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Please recommend an LCD panel for mac mini kitchen computer

V

vwDavid

macrumors regular
Original poster
Aug 20, 2007
160
1
Hi Folks,

I might be doing my sister a favour by reseraching and installing a mac mini for her and her family in her kitchen. The mac mini will be installed behind the wall in a closet and an LCD flat panel wall mounted on an adjustable swing arm.

I've never shopped for an LCD panel before as for me they have always come attached to my imac or macbook. I'm not sure what to start looking for.

Do I buy a computer LCD monitor or do I buy an LCD TV? I'm imagining a 24" computer panel will give better resolution and be cheaper since there are no tuner components. Am I on the right track? Should I be considering other options? I think that wide angle viewing quality will be important.

Care to share a few opinions?

Thanks
 
thanks- looks like a great screen but appears not to have the VESA wall mount pattern.
 
If it's in a kitchen, you might consider one that's easy to wipe down if it gets dirty. A glossy screen, so long as it's not in the path of light reflections from a window, could be better because there's usually a piece of glass covering the entire panel.

Personally, I'm about to wall-mount an LCD TV (probably 32") and want to attach a media streamer such as an Apple TV so I can watch movies and YouTube videos.
 
To be honest, you can go to Best Buy or look on Amazon.com and just about any widescreen LCD monitor is going to suit your needs well. I bought a dell LCD monitor and it looks fantastic... only cost $150 and would be easy enough to mount on a wall or put on a kitchen counter.
 
Great youtube.

I think we will forgo the touch screen though. His work and video is marvelous.

Any other suggestions for a good glass front LCD monitor for kitchen (well kitchen nook) duty?

thanks
 
You haven't said what's the intended use for this?

Is it for checking recipes / email / facebook or for watching TV or films? How far away will it be from where she / her family sits?

These things will affect what the best size / resolution / etc are.

With the mac mini, where will the keyboard go? Will it be always on, or will she be switching it on and off each day? If it is hidden but goes to sleep, how will she wake it up? If she will use the Apple Remote to control it, how will it receive the signal if it's in a closed closet?

Sorry lots of questions but just checking that you've thought this thing through.
 
Here is the plan:

Kitchen is direct line of sight from the kitchen table. Monitor will be wall mounted on a swivel arm on a wall right beside the kitchen table. Mac mini will be installed on the other side of the wall in a closet. Video, audio, USB for camera connections etc will be fed through the wall and set up in a clean manner.

An apple bluetooth keyboard and mouse will be used 99% of the time. The computer will be set to automatically sleep and wake so it is on during the day. It will act as a digital picture frame when not in use.

The uses will be
-e-mail
-family calendar
-websurfing
-recipies/cooking
-youtube videos
-teaching the kiddies
-digital camera/photos repository

The wireless keyboard will be stored in a slot that will be built into the kitchen table.

The wireless router is in the same room so the wireless signal should not have a problem when the closet is closed.

I think she will like the idea of a white monitor. I will look into that.

-David
 
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