When will we see new apple cinema displays with higher dpi (ppi)?

[fairnymph]

I adore the look of the apple cinema displays (call me shallow), in terms of the frame and base, and how well they match the new desktops. But they simply do not have enough dpi/ppi.

I currently have a SGI (Silicon Graphics) 1600SW 17" widescreen lcd display which I love, and I have never seen any other lcd display that looks as good. I really notice ppi, and my monitor at 110 ppi beats out almost all other monitors on the market, and certainly within its price range.

The problem is that I have already spent alot of money maintaining this monitor as I've upgraded, because it has a proprietary connection that is no longer supported. I bought a $300 PCI card DVI adapter, but the mac pro desktops, one of which I will buy when Leopard comes out, do not have PCI slots. This means I have to spend up to $200 buying yet ANOTHER adapter.

At this point I'd rather just upgrade my monitor, but there's nothing to upgrade to, unless I want to spend thousands, which I don't. It's astounding to me that ppi has not improved in 8 years!

So, will apple be coming out with any new displays with higher ppi (AT LEAST 110 ppi) any time soon? I don't need anything bigger than a 17", and I don't want anything bigger than a 20", max.

 

[iMeowbot]

The resolution independence feature is being added to Leopard specifically to make smaller pixels a practical option. It's reasonable to assume that once they have the software support out the door, they can start putting some of those finer displays into their hardware offerings.

 

[fairnymph]

That makes perfect sense...do you have any idea on the time frame? This summer? By the end of the year? Next year?

What do you think of the likelihood we will see a release of new monitors not long after Leopard comes out?

I desperately need a new desktop but it just pains me to keep putting money into such an old monitor, as great as it is.

 

[CubeHacker]

Honestly, no one knows when these new displays will be released. Probably not even Apple themselves. There is really nothing you can do other than wait and see.

I also run a SGI 1600SW, and I know how great a high DPI monitor can look. Its a shame that this display has the same resolution in 17" that most new displays today have in 20-22"! We've only gone backwards, and the 1600sw is a good 7 years old now, at least! I also refuse to switch to any new monitors because of this. I am very sensitive to the screen door effect, and I don't want to have to look at pixels the size of my thumb.

Its also disappointing how laptops have resolutions of 1920x1200 in 15-17", (almost TOO small imo) yet they don't just take those same LCD panels and slap them in a desktop bezel and sell them. Instead they force these horrible 1680x1050 resolution displays at us @ 20-22"!

Really, the only solution is to wait it out if you're dying for a high DPI display and don't want to sell your first born for one.

 

[BiikeMike]

one 30" or two 24", that is the question!

I am buying a Mac Pro when they are updated and I am trying to figure out my display options/budget.

The main programs I will be running will be Adobe CS3 and Lightroom. Throw in some Final Cut Studio, and we have a winner. I have been planning on using a two screen setup, but recently have been looking at the 30" option, mainly for Lightroom.

The two screen setup would be ideal for video editing, timeline one one screen, preview on the other, but with Lightroom, I don't think there is support for multi-monitors. Since MOST of my work is photo related, i'm more worried about catering to Lightroom and CS3 than FCS.


If I were to go with the 24's, Dell, or Gateway? for the 30" Cinema Display or save some money and go with Dell? I need the highest quality and best color reproductive display I can get for a "decent" price. They will obviously be calibrated, but they need good clarity and all that to begin with.

Thoughts?

 

[dkoralek]

the problem is resolution independence, not whether you can get better pixel density

Honestly, no one knows when these new displays will be released. Probably not even Apple themselves. There is really nothing you can do other than wait and see.

I also run a SGI 1600SW, and I know how great a high DPI monitor can look. Its a shame that this display has the same resolution in 17" that most new displays today have in 20-22"! We've only gone backwards, and the 1600sw is a good 7 years old now, at least! I also refuse to switch to any new monitors because of this. I am very sensitive to the screen door effect, and I don't want to have to look at pixels the size of my thumb.

Its also disappointing how laptops have resolutions of 1920x1200 in 15-17", (almost TOO small imo) yet they don't just take those same LCD panels and slap them in a desktop bezel and sell them. Instead they force these horrible 1680x1050 resolution displays at us @ 20-22"!

Really, the only solution is to wait it out if you're dying for a high DPI display and don't want to sell your first born for one.

The problem is not that you can't get better pixel density, it is that operating systems are not resolution independent (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Resolution_independence). Because almost everything is scaled by pixel dimensions and not by physical dimensions of the monitor, the OS (and, therefore, applications) will not always display correctly. The overwhelming majority of displays on the market, therefore, have very similar pixel density. Until Leopard is on the market, it wouldn't be all that useful for most people who use OS X to have a display with better pixel density. I honestly don't see the point of the 1920x1200 17" laptop displays other than the fact that they can display 1080i (or p) hd. For the majority of day to day applications, i would just be wasting pixels because i would have to scale everything up.

cheers.

 

[dante@sisna.com]

Go with ACD

I am buying a Mac Pro when they are updated and I am trying to figure out my display options/budget.

The main programs I will be running will be Adobe CS3 and Lightroom. Throw in some Final Cut Studio, and we have a winner. I have been planning on using a two screen setup, but recently have been looking at the 30" option, mainly for Lightroom.

The two screen setup would be ideal for video editing, timeline one one screen, preview on the other, but with Lightroom, I don't think there is support for multi-monitors. Since MOST of my work is photo related, i'm more worried about catering to Lightroom and CS3 than FCS.


If I were to go with the 24's, Dell, or Gateway? for the 30" Cinema Display or save some money and go with Dell? I need the highest quality and best color reproductive display I can get for a "decent" price. They will obviously be calibrated, but they need good clarity and all that to begin with.

Thoughts?

If you want the BEST color reproductive display for photo and print work then you should go with an ACD. It is hands down a better choice than the Dell or Gateway.

In this "Peripherals" forum go back and look for the "Why buy an ACD" thread and read through it -- I don't have the time to recreate all that here but the facts, links and discussions are in that forum -- there you will find the evidence as to why ACD's are a better choice, for your kind of work, than the Dell's or Gateways or some others (not EIZO's Samsungs, NEC's etc).

As far as one 30 or two 23's/24's -- this is a hard call -- I am wrestling with this as well. I think the 30 is seductive for me, but I have heard that two 23's/24's are more productive -- I currently use a Dual setup with a 19" NEC and a 23 Mitsubishi. -- Works very well.

Dante

 

[BiikeMike]

Thanks Dante,

I thought I started a new thread, but it must have just gotten mushed in with this one