The case of the missing monitor
The e-mails have been arriving here at TUAW headquarters for a good portion of the morning with many asking the same question: "What happened to the 20-inch Cinema Display?"It's true. A check of the direct link to the 20-inch Cinema Display's page reroutes you directly to the main Apple page. The portion of the Apple site dedicated to displays, however, not only still lists the 20-inch Cinema Display, but its departed brethren the 23-inch Cinema Display.
Oh where, oh where, have the 20-inch monitors gone? It leaves a devastatingly slim choice for people wanting an Apple-branded monitor. The new 24-inch LED Cinema Displays won't play nice with either the Mac Pro, iMac, Mac mini, or any other machine that doesn't have a Mini DisplayPort connector -- which pretty much means it's the unibody MacBook family or nothing. The price of the 30-inch Cinema Display is most likely out of reach for a lot of people, as well.
What to do? Take no fear, Amazon still has the 20-inch Cinema Display in stock with free shipping. There's also a host of very nice third-party panels out there. I supplement my MacBook with a 20-inch display from Acer that I picked up at Best Buy for less than $150.
Anyone else have any recommendations for a good non-Apple branded monitor? Let us know in the comments!
Thanks to all who submitted this!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Jack said 5:19PM on 2-19-2009
The page and links to it are completely gone now.
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Megan Lavey said 5:21PM on 2-19-2009
Huh. I just tried the links on the story again and it works fine for me.
gillsans said 5:24PM on 2-19-2009
I've got a Dell 2007WFP that works great. Not so easy on the eyes though. It's a little harder to wade through Dell's convoluted display product line now though.
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Jack said 5:28PM on 2-19-2009
The page is still there.. But when you click "buy now" only the 24" and 30" are listed.. You can't click 20" anymore
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balls said 5:30PM on 2-19-2009
HP 3065. Love it.
Waiting for a cheaper Mini DP to Dual Link DVI option though.
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robogobo said 9:13PM on 2-19-2009
ditto.
Johnny said 5:32PM on 2-19-2009
Best Buy? Acer? Are you serious?
I'm not. I've got some pretty crappy monitors attached to a couple of the macs around here. The only reason to buy an Apple monitor is to make it match the system, which is a good reason sometimes but one that will cost you more than a better monitor that doesn't match.
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oliver hart said 6:09PM on 2-19-2009
Boo fucking hoo. Not everyone can afford apples overpriced monitors "just to match". Those displays are REALLY just samsung or LG LCD's with an apple logo slapped on. Go look for yourself, I don't remember which but apple just gets cheap buys them and jacks the price up.
Johnny said 11:08AM on 2-20-2009
Good job at agreeing and insulting at the same time. That takes a 'special' kind of person.
Aron Trimble said 11:38AM on 2-20-2009
I'm fairly certain that Apple does their own image processors for those bad boys. The only thing they share are the panel and any HT junkie will tell you that the panel is far and away not the only contributor to picture quality.
And let's be honest with ourselves... we probably don't buy Apple gear because it is competitive on price.
Chugy said 5:36PM on 2-19-2009
I've been using Dell's ultrasharp 24" monitors with my MacPro. I'm very happy with them both of them side by side. Overall the specs are better then Apple's and I get a lot more for my buck.
Exteral card reader for my cameras
USB ports
Several HDMI inputs
Picture in Picture
etc.. you can do the research if you like...
I would suggest getting the ultrashap models only..
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Raphael M said 5:42PM on 2-19-2009
It's ridiculous the amount of glare that the 24-inch LED Cinema Displays "gloss screen" reflects. This is for sure not for PROs, let's hope the come up with something better.
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pabster said 7:09PM on 2-19-2009
Nonsense. Sure there's glare. You negate it by adjusting the lighting in the room(s) and the orientation of the display(s). Not rocket science.
Aaron said 9:59PM on 2-19-2009
you sound like you own one. It always amazes me how many people hate the 24 LCD when they have only used it is the Apple store or seen it online. The lighting in all the Apple stores sucks, trust me I know, I get to tell the lighting guy to make them brighter to make everything look shiny.
Jon said 3:52AM on 2-20-2009
I'm hoping they'll do what they do with the 17" MBP where you can pay an extra $50 or so to get a matte screen. That way everyone's happy.
ghostshadow said 5:48PM on 2-19-2009
Hopefully it's time for a refresh. I just hope they still have a DVI option, or maybe come with a converter dongle. If Apple is replacing the older models, then soon it'll be a great time to buy, the current model will be a bit cheaper. I guess we just have to wait and see what they have up their sleeve.
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dowtech said 6:01PM on 2-19-2009
I wanted to upgrade my old Sony 18-inch LCD. I was currently running it from a first gen Mac Mini. I had a Dell 27-inch at work that I brought home to try, and it worked fine. However, it was the 2007 model, and largely unavailable (later versions had numerous complaints). My plan was to use the new monitor while I recovered from the financial shock, then upgrade the computer to a new MBP. I settled on a Samsung 275T and it worked great with the Mini (though the latter's video is failing, I think). I recently bought the MBP of my dreams, along with a Display Port to DVI adapter, and I'm ecstatic!
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William said 6:33PM on 2-19-2009
Highly recommend the Dell UltraSharp monitors; I use a two 24-inch and one 20-inch with my Mac Pro and they work fantastically.
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Barry Wiseman said 6:34PM on 2-19-2009
I have a Westinghouse 19" LCD that I've been very happy with- hooked to my MBP (http://snipurl.com/c8yh8 [www_bestbuy_com] ). It's got DVI, looks good, and costs about $150-160. Although I appreciate the engineering of Apple's displays, I don't really think they are worth the price premium. In any event, we are due for some new monitor, mini, and imac goodness. Should we expect an apple event in the next month or so?
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AndyB said 6:42PM on 2-19-2009
EDU store still has 20"ers for sale...
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