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Anyone else peeved that the 27" Display isn't the same height as 27" iMac?

I'm actually just about to make the switch (lifelong Windows user) and this issue has me peeved as well.

For one thing the specs are actually not sufficient to be 100% certain what the panel to panel height offset actually is. The specs list the chassis dimensions, but not the height from the base, at least none of the specs that I could find.

For me, this is a big deal - I've run dual monitors for almost 10 years, and for me, having the screens match is as close to a religious belief as I have. The iMac (i7) + ACD is basically at the middle of my performance needs/wants and the high end of my price range. The cheapest Mac Pro configuration with dual ACD would blow my budget.

Before anyone (helpfully) suggests it, I have done my pricing assuming that I would get my iMac with base RAM and upgrade to 12 or 16 myself afterwards.

As I see it, I (and anyone in my situation) have the following options:
  • Give up on the iMac + ACD combo
  • Learn to live with it
  • Ditch the original stands and go VESA mount on both
  • Work with other similar users to do a group buy on an aluminum spacer for the bottom of the ACD stand that would match the design, and raise it the needed height for an exact match

I'm most interested in the last option, and consider the third option a worthy fallback if there is a lack of interest and/or the price would wind up being prohibitive.

In the meantime, I'm still on the lookout for someone that actually owns both devices right now and has been so helpful as to post a picture of them side by side, so that I can see for myself.
 
I think part of the problem is that the footprint of the 27 ACD and iMac base is somewhat small for the weight and size of the device it's supporting. The Dell U2711 is height adjustable, but its base has a much larger footprint. The 27" ACD would probably be unstable if the stand was any taller with the existing base area. I've read users' concerns about the stability of this stand. Also, the ACD uses the same stand as the iMac, so a new height adjustable design would add to the cost.
 
I was peeved too

but I found that all you need is a .825 inch stand for the 27" apple display to get aligned perfect with the 27" imac...

There is no display stand that I have found yet...but I am still looking...I just used a book...

Hope that helps...
 

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I just find it funny that we're talking about people who've spent somewhere north of $2500 where a relatively inexpensive dual monitor stand would solve the issue and be much cleaner on the desk as well.
 
jenzjen said:
I just find it funny that we're talking about people who've spent somewhere north of $2500 where a relatively inexpensive dual monitor stand would solve the issue and be much cleaner on the desk as well.
Click to expand...

This is an Apple forum, how does this surprise you?

"I just spent $500 on an iPad, what do you MEAN a case is another $40?"

"I just spend $400 on an iPhone plus an expensive 2 year contract, how do I pirate software so I don't have to spend $0.99 on Angry Birds?"
 
27" iMac owner here

I do own a 27" iMac and I must admit if the two would have lined up exactly then I certainly would have purchased one. At the moment Im 'making do' without.

Most likely I will go for a height adjustable Dell or the like, I do wish either the 27" ACD matched up height wise or preferably was height adjustable. Since the ACDs have always been fixed height (for as long as I can remember) I would have just been happy with it lining up with the iMac.

As for the comments above, when Apple put so much thought into their industrial designs and user centered experience it is a shame they made this (albeit small) oversight, for the sake of less than an inch they could have made an excellent stand alone unit for portables and MPs / Mac Minis or a perfect companion for the 27" iMac.
 
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My OCD gets to me in situations like this. I've already decided that when I upgrade to a dual monitor setup, I'm just going to spend the extra $200 on the base model 27" iMac to use as a secondary monitor so that the look will maintain a mirror symmetry. lol
 
Actually have this configuration

Greetings! First time poster, long time lurker here.

I actually just purchased the 27" ACD to expand my 27" iMac. My 23" ACD was just too puny, so off to the mother-in-law it goes! I grabbed a ruler, and the height difference is more like 1.125" (measured from the top). The colors also didn't match (even with the same color profile and white point), but a quick full calibration took care of that.

Regarding the stability of the ACD, I have no fear of instability, even if I jack the stand up an inch or so. The trick here is to find something of just the right height that's aluminum-like. You know, to look pretty. Even with the (significant) height difference, the identical pixel density is making it quite nice to move things across the screens.

I have been considering mounting both devices on the desk with a dual monitor stand, but I find it quite acceptable as-is. And as nice as a height-adjustable stand would have been, the ACD would have looked disproportionate with a taller stand.

So I guess my opinion is this: the height difference is not a deal-breaker. The ACD and iMac work very well together. And a 1.125" block of anything solid is not a large price to pay for a beautiful pair of screens.
 

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I do not need a 2nd monitor for my iMac... but I do think that this is a sloppy lack of detail from a company which generally has the highest level of detail of any company that I know.

/Jim
 
How is an increase of .95 inches on the aluminum base of the Cinema Display something that was not considered to make it match the imac?

We're not talking a new housing, and new bezel, new glass, nothing.

less than 1 more inch of height on the base. Having the screen be .95 inches taller wouldn't matter to MBP users - it would just put the screen at the same height as the iMac. So really, if they thought the viewing situation of the iMac was good, then the display should have been just as good!

=|
 
This doesn't make sense to be honest. You aren't considering that if they matched it up with the display then they'd have to make sure every redesign was the same level. It would be a limitation.
 
I recently purchased an ATD for my 27" iMac and I knew going in that they would not line up, but considering how much Apple sweats the details in design, I admit to find it surprising that they did not design the ACD/ATD to line-up with the 27" iMac. Raising it up the bit necessary to line-up with the iMac would not have impacted it's usability for customers with MacBook Pros, Mac Pros and Mac Minis.

I also am using a book to bring the two in alignment until I can get to the hardware store and have them custom cut a wood plate to handle the job.
 
flynz4 said:
I do not need a 2nd monitor for my iMac... but I do think that this is a sloppy lack of detail from a company which generally has the highest level of detail of any company that I know.
Click to expand...

This is the real reason Steve Jobs stepped down as CEO: he slipped up and missed this detail. Resigning was the only honorable thing to do.
 
auero said:
This doesn't make sense to be honest. You aren't considering that if they matched it up with the display then they'd have to make sure every redesign was the same level. It would be a limitation.
Click to expand...

So conversely, you're saying that by having everything a different height, it's not a limitation?
 
For whoever is saying people shouldn't expect them to be the same, I disagree.
I would have expected, and did expect until reading this, that they would be the same. I assumed 27" giant screen of a computer = 27" giant screen, same company. I assumed they figured people would use it as external monitors for iMacs and would make it the same dimensions, or at least adjustable to fit the same side by side.

News to me.
 
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