What to get if not an Apple monitor?

The alternative is the Dell u2711, prices drop down to $700 very often.

 

Checkout Dell or HP. Their prices might be close to Apple's though. I think a 27" monitor with excellent color management is going to be fairly expense no matter how you spin it. Happy Shopping!

 

If color accuracy is important, know if you need narrow (sRGB) or wide (aRGB) monitor....and get a Spyder or Munki package to calibrate it. That goes for any brand of screen.

In fairness to the expensive ATD, it much more than just a good sRGB IPS screen. It is also a charging station for Mac laptops, provides a thunderbolt docking station for Macs, contains a USB 2 hub, contains a FW port, contains a GB ethernet port, integrated camera, and integrated speakers.

Yep, an ATD is not inexpensive. But compare it to the cost of a Dell U2711 plus a Delkin thunderbolt dock ($399). Those two will still not provide all the functions of the ATD.

Best prices I have found for ATD are $829 at Apple for refurbed with full warranty and $929 at B&H for a new one.

 

If you are looking for the best monitor for photography, look no further than an NEC. They have great color gamma and are easy to calibrate. also, get a calibrating tool.

 

I'm just waiting for a Thunderbolt display with PCIe slot inside for a thunderbolt (from the mac) GPU - or even just a thunderbolt GPU embedded inside - and possibly a SATA bay?


It would turn the thunderbolt display into an awesome dock for your MBA - storage and GPU worries go out the window - high end gpu is useless on battery anyhow, so why not move it into the dock/monitor you use when plugged in?

 

http://techreport.com/review/23291/those-27-inch-ips-displays-from-korea-are-for-real

http://www.ebay.com/itm/New-YAMAKAS...4810?pt=Computer_Monitors&hash=item19d6e3c93a

 

Apple monitors are awful, like seriously awful.

If you want a seriously good monitor for photography, I'd compromise on the size of it and get a eizo coloredge 21" for about £600....

Infact there's EIZO ColorEdge CS230 24" on ebay uk for £590...... If i had £590 I'd probably buy one.