I am considering a Cinema Display for my 13" MBP and was wondering how often Apple updates them. I know that the newest one was released last summer, but wasn't sure if Apple followed their yearly updates for monitors. What I would really want to see is Apple add a HDMI port (since they have flirted with it in a couple of other products). Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
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LED Cinema Display
- Thread starter marcypark
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Although the LED CD was announced back in summer, the current model (27") was only released back in September. I would buy now.
but oh so shiny.
If you want HDMI (or you know, a second input at all) dell/hp make some decent IPS monitors which are worth a look in.
If you want HDMI (or you know, a second input at all) dell/hp make some decent IPS monitors which are worth a look in.
I'm not locked into the ACD by any means, but do like how it looks. Any suggestions for others? I know IPS monitors are expensive, but I'm assuming that none will be as much as ACD. Also, do they have mini displayport? The one thing I hate about Apple is there monitor connection choice.
All comparable monitors cost either equally as much, or even more, depending where you live.
Alternatives are the Dell U2711, NEC PA271W or Fujitsu P27T-6, all of which are equipped with a Displaport. Adapters from miniDP to DP cost about 10 bucks.
So if you're ok with the glossy screen, the ACD will be fine. Features like build in iSight, MagSafe and the option to use the brightness keys on your Mac make it (IMO) the better option (if you're not a photographer that needs colour accuracy and a matte screen, in which cases the NEC will be the best choice).
I love my 27" ACD - its a beautiful display, and having iSight, Speakers etc all built in really helps (Means my desk also can fit a screen for my XBOX and MDD to share on it), for anything but photography I love it to death (and for that I can have the aforementioned extra screen hooked up as a second screen to my MP anyway)
Is it truly that bad for photography? I've been planning on picking up a 27" iMac which should have a very similar glossy IPS panel. One of the main reasons for the upgrade is for the screen, and I've assumed that (as long as I'm in a relatively dark room), the gloss won't be a problem for my work.
there aren't really any comparable monitors. the Cinema is sRGB, LED-backlit, includes speakers, and has a camera, while the others are wide-gamut, CCFL (except the Fujitsu), have no speakers or camera, but are height-adjustable and pivoting.
the Fujitsu doesn't seem to be available anywhere...
at this point I think it's much more sensible to buy two 24" monitors instead of a 27 or 30". there's a ton of 23-24" IPS options, and you can get two of them for about the same price as a larger monitor.
To you maybe. I have two 27 inch ACDs and one 24 inch ACD and no other monitor comes close as far as color for me and I see a LOT of monitors each day.
(Granted there are the $3k + monitors but I'm not counting those because they are way expensive).
Why don't you get a Dell Ultrasharp? It's not as shiny but has an IPS panel. Better value for the money IMO.
The equivalent Dell Ultrasharp is $100 more. The ACD is a prettier display, that looks better, performs better and costs less.
I lurked in the forum for a couple of months searching for information on the ACD, saw the other options, and at the end, at least for me, the ACD works better.
Here's the logic and reasoning:
I don't do a lot of photography other than amateur stuff.
Most of the work I do are related to e-mails, internet surfing, word and excel processing and using a few corporate systems (Salesforce.com, Internal reporting systems) and I not even listen to a lot of music when I am at work.
The benefit of having the ACD is that it helped me to eliminate a lot of clutter from my desk, having it all neatly set up.
Here's the logic and reasoning:
I don't do a lot of photography other than amateur stuff.
Most of the work I do are related to e-mails, internet surfing, word and excel processing and using a few corporate systems (Salesforce.com, Internal reporting systems) and I not even listen to a lot of music when I am at work.
The benefit of having the ACD is that it helped me to eliminate a lot of clutter from my desk, having it all neatly set up.
The DELL is $1099, the ACD is $999 - The DELL is worse as it costs more (worse price) for the same thing.
So the Apple monitor also has a heigh adjustable stand, HDMI, DVI, USB hub, a memory card reader built in and can pivot?
You can easily turn this around.
So the Dell monitor has a fully aluminium enclosure, LED backlight, camera, speakers, can charge your laptop, and supports software adjustable brightness?
If you need a screen that can be thrown around 180 degrees, you shouldnt be looking at a 27" Screen, its far too large. The CInema Pivots up and down and twisting it around isnt exactly a challenge.
pivoting is rotating the screen from landscape to portrait.
I don't have a Macbook and it's not difficult to hit a button on the monitor to change brightness. an aluminium enclosure doesn't mean squat since I don't plan on banging it into anything, and I've never banged a display into anything anyway, intentionally or not...it's only there for looks, it's not like the Dell is made of cheap plastic.
as I stated above, the Cinema doesn't have a wide-gamut panel, it doesn't pivot and it's not height-adjustable...and they're both targeted at different markets and aren't comparable. I would say you get more for your money with the Dell since it's not much more for a better panel and wide-gamut, but someone looking at a Cinema probably doesn't care about that.
if the OP think it's worth the price, then the OP should just buy it. no, it won't be updated anytime soon.
I happen to have a PLP setup in front of me, so yes, I'm aware of that. My "turn around" wasn't relating to that.
Anyway...That is your preference and others have other preferences. That's why you can't judge a display by such factors. That, and only that, was my point!
Just to reply here, most monitors don't offer the possibility of direct brightness adjustments over a single button. On my Dell 2007FPs I have to go deep into the menu to change the brightness settings. PITA! That's why I use a tiny little tool called ScreenShade. Highly recommended for third party monitors.
An aluminium enclosure has nothing to do with banging stuff into it. Build quality and appearance come here into mind. Personally (again, ones personal preference), I hate plastic. That was one major reason for me buying the 30" ACD instead of a Dell back in the days. I do mind paying 1500 quid for a display that graunches when touching it. Horrible.
Every Dell display I ever had (and other plastic ones as well) do that, and that's only normal for those displays, no matter how expensive they are. Plastic stays plastic.
Unfortunately, Apple never made 20" 5:4 displays, so I had to buy the plastic Dell ones.
But hey, worse things happen. BTW: Which 27" would I buy? Dell or Apple?
Definitely Dell! Why? Despite the looks and their plastic enclosure, it comes with a matte panel cover! I hate that glossy stuff. It's just horrible (personal preference, here we go again
).
I've seen the Dell on sale for $749 in Canada. I'm sure it would be a bit cheaper than that when on sale in the U.S.
The Dell 27" can't pivot either, so I'm not sure why that was brought up as a knock against the ACD. I've actually returned a U2711 because the AG coating was terrible. It looks great for gaming/dark images, but against a white background (text documents) there is a strong sparkle effect. The ACD I now have gives a much sharper image in this regard.
If you have a mbp, I'd go with the ACD. You can charge the laptop and have build-in iSight (I use external speakers). As for the lack of connectivity, I only use the monitor for the computer, so it's a nonissue for me personally. I have a TV for my ps3.
If you have a mbp, I'd go with the ACD. You can charge the laptop and have build-in iSight (I use external speakers). As for the lack of connectivity, I only use the monitor for the computer, so it's a nonissue for me personally. I have a TV for my ps3.
+1 Thank you for bringing up the sparkle.
We used to get gripes all the time about that at my last job about the sparkle. We'd tell them either take the shiny new Dell monitor or if they didn't want that we had some CRTs
They usually shut up after that.