Dell's are very good - and several others use the same glass.

I on the other hand went for the 24" Acer for $299. I bought a mini to save (a MacPro would be the best mac) and so I bought an affordable monitor to go with my affordable computer.

[danysl]

I have a BenQ FP93V, there is also a widescreen version,
it´s white and has a stand that fits the mini.
check it out here,
http://www.benq.com/products/LCD/?product=599