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 ...
OK, running for the tape measure to see if I have room. NICE!!
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1 30 ACD or 2 23 ACD?
- Thread starter mmccaskill
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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 ...
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!
That would be awesome. 2 30 ACDs. Rock!
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
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.
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.
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.
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?
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).
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).
I agree with you on most points. I 'started' with
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
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.
C'est bien Malfoy, c'est bien!
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) ...
Any idea how many people on Mac Rumors have the holy grail of three? You seen / heard of many people boasting about it?
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) ...
Any idea how many people on Mac Rumors have the holy grail of three? You seen / heard of many people boasting about it?
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.
Your setup sounds interesting, I'd love to see it, have you got any photos of it?
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.
Tiger. Does that make a difference? Or does that mean it came from a warehouse that has been sitting there before Leopard came out?