I am looking for a new monitor to buy along with my Macbook Pro and I was wondering the the older Cinema Displays (I was looking at the Matte Cinema Displays and the 24" Glossy) would work good with the 2011 Macbook Pro still. I don't need the best colors for monitor as with my Macbook Pro I will only be doing some light Photoshop, FCP, and movie watching. thanks.
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Are Older Cinema Displays Still Worth Buying?
- Thread starter VeganHipster
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Yes, they will work perfectly, just like any other monitor. I still have a 20" Cinema Display that I use with my less-than-6-months-old MacBook Air, they work great.
Alright thanks! Was looking at newer monitors but the older ACD are made out of aluminum and match a macbook pro way better than some black piece of plastic does. I need to wait and find a good deal on the 30" :O
The old ones are much better in terms of design and build quality IMO. But the most important factor: matte. The current glossy mirrors give you a migraine, and what's the point of a monitor if you only see your reflection in the screen. Discontinuing the 30" was a huge mistake.
back to topic, yes they work great with my 2011 MBP. You will need a MDP to DVI / dual link dvi adapter, apple sells those.
back to topic, yes they work great with my 2011 MBP. You will need a MDP to DVI / dual link dvi adapter, apple sells those.
I have both, I have the 30" Apple Cinema Display and my new iMac 27". The iMac looks great but because I work in a dark place and has better resolution. But the old model (30") is just fine, there is nothing wrong with it.
You are only missing the USB 2 ports and Firewire 800, they have USB 1 and Firewire 400 but are cheaper and very durable. My 30" have been working since 2006 and looks like new.
I would go for the old 20" with no problem.
You are only missing the USB 2 ports and Firewire 800, they have USB 1 and Firewire 400 but are cheaper and very durable. My 30" have been working since 2006 and looks like new.
I would go for the old 20" with no problem.
FWIW: I am using my "very old" Apple display--the 30" ACD with the plastic housing. With adapters, it works great with my late-2009 Mini. The resolution is not bad either: 1680 x 1050. I keep thinking I will upgrade to a newer display but I love the matte. Until they offer a matte option, I will keep this one.
I have a PC still hooked up to the acrylic 20" Cinema Display via adapter, using the original G4 Cube speakers (powered by a tiny stereo amp). I get a TON of compliments on its look, especially from my friends who have never really used a Mac and assume that it is a newer Apple product.
Yup. I recommend the 24" refurb ACD if you can get your hands on one (refrub.me). THis, of course, is contingent upon the lighting where you will put it. If you have a window to your back that will cast light on the screen then forget it. If you don't then the screen is great. I also bought the ~20" older plastic ACD model that came out at the same time as the 30" you refer too and my girlfriend uses that with her 2010 MBP and loves it.
While I would much rather have that display, the 24" ACD doesnt even work with most peoples thunder bolt equipped Macs (I say Macs because it does not work with the iMac or Macbook Pro).
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2765598?tstart=0
One warning about the old, old 22" and 23" 'acrylic' clear ADC Cinema Displays.
I work at a place that had a lot of these, and the backlights on these are starting to fail with increasing regularity. And Apple doesn't supply parts for them, so you have to go third-party if you want them fixed.
I work at a place that had a lot of these, and the backlights on these are starting to fail with increasing regularity. And Apple doesn't supply parts for them, so you have to go third-party if you want them fixed.
>>> While I would much rather have that display, the 24" ACD doesnt even work with most peoples thunder bolt equipped Macs (I say Macs because it does not work with the iMac or Macbook Pro).
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2765598?tstart=0 <<<
If you look at the dates on that discussion, it was mostly based just after Apple came out with Thunderbolt. There were definite issues then, I saw a few of them myself. But Apple has come out with many software patches and updates since then, and the issue has pretty much gone away.
I would not hesitate to get a 24" LED ACD used or refurb for use with Thunderbolt. As long as you keep your software updated...
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2765598?tstart=0 <<<
If you look at the dates on that discussion, it was mostly based just after Apple came out with Thunderbolt. There were definite issues then, I saw a few of them myself. But Apple has come out with many software patches and updates since then, and the issue has pretty much gone away.
I would not hesitate to get a 24" LED ACD used or refurb for use with Thunderbolt. As long as you keep your software updated...
I just bought a 2007 vintage 20" Cinema display for use with my older Mac Book Pro, and it is fantastic. These are awesome displays...
I have run 2 20inch Aluminum ACD for a couple of years. I recently moved to a 24 ACD. Just make sure if you go this route that you check to see if the display you are purchasing has any image persistence issues. This was a common problem on older ACD displays.
The first post is indeed when apple first came out with Thunderbolt, but if you bothered to check the other pages you will know the problem is still prevalent and the software updates have not fixed the problem at all. 31 pages and the most recent post is from two days ago, so it definitely is still an issue.
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/2765598?start=450&tstart=0
Great advice. I'm currently looking to get an old 20" acrylic ADC cinema screen to sit with my old mirror door G4 at home so it's good to know they're still around and earning their keep.
Cheers
I
Cheers
I