Ye Macce Threade

[grawk]

They're something special, but I can't imagine you need what makes them special For me, if I buy another monitor, it'll either be a 24" hdmi 1080p set or a 30" hdmi 1080p set

[aardvark baguette]

Are the Mac monitors anything special...?

The technical term you are looking for is "fucking amazing".

[blessingx]

No regrets here but if it is going to be used as a primary computer then the extra screen real estate would be nice. I have not tried to run down the battery but I have only gotten the 20% left warning once and I really do not plug it in all the time.

I don't. The resolution on the 11" is reasonable, and at the standard lap distances, the screen's plenty big for me. I'm sure others have other ideas... With tbolt, you can use the mini-display port to hdmi or dvi adapters and use most monitors...

Thanks guys. And Grawk I misread your comment as 'standard lap dances,' which was about to get admiration for your elaborate testing procedures.

[jvlgato]

And Grawk I misread your comment as 'standard lap dances,' which was about to get admiration for your elaborate testing procedures.

I didn't misread this, because I would just assume grawk would typically get the upgraded, private lap dance, rather than the standard lap dance.

[Knuckledragger]

Mac Monitors pwn everything this side of Eizo.

[grawk]

sure, at a giant premium. I think most people would be happy with a small HDTV or a decent $200 monitor.

[Voltron]

HC people are NOT most people.

[shellylh]

Are the Mac monitors anything special, or can you get something comparable/better for less?

Dinny: I am not saying you should get an Apple cinema display but...

I always thought that the Dell Ultrasharp displays were as good as the Apple Cinema displays. (My husband has a recent 23" or 24" Dell ultrasharp at home and I have an older 20" Apple Cinema display.) However, the other day I was looking at some pictures of our trip on his monitor and they just didn't look as nice as they did on mine. I didn't really pay attention to why this was. Maybe his wasn't calibrated correctly, maybe it was the difference in size? Just sayin' that there could be a real difference. You should go look at a monitor in person (maybe hook it up to your laptop) before buying it. That said, the 27" Apple displays are pretty pricey. I wish I had one.

[recstar24]

Whether it's because they are calibrated very accurately to industry video standard, have the apple magic fairy dust, or combination of both, the apple displays simply look more accurate and realistic. I would imagine if you are into photography or video editing or simply need very accurate colors and picture it would be great but I believe for the price it's a bit overkill for most users.

[The Monkey]

Thanks all. I want the Apple monitor. A lot. And no Lion for my current machine is uncool.

This is all a pipe dream because there ain't no funds right now, but I'm toying with one of the following options:

- iMac (27" would be nice)

- Mac Mini + Apple Monitor

- MBA + some other monitor

[grawk]

mba + mini + hdtv

[Voltron]

Of course the other advantage of the new Apple monitors (or any others that come out with T-Bolt connections) is that you can daisy chain to a hard drive or array and the display so you only have to have one connection when you "dock" or MBA or MBP. The Apple T-Bolt display has a built in T-Bolt plug and magsafe power plug, to connect and power a laptop, plus a T-Bolt port on the back for a hard drive or whatever else you want to daisy chain in. Same would be true for the new Mini but the convenience of one plug is not as important in a static PC situation.

Edited July 26, 2011 by Voltron

[grawk]

I agree that with unlimited (or nearly so) funds, the cinema display is a spectacular choice. But it's a hell of a price premium, if you're on a budget, aren't doing color critical stuff, etc.

[Hopstretch]

27" iMac is the shit if you don't need to move your shit around. Basically a pro workstation in all-in-one clothing. Unless you game seriously, or design your own universes in the off hours, you'll be a happy camper. Plug in a dCS Debussy and off you go!

[shellylh]

Can I daisy chain three 27" Apple cinema displays together?

[grawk]

On a thunderbolt system, I think you can

[Voltron]

Why not?

[Hopstretch]

Why not?

Singularity?

[shellylh]

On a thunderbolt system, I think you can

Really? Cool. Now I just need a few thousand dollars and a bigger desk.

Seriously though, wouldn't there be a limit based on your video card?

[blessingx]

This is an old thread, but it seems everyone is confused about the multiple monitors-Thunderbolt situation.

[shellylh]

So who is going to march down to the Apple store and try it out?

[Grahame]

^ Will Thunderbolt allow multiple external displays?

[morphsci]

Dinny,

I use a a 24" Asus as an external monitor for my MBA. I will have to agree that it does not have the pixie dust of the Apple monitors but It works very well considering I could buy five of them for the price of the Thunderbolt. Besides my MBA does not have a thunderbolt port. Like Dan however, most of the time I just use the built-in display, unless I have a big-ass spreadsheet.

Edited July 26, 2011 by morphsci

[Dusty Chalk]

You should go look at a monitor in person...

This. And compare apples to apples -- the big 30" monitor is 2560x1600, so compare it to a 2560x1600 monitor.

[HDen]

In my opinion the new Thunderbolt displays are mostly for people who just want a one stop solution when using their new mba or mbp with the thunderbolt connection. Disconnect it and you're on the move with your laptop.

It uses an IPS panel with LED backlighting(that's why they're thin), the Dell U2711 has a better color gamut since it uses CCFL. The apple display has a glossy screen and it's 16:9(this doesn't matter to most people though).

If you're really looking into professional grade monitors, go with Eizo, LaCie or NEC. The Dell U2711 and some HP ones are also a good choice, but they're not 10-bit like the other ones I just listed. The design may not be as great as the apple, but they do have adjustable stands.