I use two 30" monitors in my shop and LOVE them both. I highly recommend both of these.
One you know, the Apple 30" cinema display, the other the HP LP3065.
Let me compare them for you.
The ACD 30" is by no means a "bad buy" in this day and age for print production and general use. It uses the very high quality Phillips panel and has very solid SWOP (Standard Offset Press) certification built in from the factory. This is no small achievement and very important for print work. Very few monitors achieve this. One can calibrate other monitors to achieve this but here's why I use love the ACD in this regard: I can tell our print sensitive clients that our monitors are SWOP certified. If a client has a color issue (I've only had one in 20 years) with a project, and you wind up in dispute, it is nice to have a certified product, certified by an industry governing standard, when disputing this issue. This holds up well in a court of law; Judges get this regardless of the real-world implications of other factors regarding color management. I regard SWOP certification as insurance for offset printing work.
The ACD is a bit old in terms of color gamut and brightness. If you have a newer Apple MacBook or MacBook Pro the ACD 30 is brighter, crisper and sharper with better colors but it does not match the higher gamut 30" monitors now on the market (more on this in minute with the HP LP3065). These higher gamut monitors are outstanding for video production and playback, for gaming and for website display (providing the site is well built). HOWEVER, and this is big 'however,' these higher gamut monitors are very difficult to use for accurate color reproduction in print work, which it sounds like you do not do, so this is not an issue. High gamut monitors can be calibrated down but we have found that the colors always look better on screen than they do in print. This is an issue. Especially if one 'soft-proofs' a job for a client, which we do often.
The ACD shines in this area. Out of the box its color represent the Offset Printing color gamut; this monitor was built for this color space. And it works well for video, and general web surfing as well, the colors are just not as vibrant and bright but they still look really nice.
In 2009, print work is declining a bit, web and video are rapidly on the rise. The HP LP3065 shines in these areas. The colors are simply vibrant, saturated and stunning. HD video looks outstanding. This panel is not the best for gaming (but like me, this is not your thing) but it plays video really well. Websites look great too. Brightness is fantastic; Applications like you and I use with a lot of pallets look stunning and are easy to work in.
I love the HP LP3065. Love it. I really like the ACD 30" as well.
Which one looks better externally? The Apple Cinema Display of course. Hands down. But the HP 3065 certainly holds its own; It is no visual slouch. What it lacks in refinement, it makes up in vibrant color. If you focus on displaying a high gamut image when your clients visit you can make up for the lack of that Apple brushed aluminum appeal somewhat. But that Mac Pro / ACD brushed combination is a real stunner!
Yes, the Apple is at a loss when it comes to adjustability. I have seen machined, brushed aluminum risers that help with the height adjustment but they are not cheap.
In the end, I recommend both of these panels. There are others now that rival and possibly slightly exceed the HP in terms of gamut (color range) but I have no personal experience with them and cannot accurately recommend these monitors. If I were to buy another 30" right now today, I would buy either the Apple 30" or the HP LP3065. None of the other monitors I have seen can rival the ACD's aesthetic look.
You can find a lot of reviews on the HP LP3065 via Google -- it gets really high marks, is affordable but keeps a "low profile." I think HP markets this for the high end corporate environment as opposed to the general consumer market.
I prefer the matte surface panels like the two above to the new glossy coated surfaces. Matte is better for print and has less glare and puts less strain on the eyes when working. Gloss does make the colors POP a bit more. Neither of the two panels above have a gloss surface but some newer 30" panels do.
(my choice was the ACD)
