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Apple doesn’t make 4K displays. They’ve been on 5k for years because that’s that only way to get precise “retina” display without scaling (which intrusives blur as a side effect).

This would be far far FAR more interesting if it were 5k. At 4K it’s a non-story.
They just stopped selling the 4k iMac that was advertised as retina. It is a story because Samsung clearly took design cues from Apple and created something that Apple refuses to make.
 
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Then you don't care about crisps fonts which you get with 5K and macOS.

Have you compared with a 5K display side by side running macOS?

I run it native, not scaled, so my fonts look pretty damn fantastic, since I spend most of my day in editors, terminals, and browsers, just making the text bigger works just fine for running native. Even scaled it looks fine though
 
As I type this, my MBP is connected to a lower end 4K LG monitor. Works fine. The scaling seems fine. Doesn't seem to look off.

Maybe this is one of those things where it's not easy to see, but once you do see it, you cannot unsee it.
That could be. I've tried many different scalings on my MBP and the text on Default setting (exactly half the MBP resolution) doesn't look any better than any of the other scalings. My impression is that Apple does well with the scalings provided in the Display panel but not so well on "unsupported" scalings, which are only accessible with third party utilities or the Unix command line. But my eyes aren't the best. Perhaps my eyes just aren't capable of seeing the difference. That's ok with me because half scaling is too big for me, so I use the top setting. The text on the highest scaling looks razor sharp to me.
 
If it is $700 for a 32" that's fine, despite the quality being lower. The 27" Studio display is too small for me. I'll wait to hear about the upcoming XDR but Apple could offer something better than what they did especially at that $1600 price.
Hey, I am an Apple fanboy for over 30 years but don't mind criticizing them if they deserve it.
You are right, I also have complaints with the studio display.
Nor is M8 the solution.
 
No, it doesn't. Why do you think Apple doesn't ship 27" or 32" 4K displays? In their own products, or even carry them in their store?

Because macOS is not designed to be displayed on that type of monitor. Maybe it should be, but it's not. That's another conversation entirely.

If you can't do 2x display scaling and also achieve normal sized UI assets, it isn't usable for macOS. If you try anyway, what you get is a low quality compromise.

Even the LG UltraFine 4K is pushing it. They are slightly too large at 23.7", so 1920x1080 appearance results in large display assets. I have to run them at 1.6x scale/looks like 2304 x 1296 to get an acceptable size, which looks fine thanks to its borderline pixel density, but is still a compromise and less than perfect.

24" really needs to be 4.5K, which is why the new iMac is precisely that.
27" needs to be 5k.
32" needs to be 6k.

Unfortunately these panels are rare and expensive. But being rare and expensive doesn't change that this is what macOS is designed for, and anything less looks really, really bad.
Actually Apple ships whatever resolutions that allow for "retina" quality whatever resolution that is. If you look at the various devices, none of them except the 27" displays of the past and present and the now retired 21.5" iMac have anywhere close to standard 4K/5K resolutions. They're always odd resolutions where you wonder where Apple got those numbers of pixels. But then you see the pixel density and will notice that it always seems to hover somewhere around 218 dpi for desktops/laptops and somewhat higher for mobile devices (because they're held closer to your face, so the density must be higher to not see individual pixels). Then Apple optimizes their scalings for those resolutions. They don't have a generic scaling algorithm. Rather they optimize for the settings in the Display settings. So if you go outside of those, the text doesn't look so good.
 
You are right, I also have complaints with the studio display.
Nor is M8 the solution.
Well, let's see the reviews of the Samsung once comes out. It might be total crap or a fair display. As I said, I am hopeful there is a larger than 30" display from Apple somewhere in between the Studio and XDR in terms of specs and price. That would be the optimal situation for me.
 
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It would be a factor to consider, yes. Having a cord that has to be either wrestled from its socket or wrapped around the stand if I ever need to move the monitor to another location would rub me up the wrong way instantly.
Wow, that is just sad if that is all it takes to rub you the wrong way, it is so hard to wrap as cord around the stand, first you have to unplug the cord, next take any kinks out of it, next wrap the cord around the stand and last tuck in the plug so it does not unravel. I could do it much faster than it took me to describe it. Also just how much to you move your displays around? Once a day, week, month, year, decade. I just don't get all the people who are upset about a power cord that does not unplug. Now if it was the signal cord or if it was a laptop I would agree, but a desktop display, unless you are working in an busy office where people are moving desks all the time a desktop display usually is not moved very often.

There are so many other things in this world that should rub you the wrong way then a power cord you can't remove.
 
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My external monitor connected to this machine is 5120x2880. It is limited to 30Hz on HDMI (2.0) but works fine with a USB-C to DisplayPort cable. Hope that helps!

Note, M1 MacBook Pros don't seem to like DisplayPort, not sure if they work with the Pro / Max / Ultra.

OK, good to know. I was using my friend's Dell USB-C display and it struggled to do 60Hz at the highest resolution (4K, or less maybe?) over USB-C from an M1 MacBook. Had to drop down the pixel bit depth (to 8 bits per channel, I think?) in the monitor's settings and then it worked fine.

It looked awful at 30 Hz, but reducing the colour depth wasn't noticeable to me.
 
This is the consumer display that Apple needed to release, an iMac without the computer.
They did, the new 27", it has an iPhone processor and 64GB storage. They just didn't add a way to allow the customer to access it. Such a wasted opportunity.
 
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Wow, that is just sad if that is all it takes to rub you the wrong way, it is so hard to wrap as cord around the stand, first you have to unplug the cord, next take any kinks out of it, next wrap the cord around the stand and last tuck in the plug so it does not unravel. I could do it much faster than it took me to describe it. Also just how much to you move your displays around? Once a day, week, month, year, decade. I just don't get all the people who are upset about a power cord that does not unplug. Now if it was the signal cord or if it was a laptop I would agree, but a desktop display, unless you are working in an busy office where people are moving desks all the time office environment a desktop display usually is not moved very often.
uy
There are so many other things in this world that should rub you the wrong way then a power cord you can't remove.
Yeah, I don't get this. Of all the things to complain about, there are people saying the worst design decision Apple made on this monitor was making the cord non-removable (yes, someone on another similar thread said that on 9to5Mac). Say what? I would like to take a poll of how many would consider this a deal breaker, considering how many thousands of devices out there of all kinds that have permanently attached power cords. Personally, I like the idea because I can't lose the cord. I've got so many electronic components (dvd players, stereos, monitors etc) stacked in storage where I have no idea where the power cord went. When I want to take an item out of storage, I'll look in my enormous pile of cordage to see if I can find one that seems to fit. Sometimes I find one. Sometimes I don't. But seriously nobody is going to use this as a factor in their buying decision.

OMG, I have to move my monitor to the next desk five feet over. I must unplug my power cord from the monitor or I'll suffer seizures and not be able to move that monitor. I'll probably trip over the cord and splash the internals of my monitor all over the floor. Horrors. How can I go on?
 
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Yeah, I don't get this. Of all the things to complain about, there are people saying the worst design decision Apple made on this monitor was making the cord non-removable (yes, someone on another similar thread said that on 9to5Mac). Say what? I would like to take a poll of how many would consider this a deal breaker, considering how many thousands of devices out there of all kinds that have permanently attached power cords. Personally, I like the idea because I can't lose the cord. I've got so many electronic components (dvd players, stereos, monitors etc) stacked in storage where I have no idea where the power cord went. When I want to take an item out of storage, I'll look in my enormous pile of cordage to see if I can find one that seems to fit. Sometimes I find one. Sometimes I don't. But seriously nobody is going to use this as a factor in their buying decision.

OMG, I have to move my monitor to the next desk five feet over. I must unplug my power cord from the monitor or I'll suffer seizures and not be able to move that monitor. I'll probably trip over the cord and splash the internals of my monitor all over the floor. Horrors. How can I go on?
Yea of all the things to complain about this is so far down the list to be falling off a cliff. I have the same situation with all kinds of electronic stuff where I can't find the freaking cord. When it is attached at least I never lose the damn thing and you know what when it is attached I coil the cord and secure it with a twist tie no problem.

I have 3 displays on my disk, I am replacing my Apple 30" display with the Studio 27" to go along with my other 2 Apple 27" displays. My 30" display has been in the same place on my desk for over 10 years I have not moved it once in that time, I have a setup that I like no need to screw with it. Now if my MacBook Pro had an attached cord that would be a different story.
 
Yeah, I don't get this. Of all the things to complain about, there are people saying the worst design decision Apple made on this monitor was making the cord non-removable (yes, someone on another similar thread said that on 9to5Mac). Say what? I would like to take a poll of how many would consider this a deal breaker, considering how many thousands of devices out there of all kinds that have permanently attached power cords. Personally, I like the idea because I can't lose the cord. I've got so many electronic components (dvd players, stereos, monitors etc) stacked in storage where I have no idea where the power cord went. When I want to take an item out of storage, I'll look in my enormous pile of cordage to see if I can find one that seems to fit. Sometimes I find one. Sometimes I don't. But seriously nobody is going to use this as a factor in their buying decision.

OMG, I have to move my monitor to the next desk five feet over. I must unplug my power cord from the monitor or I'll suffer seizures and not be able to move that monitor. I'll probably trip over the cord and splash the internals of my monitor all over the floor. Horrors. How can I go on?
Well, I wouldn't buy a $1600 monitor of that size, but no, a non removable cord isn't a deal breaker, but I would say it's idiotic. Now the height adjustable stand being $400 *more*, that would be a deal breaker if I were considering the $1600 in the fist place. What I'd probably do is get the vesa mount, and put it on my own stand. (I did that with my LG, since it wouldn't lower enough, and it had a built in vesa mount already.)
 
Yeah, I don't get this. Of all the things to complain about, there are people saying the worst design decision Apple made on this monitor was making the cord non-removable (yes, someone on another similar thread said that on 9to5Mac). Say what? I would like to take a poll of how many would consider this a deal breaker, considering how many thousands of devices out there of all kinds that have permanently attached power cords. Personally, I like the idea because I can't lose the cord. I've got so many electronic components (dvd players, stereos, monitors etc) stacked in storage where I have no idea where the power cord went. When I want to take an item out of storage, I'll look in my enormous pile of cordage to see if I can find one that seems to fit. Sometimes I find one. Sometimes I don't. But seriously nobody is going to use this as a factor in their buying decision.

OMG, I have to move my monitor to the next desk five feet over. I must unplug my power cord from the monitor or I'll suffer seizures and not be able to move that monitor. I'll probably trip over the cord and splash the internals of my monitor all over the floor. Horrors. How can I go on?
Since the pandemic I now have two sets of cables for all my computers, one set up in the office and one set up at home, in the event I have to self isolate and work from home all I need to grab from the office is my iMac, monitor and Pegasus HDD. That's it three things, no cables or peripherals... Just unplug everything leave all the cables sitting on the desk and just take the hardware and plug everything in when I get home... just about the easiest way of doing this without having to have duplicate hardware... now Apple have ruined my plans with the none removable cable from the ASD... thats just annoying ... I had a nice thing going, now I have to pull the lead out through the table except its the plug end and that's the fattest end so it doesn't fit through the hole in the table with all the other cables going through, so that means I either drill a new hole in the desk for this one cable so I can remove it easily or I buy two monitors...

I see my first world problems aren't impressing anyone...
 
Wow, that is just sad if that is all it takes to rub you the wrong way, it is so hard to wrap as cord around the stand, first you have to unplug the cord, next take any kinks out of it, next wrap the cord around the stand and last tuck in the plug so it does not unravel. I could do it much faster than it took me to describe it. Also just how much to you move your displays around? Once a day, week, month, year, decade. I just don't get all the people who are upset about a power cord that does not unplug. Now if it was the signal cord or if it was a laptop I would agree, but a desktop display, unless you are working in an busy office where people are moving desks all the time a desktop display usually is not moved very often.

There are so many other things in this world that should rub you the wrong way then a power cord you can't remove.

Yes. It's 'sad' that I want to be able to easily remove the power cord in order to transport my monitor around from place to place without unnecessary hassle. Nearly as 'sad' as taking the time to call someone out because they have different needs and standards to yourself. No one is upset about it. Classic projection against those you disagree with. Some folk just don't like it. It is allowed to dislike something without getting hysterical about it. It would rub me up the wrong way right out of the box. If it doesn't bother you then fair enough.
 
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I'm running an Eizo 4K@32" (EV3285) with a new Macbook Pro 14", scaled to 2560x1440. I'm very picky about image quality and font rendering in particular.

At a viewing distance of 60-70cm, text is crisp, no fuzziness. My wifes iMac is a tad sharper when you compare them side by side with 2x scaling, but guess what? She runs it scaled to 2048x1152 because she feels that 2560x1440@27" is "too small". 2560x1440@32" to me is the sweet spot for MacOS scaling, too. Looks about the same as 2048x1152 on the iMac.

Would I like to have 6K@32"? Sure. Is 4K@32" unbearable compared to 5K@27"? No, MacOS does a great job on image scaling. Would I pay >2k for 6K@32"? No way.
 
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A 32" 4k display. AKA completely useless to a Mac user.

At this point I'm not sure who to blame. Apple for not providing any kind of display scaling other than 2x, or the display market for continuing to ignore the size of the Mac user base.
I would have to disagree. I am using Samsung's M7 32" 4k display right now. I see plenty of scaling options. I personally use the 3008x1692. I am quite happy with it.
 

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I would have to disagree. I am using Samsung's M7 32" 4k display right now. I see plenty of scaling options. I personally use the 3008x1692. I am quite happy with it.
Totally agree with you, 4K is fine at that size. The original commenter seemed to have this notion that every Mac user must have a Retina display or it's an unacceptable abonination.
 
No you don't.

Because a $1600 display's screen shouldn't be worse than the screen of the laptop I'm plugging into said display.

That's just a technological limitation at the moment. I don't think it would be possible to make a 27in display equivalent to the panels in the new MBPs for $1600.

What I really wish they'd do is take the 24in iMac displays, package them up, release them on their own for around $600-$700. No web-cam, no speakers, keep the cost down.
 
Since the pandemic I now have two sets of cables for all my computers, one set up in the office and one set up at home, in the event I have to self isolate and work from home all I need to grab from the office is my iMac, monitor and Pegasus HDD. That's it three things, no cables or peripherals... Just unplug everything leave all the cables sitting on the desk and just take the hardware and plug everything in when I get home... just about the easiest way of doing this without having to have duplicate hardware... now Apple have ruined my plans with the none removable cable from the ASD... thats just annoying ... I had a nice thing going, now I have to pull the lead out through the table except its the plug end and that's the fattest end so it doesn't fit through the hole in the table with all the other cables going through, so that means I either drill a new hole in the desk for this one cable so I can remove it easily or I buy two monitors...

I see my first world problems aren't impressing anyone...
From what I understand, you wouldn’t be able to do this anyway even if the cord were removable. Apparently, the Studio Display is too thin to use a standard cord, so Apple created a proprietary power cable, which is probably why it’s not removable. Losing such a cable would leave you with a bricked monitor.

So even if you could remove it, you’d still have to take the cord with you to the other desk because it won’t work with any normal power cord. Or you’d have to ask Apple if you can buy a second cord, but those do not appear to be available for sale.
 
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