Should i go with the 24 inch? (Need Suggestion)

[jaathan]

Im a senior at high school and im thinking about purchasing a white iMac 24 inch but im not sure if i should go up to the 24inch instead of the 20inch. I do a lot of graphic design as a hobby, yearbook work, school presentations (powerpoint and keynote), and write for the school newspaper. My biggest concern is will photoshoping with a 24 inch be difficult? because with the tool bars being 22 inchs apart. Will this be tiring on my eyes? The 24 inch white iMac is still about $1850 CAD with tax even with it being on clearance. My original budget limit was $1000 but i can cope with the increase. But will this iMac last me 2+ years? and would it be worth the price hike? Thanks!

Nathan C.

 

[hardhatmac]

My biggest concern is will photoshoping with a 24 inch be difficult? because with the tool bars being 22 inchs apart. Will this be tiring on my eyes? .

I've always run dual 19's to do my photochop work....my toolbars are over 28 inches apart and I've never gotten sick of it....honestly I wish I had bigger screens...not to mention when I do video and have an external 23 inch monitor to preview the video....my displays right now (2 monitors and an external TV) stretch almost 5 feet from end to end...

I'd really like to get dual 30's....but I can't justify the $3,400...

 

[colinmack]

Make sure you go and see them first-hand before you buy one...if you're primary use is graphic design, the panels in the iMac may not be up to par, it depends on how critical you are with precise colour, evenness, etc.

I went through two iMac 24" systems before realizing that the screen wouldn't meet my needs (graphics/photography being a large part). There are a number of posts that reference issues with colour shifts, uneven brightness (brighter on one side, some rippling), and darkening in the corners...so it looks like it's quite common and related to the new display panels (not sure if people that are happy are lucky enough to get a problem-free screen, or if they're just less picky?) - but have a look for yourself at the store by opening up a text editor or browser full screen to show a solid colour.

As a side note, the 20" screen has a disadvantage over the 24" - it's a lower grade of panel (TN vs. H-IPS), only natively displays 6-bit RGB instead of 8-bit RGB, and has a lower viewing angle with more of a colour shift as you move your view from side to side...so less colour accuracy, and potentially some flickering/artifacts due to the way the TN panels try to simulate the missing colours.

 

[suneohair]

I've always run dual 19's to do my photochop work....my toolbars are over 28 inches apart and I've never gotten sick of it....honestly I wish I had bigger screens...not to mention when I do video and have an external 23 inch monitor to preview the video....my displays right now (2 monitors and an external TV) stretch almost 5 feet from end to end...

I'd really like to get dual 30's....but I can't justify the $3,400...

Dual 24's is where its at.

 

[mac000]

Im a senior at high school and im thinking about purchasing a white iMac 24 inch but im not sure if i should go up to the 24inch instead of the 20inch. I do a lot of graphic design as a hobby, yearbook work, school presentations (powerpoint and keynote), and write for the school newspaper. My biggest concern is will photoshoping with a 24 inch be difficult? because with the tool bars being 22 inchs apart. Will this be tiring on my eyes? The 24 inch white iMac is still about $1850 CAD with tax even with it being on clearance. My original budget limit was $1000 but i can cope with the increase. But will this iMac last me 2+ years? and would it be worth the price hike? Thanks!

Nathan C.

get a laptop son

 

[mattcube64]

I purchased my first Mac (2Ghz Macbook) before my senior year in HS, as I wanted something portable to do my newspaper InDesign work on. I was the editor in chief last year (/arrogant).

Anyways, I got the smallest laptop Apple offered as I wanted something really portable. I quickly realized that 13" wasn't gonna be enough to do serious work. I asked for a 19" Widescreen LCD for Christmas... and since, I've SWORN to myself I'd NEVER go back to a single monitor again.

IMO, two smaller monitors is INFINITELY better than a single large monitor. I'd look into getting a 20" iMac, and then the highest quality external display you can afford for color referencing.

 

[Sirmausalot]

More is better. Get a 24. You can resize windows to fit your needs and have a second monitor too, and inexpensive smaller one is fine. For your level of graphics work, you needent be too concerned with exact color grading -- just if you like the screen.

 

[JBat]

I just bought a white 24" about a week ago, and so far so good. One of my primary uses for the machine is to process and edit digital photos, and I think it's very good for that. I don't have any of these big issues people seem be having with these monitors. The 24" display is very good, and I'd recommend it for photo work.

My biggest beef so far is that the text is very, very small and hard to read, with no real way to make it bigger across the board (as far as I've been able to determine). Hopefully Leopard addresses this.

 

[ashokc]

go with the 24" the space is great and when you compare it to the 20" it just makes you want the 24" more

 

[stuff99]

if you have the cash and space...do it

 

[Richard.John]

24 for the win. It has a superior panel and and your eyes will thank you in the long run.

 

[jaathan]

Thanks for the suggestions I'm still thinking about it but does anyone know where i can purchase a new white iMac 24" near Toronto? I've been everywhere asking around but no luck. Thanks again!

Nathan C.

 

[JBat]

Thanks for the suggestions I'm still thinking about it but does anyone know where i can purchase a new white iMac 24" near Toronto? I've been everywhere asking around but no luck. Thanks again!

Nathan C.

I know where you can buy a new one online, because I just did. Try here:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/

Should ship quickly to Toronto; they're in NYC.

 

[BWhaler]

I strongly recommend it.

Productivity, better quality (the 20" has problems" and longevity of usefulness.

 

[caithnes]

24" a little too big

I've been using the 24" for a couple weeks, after working for years primarily on a 15" laptop with occasional use of a 20" external monitor. While the 24" monitor is good (expect for glare on dark images), my strongest impression is that it is too big for most tasks. I'm sure it will be nice when editing photos, but for email, web use, and WoW, it's bigger than necessary. Also, I'm used to looking downwards at a screen, and the 24" is so tall that I get neck crimps from looking upwards.

Noah

 

[Jimmdean]

Make sure you see the 24" in person before buying it...

 

[Naimfan]

[M]y strongest impression is that it is too big for most tasks.
Noah

I agree completely. For most people I think the 24" is just too damn big. I've worked on both versions of the 24" at stores during one on one sessions, and it's just uncomfortable.

The 20" is, I think, just right. It's big without being monstrous. For those people who really do need more screen real estate, I'd think an additional external 20" would be better--I've tried that and found it MUCH easier to work with.

Then again, I can't stand the glossy screen, so feel free to disregard anything I say......

Bob

 

[FatSweatyBlldog]

Thanks for the suggestions I'm still thinking about it but does anyone know where i can purchase a new white iMac 24" near Toronto? I've been everywhere asking around but no luck. Thanks again!

Nathan C.

Aside from any local retailers with remaining stock, your best bet is to just order from the Apple refurb store ($1449US). It's like new, full warranty, just comes in a plain box.

B&H still has them, but I don't believe they've started discounting them, yet.

Like some already said, if you have the cash and space, go for the 24''. Perhaps the one + not mentioned yet, is it has HD quality native resolution, already.

You can't go wrong with the 20'' or 24'' white iMacs...its win win