Mac display alternative.

no experience, but from what I have read many people really like the dell displays especially the ultrasharp because it acts as a hub too and they will be alot lighter on your wallet at the end of the day

 

Eizo CE240W.

I purchased this display last year when I gave up on Apple releasing updates to the ACD's. At the time there were many complaints about the 23" ACD. Did not want to have to go through returning 3 or 4 displays to get a "good" one.

No regrets.

 

NEC LCD2490WUXi

In another thread:

http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=451166

I stated that I was disappointed in my ACD 23"... well, I did order a replacement, the NEC LCD2490WUXi-BK-SV and I am beyond satisfied with this monitor. It is a bit more expensive but the quality is superb with every option imaginable for configurability.

As someone else stated, the monitor is the highest bandwidth interface between the USER and the COMPUTER so it's vitally important to a system.

I can wholeheartedly recommend this monitor. Note, the SV version includes the Gretag MacBeth Eye-one display calibration system, you can find the monitor for slightly less without this calibration system.

Good luck in your search. I looked for six months and I'm finally very satisfied with my purchase.

 

The 24" is not really truly 'bigger' than the 23". it has the same number of pixels but a bigger pixel pitch so the acd will look smoother.

The choice you are making is superior panel quality for exacting color work with the s-ips versus different advantages for the NEC. you get what you pay for and the acd is about the cheapest s-ips you can buy. apple could update the ACD to the same as the NEC 24" wuxi but that would probably mean raising the price by $300 with perhaps little difference in panel quality. the acd has been incrementally updated and at its price point is about as good as you can get. take a look at other ips moniotors.

The ACD panel is made by lg.philips so it's unlikely the 'problems' reported about these monitors are any different than the problems reported about many products. (i broke my arm yesterday and no-one on macrumors has stated that they didn't so out of all the people who reported their arm condition 100% said it was broken but we dont conclude there is an epidemic of broken arms amongst mac users!)

 

It isn't available in the UK unfortunately.

 

I bought a Viewsonic 20" widescreen 2 years ago for $350. It's worked just as well as a display can (plus it wasn't near as expensive).