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New Apple Displays for MacPro...

A

AppleWorking

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 20, 2009
178
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I have been holding out for a new ACD for the longest time and I was wondering if Apple is going to release new displays soon. Isn't there a conference coming up where new displays might be announced? When exactly is that?

Should I just take the plunge and pick up the current 24” ACD, or should I wait just a little longer? What do you think?

Thanks
 
Nobody really knows whats going to be released at WWDC 09. We almost defiantly know that they are going to talk about Snow Leopard and Iphone 3.0. Its just under a month away so it might be wise to wait till after the event just incase.:confused:
 
AppleWorking said:
I have been holding out for a new ACD for the longest time and I was wondering if Apple is going to release new displays soon. Isn't there a conference coming up where new displays might be announced? When exactly is that?

Should I just take the plunge and pick up the current 24” ACD, or should I wait just a little longer? What do you think?

Thanks
Click to expand...

I'm in the same boat as you i've been waiting for a year and a half ever since I got my Mac Pro for the new 30 inch LED so I hope we will see the new desktop displays at WWDC but i'll still wait if it doesn't
 
skyline r34 said:
I'm in the same boat as you i've been waiting for a year and a half ever since I got my Mac Pro for the new 30 inch LED so I hope we will see the new desktop displays at WWDC but i'll still wait if it doesn't
Click to expand...

I hope about the new *desktop* Apple Cinema Display too. at least Apple must release something that make old Apple product (MBP / MB / iMac / Mac mini that doesn't have MDP) can run their new display.

30inchacd.jpg
 
Display standards

Nvidia and Apple seem to be going different ways on display connectors. The new Nvidia cards (Quadra 4800 and 285) are both standard dual link DVI connectors as for the current 30 inch display.

If Apple do produce a new display it may be like the 24inch and mini display port only so if you buy it you'll be limited as to what cards you can use (and the number of cards are severely limited as it is!) At present you can get an adapter to convert mini-display port out from the computer to a DVI monitor but I don't think you can do it the other way around (i.e. get an adapter that will drive a mini display port input on a monitor from a DVI output on a computer).

I waited for ages for the new (Nehalem) Mac Pros and then they arrived with an enormous price-hike, with a deal of confusion as to whether to go for a quad or an octo and too few ram slots for the chip architecture (compared
to rival machines).

If you're waiting, make sure that what is likely to come out is what you want. You may regret not buying the current offering.
 
If Apple is actually stupid enough to ship a 30" LED display and make it high gloss, I will possibly laugh until I vomit out of my eyes.
 
Don't expect a 30" LED display any time soon. 30" LED panels cost an absolute fortune. A 30" LED display would likely cost at least double what the current 30" ACD costs. Apple's not going to shoot itself in the foot by selling 30" LED displays at a significant loss. They're already making far less of a profit on their 24" LED display compared to the 23" ACD that was its predecessor because LED panels cost so much more at the moment.
 
hmmmm. I just cancelled my Mac Pro order pretty much to wait and see what they say at WWDC and if anything lights up around here regarding any announcements. If nothing comes of it, I will re-order and probably get the 24 inch. I know there are a few threads about with people asking about 30 inch displays from other companies, any of them include a built in camera??

Grue, that's a classic :)
 
jnc said:
Why would they be the same?
Click to expand...

to emphasize that the larger screen gives a higher resolution to work with -- it doesn't scale the image in any way. although the dock did get smaller on the larger screen... lol. are you going to try to tell me that the dock size change was intentional?

here's a real Apple marketing piece. see how the docks are the same size? apple wouldn't overlook the tiny things like that on a real ad.
wsvkts.jpg
 
I agree with the NEC. I just picked up a 2690wuxi2 that calibrates the LCD internally (not on your computer) and it's the most accurate and wonderful display I've ever owned. (Can you tell I'm biased?)

Plus I know people don't mind the glossy but there is no way I could stand working on design and photography 10hrs/day on a super-bright glossy display. (being flame war!):D
 
yeah i'm looking forward for a new 30 acd, hopefully the new ones will justify the extra $$ as i may just grab the older model or get one of dell's 30s.
 
The current 30 inch ACD

Is there anything fundamentally wrong with the current 30 inch ACD?

I know that it does not have HDCP (or what ever it is) so you can't play
blue ray through it and it only has one connector and the back lighting
(according to a few reviews) is a bit uneven and the level of physical adjustment of the stand is a bit limited (in particular no height adjustment) but as far as the screen itself is concerned is it better or worse than a Dell 3008? My understanding was that it is much better (certainly according to Tom's Hardware I think it was).

(I know the NEC is better but it costs 65% more here in the UK while the Dell and the Apple ACD are about the same price.)
 
Gonk42 said:
Is there anything fundamentally wrong with the current 30 inch ACD?

I know that it does not have HDCP (or what ever it is) so you can't play
blue ray through it and it only has one connector and the back lighting
(according to a few reviews) is a bit uneven and the level of physical adjustment of the stand is a bit limited (in particular no height adjustment) but as far as the screen itself is concerned is it better or worse than a Dell 3008? My understanding was that it is much better (certainly according to Tom's Hardware I think it was).

(I know the NEC is better but it costs 65% more here in the UK while the Dell and the Apple ACD are about the same price.)
Click to expand...

As much as I love the ACD's aesthetics, purely for the sake of value-per-pound I'd grab the Dell in a heartbeat thanks to all the extra features.
 
Gonk42 said:
I know that it does not have HDCP (or what ever it is) so you can't play blue ray through it and it only has one connector and the back lighting(according to a few reviews) is a bit uneven and the level of physical adjustment of the stand is a bit limited (in particular no height adjustment) but as far as the screen itself is concerned is it better or worse than a Dell 3008? My understanding was that it is much better (certainly according to Tom's Hardware I think it was).

(I know the NEC is better but it costs 65% more here in the UK while the Dell and the Apple ACD are about the same price.)
Click to expand...

I think you named all the reasons in this post. :) Didn't notice you hail from the UK so the NEC wouldn't make as much sense (stupid non-US pricing)

The Dell has a wide gamut of I think 92-95% of Adobe RGB 117% NTSC and has HDCP support while the older ACD only covers the standard 72% and doesn't have HDCP.

The other thing to take into consideration is HP (and other brands) offer longer warranties and with the ACD add $$$ for applecare to get more than a measly 1yr coverage plan. (I've had LCD's burn up on me after two years so the extra coverage is necessary IMO) but if you got a refurbished 30in + applecare it would cost about the same.
 
RebootD said:
I think you named all the reasons in this post. :) Didn't notice you hail from the UK so the NEC wouldn't make as much sense (stupid non-US pricing)

The Dell has a wide gamut of I think 92-95% of Adobe RGB 117% NTSC and has HDCP support while the older ACD only covers the standard 72% and doesn't have HDCP.

The other thing to take into consideration is HP (and other brands) offer longer warranties and with the ACD add $$$ for applecare to get more than a measly 1yr coverage plan. (I've had LCD's burn up on me after two years so the extra coverage is necessary IMO) but if you got a refurbished 30in + applecare it would cost about the same.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your response, and also jnc. I'm a student so if I buy the ACD with a Mac Pro I can get 3 years cover for £50 (actually I think the three year cover is standard and £50 buys a bit more support). With a student discount the ACD is £1025 whilst the Dell is about £1100 with postage etc from somewhere like scan and currently £1300plus from Dell themselves (I just missed their offer of £1034 which ended last month).

My main concern is the quality of the screen itself. I play DVDs rather than blu-ray and if I ever switch I'll upgrade my tv rather than my computer. My concern about the Dell is that all the reviews I've read have liked the connectivity etc but have been a bit negative about the colours/screen quality but it is difficult to compare with the Apple because most of the ACD reviews date to when it came out and things have moved on since then. Similarly it is difficult to work out how important wide gamut is as some reviews seem to indicate that achieving it has other side effects. I am not a professional photographer but I want my photos to look good and I want a screen that is easy on my now ageing eyes (I'm a mature student).
 
I've been wrestling with this issue for several weeks, and put off ordering a new MacPro because of it.

Based on some of the other threads I've read on this topic, I am strongly considering getting a Dell 24" display instead of holding out for a new ACD built for use with Apple's towers.

When I went to the Apple Store this past weekend to measure the actual length of the cable on the 24" (and verified that it is far too short for me to keep a MacPro tower on the floor under my desk) the salesperson I spoke with immediately pointed me to Monoprice.com, which apparently plans to sell an extension cable for the display. (This would only cover the "video" part of the cable. You'd be s.o.l. on the built-in magsafe adaptor, and you'd have to use a basic USB extension cable to run the USB port). So at least the salespeople are already aware of the issue.

Instead of messing around with all that crap, I'm tempted to switch to the Dell display, which would meet my needs, and also provide more flexibility for different types of inputs. Yeah, its not as pretty, but it is cheaper and would get the job done.

Most people would call me an Apple fanboy, and I've certainly encouraged plenty of other people to make the switch. But their decision to roll out pricey new towers without compatible displays is baffling to me. Is it obliviousness or arrogance? Or do they really just want us to get our displays elsewhere?

I'm waiting until WWDC to make a final purchasing decision though.
 
CoffeeMonkey said:
I've been wrestling with this issue for several weeks, and put off ordering a new MacPro because of it.

Based on some of the other threads I've read on this topic, I am strongly considering getting a Dell 24" display instead of holding out for a new ACD built for use with Apple's towers.

When I went to the Apple Store this past weekend to measure the actual length of the cable on the 24" (and verified that it is far too short for me to keep a MacPro tower on the floor under my desk) the salesperson I spoke with immediately pointed me to Monoprice.com, which apparently plans to sell an extension cable for the display. (This would only cover the "video" part of the cable. You'd be s.o.l. on the built-in magsafe adaptor, and you'd have to use a basic USB extension cable to run the USB port). So at least the salespeople are already aware of the issue.

Instead of messing around with all that crap, I'm tempted to switch to the Dell display, which would meet my needs, and also provide more flexibility for different types of inputs. Yeah, its not as pretty, but it is cheaper and would get the job done.

Most people would call me an Apple fanboy, and I've certainly encouraged plenty of other people to make the switch. But their decision to roll out pricey new towers without compatible displays is baffling to me. Is it obliviousness or arrogance? Or do they really just want us to get our displays elsewhere?

I'm waiting until WWDC to make a final purchasing decision though.
Click to expand...

I've said the same thing many times in several different threads... namely, that it is utterly baffling that Apple has a mis-matched, poorly thought out series of displays for their super-high-end, very expensive Mac Pro computers. I can understand not updating the whole line (b/c it seems a 30" LED monitor is "too expensive" (since when has that stopped Apple???)), but why retire the 20 and 23 inch displays and offer NOTHING as a replacement except a glossy laptop-friendly device??? Why not make small updates to the 20 and 23 and 30 inch LCDs like adding an iSight and keeping them in inventory??? Apple is just leaving money on the table as people go to third parties for their displays.

If I were a shareholder, I'd be furious. I have a 30" display with my Mac Pro, and would have easily bought a 23" to go along side it. But as it is not available, I will be getting a Dell or an NEC.

Puzzling.

Although, all that said, it would be strange for Apple to wait for WWDC to rollout new displays. Why not do it right away? Displays are not big media draws, and are CRITICAL to a complete product offering.

The fact that some people are holding up purchasing decisions in the hopes of an announcement in a month is very unfortunate, and hopeless in my view (at least in a normal world). If new displays are available, Apple would/should release them immediately assuming it were to act in its best financial interests.
 
Gonk42 said:
Thanks for your response, and also jnc. I'm a student so if I buy the ACD with a Mac Pro I can get 3 years cover for £50 (actually I think the three year cover is standard and £50 buys a bit more support). With a student discount the ACD is £1025 whilst the Dell is about £1100 with postage etc from somewhere like scan and currently £1300plus from Dell themselves (I just missed their offer of £1034 which ended last month).

My main concern is the quality of the screen itself. I play DVDs rather than blu-ray and if I ever switch I'll upgrade my tv rather than my computer. My concern about the Dell is that all the reviews I've read have liked the connectivity etc but have been a bit negative about the colours/screen quality but it is difficult to compare with the Apple because most of the ACD reviews date to when it came out and things have moved on since then. Similarly it is difficult to work out how important wide gamut is as some reviews seem to indicate that achieving it has other side effects. I am not a professional photographer but I want my photos to look good and I want a screen that is easy on my now ageing eyes (I'm a mature student).
Click to expand...

Well I can vouch for the 27" Dell, and that's only 1920x1200. I use it for PS3 through HDMI, Mac through DVI and Wii through Component.

I haven't done any calibration and the colours are fine, red can sometimes be a bit dominant so I'm sure it'd benefit from a tweak but I'm fine with it.

By the way, students get three-year limited parts and labour on their machines as standard - the reason AppleCare in addition is so cheap.

Plus, Dells are covered by a PixelSharp warranty - one stuck pixel and they'll replace the unit! Pretty damn good.
 
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