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Dell & Apple 20" Cinema Display cost the same so which should i get?

daneoni

daneoni

macrumors G4
Original poster
Mar 24, 2006
11,947
1,782
I've been looking to get a display since early this year and was hoping an update would be released at WWDC but didnt....well technically we did but...Soo I'm considering just going ahead and getting something now.

I just priced a Dell 20" and it came to £437.00 (they dont seem to offer education discount on their site) and using the HE discount priced an ACD which came to £439. Normally i'd picked the dell but since both have identical panels and brightness and contrast ratios have been increased in the new update i think its better to just go with an ACD as it matches my PowerBook and the price different isnt all that great.

Besides i feel it'll be easier to sell than the Dell when the real display updates are announced.

What do you guys think?
 
Do dell displays cost more outside the US? I just went to their site and the dell display was around 350 dollars while the apple display was 599 with student discount.
 
I think you've already answered your own question but just to clarify... go with the Apple Cinema Display :)
 
Dell discount frequently here. They just don't discount those 2007wfp displays right now.

I saw them for 350quid a couple of weeks ago.

Edit: I'd still go with the ACD though.
 
Dell constantly do 20-25% off the 20" widescreen of theirs, keep that in mind. They don't happen to be doing it right now, but they will do soon enough.
 
Dell frequently has sales, too, so don't just go by their "regular" price. In fact if you want the Dell and you're not in a hurry, keep checking their site every week or so (here in Canada they update on Thursdays, I don't know about elsewhere). I got my Dell display for about half what the Apple 20" cost at the time.

Now that the Apple's display is cheaper, the difference may not be AS dramatic, but in my experience may still be significant.

Of course, I know nothing about how Dell or Apple price in the UK, so I could be way off base.
 
In Stewie from Famliy Guy's voice:
"I consider this a rather ignorant question, yet since I am obligated to answer, I say: Curse you, for ever considering choosing that pile of excrement. It is a profanity to doubt the undoubtful superiousity of the Apple Cinema Display! Now change me!":p
 
Apple and Dell monitors only look the same on paper... in real llfe, Apple monitors are the way to go. Better colors, fewer problems, easier to configure.. take this from a Dell display owner:( .
 
Give your eyes a break and get the ACD.

Yes, there's a chance you might pick up the Dell cheaper, somehow, but damn - once you get an ACD you just don't go back. Since buying my 23" ACD I've managed to accidentally purchase a 30" and have another 30" on order for my Mac Pro (should it ever arrive). They're just droolsome.
 
yojitani said:
I think dell gets apple rejects... seriously, I think the backlight is different. Dells are so ***** bright you have to set the brightness to around 0.
Click to expand...

Noted. I have a dell 20inch (not WS) lcd here at work. Yeah it's bright.
 
I use the 20" ACD at work, and I have the Dell model at home.

I'm a video editor and graphics designer, and from this point of view I have to say the difference in the 2 screens is nominal. The panel is indeed the same on both models, and I haven't noticed a large difference in the backlight between the 2 whatsoever.

I picked my Dell up for about £330, and as other's have stated, Dell do hold a lot of sales, so the price you've been quoted will likely change.

The bonus of the Dell is the range of ports it has. As well as DVI, it has a VGA port (which I find handy for an old PC I have lying around), an S-Video port (taken up by my Xbox), and a composite port too (a friend of mine uses this for his SKY box!). It handles picture in picture so you can work on one thing whilst viewing another too, which has been very handy at times when I've been rendering and playing a bit of Halo! Its also much easier to adjust the height and tilt on the Dell model, and it does Portrait mode too!

If you can handle the fact its not brushed Aluminium, and has "DELL" written at the bottom, and the fact that the Dell model doesn't carry a Firewire hub like the Apple model does, then go with it.

I've had mine a year, and haven't had any problems with it whatsoever. Not saying the Apple one isn't good (it is) but I just feel the Dell represents better value for money, particularly if you get it on sale!
 
daneoni said:
I've been looking to get a display since early this year and was hoping an update would be released at WWDC but didnt....well technically we did but...Soo I'm considering just going ahead and getting something now.

I just priced a Dell 20" and it came to £437.00 (they dont seem to offer education discount on their site) and using the HE discount priced an ACD which came to £439. Normally i'd picked the dell but since both have identical panels and brightness and contrast ratios have been increased in the new update i think its better to just go with an ACD as it matches my PowerBook and the price different isnt all that great.

Besides i feel it'll be easier to sell than the Dell when the real display updates are announced.

What do you guys think?
Click to expand...

Depends what you are going to use it for? Are you a gamer? Then you need fast response time and you wont get it from either one. Is color correction important to you? Apple 20-23" suffered from pinkish cast in their grays, supposedly its been improved in the new update. Ask around. Are you just looking to surf and email? Then you dont need anything too fancy and you can save yourself some money by looking around. Many dells have s-video and composite video too if you like hooking up other video like game consoles or cable boxes. You can also get a dell refurbished unit, knocking an extra $50-100 US off depending on size of screen.

Dell hardware are usually good deals if you are on a budget, but their quality IMO is junk. So I would doubt them having good resale value. I was on a strict budget and bought a 20" to replace my dead CRT and went with a samsung and I'm very happy. :)
 
I was in this situation a few months back...and because of the price difference, I went with the Dell 24" Wide FP instead of the 23" ACD.

I am VERY happy with my Dell screen. I have had no problems and I love the extra input jacks (very handy). It also has great response times if you are a gamer.

As someone else said, if you can live without the brushed metal look...wait another week and see if it goes on sale, and get the Dell screen...and then use the spare cash to buy something else for your Mac :D
 
yojitani said:
I think dell gets apple rejects... seriously, I think the backlight is different. Dells are so ***** bright you have to set the brightness to around 0.
Click to expand...

Comparing the ACD 20" and Dell 2007FPW...

The panel IS identical. Dell and Apple both buy A grade panels. Dell doesn't buy Apple rejects. Dell buys at least 15x as many of these panels as Apple, going by industry figures. If anything, Dell's units will be 'fresher' because Dell is the master of supply chain management and these units will pass through their system in a very short time. Appple is renowned for bucking the industry trend for JIT stock handling and holding large stocks of very expensive items.

The backlight is of a completely different design. The Dell backlight is brighter than the ACD backlight, and marginally less even. It is whiter.

The Dell is more efficient than the ACD, drawing (according to my Kill-A-Watt) 68W to ACD's 88W. Both units draw 6W less displaying a white screen than a black screen. I don't know why. In standby, the Dell draws 4W and the ACD draws 2W, but the meter is innaccurate at such low levels, so +/-1W on that.

The Dell has easier access to its controls. They're visible on the front. They're more flexible, and the OSD is very easy to navigate.

The Dell has four inputs; the ACD has one. The Dell supportds a wider range of resolutions and has user-selectable options for stretch, fill and scale. The controller on board the Dell will take a much broader input frequency range than the ACD.

The ACD is cosmetically more attractive. The Dell is more ergonomic.

The Dell and ACD have equal warranties. If you have a local Apple store, the Apple warranty takes a slight lead. LCDs have a 60,000 hour MTBF and no moving parts, so warranty claims will either be immediately or never, unless you're really unlucky.

One panel isn't "better" than the other. They have almost identical specs. The Dell has more features and a lower price, because it's a mass market product. No other reason. The ACD is prettier and will match current Mac Pro cases. When the Mac Pro case changes, that advantage will go away.

I think the Dell wins. I'm not really biased as such. I own the Dell and have owned an ACD. I'd rather have a 24" ACD than a 20" Dell, but if I had the money for a 24" ACD, I'd buy the 24" Dell, and find something else to spend the $350 on that I saved.

As objectively as possible,

Dave
 
dex22 said:
Comparing the ACD 20" and Dell 2007FPW...

The panel IS identical. Dell and Apple both buy A grade panels. Dell doesn't buy Apple rejects. Dell buys at least 15x as many of these panels as Apple, going by industry figures. If anything, Dell's units will be 'fresher' because Dell is the master of supply chain management and these units will pass through their system in a very short time. Appple is renowned for bucking the industry trend for JIT stock handling and holding large stocks of very expensive items.

The backlight is of a completely different design. The Dell backlight is brighter than the ACD backlight, and marginally less even. It is whiter.

The Dell is more efficient than the ACD, drawing (according to my Kill-A-Watt) 68W to ACD's 88W. Both units draw 6W less displaying a white screen than a black screen. I don't know why. In standby, the Dell draws 4W and the ACD draws 2W, but the meter is innaccurate at such low levels, so +/-1W on that.

The Dell has easier access to its controls. They're visible on the front. They're more flexible, and the OSD is very easy to navigate.

The Dell has four inputs; the ACD has one. The Dell supportds a wider range of resolutions and has user-selectable options for stretch, fill and scale. The controller on board the Dell will take a much broader input frequency range than the ACD.

The ACD is cosmetically more attractive. The Dell is more ergonomic.

The Dell and ACD have equal warranties. If you have a local Apple store, the Apple warranty takes a slight lead. LCDs have a 60,000 hour MTBF and no moving parts, so warranty claims will either be immediately or never, unless you're really unlucky.

One panel isn't "better" than the other. They have almost identical specs. The Dell has more features and a lower price, because it's a mass market product. No other reason. The ACD is prettier and will match current Mac Pro cases. When the Mac Pro case changes, that advantage will go away.

I think the Dell wins. I'm not really biased as such. I own the Dell and have owned an ACD. I'd rather have a 24" ACD than a 20" Dell, but if I had the money for a 24" ACD, I'd buy the 24" Dell, and find something else to spend the $350 on that I saved.

As objectively as possible,

Dave
Click to expand...

Nice comparison. Thanks
 
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