Wish I could answer that, but this argument will run and run. If I see another post that claims there are plenty of equally good alternatives to the Studio Display, at far lower prices, I shall scream.
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Apple Rumored to Launch 27-Inch Mini-LED Display in Q1 2023
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I haven't used any but have heard of a couple of people that have one. They seems to like them. I don't remember which brand they got but here is an article covering several. The manufacturers are the usual players in the monitor market. I think most are in the 15" size range.
The Best Portable Monitors for 2024
Whether you're a traveling exec, a gamer, or a graphic designer, a portable second monitor can add an extra dimension to your work or play. We've tested most of the major models. Check out our top picks.
"to get work done".... i know people that got a SUV only because got a GF and a small dog... 🤦♂️
You are keeping the aspect ratio the same. There is another trend out there besides "denser pixels", that is "ultra wide" monitors. Take the 5K monitor as a starting point and just go wider. That doesn't necessarily change the ppi, but the diagonal gets longer ( with a different slope) .
A 6016x2880 monitor would be about 30" across the diagonal. It would use incrementally less glass than the 32" XDR. Easier on DP data traffic bandwidth requirements. So it would lighter so hopefully didn't need a $999 stand to hold it up.
Getting an 'extra' 448 pixels on either side. That would help with more side-by-side work. That would be approximately 16:8
If the thinness design politburo attacks the 'large screen' iMac, then a longer 'bottom edge' would allow a larger air inlet that no one can see ( same basic principle as older 27" chassis where the air vents have to be hidden from plain, normal view . It is cooled 'magically' to the casual observer. ).
So if trying to hide the bulk of the cooling and electronics into the 'chin' then would need a longer chin to create larger TDP coverage ( e.g. take Mx Pro or Mx Max as opposed to stuck with iPad Pro thermals with an "iPad on stick" limitations. ). Especially, if going to ingest cool air along same edge as going to expel hot air ( will want to move those vents farther apart).
For "Retina" that would work. The problem for the iMac is that it needs a relatively low cost screen. Apple made the 5K display work because they sold several million 5K iMacs per year. Unit cost due to economies of scale Apple took a unshared monitor dimension/size and made it 'cheap' enough to include in the iMac (and keep the targeted margins. ). Whereas other monitor makers could not sell 'millions' of these ( or even likely a couple 100K of these per year). That is why those others dropped out after a couple of years to chase relatively high volume panels and more shared production infrastructure.
If there is going to be a 27 mini-LED and 'old' school screen then the iMac likely would take after those. All Apple has to do it keep the thinnes politburo from messing up the chassis by thinning it out too much. If just use the iMac Pro chassis as a baseline they have plenty of TDP headroom to work with (and ignore the lower half of the m-series line up. ) . Economics and better profits margins will likely drive this more than inability to stick to the same ppi per screen.
The Mac Studio changes some things where the large screen iMac isn't going to sell in the same numbers as before. So it is likely much less capable of supporting a 'odd' screen size all by itself. It would like need to match one of the docking station monitors that Apple also sells at the same time. ( So 27" or new 32" that they could run at higher run rates. ).
I didn’t realize you were asking me that question. I thought it was rhetorical. I don’t understand why you’re asking me that.
I don’t believe I’ve ever said there’s a 5K, glass panel only, Windows display. There used to be Dell 5K but if I recall correctly it was matte and only a little more than half the brightness of the ASD.
I missed a point somewhere?
Ok. I guess I’m a bit lost. I don’t get what you’re saying then.
Some further comments that may or make sense depending on if I’m any closer to interpreting you correctly or not:
Apple’s priority is and almost always has been for the most part building end to end systems that work well together and don’t try much to work with other manufacturers’ stuff. Sure, plenty of exceptions where it made sense to them rightly or wrongly, but I don’t know if they’ve ever made a monitor that wasn’t software controlled since the 90’s. That’s just Apple’s way. Always has been.
For your “more than one Mac to a monitor” point, if you don’t mean KVM then I don’t get what you mean. You mean two Macs driving the one monitor at once? I don’t get how that’s supposed to work.
Trying to think it through and yeah. I’m lost. What exactly are you asking for here?
Well… fair enough then.
I invite anyone who is claiming the ASD is overpriced for what it is (not for what they want) to please explain themselves.
Ah. Ok yes I’m very familiar with many of those. I was hoping you meant something that might actually compare to Apple’s displays in quality and specs (all the ones I’ve been able to find, with extensive searching, are too dim with woeful contrast, etc. nothing like Apple’s laptop displays) and/or something significantly larger (desktop size ie. 21+ inches).I haven't used any but have heard of a couple of people that have one. They seems to like them. I don't remember which brand they got but here is an article covering several. The manufacturers are the usual players in the monitor market. I think most are in the 15" size range.
The Best Portable Monitors for 2024
Whether you're a traveling exec, a gamer, or a graphic designer, a portable second monitor can add an extra dimension to your work or play. We've tested most of the major models. Check out our top picks.www.pcmag.com
Sorry to have got your hopes up, you’d probably need something from Apple to match that. Those are just what other manufacturers are will to offer.
Inevitably they are just promoting some 4K screen with less resolution but higher refresh rates or some slightly blurry widescreen display.
I mean the ability to connect multiple computers to the monitor at the same time. That works with pretty much every monitor, but not with an Apple Monitor. You can then switch back and forth between the individual computers on the monitor.
A KVM would be a bonus to be able to switch keyboard and mouse as well.
My favorite is when people point to a 5120 x 2160, or even 5120 x 1440, and call it comparable to the ASD. Hey, it's 5K, miright?
200PPI+ or GTFO.
The value of the ASD that some people can't wrap their mind around, apart from the integrated speakers, webcam and build quality, is that it's a HiDPI display. Those are hard to find and often expensive. And the reasonably priced ones that you can get from other vendors often have massive drawbacks like 30Hz (I kid you not), needing multiple displayport cables, or having absurdly low brightness.
If you don't care about HiDPI, then yes, the ASD is kind of expensive. So move on and buy a low DPI screen. Just don't act all confused why others might care.
^^^Yep.
I wish the difference in clarity between Apple 5K and very good 4K at native resolution wasn't so noticeable to me. There are many advantages to having the entire world of 4K monitors available as viable options. For me however they are not viable. Next to an ASD I find the clarity of a 4K (at native) unacceptable. It's fine at 1920x1080 but that sucks for obvious reasons.
Only monitors I've liked are ASD and XDR but I suspect an LG 5K would be fine too. Waiting on my third ASD to arrive. Sure that's a ton of money but I am looking at the things for hours a day. My enjoyment is worth the $$$.
I wish the difference in clarity between Apple 5K and very good 4K at native resolution wasn't so noticeable to me. There are many advantages to having the entire world of 4K monitors available as viable options. For me however they are not viable. Next to an ASD I find the clarity of a 4K (at native) unacceptable. It's fine at 1920x1080 but that sucks for obvious reasons.
Only monitors I've liked are ASD and XDR but I suspect an LG 5K would be fine too. Waiting on my third ASD to arrive. Sure that's a ton of money but I am looking at the things for hours a day. My enjoyment is worth the $$$.
Right, I’m hoping Apple will do it better, inventing great wireless displays (except when low on battery, or for fastest video). Mini-LED could be the technological advance they’ve been waiting for.
Lots of text here, so I'll respond to the point around KVMs and Apple's "target market" only...
In short, by Apple focusing on the needs of their "target market" only, they limit their impact, and ability to grow their market beyond the need of existing users.
Maybe you'll say that's fine - they don't need/want to grow their market (market cap, and blah blah) - but consider this:
As an Apple zealot since the 90's, and someone likely considered in their "target market", the lack of KVM on the ASD led directly to me not buying it. And I know from reading dozens of threads on the ASD - I'm certainly not a "rare use case".
That's it from me.
In post #279,
You said: "Ummm…. If Apple made a monitor like you described no one would buy it because it wouldn’t be the slightest bit different to all the crappy Windows monitors.
If that’s what you want why don’t you just buy one of those? Some of us want and have been waiting for years for what Apple puts into their monitors that no one else includes."
So where are all these crappy 5K glass Windows monitors we can buy instead?
Nope! That's exactly the main feature that's missing for many users. The ASD is unable to switch between multiple inputs.
As near as I can recall, none of Apple's monitors have ever had more than one input port. There may have been a couple back in the early days when ports are not as standardized as they are now, but Apple has always just focused on a one to one relationship between computer and montor.
Please let me know which Windows monitors have that high of a PPI that isn't a complete POS in construction/reliability. Please don't say the LG Ultrafine 5k monitor unless they solved all of the QC issues with those monitors for tons of users(also that monitor is not cheap anymore either)
You're not wrong - but just because something's always been done a way... doesn't mean it's not time to Think Different.
I don’t disagree, just pointing out that Apple doesn’t seem to value that as a feature.
Ok… Where did I say the crappy windows monitors are 5K or high PPI.
FWIW I agree the LG 5K is a POS compared with the Apple one.
You're the one who said 'no one would buy this monitor because it wouldn’t be the slightest bit different to all the crappy Windows monitors'.
If it's not the slightest bit different to all the crappy Windows monitors then tell me which Windows monitors replicate the Mac Studio Display?