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23" Cinema Display for MBP or new iMac?

A

advocation

macrumors member
Original poster
Oct 18, 2006
94
0
Yeovil, UK
I currently have a 2nd Gen MPB, 2.33, 2gig Ram, 15" Screen etc.. It has been perfect for what I have needed to do, the portability has been great, the power has been fantastic, and as my first mac after the switch I have been highly impressed!

I'm coming to the stage in a couple of months where I'm going to have my own desk at home that I will be able to work on, so I was wondering, which is better, getting a 20" iMac (or whatever they come out with between now and then), or getting a 23" Cinema display and running it from my Macbook Pro as a second screen..

I suppose the bottom line is that I just need more screen real estate!!

Have any of you had experience with this? Any suggestions?
 
i would go for the iMac (in fact i did:p )

the problem with getting an external screen is that you'll have two screens in front of you (the open mbp and the ACD)...that would get annoying, but is just me

it may be an ego thing, but i like having two mac at home:)
(or maybe i'm compensating for having slow PC's all my life?)

EDIT: you could always get a keyboard and mouse to plug into the mbp and have it closed as you do your stuff :p
 
I just bought a new MBP, but I've already got a 24" screen. It's very nice and I'm looking forward to using it with my MBP. Now, a new 20" imac will run you 1500, and a 23" apple cinema will cost 900. Well, I bought my screen 9 months ago on craigslist for 650 and I love it. It's a dell. Thing is, both dell and apple actually use samsung screens to make their monitors. So your really getting a pretty similar product. Plus, you get a few more bells and whistles with the dell. Very adjustable and there are storage card ports. So my suggestion is buy a dell screen and save a little.
 
If it's just a case of only wanting/needing a bigger screen, then go for the external monitor.

If, however, you are confident that you could make good use a desktop and a laptop, go for the iMac.
 
The iMac would be a little bit more expensive, but you'd get better value for the money. Two people could use the computers at once (not just for the next few months of your desk project, but for years), you'd have a backup solution in case anything happened, you would be able to connect the iMac to your speaker system if possible (or maybe your whole AV system), you would likely find better performance on the iMac (depending on model/graphics/etc), and if you used the iMac 25% of the time, that would be 25% less stress on your MBP, resulting in more longevity/less battery cycles used/etc.

The only scenario where it would make more sense to get the 23" Apple or 24" Dell (2407WFP or something?), would be if you plan on a Mac Pro in the next 6-12 months as your desktop... because then you'd have to buy the display anyway. But unless you need a lot of INTERNAL drives or you're doing some serious rendering and number-crunching, the MP would be overkill obviously.

So I say the iMac, for a few hundy more you get double the Mac.
 
why a cinema display?

i love apple... but their displays are way overpriced.

you can get a dell or samsung LCD for a few hundred cheaper.

as for the imac, it sounds like you don't *need* another computer, so why buy one? and it's not like the imac would be an upgrade, the specs are about the same. what would you be gaining? but with a monitor, you'd save lots...
 
poke4christ said:
I just bought a new MBP, but I've already got a 24" screen. It's very nice and I'm looking forward to using it with my MBP. Now, a new 20" imac will run you 1500, and a 23" apple cinema will cost 900. Well, I bought my screen 9 months ago on craigslist for 650 and I love it. It's a dell. Thing is, both dell and apple actually use samsung screens to make their monitors. So your really getting a pretty similar product. Plus, you get a few more bells and whistles with the dell. Very adjustable and there are storage card ports. So my suggestion is buy a dell screen and save a little.
Click to expand...

amc382 said:
i love apple... but their displays are way overpriced.

you can get a dell or samsung LCD for a few hundred cheaper.

as for the imac, it sounds like you don't *need* another computer, so why buy one? and it's not like the imac would be an upgrade, the specs are about the same. what would you be gaining? but with a monitor, you'd save lots...
Click to expand...

Don't know what you are using it for, but don't be fooled. Yes the Apple displays are more, but they don't use the same panels as the Dells. That is why most print, photo, and video professionals use Apple displays, b/c of the color. Do a search, there are quite a few threads on IPA and IPS panels and the difference.

All that said, I would get the iMac.

1. Using two screens can be a pain, especially if you don't elevate the MBP and get a mouse and keyboard. Otherwise as you move from one screen to the other you also go up and down. There is a good stand for this though that solves most of the problem.

2. For the price difference you get a 2nd Mac.

3. That 2nd Mac give you a 250GB HDD to use for you media library since your MBP HDD is smaller.

4. If you are planning on waiting, you can either get the current 20" for a steal (MacMall or MacZones sell off old designs for several hundred less), or new upgraded design and specs in a new 20".

5. Who knows when the Cinema Displays will see an update, so you may end up buying relatively old hardware and specs.
 
dude... all LCD's are basically made in 4 factories somewhere in korea.

professionals use apple displays because they're ordering an apple to begin with, and it's just easier to get it all from one place. besides, it's not their money anyway.
 
amc382 said:
dude... all LCD's are basically made in 4 factories somewhere in korea.

professionals use apple displays because they're ordering an apple to begin with, and it's just easier to get it all from one place. besides, it's not their money anyway.
Click to expand...

Perhaps some do, but you have to keep in mind the different types of panels used; these days S-IPS panels are more expensive, but offer better color accuracy etc. and, for instance, the Dell 2407 does not use an S-IPS panel, while the Apple 23" ACD does.

Apple's displays are of pretty good quality, not as perfect as the very high end, but a decent middle. The discount brands are fine for most folks, but you can't just say Apple only sells displays because they're ordered from the same webpage as their macintosh computers.
 
I can't understand either of the two posts above that say "using two screens can be a pain". Really? Have you a lot of experience with dual screen setups or are you just talking out of your backside? Apologies if not, it's just that most people who use two screens seem to love it - me included.

And it's a reasonable assumption that anyone who's choosing between an iMac or a second screen to use at home, on a desk, complementary to a powerful laptop like a MBP, will probably also opt to spend $100 on a full-size keyboard and mouse to go with it, allowing them to just plug in the laptop, choose whatever screen configuration that's wanted want - mirrored, dual with main screen on the external etc - and off you go.

To the OP, if it's just the screen real estate you want, just get the screen. Cheaper, easier, just as good unless you badly want a second computer.

Also consider (if you have the space) spending as much on a screen as you would on an iMac. You can get a pretty decent screen for $1600. Even the new HDCP 30" Dell I believe... (or whatever it's called..).

Edit: Just realised that the OP already has a wireless keyboard and mouse....
 
AlBDamned said:
I can't understand either of the two posts above that say "using two screens can be a pain". Really? Have you a lot of experience with dual screen setups or are you just talking out of your backside? Apologies if not, it's just that most people who use two screens seem to love it - me included.

And it's a reasonable assumption that anyone who's choosing between an iMac or a second screen to use at home, on a desk, complementary to a powerful laptop like a MBP, will probably also opt to spend $100 on a full-size keyboard and mouse to go with it, allowing them to just plug in the laptop, choose whatever screen configuration that's wanted want - mirrored, dual with main screen on the external etc - and off you go.

To the OP, if it's just the screen real estate you want, just get the screen. Cheaper, easier, just as good unless you badly want a second computer.

Also consider (if you have the space) spending as much on a screen as you would on an iMac. You can get a pretty decent screen for $1600. Even the new HDCP 30" Dell I believe... (or whatever it's called..).

Edit: Just realised that the OP already has a wireless keyboard and mouse....
Click to expand...

I have two screens, but I rarely go dual-setup. It's nice for desktop PC's, but for notebooks I have noted it's kind of a hassle. There really isn't anything I couldn't do on 1 screen that I'd want to do for 2. The resolution differences, plugging in an extra screen, that lag, needing to hook up keyboard/mouse, needing to have a desk with ample space, laptop stand, etc., get to be a hassle if I wasn't doing anything other than digital photo editing.

I've even brought most of my Logic Pro work onto the laptop screen. If I'm doing a big project I'll hook up the monitor, but that's maybe once every other week or so.
 
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