Why? It is cool, but not sure how the base ASD is no different than a 27 iMac in usability? Unless I am missing something.
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Deals: Apple Studio Display Drops to Record-Low $1,299.99 at Amazon ($299 Off)
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It's important to anyone running multiple monitors which are different. Two slightly misaligned monitors, each without height adjustment, is super frustrating. It's not a uniquely Apple problem.
I'm just upset that the height-adjustable ASD only goes UP, and doesn't allow any further down positioning than the fixed-height stand.
I guess if you want a 5K screen , 27” that looks apple stylish and works flawlessly with Apple tech then it’s a good buy , but expensive.
The 60hz bugs me .. but not enough to put me off. I have 2 27” 2K screens plugged into my MacBook Pro at present. Use them all day for work. They are 60hz too and are fine.
I also have a 27” gaming monitor which is at 144hz on my PC and whilst it’s great, I’d rather have a 5K one for the mac if given a choice.
The only other option is a decent 4K monitor which would do 120hz but only would give 163 PPI. Somewhat short of the 220 PPI from the 5K to get the retina experience.
The 60hz bugs me .. but not enough to put me off. I have 2 27” 2K screens plugged into my MacBook Pro at present. Use them all day for work. They are 60hz too and are fine.
I also have a 27” gaming monitor which is at 144hz on my PC and whilst it’s great, I’d rather have a 5K one for the mac if given a choice.
The only other option is a decent 4K monitor which would do 120hz but only would give 163 PPI. Somewhat short of the 220 PPI from the 5K to get the retina experience.
The reviews I've read say it is NOT the same physical panel.
Image quality is comparable, but the max brightness is different, and the anti-reflective coating is better on the ASD.
I wanted to wait for a few reasons (also in this thread)
- Might sit too high if I want to put it on a stand (to put stuff underneath)
- Not 120Hz
- Not mini LED
- Not easily multi device setup
- Samsung Viewfinity S9 might end up being a better fit.
- Apple might release a new monitor that might address these and/or might push the price lower (ha!)
But in the end I decided to bite through Costco. Figure I have a 90 day return policy to see what shakes out.
- Might sit too high if I want to put it on a stand (to put stuff underneath)
- Not 120Hz
- Not mini LED
- Not easily multi device setup
- Samsung Viewfinity S9 might end up being a better fit.
- Apple might release a new monitor that might address these and/or might push the price lower (ha!)
But in the end I decided to bite through Costco. Figure I have a 90 day return policy to see what shakes out.
90 days is computers. This is a monitor, not a computer.
Note that Costco treats monitors and computers differently. The computer gets the doubled warranty and the 90 day return. The monitor gets no doubled warranty, but unlimited return.
Later Edit: NOPE! 90 day returns.
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This is incorrect. Right on the ordering page under "Warranty and Service " it clearly states 90 day returns. Go look.
Yeah, this is tough. The ASD is so close, yet slightly misses on so many "non-dealbreaking" things... just enough to make you second guess the purchase.
Not supporting two inputs (when a reasonable portion of the target audience is likely to have a desktop and laptop) is a big one. Not supporting Thunderbolt daisy-chaining is another. And the only video input type is Thunderbolt. Non-removable power cable. The camera debacle. The thick bezels. etc, etc... But "other than that", it's a great monitor with no peers.
I wish the ViewFinity S9 had been glossy instead of matte, but at least it has two inputs (Thunderbolt and DisplayPort). 🤷♂️
I'm very happy to see this Apple Studio Display discount though. It's the start of a competition loop that is favorable to us consumers.
* The LG UltraFine 5K is regularly on sale for around $1100. This was a good enough price point to compete with the $1500 ASD, but maybe not anymore.
* The $1300 price on the ASD, before the ViewFinity S9 launch, puts price pressure on Samsung right out of the gate, which could lead to a lower introductory price for the S9.
* If LG feels cut out, they may move the UF 5K price downward to compete.
* These together are more likely to encourage Apple to run the ASD sale more regularly - or to discount it directly if/when it is replaced by the rumored new display.
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All very good points. I'm wondering though if Apple would "replace" the ASD so soon after launch? But certainly could happen. Or whether an "in-betweener" is coming somewhere between the ASD and the XDR? I just went ahead and got the ASD at this good price.
Well, that still means, with the cheapest Mac Studio with a 1 terrabitye drive and that monitor I'm up to between $5-6000. I was able to buy a 27 inch iMac in 2020 speeded up for the graphics work that we do for a bit more than $4000 (which was a huge stretch for me). And...I could put enough memory into it for another couple of hundred from OWC or Crucial. Now I've heard Mac is soldering the memory to their mother board and we can't add any memory to it. It means springing for memory at Apple prices that are inflated many times over market value (the Apple Store told me that 64 gigs of Apple memory would be around $1600; just bought that for $150 from OWC). It is not a very great gift to give to long time Mac users (I bought my first Apple computer, an Apple II, in the 70s). We are going to be driven away from Apple at these prices. I cringe at the idea of switching to Windows, but Mac is going to put many of us in the position of having to do that. Why in the world did Apple discontinue the 27" iMac. It was one of their best selling computers and gave us good computer power and a monitor we could use for graphics at an affordable price. Even with that, I was looking into buying a larger hard drive and found out I can't change the drive as it is soldered onto the motherboard. What...?!#%&#!! I now have 10 external drives for all of our graphics. We are artists, not a business, and not famous artists that sell art for high prices, but work on community projects as volunteers. These prices are clearly not meant for ordinary human beings.
Just a day after the launch of new MacBook Pro and Mac mini models, Amazon has slashed its pricing on the Apple Studio Display to $1,299.99, down from its regular price of $1,599.00.
Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Amazon. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.
This $299 discount on the Apple Studio Display is the steepest we've ever seen and is available only on the lowest-cost model with standard glass and a tilt-adjustable stand.
Upgrading to nano-texture glass for even less glare increases the price to $1,749.00, which is still a solid deal at a $150 savings over the regular price. Versions with the tilt- and height-adjustable stand are priced higher.
For more discounts, check out our Deals Roundup to shop for even more Apple-related products and accessories.
Article Link: Deals: Apple Studio Display Drops to Record-Low $1,299.99 at Amazon ($299 Off)
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This is why I believe so strongly that the Apple Studio Display *was* the new 27" iMac, but Apple changed direction (or ran into technical issues/delays) before it was released. All of the hardware is in there to do it, and it has more CPU power than the well-reviewed Apple Silicon Developer Transition Kit before it did.
The ASD at $1600 is an expensive display.
The ASD running macOS at $1600 is a bargain. (Free Computer!)
The ASD running macOS at $1999 with a reasonable amount of RAM and storage is a compelling new machine.
It is very odd that Apple produced the 24” iMac M1 and also thought it was a good decision to leave the 27” off the table. Where would customers go for a new 27” iMac replacement ?
I know 2 people in my circle who are in this boat with ageing 27” Intel iMacs and they both tell me the upgrade choices are not ideal.
One is considering a mini m2 with a 4K 27” monitor (from ASUS / Acer etc) to get a decent refresh rate. Willing to accept it won’t be retina class but still very good.
The other has decided to upgrade to nothing.
In both cases Apple has lost money compared to if there had been an iMac 27” M1 available (especially if styled like the 24” models).
I’m sure apple thinks people will combine a mini and an apple studio display , giving them even more profit than the iMac. 27”, especially if they pay Apple’s extortionate prices to upgrade the mini’s memory and storage.
It appears only a small number of people are willing to do that compared to those who would have bought an iMac 27”.
I know 2 people in my circle who are in this boat with ageing 27” Intel iMacs and they both tell me the upgrade choices are not ideal.
One is considering a mini m2 with a 4K 27” monitor (from ASUS / Acer etc) to get a decent refresh rate. Willing to accept it won’t be retina class but still very good.
The other has decided to upgrade to nothing.
In both cases Apple has lost money compared to if there had been an iMac 27” M1 available (especially if styled like the 24” models).
I’m sure apple thinks people will combine a mini and an apple studio display , giving them even more profit than the iMac. 27”, especially if they pay Apple’s extortionate prices to upgrade the mini’s memory and storage.
It appears only a small number of people are willing to do that compared to those who would have bought an iMac 27”.
The Nano texture versio is awesome zero glare I have annoying lights about me no glare at any angle. This is best screen I’ve ever owned nothing like it. I bought the VESA version and a really nice tilt stand Vivo from Amazon - the stand is better than Apple Stand.
Question for Studio Display owners - knowing Apple, presumably the stand cannot be disconnected from the display?
eg - I buy the tilt-adjustable model. 12 months later I want to desk mount the display, but I cannot buy a VESA mount (without the display) and swap it for my existing tilt-adjustable stand?
eg - I buy the tilt-adjustable model. 12 months later I want to desk mount the display, but I cannot buy a VESA mount (without the display) and swap it for my existing tilt-adjustable stand?
An odd pairing for sure, but a handful of us are doing this. The ASD is new with the $300 Amazon discount. When it comes time to upgrade the iMac, I'll probably get a Mac Mini with a Pro chip for the 32 GB of RAM, but I would gladly take a 27" iMac (what I used to have since 2010).
Which specific one do you have? It looks like Vivo makes a ton of different models. I'd love an adjustable stand, but would prefer to not have an arm clamped to the desk or bolted to the wall.
It sounds like it can be done by appointment at the Apple Store... no idea on the cost though.
Article for reference:
Apple Stores Can Upgrade a Studio Display's Stand After Purchase
While fine print on Apple's website says Studio Display stands and VESA mount adapters are "not interchangeable," customers can visit an...
www.macrumors.com
Needs to drop another $300 so that we can finally have the successor to the $1799 27" iMac. In other words Studio Display ($999) + Mac mini ($799) = $1799.
Need to add in the cost of the mouse and keyboard that came with the iMac, but I agree. Some will argue even with this addition, the price is essentially the same. Additionally, not sure of your reasoning, but wouldn’t the $599 Mac Mini work as well?