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Buying Several Year Old 23" Apple Cinema HD Display

C

cherishzm

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 13, 2011
158
4
Is buying a several year old 23" Apple Cinema HD Display worth the risk? I'm getting a MBA 13 in a couple days and need a good size (22"~24") external monitor to use with the MBA on a desk at work. I've been using MBP 17 AG screen and love its quality. I'd love to buy new version Cinema Display but the price is just too high.

http://support.apple.com/kb/sp77

If it's too much of a risk buying this used model, what other monitors would you guys recommend using with MBA around $200 budget? I'll be looking at the monitor 8 hours a day so want a quality screen.
 
Those old ADC ones are very nice. But they need an ADC port. Modern Macs don't have these. You'll need an adapter for it. The adapters cost about $100 used and aren't sold new anymore. If you do get an adapter, get the Apple one, the Dr.Bott one doesn't work with newer Macs.
 
Thanks for the input. If I buy one I'll definitely get one with the adapter included.
 
Make sure the seller knows that when shipping to remove the rear leg. Those like to break off in transit.
 
Thanks for the advice again. Do you think there's any other non-Apple alternatives in $200 range? I need to consider the age of the Apple Display... I heard Dell UltraSharp ones are pretty good. Are they comparable to this Apple display?
 
They have a native resolution of 1920x1200. I think this is still considered a "modern" resolution. Don't know if you'd get anything of that size and resolution for about $200-$300 new. I do know that you can't get anything as nice looking as one of those acrylic Studio displays.

Don't forget to factor in the cost of the ADC to DVI adapter and the mini-DisplayPort to DVI adapter. The ADC-DVI adapter you're looking for has a power brick that looks like a Macbook Magsafe power brick. They don't look that big in the pictures, but they're an inch or two bigger than the Magsafe bricks.
 
The 23" Cinema Displays were nice but they're all getting old which means that the backlight will have dimmed, sometimes significantly.
The low end Dell displays are not especially high quality, but if you can go up to something like the Dell U2412M, you get a high quality IPS panel with LCD backlighting. It's on par with the 24" Apple Cinema Display without the overly glossy glass front. They're currently $329 from Dell, and if you're spending 8 hours a day in front of it, a good display is worth the money.
 
I picked up a DELL U2312HM at Christmas and it's absolutely amazing. It goes for $299 right now. It also calibrates well if you're doing any photo work.
My personal preference is newer tech.
 
How about the 24" ACD which was discontinued two years ago? I got mine via ebay for €560 (ca $650) and love it with my late 2010 11" MBA. But that price is over your budget...
 
Intell said:
Those old ADC ones are very nice. But they need an ADC port. Modern Macs don't have these. You'll need an adapter for it. The adapters cost about $100 used and aren't sold new anymore. If you do get an adapter, get the Apple one, the Dr.Bott one doesn't work with newer Macs.
Click to expand...

He isn't talking about the old ADC models.
 
As has been mentioned, don't forget about the cost of the adapter - they aren't cheap these days.

Honestly, if you're looking for a good display for a relatively low price, check out Dell's outlet store. Dell's lines of monitors are great, and the prices in their outlet store aren't bad at all. The biggest issues I have recommending the Cinema Display to you are its age and its repairability. Because it is so old at this point (those displays were discontinued in 2003), there is a much higher chance that things will be failing in it sooner than a new monitor. And when things do fail, because it is so old, it will be near-impossible or expensive to find replacement parts. That is why I would strongly encourage you to consider a newer monitor. I have two displays hooked into my mini, a 20" Cinema Display (aluminum) and a 17" UltraSharp. They're both wonderful screens.
 
I own a 23" aluminum Apple Cinema Display and two 23" Asus LED displays.

I got the aluminum one in 2005 or 2006 (for $1500...) and the brightness is still wonderful. One of those should still be just fine unless the previous owner was a complete tool and left it on 24/7 and never let it sleep.

As for the Asus displays, those are great and only cost me $200 a piece. The only drawbacks are that they're 1920x1080 rather than the 1920x1200 Apple resolution, and that they're black instead of aluminum (which doesn't bother me, really).

Upsides of the Apple display are higher resolution and having USB/Firewire ports.

Upsides of the Asus ones are price and that they have multiple video ports (DVI, HDMI and I think something else)
 
mus0r said:
I own a 23" aluminum Apple Cinema Display and two 23" Asus LED displays.

I got the aluminum one in 2005 or 2006 (for $1500...) and the brightness is still wonderful.
Click to expand...

I just looked at my own records, and I also got one of the 23" Aluminum Cinema displays in July 2005... it has a DVI-digital connector, not ADC. In fact I had to get a DVI->ADC adaptor at the time to use it with my G4 PowerMac. It works great on my 13" MBA with $25 mini-DVI adaptor from Best Buy.

Funny that this has come up, because I have a Dell PC with one of their cheap 23" monitors sitting on the same table. The difference in brightness and tonality between these two monitors is striking - the 7 year old Cinema display looks much better than the 3 year old Dell monitor.

However, when buying used gear it's always "caveat emptor". I wouldn't buy a used monitor unless I saw it in person.
 
Boyd01 said:
Funny that this has come up, because I have a Dell PC with one of their cheap 23" monitors sitting on the same table. The difference in brightness and tonality between these two monitors is striking - the 7 year old Cinema display looks much better than the 3 year old Dell monitor.
Click to expand...

The cheap Dell (or any brand) LCD displays definitely have poor quality display panels and the difference is obvious.
The higher end ones of any brand which have IPS displays are on par with Apple's offerings, or better.
 
I wouldn't. You can't play any protected content on them and they are too expensive for something so old. Even the newer 23" with DVI can't play protected content and people still want too much for those. Getting a non-Apple display is a much better option.

Cheers,
 
I would get the generation after those. The metal ones.

I had one for years and years, but just sold it because I wanted the Thunderbolt Display with built in hub and all.

Still looked and worked like brand new.
 
darkshadow121 said:
yep, but not considered to be the HD model he mentioned.
that name is left to distinguish the DVI aluminium ones from the acrylic ones.
Click to expand...

The acrylic 23" model was the first to be called a Cinema HD display. But the sub-23" acrylic ones got the Studio name. Just look at the name of the display in the linked KB article.
 
Intell said:
The acrylic 23" model was the first to be called a Cinema HD display. But the sub-23" acrylic ones got the Studio name. Just look at the name of the display in the linked KB article.
Click to expand...

Ah, shame on me, didn't read it thoroughly >.<.
i always remembered them all being studio displays and the the 23" Alu display being hyped up as the "Cinema HD Display"
My apologies, I'm always biting early. too much sugar you see. :)
 
panzer06 said:
I wouldn't. You can't play any protected content on them and they are too expensive for something so old. Even the newer 23" with DVI can't play protected content and people still want too much for those. Getting a non-Apple display is a much better option.

Cheers,
Click to expand...

How do you mean, you are unable to play protected content on the 23" ACD. ?
 
All CCFL (fluorescent) baklit displays turn to a yellow cast after a while. I don't know if this is re-adjustable or the FL tubes need to be replaced to restore color fidelity. Can't speak of LED, they haven't been around for a long term judgement.
 
raymondkerr said:
How do you mean, you are unable to play protected content on the 23" ACD. ?
Click to expand...

This is the message that I get when trying to play protected content on my 20" ACD, one of the newer Aluminum models. These older displays do not support HDCP (High-bandwidth Digital Content Protection) - as such, modern computers will not allow protected content (things that you buy on iTunes) to play on them.
 

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