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One 30" Cinema vs two 20" Cinemas

B

bish73

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 17, 2004
3
0
Trying to get some feedback here. I do print design as well as html/flash web development on my dual 2GB G5. I have been offered a monitor upgrade before the year ends and it is up to me whether I get one 30" Cinima display or two 20" cinema displays.

Keep in mind that I have been a two monitor guy for about 8 years now(Albeit two 19" CRT's running at 1152).

When I go up to the store I am in too much awe of the 30 to think straight. It is just amazing. However, I really like the division of having two montiors and am very used to working that way. Any thoughts?
 
iGary

iGary

Guest
May 26, 2004
19,580
7
Randy's House
bish73 said:
Trying to get some feedback here. I do print design as well as html/flash web development on my dual 2GB G5. I have been offered a monitor upgrade before the year ends and it is up to me whether I get one 30" Cinima display or two 20" cinema displays.

Keep in mind that I have been a two monitor guy for about 8 years now(Albeit two 19" CRT's running at 1152).

When I go up to the store I am in too much awe of the 30 to think straight. It is just amazing. However, I really like the division of having two montiors and am very used to working that way. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...

One 30. I've been the other route. The height you get out of the 30-inch is unbeatable.
 
NYmacAttack

NYmacAttack

macrumors 6502
Dec 8, 2005
432
6
NY
bish73 said:
Trying to get some feedback here. I do print design as well as html/flash web development on my dual 2GB G5. I have been offered a monitor upgrade before the year ends and it is up to me whether I get one 30" Cinima display or two 20" cinema displays.

Keep in mind that I have been a two monitor guy for about 8 years now(Albeit two 19" CRT's running at 1152).

When I go up to the store I am in too much awe of the 30 to think straight. It is just amazing. However, I really like the division of having two montiors and am very used to working that way. Any thoughts?
Click to expand...


I would also go with the 30". The amount of space you get cant be beat.
 
freeny

freeny

macrumors 68020
Sep 27, 2005
2,064
60
Location: Location:
I have also used both in seperate offices. I found the 30" to be great in my well lit sunny office. Conversley I found the 30" to be difficult to look at in my other poorly lit flourescent lighting office and went with the two 20" monitors. Also if your desk is high compared to your seat the tall 30" monitor is also difficult to look at and can be a strain on your neck. It is easier to look from side to side than up and down.
 
D

dblissmn

macrumors 6502
Apr 30, 2002
354
108
As long as Apple persists in anchoring the menu bar to the top of the screen rather than giving you the option to attach it to the application window, one screen is generally going to be better than two on the Mac platform. Plus I agree with what everyone else is saying here about the height being useful for publication or web design.

Be sure that you're comfortable with the working distance on the 30 incher; it is a lot less overwhelming at three and a half feet than it is at 18 inches, so determine how far back you can sit and still comfortably read text. Once you've done that, heed freeny's warnings about dark rooms and high desks; with a monitor that large, either setting will render it uncomfortable in an overwhelming kind of way. I found desk height to be an issue even with portrait monitors a decade ago.

Personally I favor a single 23 widescreen as being the optimum in a Mac environment now, but the options are limited; Apple of course has its pink problem and Dell's 24 in practice is a bit short on viewing angle.

EDIT -- if you're used to dual displays even given the Mac's menu bar trouble I'd go with twin 20s over a single 30. More viewing comfort, and if one breaks you can still go on working on the other while the broken one is in for repair.
 
iSee

iSee

macrumors 68040
Oct 25, 2004
3,540
272
Those people you work for are real hard-a**es, forcing you to make a choice like this! :rolleyes:
You get more overall pixels with the 30":
2 x 20" = ~3.5 million pixels
1 x 30" = ~4 million pixels​
I use a two monitor setup and I find it annoying sometimes, but I guess the space between the screens doesn't bother you. But I'm still thinkning you've got to get the 30" if you have the chance.
I think they should let you get two 23" screens--that's only $100 more than one 30-incher!
 
arn

arn

macrumors god
Staff member
Apr 9, 2001
16,396
5,837
I've always liked the two monitor split myself... which is nice for two logical seperate pages.

but with the wide-screen aspect of Apple's LCD's, you are wanting a bit more height. I've not used a 30" LCD for any extended period of time... but I would say go with the 30" LCD vs the two 20"s. 30" certainly seems like enough space overall... and the extra-wide aspect of the 20"s make it a little more awkward for side-to-side use

arn
 
Xephian

Xephian

macrumors 6502a
May 2, 2005
615
0
United States
I've got dual 2005FPW Dell 20"s now but I may upgrade to a single 30" Dell 3007FPW when it's released for more pixels in height.

Go for the 30".
 
technocoy

technocoy

macrumors 6502a
Sep 4, 2002
766
0
Raleigh, NC
recently got the 30"

and after years of dual monitors (and thinking like arn) i'm in love. It's amazing, and so much less distracting than going back and forth...

get it.
 
I

iRez

macrumors member
Feb 19, 2004
68
0
id go with two 23" displays myself. the 30" is nice but a bit tooo big for me.
 
B

bish73

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Feb 17, 2004
3
0
Thanks for all the great feeback guys.... Think I am going with the 30"...if I made the wrong decision I am sure I can struggle along with the measly 30" :D
 
fartheststar

fartheststar

macrumors 6502a
Dec 29, 2003
504
2
Toronto
bish73 said:
Thanks for all the great feeback guys.... Think I am going with the 30"...if I made the wrong decision I am sure I can struggle along with the measly 30" :D
Click to expand...

What about a 30" and a 20" ? :D Then you get two logical "screens" to separate it too....

Hell, while you're at it, just get two 30" screens! :eek:

Have fun with your 30" screen. That's awesome.
 
shdwsclan

shdwsclan

macrumors member
Dec 14, 2005
55
0
2 screens are better because the 2 individual screens have a higher resolution than a single one.
 
Xephian

Xephian

macrumors 6502a
May 2, 2005
615
0
United States
maya said:
What is the price on that Dell 20" Widescreen Display, and how much? :eek:

Will it work with my iMac G5 rev B. :confused:
Click to expand...
I got my second 20" display for $320. So you could have gotten dual 20" for ~$640 when that coupon was around. :)

The first time I bought my 20" was back in December 2004 for $~650.
 
maya

maya

macrumors 68040
Oct 7, 2004
3,225
0
somewhere between here and there.
Xephian said:
I got my second 20" display for $320. So you could have gotten dual 20" for ~$640 when that coupon was around. :)

The first time I bought my 20" was back in December 2004 for $~650.
Click to expand...

There is also a 30" Dell WIdescreen Display due to be released 21 Dec 2005. :eek:

I don't think it will work with my iMac G5, though it will drive the 24" price down. :)
 
devman

devman

macrumors 65816
Apr 19, 2004
1,242
8
AU
go with a 30 and a 20. I have the older model 20" (not the aluminum one) and the new 30"

best of all worlds :)

What iGary says about the vertical height on the 30 is very, very true.

That said, the second monitor is also very, very useful. Converting/updating presentations (which I do a lot of) - old one on the 20, new one on the 30.
 
bodeh6

bodeh6

macrumors 6502a
May 18, 2005
773
0
Go to an Apple store or CompUSA and just be awestruck with the 30". You will not realize how much freaking screen real estate it has. I often loose the cursor on it and have to hunt for it. If I had the cash, that would be an awesome display.
 
shdwsclan

shdwsclan

macrumors member
Dec 14, 2005
55
0
ummm...
2560*1600=4096000
1680*1050*2=3528000
Click to expand...

I guess I was wrong. From my experience, larger screens have the same res as smaller screens...therefore 1600*1200*2@2x20 > 1600*1200 @ 30. I guess the Apple 30' is different...
 
Xephian

Xephian

macrumors 6502a
May 2, 2005
615
0
United States
maya said:
There is also a 30" Dell WIdescreen Display due to be released 21 Dec 2005. :eek:

I don't think it will work with my iMac G5, though it will drive the 24" price down. :)
Click to expand...
Yeah, I'm considering buying the 3007FPW tomorrow. Waiting to see the price.
 
4

40167

macrumors regular
Sep 5, 2004
202
0
I would take the two monitors myself... but I wouldn't put them side by side as most people do with dual monitors. I would run them ontop of eachother.

I have my laptop here, hooks up to a 15inch lcd I have laying on some books. Put the notebook infront and im left with 1024x1536 resolution. It's absolutely wicked for long websites, don't have to scroll when using google.

Height of the display surely matters as others have said; theres alot of things now that can use height more than width. So in my opinion, the 30 inch is nice but dual 20inch ontop of eachother is nicer.
 
Counterfit

Counterfit

macrumors G3
Aug 20, 2003
8,195
0
sitting on your shoulder
dblissmn said:
As long as Apple persists in anchoring the menu bar to the top of the screen rather than giving you the option to attach it to the application window, one screen is generally going to be better than two on the Mac platform.
Click to expand...
There are many UI reasons why it's in the same place. Also, one menu bar per window wastes lots of vertical space.
 
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