Wow, the 20" viewing angle really does suck!!

[VoodooDaddy]

This thread is funny. It reminds me of ppl that claim to be able to hear a difference in 192kb mp3s and 320kb mp3.

Anyway, I currently have a mac mini and a 19" Samsung LCD. Just yesterday I bought a 20" iMac from the Apple refurb store, then I come here and see nothing but complaining about the 20" display. Im thinking "is it really that bad?"

Then I see the comments in this thread about the yellowing effect if you look at the screen from the side. Well, I just so happened to stand to the side of my Samsung and it does the exact same thing! But guess what? Ive had this LCD for about a year and a half and have never noticed it before today. Why? Because when I use it I sit IN FRONT of it. I dont try to use it at some crazy angles that some of you claim to.

Anyway, after feeling a bit put off for getting the 20", seeing that my current monitor does the exact same thing and I never noticed before, Im confident I wont notice on the new iMac either. And for what its worth my desk cant handle the 24, not enough room. Plus I bought wife a new macbook yesterday also, so my wallet cant handle it (the 24) either.

 

[brop52]

Goes to show you that some people are a bit obsessive and like to create problems when it wouldn't affect their working on the computer unless someone pointed it out.

 

[nout72]

Well I can imagine when you're coming from a previous generation 20 inch iMac the new alu iMac could be disappointing, especially to those who demand color accuracy.
The gradient, though not uncommon with TN panels, definitely is not what you'de expect from an Apple product, the previous iMac's LCD panel was better in this respect.

The viewing angle is worse as well.
The 20 inch alu iMac isn't a computer for watching photos and movies with more than 2 friends, it is best used for one person at a time...though the viewing angle is not THAT bad as some suggest on this forum.
Watching the screen from a standing position results in some wash-out, less contrast and paler colors, but the content remains viewable, you can read text without problems and let's be honest, you're not gonna stand for hours, do you?

Apart form the poorer viewing angle and the gradient, in comparison with the white 20 inch iMac, the screen as a whole (while sitting in front of it), with its gorgeous gloss finish and deep saturated colors, I honestly like better than the white iMac's matt screen.

 

[weckart]

And shame on those of you asking "why would you ever look at the screen from that angle?" There's no reason the display on my 6-year-old G4 iMac should provide a better quality image than a new one. .

I can think of an obvious one. This iMac will cost you less than your 6 year old G4 iMac did at the time.

Just curious, but on a similar vein... is the MacBook displays TN, and the MacBook Pro displays S-IPS? Just wondering, because the MacBook I owned (first generation) had a horrible viewing angle, and it bothers me especially when watching DVDs. However the MacBook Pro I got last year has a great viewing angle, and viewing DVDs on it has been great. I once blamed the glossy display for this, but is it actually because of the difference between a TN and a S-IPS display?

Yes. The Macbook screen is TN. It's also the worst screen I've ever seen. You can't really watch video on it.

All laptop screens are TN. Some are obviously better than others. I don't know of any current manufacturer that uses S-IPS displays in its notebooks, although I suppose some must exist. BTW, the Macbook screens are really not that bad in its price class. You clearly never owned an iBook - those were pretty bad.