I guess there will be no 30" ACD updates..

[TennisandMusic]

As far as I know Dell Ultrasharp displays use the same good quality (or did at one time, anyway) LG-made IPS panels as Apple does.

But that doesn't mean they perform exactly the same. Other hardware differences (like supporting VGA) can negatively affect the performance. Check out C.Net's review of the two 30" displays from a couple of years ago.

Saying the Apple ones are overpriced is flat out wrong. The extra $300 between the 24" ACD and 24" Ultrasharp Dell gets you:

LED backlight
Built-in Webcam + Mic
Built-in Speakers
MBP power supply
Nicer industrial design

^ If you don't need that stuff (or you want direct HDMI), by all means, get a Dell. Hell, I just ordered an Ultrasharp on Monday. But ACDs are still as good a value as a Dell.

Don't forget you also get a mirror with the Apple version.

 

[ouimetnick]

That's exactly my experience. I used to work with 30" ACDs quite a lot and I have almost completely shifted to Dell. They are nice to look at (the 3008 WFP coming in brushed aluminum), very adjustable, have a ton of different inputs (sure you can get an external card reader and a ton of adapters, but its quite nice to actually hook it all up to the display and be done with it) and they come with pretty good warranty options (you can get deals with 5 years without paying extra) at a nice price.
You don't have to carry the thing to an Apple Store in case it breaks, someone will come by and slap a new (!) one on your desk the very next day.

I'm in no way a Dell fan, I hate their laptops and the quality they offer there (my girlfriends' laptop had to be repaired 4 times to fix a broken lcd) but with standalone displays and especially the 3008 WFP, they are awesome.
Especially when you can get the same panel with 5 year pixel warranty for half of the ACDs price. Now that Apple logo just can't be worth that much.

It seems like the OP doesn't like Dell's monitors because the casing the screen is enclosed in looks like crap. I do think Apple puts some okay hardware into beautiful design cases and they sell so well. The MBP 13" is in a beautiful case, but has OUTDATED slow hardware, yet it sells like hotcakes.

 

[sparkie7]

It seems like the OP doesn't like Dell's monitors because the casing the screen is enclosed in looks like crap. I do think Apple puts some okay hardware into beautiful design cases and they sell so well. The MBP 13" is in a beautiful case, but has OUTDATED slow hardware, yet it sells like hotcakes.

Guilty as charged I looked at the alu Dell's -- but their product design and styling sucks eggs, a black stand on an alu frame?!? c'mon

 

[reel2reel]

Guilty as charged I looked at the alu Dell's -- but their product design and styling sucks eggs, a black stand on an alu frame?!? c'mon

I guess if you define your self by your monitor, you should just wait. Maybe Apple will design something that meets your aesthetic standards. Maybe you should work for Apple (unless your only skill is complaining?) and design the next 30".

I love my Dell 30", though. It actually doesn't look bad at all. In fact, it's very understated, which is what I like, so it doesn't scream for attention. My comfort and work output is far more important than a stupid monitor design. But that's just me. I also prefer the Dell b/c it has USB ports and a card reader on the side. And I can swivel it and raise it up or down.

Good luck with your quest to fill that void.

 

[dgookin]

30" Retina Display

 

[maghemi]

30" Retina Display

Oh wow... is that Hell I see freezing over?!

 

[ValSalva]

30" Retina Display

That would be the $20,000 30" Apple Retina Display

 

[Hellhammer]

30" Retina Display

According to sammich's PPI graph, the 30" display would need a resolution of 3840x2400 to achieve the PPI of 150. Human eye cannot see individual pixels from 2 feet, which is the recommended viewing distance when the PPI is over 150. 300 PPI for 1 foot etc. 7680x4800 would get the PPI over 300 but as mentioned in the thread I linked, the viewing distance plays a huge role.

Anyway, due the lack of resolution independence, such high resolutions would be totally useless.

 

[ValSalva]

Anyway, due the lack of resolution independence, such high resolutions would be totally useless.

Exactly. Text and menus would be so small that one would need to be a foot from the screen. Not very practical at all.