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External Monitor

S

stockcerts

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Jun 29, 2007
1,308
31
Pensacola, FL
I'm considering buying a MBA soon. I'd like to also have an external monitor so when I use it at home (at my desk) it's more like a desktop computer.

Just wondering which monitors some of you own that aren't terribly expensive. Some of the monitors I've seen cost almost as much as the actual MBA.

Thanks!
 
It really depends on what you want to do with the set up that dictates the screen you get as well as your budget. TV, gaming and photo editing will all need different things. We need a bit more info, and how much do you want to spend?
 
I do have a 32 Samsung LCD that I might be able to use.? I'm not sure what kind of connectors besides HDMI are on the TV. Does anyone else use a TV LCD as their computer monitor?
 
Kinda similar to the OP:

So I have a 2012 MBA 13 inch which I am super happy with. Display is excellent and trackpad and keyboard is nothing short of perfect.

I'll be going back up to college towards the end of August and am thinking about taking one of the many external monitors I have laying around with me. They are all pretty old -- but that being said, I'm wondering what would work best and if it is worth it. One thing I would also have to keep in mind is what type of keyboard and mouse options I want -- be it the trackpad and keyboard, or keyboard and mouse, etc.

Here are links to the monitors I have. I would appreciate any knowledge from someone, as I know absolutely squat about this topic.

HP

Acer

Viewsonic
 
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I went for a dell Ultrasharp 2412 for MBA 13 inch, as it seemed to have the most recommendations here for price range. Got great price in one of the regular dell online sales ... $279 (Australian) instead of $399.

I didnt want to buy an expensive screen because I'm hoping there will be retina iMac next yr. so the dell is just for the MBA, and sometimes as second screen for my old (but still running perfectly) 2007 iMac.

I think the dell is great for the money, in screen size and quality, and connectivity and height and swivel adjustments. Hasn't got apple aesthetics of course, and I'm almost allergic to anything PC-ish. So I'm just trying not to notice the cheap plastic look.
 
I second the dell. I just got the 2412 about a week ago and it is awesome, it has a built-in USB hub, do I have my SuperDrive and external hard drive connected to the monitor so. When I dock my air I immiadtly gain political disc support and more hard drive space. The price was good too at $299. And the screen looks very well too. I also got a hinge dock, apple wireless mouse and keyboard to make it easier to switch to desktop mode.
 
At least I didn't start a new thread.

Another monitor question here:

Does anyone have a reason I shouldn't go with this monitor? I mostly use my MBA for word processing, internet browsing, and the occasional game of team fortress.
 
Im using my HDTV (Samsung B2230HD) as my external display when I need it. It also serve as TV when I dont use it as the external. So far Im satisfied with it and it didnt cost so much too. I bought it around 200 euro back then.
 
Fernandez21 said:
I second the dell. I just got the 2412 about a week ago and it is awesome, it has a built-in USB hub, do I have my SuperDrive and external hard drive connected to the monitor so. When I dock my air I immiadtly gain political disc support and more hard drive space. The price was good too at $299. And the screen looks very well too. I also got a hinge dock, apple wireless mouse and keyboard to make it easier to switch to desktop mode.
Click to expand...

Fernandez I presume you're running fine at 1920x1200?

I was going to get the u2410 but even doing photography I think this one will be good enough calibrated (been running a 2209wa for nearly 3 years no probs at all) and I save £100
 
I have a 2012 MBA on my desk with a Logitech K760 Solar keyboard and a Magic Trackpad. My monitor is a 2004 20.1" Dell 2001FP. The monitor came with a Dell system I bought a long time ago but works GREAT with my new MBA. I have seen this monitor on Ebay for less than $100.00. I originally paid about $900.00 for it. I thought seriously about buying the Apple 27" Thunderbolt display, but this thing is paid for and doing a great job for what I do; Word, Excel, Firefox and Mail.

The only advice I can give is that this particular monitor does not mirror the MBA that well. It looks a lot better if you close your MBA and let the Dell receive the DVI output to its native settings. (1600x1200 4x3 @ 60hz) In this mode, it rocks and your MBA sits quietly on your desk like a sleeping dog.

Here is a link to one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-UltraS...7558?pt=Computer_Monitors&hash=item27c88757b6
 

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Lekaks said:
I have a 2012 MBA on my desk with a Logitech K760 Solar keyboard and a Magic Trackpad. My monitor is a 2004 20.1" Dell 2001FP. The monitor came with a Dell system I bought a long time ago but works GREAT with my new MBA. I have seen this monitor on Ebay for less than $100.00. I originally paid about $900.00 for it. I thought seriously about buying the Apple 27" Thunderbolt display, but this thing is paid for and doing a great job for what I do; Word, Excel, Firefox and Mail.

The only advice I can give is that this particular monitor does not mirror the MBA that well. It looks a lot better if you close your MBA and let the Dell receive the DVI output to its native settings. (1600x1200 4x3 @ 60hz) In this mode, it rocks and your MBA sits quietly on your desk like a sleeping dog.

Here is a link to one:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dell-UltraS...7558?pt=Computer_Monitors&hash=item27c88757b6
Click to expand...

I remember seeing one of those on my boss's desk back in the 'old days'. It was one of the first LCD's I had seen and couldn't believe how much it cost, or how small and sharp everything was on the screen.

We have some Dell LCD's floating around the office today, and the image quality on them has a lot to be desired compared to the new glossy monitors. But I can't blame you for not wanting to drop $1000 on an Apple 27"!

----------

I'd like to add that you really get what you pay for when it comes to monitors.

At Christmas time I bought a $99 Acer from Best Buy. It was horrible. The colors were terrible, lighting un-even, it was just one of the worst monitors I had ever laid eyes on. No wonder they didn't have a display model powered on! Another big problem I had with it was the flimsy plastic stand. If you breathed too hard it would move around like a bobble head doll.

For another $60 I got a much better screen. I don't do any work where I need exact color reproduction or anything, but I need something I'm not constantly moving my head around or adjusting to try to see clearly!
 
Aniseedvan said:
Fernandez I presume you're running fine at 1920x1200?

I was going to get the u2410 but even doing photography I think this one will be good enough calibrated (been running a 2209wa for nearly 3 years no probs at all) and I save £100
Click to expand...

So far everything seems to running as smoothly as it does natively on my macbook air. I have a 2011 ultimate 11" as seen in my signature. That being said, I don't think I run many process heavy apps, mostly web browsing, office, and iTunes with some games I downloaded from the app store.
 

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stockcerts said:
I do have a 32 Samsung LCD that I might be able to use.? I'm not sure what kind of connectors besides HDMI are on the TV. Does anyone else use a TV LCD as their computer monitor?
Click to expand...

You can buy the Moshi mDP to HDMI adapter from the Apple store for $35 bucks. It works with all my mDP/Thunderbolt laptops and connects to my 24" Dell display.
 
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