Big monitors

[M3]

I need a bigger monitor for CAD work....which one

Saw a 30inch Apple yesterday about a grand...any good?

Any others to consider?

Ta

[JD123d]

I have just bought two of these:

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/165288

And they are fantastic, they are only 23 inch so not sure whether they are big enough for your needs.

[RichardD]

There was good info here :-

http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...

Including a mention of a Samsung 30" that checked out very well!

[bonsai]

If I was going to spend 1K on a monitor it would without question be the Dell UltraSharp 30".

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/productdetail.a...

You'll need a decent graphics card to run it at the highest res, it can give off a bit of heat, and for these types of monitors it's definitely advised to calibrate it properly if you're doing any proof work on it.

[itsnotarace]

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/03/18/appl...

27" Apple LED display upcoming Probably about the optimal size for a big monitor for regular use I reckon, I've tried the 30" Dell before and it's awesome but it made my eyes go funny after a while

[cyberface]

The 30" panel in the Apple display is the same as the Dell Ultrasharp. Apple pick only top-bin panels whereas Dell have more leeway so they can hit a lower price-point (the Apple screen is more expensive). There's only one 30" panel manufacturer at 2560x1600 so it really is a question of aesthetics, price, and input flexibility.

The Dell has more inputs and is cheaper (last time I looked). The Apple panel is guaranteed to have no dead pixels (at that price point, it damn well shouldn't have) and doesn't have adjustment on the hardware (it does have a Firewire and USB hub built in). The Apple screen has one fat cable that breaks out at the end (octopus cable) which is a LOT tidier on your desk than having multiple cables into the display too.

If you're using Mac kit then get the Apple screen. I've got the 30" panel (used to have two of them) and it's fantastic. I couldn't sit in front of a Dell-logo'd screen all day when using a Mac but if you're using a PC then the cost difference may be significant enough to go for the Dell rather than the Apple screen.

But the panels themselves are the same, IIRC.

[M3]

Cheers Cyber, I am using PC, will check the Dell, but the Apple looks the part, is it only available in white?

Just checked prices, both seem the same about £1150ish...

Should I be paying less?

Edited by M3 on Friday 19th March 17:18

[cyberface]

M3 said:

Cheers Cyber, I am using PC, will check the Dell, but the Apple looks the part, is it only available in white?

Just checked prices, both seem the same about £1150ish...

Should I be paying less?

Edited by M3 on Friday 19th March 17:18

White? It's aluminium. Real metal, not cheap plastic.

Since the panel is the same, and the vast majority of the cost of the unit, it's not that surprising that the two units are similar in price. Dell use cheaper materials for the case, but add value elsewhere (presumably they have more hub ports, multiple inputs (which can be very useful), and on-screen controls). Apple, since the screens are usually connected to Macs, don't have any on-screen controls to adjust brightness / contrast etc. - calibration is all done from within OS X. So if you're using Windows then this is something to check out.

The Apple panel *feels* much higher quality but that's just the 'real metal' case, the single cable, the minimalist design. But there's only one input, a dual-link DVI, and if you want multiple machines to feed the screen then the Dell may be a better bet (assuming it's got multiple inputs, which I expect it has).

That price seems about right. Nobody else makes that high-res a panel, so that's how much they cost. They've come down very significantly since I bought my first one!

[M3]

You could always email me...

[AB]

27" is optimum IMO - my 27" iMac is bordering on being awkward.