Anyone go from a 23" to a 21.5" screen?

[xheathen]

I know the answer will always be "if you can afford it, go with the 27" and I totally agree that having that much screen real estate is the way to go.

But as I'm possibly looking at an iMac, I may not have the $$ to go with a 27". Right now I have a 23" Dell monitor, but it's a TN monitor, not an IPS (which is what I really want).

So to get a better system, I was considering getting a more powerful 21.5". But has anyone gone down from 24" or 23" to the 21.5"? Was it bearable? Do you feel like you need a 2nd monitor?

Maybe I should wait for next year's refresh and see if they have any sizes larger than the 21.5". I'm also a little afraid of the yellow tint issue, but it's tough to tell how prevalent it is (people who complain are usually 100x louder than happy people, so it's definitely skewed on teh internets)

 

[alust2013]

The resolution on the iMac is 1920x1080, and I'm going to guess that the res on your dell is the same, or maybe 1920x1200 if it is a couple years old and is a 16:10 aspect ratio, so you shouldn't feel the need for an external monitor, as roughly the same amount of information will fit on the screen.

 

[rhp2424]

When I bought my 21.5" iMac I already had a 16:9 ratio generic monitor. Obviously the quality isn't as good, but the extra screen space gives me room for menus or email or other non-visually important items. Personally, I'd say get the 21.5" and whatever you need to plug that 2nd monitor in. Seems to me that it wouldn't hurt.

 

[xheathen]

You know... the more I look at it, the more it really seems like the 27" is really where you actually see a lot of value for your money.

It's interesting how when you really dig deep into the components of Mac they drastically change your opinion of their cost.

While I can get a Dell ultrasharp 21.5" IPS for like $199, 27" IPS panels, you really can't touch them for under $500. I feel like I need to work harder at putting away some more cash to get a refurb 27" and call it a day, or just spend $500 to upgrade my PC and get the Dell 21.5" IPS. Sigh.. I wish money grew on trees lol.

 

[toxic]

While I can get a Dell ultrasharp 21.5" IPS for like $199, 27" IPS panels, you really can't touch them for under $500. I feel like I need to work harder at putting away some more cash to get a refurb 27" and call it a day, or just spend $500 to upgrade my PC and get the Dell 21.5" IPS. Sigh.. I wish money grew on trees lol.

I'm not aware of any 27" e-IPS panels, which is what you're getting with a $300 (only $200 after heavy discounts) ~21" display. the iMacs have H-IPS. I don't think you can make any straight comparisons between 20 and 24"+ monitors now, since 24" has become much more mainstream...a few years ago, that wasn't the case.

anyways, I went from a 20" to 23", and I wouldn't really wanna go back just because photoediting is much nicer on a larger screen. for "normal" uses, though, I think it wouldn't be too bad.

 

[xheathen]

Well, I've got a TN monitor now, which has caused some issues in what colors I'm seeing versus what was printing out (I do graphic design on the side).

Isn't H-IPS and E-IPS relatively the same? E-IPS is newer, but it seems like it's kind of debatable because the pixels are pretty close to the same shape. Am I getting that right?

The 23" Ultrasharp IPS Dell monitors are like $350 and over $400 for the 24" models. I suppose I could buy the 21.5" iMac and use my current 24" TN monitor as a 2nd monitor (or primary and just drag items to the main iMac side to confirm that the colors look right... but this just seems like a pain in the ass... and so does have my 2nd monitor actually larger than my primary lol)

 

[toxic]

Well, I've got a TN monitor now, which has caused some issues in what colors I'm seeing versus what was printing out (I do graphic design on the side).

Isn't H-IPS and E-IPS relatively the same? E-IPS is newer, but it seems like it's kind of debatable because the pixels are pretty close to the same shape. Am I getting that right?

I'm not certain of the difference (as in I haven't found a reliable source), but considering only the cheapest monitors are e-IPS, I am certain they aren't the same.

The 23" Ultrasharp IPS Dell monitors are like $350 and over $400 for the 24" models. I suppose I could buy the 21.5" iMac and use my current 24" TN monitor as a 2nd monitor (or primary and just drag items to the main iMac side to confirm that the colors look right... but this just seems like a pain in the ass... and so does have my 2nd monitor actually larger than my primary lol)

just launch your design programs on the iMac side? or what a lot of people do is have the toolbars and image on different monitors, so I'm sure you'll be ok...