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Some questions, as well as Glossy VS. Matte (Be calm; this is a bit different)

S

SavageLLama77

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 5, 2007
130
0
Hi.

I plan on buying a 2.2ghz MBP. I also plan on hooking it up to an Apple Cinema Display that I also do not have at the moment. It would be great if you could answer as many questions as possible.

Keep in mind, I am not a professional user; I just want to use lots of Safari/Firefox tabs, multiple iChat windows, Watching Movies, iTunes, Mail, and a lot of school work on iWork and Microsoft Office.

Please feel free to back up your opinions/answers to the following questions with as much detail as possible.

Questions​

1. How much would I benefit from having 4GB of RAM ($159 at OCZ); is it worth it?

2. Should I get the 23'' ACD or the 30'' ACD (yes, I know the 23'' is pretty big, but I love looking at the beautiful 30'') and why?
NOTE Getting the 30'' ACD may take a couple months longer than getting the 23'' ACD (which would be right now if I decided to get it).​

3. Is it a wrong time to buy ACDs? Will I kick myself? Any predictions?

THE BIG ONE: 4. Should I get my 15'' MBP with the glossy or the matte screen?
NOTE Yes, I know it is mainly personal preference, but does it make a difference if I'm looking at the glossy screen side-by-side with the Antiglare Coating on the ACD? At first, I was deadset on getting the glossy display just because it seemed to make the screen actually brighter, and I don't need accurate colors for work or anything. But, my dad kept complaining and making me notice that I could not only see some lights on the screen, but I would always be able to see reflections of the both of us on the screen, like a really faint mirror.​

PLEASE PROVIDE AS MUCH INFORMATION/INSIGHT AS YOU CAN; THANK YOU​
 
Just for Safari/Movies/Office/iWork, the 4gb of memory is pretty much unnecessary.

As far as which monitor to buy, I'd personally save the money and go with a 23", however it's up to you. When I've sat down and worked at computers with 30" monitors it actually seems too large, like there's too much space. Strange, but that's how it seemed to me. It was, however, glorious to work in final cut pro and photoshop on the 30", however I don't think you're going to be doing that, so it doesn't really apply.

For whether or not they're being updated soon, well, if you want it now, buy it now. How much are they going to change about the monitors? Is there really anything to change?

Finally, as far as the glossy/matte thing goes, I find that using my 12" powerbook next to my 20" 2005fpw can be distracting, simply because of the difference in how bright the two monitors are. I know that the mbp's screens are bright, however having too much difference between the two could only cause more distraction. That's my opinion.
 
1. If you're not doing a lot of 3D graphics design then I guess 2GB of RAM is enough.. You can always get 4GB of Ram later on if you need them!

2. Depends on how much you like those ACD's? I've got a 24" DELL 2407WFP and it looks great when I connect my MacBook Pro in.. I got it for quite a reasonable price though... And I would go for one of those ACD's if I had enough $$$. :eek: So just get something that you believe u'll be using for some time.

3. I dunno if this is the right time to get an ACD.. Can't help much here, sorry!

4. I have a glossy 2.4GHz MBP and it looks great! It's not exactly that reflective and it looks great too! If you're gonna have a matte external monitor to go along with then it shouldn't be a problem.
 
1. No.. 2gigs will be fine for you
2. I think a screen is a waste of money for you. You dont need so much real estate. if you really want a screen, get the 23in. save some money. using a 30in ACD for ichat and firefox is an insult to it, and the monitor may come alive and beat you.
3. i dont know. i hear rumors of them coming with built in isights?
4. obv personal opinion. but mine is that the glossy has tooo many reflections. I have a matte and love it, also i have a 22in widescreen lcd thats also matte. I like how it matches, if your using glossy and matt at the sasme time.. it may play tricks w/ your eyes? i don't know.

you could also get a different brand lcd for even cheaper.... ACD are high quality, but you are not doing graphics it seems, so you could get a nice LG, viewsonic, samsung for a good price.
 
NYRngrs24 said:
you could also get a different brand lcd for even cheaper.... ACD are high quality, but you are not doing graphics it seems, so you could get a nice LG, viewsonic, samsung for a good price.
Click to expand...

This is very true. Dell makes great monitors (arguably better than the ACDs as far as inputs/compatibility goes) that use the same lcd panels as the Apple ones do. They're a hell of a lot cheaper, so basically if you go with an ACD you're paying for the design.


btw - mad respect on the screen name, NYRngrs24 :D Always good to see other NYR fans around!
 
even dells are a tad pricey, but they are a lot cheaper. I bet you can get a decent LCD widescreen 20-22in starting from 180 w/ rebates - 350.

OutThere - lets go rangers! im moving to the city in august, gotta save up the money for tickets!
 
OutThere said:
This is very true. Dell makes great monitors (arguably better than the ACDs as far as inputs/compatibility goes) that use the same lcd panels as the Apple ones do. They're a hell of a lot cheaper, so basically if you go with an ACD you're paying for the design.


btw - mad respect on the screen name, NYRngrs24 :D Always good to see other NYR fans around!
Click to expand...

To everyone: Thank you so much for your awesome responses!

To OutThere, could you please give me links to your personal favorite displays or at least list some for me? Thanks!

This is not to say that other people can't input more opinions!
 
1. I'll break from the crowd here and say get the 4gig upgrade. While I do work with Photoshop and such, much of my time is spent doing lots of tasks like you describe. Even with my brand new MacBook Pro the 2gig's are pretty well full most of the time. While I haven't had what I would call performance issues, I still think it wise to upgrade. Especially as cheap as it is.

2. No comment. That's just something you should really figure out for yourself. Your habits and preferences are going to take precedence here. Personally, I'd probably prefer a 23in w/ a slightly higher resolution than it currently is.

3. No clue. Though, you might shop around for alternative LCD's.

4. I've been a long time glossy screen hater. Though, my wife convinced me to get a glossy screen with my latest purchase. I have to say after using it for regular work for the past few weeks I'm glad I let her talk me into it. The blacks are blacker, the contrast is beautiful, and whether or not the colors are 'accurate' is beside the point as far as I'm concerned. The brightness and crispness of the screen is great. And as far as reflections go, unless I've got a bright light over my shoulder or the screen is turned off I don't see them.
 
SavageLLama77 said:
To everyone: Thank you so much for your awesome responses!

To OutThere, could you please give me links to your personal favorite displays or at least list some for me? Thanks!

This is not to say that other people can't input more opinions!
Click to expand...

The dells are really quality, I have a 20" as I said above and couldn't be happier...here are the 24" and 30" offerings from dell:

3007wfp ($1269)

2407wfp ($699)

Basically it's a personal decision, but those'll both get the job done as well as the Apple ones, for less. :)
 
Personally I think it would be annoying to have a Matte ACD paired with a glossy MBP. Just get the Matte screen so it matches the ACD.
 
heres an idea. . .

OK. Why not get the 17inch MBP with an HD screen? that way you can watch HD movies and easily do all the stuff you have mentioned. Then there is no need for an external b/c its big and HD. Just a thought. . .

:)
 
I've had my glossy MBP for a week now. I have a 22 inch external LCD which is matte...I don't have a problem looking between the two.
 
1. 2GB is DEFINITELY enough... 2GB is overkill... unless you honestly feel like having EVERY program in your arsenal open, then maybe 4GB would be worth it. For me personally, I have 6 programs open right now. Adium, Firefox (6 tabs), BOINC, Azureus, iTunes, and VLC open and I still have more than half my RAM still available without much page in and outs and the ones that are is due to azureus.


2. ACD in my opinion no matter what time is a waste of money. You honestly are paying a huge premium for aluminum enclosure and of course the Apple brand. Rather than get a 30'' ACD i would much rather get two 24'' Dell monitors, and that has A LOT more features.

PLEASE NOTE THOUGH! 30'' ACD will NOT work with MBPs.. It requires TWO DVI ports. So if you plan on hooking it up to anything, it wont be your MacBook.

3. Why the hell do you care what your dad thinks about the screen? It is YOU that will be staring down at it, not him. Glossy is fine in my opinino. I have a glossy and its great. I have also had matte, and i agree with you, the glossy ones the colors do look brighter and in my opinion richer than the matte.
 
wako said:
PLEASE NOTE THOUGH! 30'' ACD will NOT work with MBPs.. It requires TWO DVI ports. So if you plan on hooking it up to anything, it wont be your MacBook.
Click to expand...

Really? Surely it just needs dual-link DVI, not two physical ports?

At least that's what Apple says in the spec, and they explicitly state that MBPs support the screen just fine. Someone better tell them if it's not true!
 
SavageLLama77: This is a fantastically worded question, you've provided context and depth in your questions. I hope I can do them justice.:)

SavageLLama77 said:
Hi.

I plan on buying a 2.2ghz MBP. I also plan on hooking it up to an Apple Cinema Display that I also do not have at the moment. It would be great if you could answer as many questions as possible.

Keep in mind, I am not a professional user; I just want to use lots of Safari/Firefox tabs, multiple iChat windows, Watching Movies, iTunes, Mail, and a lot of school work on iWork and Microsoft Office.

Please feel free to back up your opinions/answers to the following questions with as much detail as possible.

Questions​

1. How much would I benefit from having 4GB of RAM ($159 at OCZ); is it worth it?
Click to expand...

OSX is a UNIX OS, which means it loves memory, the more the merrier. Now having said that and considering what you are planning on doing with it I don't believe that you would see much benefit out of an extra 2GB. If you do decide to go to 4GB then I would recommend doing the upgrade outside of Apple. (You will save a fair amount of money doing it that way)


2. Should I get the 23'' ACD or the 30'' ACD (yes, I know the 23'' is pretty big, but I love looking at the beautiful 30'') and why?
NOTE Getting the 30'' ACD may take a couple months longer than getting the 23'' ACD (which would be right now if I decided to get it).​
Click to expand...

Hmmm, are you going to be watching movies from across the room? (distance of greater than 15 feet?) If so then waiting for the 30" may be a good idea. However if you are watching primarily in a dorm room or your own room at home then I would recommend the 23"

3. Is it a wrong time to buy ACDs? Will I kick myself? Any predictions?
Click to expand...

The one type of question that can only be answered by a crystal ball. My personal opinion on waiting, or jumping now, is based on what I figure to be a reasonable upgrade cycle. For example my upgrade cycle on my laptop is 3-4 years, this means that I would start to look for a new computer during the year 3 interval and pretty much make a purchase before year 4. Doing upgrades in this manner gives me a target date for purchase and leaves it flexible in case I hear of a major release within that year.

THE BIG ONE: 4. Should I get my 15'' MBP with the glossy or the matte screen?
NOTE Yes, I know it is mainly personal preference, but does it make a difference if I'm looking at the glossy screen side-by-side with the Antiglare Coating on the ACD? At first, I was deadset on getting the glossy display just because it seemed to make the screen actually brighter, and I don't need accurate colors for work or anything. But, my dad kept complaining and making me notice that I could not only see some lights on the screen, but I would always be able to see reflections of the both of us on the screen, like a really faint mirror.​
Click to expand...

I do use my computer for professional purposes (audio editing), and I have found that the glossy gives a greater degree of contrast and colour depth which is important to me when I start delving into a wave form. Having said that I will also state that I really wish more people would actually use an Apple glossy screen before they post comments about glossy screens. I am absolutely amazed by this glossy screen, I haven't noticed any reflections, the colours are beautifully vibrant and sharp. To be totally honest there is nothing in the user experience with these glossies that causes you to think that you are in front of a glossy screen. The glare and or reflections that other people mention are simply not present when you are looking at the screen dead on (as is normal when using a laptop). Yes you will get reflections that you will notice if you view the screen from an angle, but in all honesty do you actually do work on a laptop while viewing it side on?

You also mention that you will be watching movies with your computer, this would, in my opinio, lend additional weight towards the glossy screen.

PLEASE PROVIDE AS MUCH INFORMATION/INSIGHT AS YOU CAN; THANK YOU​
Click to expand...

Hope that information is helpful

Sopranino
 
wako said:
PLEASE NOTE THOUGH! 30'' ACD will NOT work with MBPs.. It requires TWO DVI ports. So if you plan on hooking it up to anything, it wont be your MacBook.
Click to expand...

The 30" ACD works fine with the MBP. It does not require two physical DVI ports but rather a single, dual-link DVI port. That's exactly what the MBP has.
 
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