Recommend a monitor for my needs / setup

[yojitani]

I've searched through the forums, all over the web, and asked around but I really don't know what I should be looking for. In an effort to save a bit of money my wife and I are trying to consolidate a bit on computers so our plan is to pass my 24" iMac on to her and for me to get a 24" ~ monitor for my mbp (since I'm not home that much, it makes a lot of sense). I just can't decide what will suit my needs, especially considering we're trying to save a bit of money right now (read: buying on a budget).

What I want: 24" display, glossy or matte not important. I don't want to feel like I wish I had my iMac back! So, questions:

Should I be looking for a 16:9 aspect ratio monitor like the imac? Should I be looking for a 1920 x 1200 max resolution monitor like the imac?

I will use the monitor for a fair amount of word processing, web surfing, video watching, website editing/design. There's a chance I could do a bit of video editing again, but I'm not counting on that happening any time soon.

What do you recommend? I keep coming back to the U2410, but I was hoping that maybe, maybe I could find something a bit cheaper. The Dell ST2410 is hella cheap, but I'm worried about the 1020 x 1080 resolution.

thanks!

 

[txhockey9404]

If you don't mind a 1" drop in screen size, this beast could be what you're looking for. It has a webcam, USB hub, insane 2048x1152 resolution, pretty bright panel, and HDCP support for $279 after savings. I have a 2007WFP with 1680x1050 resolution, USB hub, 4 inputs, and an S-IPS panel (it was one of the lottery displays and I got lucky), but they don't make it anymore. It is an excellent monitor even being 3 years old, and I would buy another Dell if given the choice. I've seen Samsung, HP, ViewSonic, and Apple monitors as well as the Dells, and I must say, for looks and performance Apple wins, but Dell is a close second in performance (they're just don't have as pretty of casing). I don't really like the Samsungs I've seen, and the HP was decent but I'd rather have a Dell. The ViewSonics I've seen at school are just complete crap.

 

[yojitani]

THAT is a fantastic suggestion! Thank you. I'm open to more. Keep 'em coming.

 

[striatedglutes]

Just make sure you get 1920x1200 and I think you'll be fine (you will sacrifice vertical space if you go 16:9 @ 1920x1080). The cheaper you go, the more apparent color shift/crappy viewing angles will be.

 

[ARF900]

Im a sucker for HP monitors, they look great, picture is great, ive always had good experiences with them. No 24" the first link is 23 second is 25, IMO the 2 inches isnt really worth the $150.

http://www.shopping.hp.com/product/display/display/1/storefronts/FN747AA%23ABA

http://www.shopping.hp.com/product/display/display/1/storefronts/NT195AA%23ABA

EDIT: Note that I do love the Apple cinema display, and if budget wasn't a problem I would immediately recommend that, but personally I could never rationalize spending that much money on a monitor.

 

[yojitani]

Just make sure you get 1920x1200 and I think you'll be fine (you will sacrifice vertical space if you go 16:9 @ 1920x1080). The cheaper you go, the more apparent color shift/crappy viewing angles will be.

Suppose I need to take a trip out to staples or somewhere similar. Unfortunately, there aren't many good electronics stores in the area .

 

[yojitani]

Im a sucker for HP monitors, they look great, picture is great, ive always had good experiences with them. No 24" the first link is 23 second is 25, IMO the 2 inches isnt really worth the $150.

http://www.shopping.hp.com/product/display/display/1/storefronts/FN747AA%23ABA

http://www.shopping.hp.com/product/display/display/1/storefronts/NT195AA%23ABA

EDIT: Note that I do love the Apple cinema display, and if budget wasn't a problem I would immediately recommend that, but personally I could never rationalize spending that much money on a monitor.

HPs look ok but I'm not sold on the 1920 x 1020 resolution.

 

[yojitani]

If you don't mind a 1" drop in screen size, this beast could be what you're looking for. It has a webcam, USB hub, insane 2048x1152 resolution, pretty bright panel, and HDCP support for $279 after savings.

I went ahead and bought this last night. Dell had it up for sale for $209 + free shipping. I'm admittedly a little apprehensive because of the price etc. but we'll see. The only real downside is that it's not supposed to be shipping until Feb 24!

I will report back!

 

[mdgolom]

If you don't mind a 1" drop in screen size, this beast could be what you're looking for.

Thanks for the advise. I had been looking for a replacement for the second monitor on my 24" iMac. I had been considering a refurb 24" Cinema Display, but decided to go with the 23" Dell you suggested. I like the look for the ACD, but couldn't justify the $400 additional. I can use the money I saved to buy the AppleCare for my 4 Macs at home.

 

[yojitani]

Thanks for the advise. I had been looking for a replacement for the second monitor on my 24" iMac. I had been considering a refurb 24" Cinema Display, but decided to go with the 23" Dell you suggested. I like the look for the ACD, but couldn't justify the $400 additional. I can use the money I saved to buy the AppleCare for my 4 Macs at home.

Let me warn you though that for this monitor you will need the dual-link adapter. I am very worried about it because of the very bad reviews of the adapter, I'm thinking of canceling my order for the display.

 

[paddyhazard]

I've got an nec multisync 24" and it's great so far. Got it from here - http://www.pcbuyit.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=782. 1900x1200 and very ergonomically adjustable with 4 usb ports.

 

[mdgolom]

Let me warn you though that for this monitor you will need the dual-link adapter. I am very worried about it because of the very bad reviews of the adapter, I'm thinking of canceling my order for the display.

I'm not sure I follow. I have a Mini-Display port on the back of the iMac. Since the monitor has a DVI port, I'm just moving the existing DVI from the old monitor to the new. Are you talking about using two monitors on a Mini?

 

[yojitani]

I'm not sure I follow. I have a Mini-Display port on the back of the iMac. Since the monitor has a DVI port, I'm just moving the existing DVI from the old monitor to the new. Are you talking about using two monitors on a Mini?

No. The regular mini displayport only supports resolutions up to 1900 x 1200. Since this Dell monitor is 2048 x 1152, you won't be able to use it at max resolution unless you get a dual-link display port. I'm very unhappy about this.

 

[steve2112]

No. The regular mini displayport only supports resolutions up to 1900 x 1200. Since this Dell monitor is 2048 x 1152, you won't be able to use it at max resolution unless you get a dual-link display port. I'm very unhappy about this.

Wow, that is a bummer. I was thinking of upgrading my Dell 2209WA monitor to this one for my new Mini, but not if I have to use that thing. I didn't know anything about it, so I did some searching. Wow, adapter is getting slammed. Gizmodo even had some screenshots.

 

[mdgolom]

No. The regular mini displayport only supports resolutions up to 1900 x 1200. Since this Dell monitor is 2048 x 1152, you won't be able to use it at max resolution unless you get a dual-link display port. I'm very unhappy about this.

Thanks. I'll have to do more research. From some of the info I found via Google, the monitor is only a single-link DVI and people seem to have reported getting the higher res without the dual-link.

 

[Badger^2]

No. The regular mini displayport only supports resolutions up to 1900 x 1200. Since this Dell monitor is 2048 x 1152, you won't be able to use it at max resolution unless you get a dual-link display port. I'm very unhappy about this.

Which 24" iMac do you have?

Not all 24" iMacs have a mini Display port, a lot have a mini DVI port.

You need this cable: http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10419&cs_id=1041912&p_id=4851&seq=1&format=2

All 24" iMacs support a 30" display without extra boxes.

I would be more worried about the tiny pixels. Thats a lot of pixels crammed into a 23" display...

 

[yojitani]

Which 24" iMac do you have?

Not all 24" iMacs have a mini Display port, a lot have a mini DVI port.

You need this cable: http://www.monoprice.com/products/p...=10419&cs_id=1041912&p_id=4851&seq=1&format=2

All 24" iMacs support a 30" display without extra boxes.

I would be more worried about the tiny pixels. Thats a lot of pixels crammed into a 23" display...

I can't speak for iMacs since that's not what I'm concerned with here, however, I think you will find that this has nothing to do with what the computer itself will handle. These don't support these. If your computer uses a mini displayport, you will need the dual-link connector for this monitor since its max resolution is higher than the normal mini displayport can handle. And unfortunately, the dual-link is a huge piece of junk.

Thanks. I'll have to do more research. From some of the info I found via Google, the monitor is only a single-link DVI and people seem to have reported getting the higher res without the dual-link.

If you find anything, do report back!

Edit: having looked around a bit, I've seen reports of these supporting the 2048 x 1152 res. Although I am also having my doubts about the usability of this res. I think I'm going to cancel my order

 

[Badger^2]

apologies -- I missed the one tiny "mbp" in your first post but saw the 5 or 6 "iMac" you had put in it =)

You are correct on all counts.

Stick with a 24" 1920 X 1200.

 

[NorCalLights]

Sorry that you got burned by the dual-link adaptor fiasco. I had no idea there were problems with them.

For what it's worth, if it were me I would go with this monitor:

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...etail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&sku=320-7956

It's the LED version of the monitor I've had for 4 years, and it is phenomenal. I had a number of dead pixels when I first got it, but I called Dell and they overnighted me a new one. I gotta say... I'm really impressed by their responsiveness.

The refurbished store is another great way to go with Dell stuff... they have this monitor available. This is a full list of their refub monitors:

http://outlet.us.dell.com/ARBOnline...?c=us&cs=22&l=en&lob=MON&MODEL_DESC=ALL&s=dfh

 

[yojitani]

Sorry that you got burned by the dual-link adaptor fiasco. I had no idea there were problems with them.

For what it's worth, if it were me I would go with this monitor:

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/...etail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=bsd&cs=04&sku=320-7956

It's the LED version of the monitor I've had for 4 years, and it is phenomenal. I had a number of dead pixels when I first got it, but I called Dell and they overnighted me a new one. I gotta say... I'm really impressed by their responsiveness.

The refurbished store is another great way to go with Dell stuff... they have this monitor available. This is a full list of their refub monitors:

http://outlet.us.dell.com/ARBOnline...?c=us&cs=22&l=en&lob=MON&MODEL_DESC=ALL&s=dfh

I have to say that I like this monitor a lot because of the LED backlights etc. (all the 'green' features) but had ruled it out because of the 1920 x 1080 res. That said, I guess it's no different to the one I've ordered ratio-wise.

 

[Transporteur]

No. The regular mini displayport only supports resolutions up to 1900 x 1200. Since this Dell monitor is 2048 x 1152, you won't be able to use it at max resolution unless you get a dual-link display port. I'm very unhappy about this.

That's not correct.
The standard miniDP - DVI adapter works well with resolutions up to 2048x1152. This resolution is still single link, hence does not require a DualLink DVI adapter.

There are several people around here that have that monitor working with the single Link adatper.

 

[yojitani]

That's not correct.
The standard miniDP - DVI adapter works well with resolutions up to 2048x1152. This resolution is still single link, hence does not require a DualLink DVI adapter.

There are several people around here that have that monitor working with the single Link adatper.

Haha. I was just in the middle of typing a post to this effect when the notice came in of your post! You are right. There's a whole thread on this particular monitor: https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/608880/

Sorry for the confusion.

 

[steve2112]

I'm confused now. I was checking out the Mini specs and found this:

Extended desktop and video mirroring: Simultaneously supports up to 1920 by 1200 pixels on a DVI or VGA display; up to 2560 by 1600 pixels on a dual-link DVI display using Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (sold separately)

The way that reads, it would seem like you can do 1900x1200 on the DVI adapter and you need the Mini DisplayPort - Dual Link adapter for the higher resolutions.

 

[Transporteur]

The way that reads, it would seem like you can do 1900x1200 on the DVI adapter and you need the Mini DisplayPort - Dual Link adapter for the higher resolutions.

That's what Apple says, but the've been proven wrong.

 

[mdgolom]

Thanks. I'll have to do more research. From some of the info I found via Google, the monitor is only a single-link DVI and people seem to have reported getting the higher res without the dual-link.

For what it's worth, I decided to go ahead and get the monitor. According to Dell it just shipped out so I should hopefully have it late next week. If anyone is interested, I can post a review once I receive it.