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Would you do 2 x 30" or 2 x 27" Cinema Display on your Mac Pro?
- Thread starter Desmo1098
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i use to do two 30" cinema displays for graphics, visual effects, and some other editing and post production work up to a few months ago, and it was amazing. i sold the displays cause the warranties were nearing their end in the coming year. i'm not sure how much better or worse a double 27" setup would be. i know one thing for sure, you'd have less cable clutter, save a few bucks on the energy bill, have a slightly sharper display, experience some glare issues cause the glossy display, and depending on how high or low your displays are on the desk, your neck can hurt from looking up at the top of the 30" screens after prolonged use. this happened to me. i did love my 30 inchers and wish i still had them, actually. i liked the matte display so much better. if you can get two of those with apple care so your covered for 3 years on each, that is always a nice way to go.
i did buy a 27" cinema display last week from the apple store, but returned it the same day due to a USB problem. it was a great display, very pretty and very bright, but coming from the 30 inchers, the 16:9 aspect ratio seemed odd for the kind of work i do. less top to bottom space on the monitor was just very odd. also, after reading the AnandTech review of the 27", i'm might want to spend my $1000+ on a higher quality 26" or 30" multisync NEC display now. i'm not sure apple is making displays for the pro market anymore. in fact, i don't know what they are doing anymore, the confuse me these days
i did buy a 27" cinema display last week from the apple store, but returned it the same day due to a USB problem. it was a great display, very pretty and very bright, but coming from the 30 inchers, the 16:9 aspect ratio seemed odd for the kind of work i do. less top to bottom space on the monitor was just very odd. also, after reading the AnandTech review of the 27", i'm might want to spend my $1000+ on a higher quality 26" or 30" multisync NEC display now. i'm not sure apple is making displays for the pro market anymore. in fact, i don't know what they are doing anymore, the confuse me these days
I would buy an integrated solution to Apple Display. Something like a 42" or 50" display made by LG or Samsung with Apple TV integrated. Better yet, a 50" iMac with serious 1080p webcam with superior audio & video recording capability for video conferencing via iChat (or Skype) fully integrated with popular brand name receivers.
Why All the Apple Monitor Love??
Why is it that people default to thinking that if they use an Apple computer that they should first look at Apple's monitors? I'm guessing it's because most folks (even some creatives that should know better) dig the way it's visually designed and that it carries the same brand as their computer.
I love Apple and they build some amazing hardware and software, but I'm also not naive enough to think that they don't also make some less than perfect hardware and software. I love the way the Apple displays physically look, they are fantastic... but a glossy display just kills it, no point in even considering the monitor. If your someone who needs accurate color (photographers, graphic designers, video folks) the Apple displays just aren't worth it, and if you *don't* need the color accuracy save yourself some money and buy one of the HP or Dell 30" displays for the money they are fantastic.
I should note that I can't deny that the contasty glossy screen doesn't make things look good, but I also know that it's not accurate and that I can't match prints with them. I also know they have hella glare in lots of conditions.
So if you have enough scratch to throw down for two 30" or two 27" monitors you should be throwing it down on something that's much better than an Apple display.
Me, I went for the 30" NEC with the custom tweaked Eye One colorimeter. This display blows just about everything out of the water I've ever seen and is pretty close to the EIZO ColorEdge. It's not cheap but it is fantastic... down the road I might pickup a 22" or 24" as a second monitor for pallets, bridge, email, etc.
Why is it that people default to thinking that if they use an Apple computer that they should first look at Apple's monitors? I'm guessing it's because most folks (even some creatives that should know better) dig the way it's visually designed and that it carries the same brand as their computer.
I love Apple and they build some amazing hardware and software, but I'm also not naive enough to think that they don't also make some less than perfect hardware and software. I love the way the Apple displays physically look, they are fantastic... but a glossy display just kills it, no point in even considering the monitor. If your someone who needs accurate color (photographers, graphic designers, video folks) the Apple displays just aren't worth it, and if you *don't* need the color accuracy save yourself some money and buy one of the HP or Dell 30" displays for the money they are fantastic.
I should note that I can't deny that the contasty glossy screen doesn't make things look good, but I also know that it's not accurate and that I can't match prints with them. I also know they have hella glare in lots of conditions.
So if you have enough scratch to throw down for two 30" or two 27" monitors you should be throwing it down on something that's much better than an Apple display.
Me, I went for the 30" NEC with the custom tweaked Eye One colorimeter. This display blows just about everything out of the water I've ever seen and is pretty close to the EIZO ColorEdge. It's not cheap but it is fantastic... down the road I might pickup a 22" or 24" as a second monitor for pallets, bridge, email, etc.
actually I would not say its close
I would say its equal the color edge nobody has been able to prove its better ? I know some time ago Dr Karl Lang the guy who invented the Sony Artisan asked Eizo for some monitors to test and they refused to send them any ?
so according to some other color gurus the NEC and Eizo are on equal ground and one can argue either way but the bottom line the NEC are way cheaper and Eizo cant prove theirs are better ?
this was on another forum some time ago that I was on ? try to keep my finger on the color world a bit
as its a lot of fun also a few who had both from private people did some testing and they were both so good on scores it was personal taste ?
and with the new PA series I think NEC is the one to get ? with it being so reasonable the basic model of the 27 can be had for under $1200 ? the SV under $1500 and if you are going to do one do the SV !
then the next one does not have to be since you have the kit
Yeah my thoughts kind of echo what you were stating... The NEC definitely costs more than the consumer displays from Dell, HP, Apple, etc. but is in a whole nother league in terms of performance. Then you have the EIZO and LaCie monitors which cost a ton more than the NEC and there doesn't seem to be much if any difference.
My $.02 is that EZIO and LaCie are known for high end products and there are lots of creatives who aren't technical and just trust reputation, and that's why they can stay in business. I don't find their products to be worth the price as equal or better can be had for less 99% of the time.
My next monitor will be a 24" or smaller, for me two 30" displays is just to much lookin around and I find the 16x9 aspect ratio weird since I'm a photo guy, not enough vertical space.
I used to have two 30" Apple Cinemas side by side on my desk but I had to return one of them because it was a defect unit and got replaced.
Anyway, I didn't like it. The real estate you get is fantastic but what really annoyed me is the dual setup itself.
You basically get two options. Either you sit directly in front of the two display bezels, or you center one display in front of you and put the other one on the side, which makes you turn your head quite a lot.
For me, a triple screen setup is the sweet spot. One large screen (30" in my case) in the center plus two smaller on the sides. I use two 23" screens to flank my 30" at home and it's great. Same real estate as two 30" screens but easier to overlook and better for a lot of separate windows. Cheaper, too.
Anyway, I didn't like it. The real estate you get is fantastic but what really annoyed me is the dual setup itself.
You basically get two options. Either you sit directly in front of the two display bezels, or you center one display in front of you and put the other one on the side, which makes you turn your head quite a lot.
For me, a triple screen setup is the sweet spot. One large screen (30" in my case) in the center plus two smaller on the sides. I use two 23" screens to flank my 30" at home and it's great. Same real estate as two 30" screens but easier to overlook and better for a lot of separate windows. Cheaper, too.
I'm a little odd that in addition to creative I do a fair bit of programming and find the text much easier to read on a glossy panel than the non glossy panels I have looked at. I hate the text fuzziness you get from the matte displays I have seen so far.
I much prefer my 24" Cinema at home to my 30" HP LP3065 at work. I've just ordered the 27" Cinema for home and the new 30" HP ZR30W for work so it will be interesting to see how those compare. I do color calibrate but I don't do any print work. I think it is an over simplification to say that glossy monitors are not color accurate...the world is quickly moving away from print....and towards what?......well those would be glossy displays.
For home I have my Cinema on a coffee table in my living room and I just don't want the cable clutter of the other monitors even if they are a little better. I really have never found the glossiness much of an issue. I did order my 15" Macbook Pro with the matte screen though as in certain environments glossy can be annoying (particularly on a bouncy airline food tray!).
I much prefer my 24" Cinema at home to my 30" HP LP3065 at work. I've just ordered the 27" Cinema for home and the new 30" HP ZR30W for work so it will be interesting to see how those compare. I do color calibrate but I don't do any print work. I think it is an over simplification to say that glossy monitors are not color accurate...the world is quickly moving away from print....and towards what?......well those would be glossy displays.
For home I have my Cinema on a coffee table in my living room and I just don't want the cable clutter of the other monitors even if they are a little better. I really have never found the glossiness much of an issue. I did order my 15" Macbook Pro with the matte screen though as in certain environments glossy can be annoying (particularly on a bouncy airline food tray!).
Going for the 2x30" monitor setup here. I got my current 30" Dell 3007WFP used for $300 from Craigslist. It has 4 vertical lines stuck, but I think that for the price, it was worth it. Been working like a champ for 2 years now, and 99% of the time, I don't even notice the lines are there. Now, I'm looking to get a used one off eBay or Craigslist for ~$700 to complete the dual setup.
for gauging prints they are not as accurate ? in the print world thats a pretty known fact
and not trying to be a jerk just color and print etc.. are my world so color accuracy ? thats a tough one as things are getting so good the gap is getting smaller but they can be color accurate to a point but the glossy gives a false sense of contrast and your eye gets tricked so the colors can appear more saturated etc.. then they are ?
problem lies in trying to gauge reflective media with any monitor and why in the big world proofing is still going on
SO they can be color accurate but the glossy by nature throws that off for print work ? and the apple is not a NEC ? but its not the price so thats a DUH you get speakers camera etc.. with the apple so the price is inline with what you get I feel
and for many users the apples are a legit nice choice do you know that trick yo do with the two fingers in front of your eyes close and you bring them together and you see that floating finger ?
that is something your brain can not take away everyone sees it ! unless you have one eye ? but its their
just like a mirage on a horizon etc.. so the glossy screen becomes a eye trick and this is what throws people off
the brain is amazing and can kinda compensate for it after a while ? but guess compensating is not worth it when other things are available like NEC etc..
as print going away ? no
is the print world branching out and getting a bit smaller ? yes magazines are still huge etc.. but I hear ya but glossy displays are not the best in lots of situations ? look at the kindle ads
text in controlled areas you are going to see as sharper really more edge contrast ? but the same theory
again not trying to rain on the new monitors as said they are cool
the only thing I wish is they were height adjustable pair one on a arm with a NEC and you have a sweet setup speakers and camera etc..
I still like better speakers but thats another thread