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Old school monitor question

P

pertusis1

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jul 25, 2010
455
161
Texas
I know that monitor selection for the Mac Pro has been floating around this forum from time to time, but I have a question that I'd like y'al's opinion on.

I have a 5,1 MP, which I am slowly upgrading. I am not all that interested in a discussion of whether I should upgrade to a nMP :eek: , but I am at the point where I want to upgrade my display. I currently have a 20" apple studio monitor, which I like quite well. However, I would like a bit more real estate to work with. I thought about buying another 20" (1080) monitor to use side-by-side, which would be dirt cheap, but I'd really rather have one screen.

'When I was a kid' I dreamed of getting one of the 30" cinema displays, although I have never seen one 'in real life'. Does anyone have thoughts on this display? It looks like they can be had for from $500-$700 depending on the unit's condition. Call me irrational, but the aesthetics of the display still matter to me, and I like the idea of a display that matches my cheese grater.

In particular, I am wondering whether these displays degrade over time, or if I might hope to be able to use it for a few years. My 20" ACD is ancient, but in terms of color saturation, etc., it kicks the pants off of my mid-range similar samsung display.
 
pertusis1 said:
'When I was a kid' I dreamed of getting one of the 30" cinema displays, although I have never seen one 'in real life'. Does anyone have thoughts on this display? It looks like they can be had for from $500-$700 depending on the unit's condition. Call me irrational, but the aesthetics of the display still matter to me, and I like the idea of a display that matches my cheese grater.
Click to expand...

I have a 30" ACD and it still looks great. I use many other monitors on other machines at work all the time and my 30" has never felt like it's old or wearing out.

I don't have room on my desk for an extra monitor at the moment so the only reason I would replace it would be for something in the 32-34" range. I'm not too big a fan of the glossy front iMac monitors.
 
I use two 23in Cinema displays since 2008 - NO issues and they still look
and perform as new :)

If you could find a reasonable priced 30in in good condition, go for it !

M.

EDIT - So I have 46in of screen space ... which is VERY handy using Music
recording software, Song left = Mixer right :)
 
Last edited:
pertusis1 said:
I know that monitor selection for the Mac Pro has been floating around this forum from time to time, but I have a question that I'd like y'al's opinion on.

I have a 5,1 MP, which I am slowly upgrading. I am not all that interested in a discussion of whether I should upgrade to a nMP :eek: , but I am at the point where I want to upgrade my display. I currently have a 20" apple studio monitor, which I like quite well. However, I would like a bit more real estate to work with. I thought about buying another 20" (1080) monitor to use side-by-side, which would be dirt cheap, but I'd really rather have one screen.

'When I was a kid' I dreamed of getting one of the 30" cinema displays, although I have never seen one 'in real life'. Does anyone have thoughts on this display? It looks like they can be had for from $500-$700 depending on the unit's condition. Call me irrational, but the aesthetics of the display still matter to me, and I like the idea of a display that matches my cheese grater.

In particular, I am wondering whether these displays degrade over time, or if I might hope to be able to use it for a few years. My 20" ACD is ancient, but in terms of color saturation, etc., it kicks the pants off of my mid-range similar samsung display.
Click to expand...

The 30" Apple Aluminum Cinema Display is a durable and great monitor from my experience. I would recommend that you go ahead and get one. I've also used the glossy screen of an iMac and I prefer the matte screen of the ACD without the reflections that distracts me when editing photos or graphic designing. Though I know some pros are fine with the glossy screen. The colors of the classic ACD are a bit subtle and the skin tones of people warmer compared to the current glossy ACD. I think its lifespan will last longer if you don't put the brightness at maximum. I only set my brightness at slightly over halfway on the slider.

The screen is really bright enough at that level. With the current glossy ACDs, you need to set the brightness slider at almost maximum level to attain acceptable brightness. Probably to other users this is just fine and not an issue. But just shows you the kind of quality the classic ACD has.
 
Thanks for the input, folks. It sounds like people have been fairly happy with the ACD. Time to start scouring ebay etc. for a decent deal... :D

----------
ChuckBlack said:
Monoprice is probably the cheapest place you'll find a new 30" monitor. I have a Dell 30" and I love it. It's also funny how going from a 24" to a 30" is mind blowing at first, but you quickly get used to it. 20" to 30" will be fricken sweet! If you can put aesthetics aside that is.

http://www.monoprice.com/Product?c_...header&utm_campaign=2014_q1_30in_ccfl_monitor
Click to expand...

The monoprice looks like a very good price. However, I think if I can find an ACD for a decent price, I'd rather stare at that than silver-on-black 'Monoprice'.
 
OK, just unpacked my 30" ACD from PowerMax. I can't stop smiling. This thing is unbelievable. Much better even than I expected. The color saturation is incredible. The on-screen proportions are great. WOW! :D For any other old MP users out there interested in a screen, picking up one of these used may be a good option.

Cheers.
 
DJenkins said:
I have a 30" ACD and it still looks great. I use many other monitors on other machines at work all the time and my 30" has never felt like it's old or wearing out.

I don't have room on my desk for an extra monitor at the moment so the only reason I would replace it would be for something in the 32-34" range. I'm not too big a fan of the glossy front iMac monitors.
Click to expand...

+1 from me- almost identical experience. I do feel that I ought to be looking for a new monitor though - this one has been on almost non-stop since January 2008.

At the moment it is a single point of failure for me. I have data redundancy, a MacBookPro that will take my external drives and power the ACD30 should my oMP fail but, only one useful screen. I refuse to work on a laptop screen for serious work , after getting used to the ACD30. When I first got it I thought I'd overdone it - 30" of real estate 2' from my nose seemed vast. Quickly got used to it, couldn't go back now even to 27". Go for it!
 
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