Which Monitor for my Macbook Pro?

wicked666

Hi guys,



I'm after a 24inch (ish) monitor for my Macbook Pro but cannot justify the £650 price tag for the official Apple one over here.



I've plugged it into TV's before but the quality is not there (and it does not fit the whole screen).



I know Dell sell a lot of monitors but the prices vary and there are too many for m to choose.



Can anyone recommend one with a display as good as the Macbook's? I don't mind if the screen is glossy either.



Thanks

vinea

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wicked666


Hi guys,



I'm after a 24inch (ish) monitor for my Macbook Pro but cannot justify the £650 price tag for the official Apple one over here.



I've plugged it into TV's before but the quality is not there (and it does not fit the whole screen).



I know Dell sell a lot of monitors but the prices vary and there are too many for m to choose.



Can anyone recommend one with a display as good as the Macbook's? I don't mind if the screen is glossy either.



Thanks

If you want a 24" IPS monitor you'll want the 24" ultrasharp. The U2410 is $599 in comparison to $899 for the 24" Cinema Display in the US. The UltraSharp 27 is on sale for $799 but I think it is PVA vs IPS. The 27" has been as low as $600 on Dell Days so since neither one is on a good sale at the moment, if you can wait a little I'm sure you can get a better price than $600 at some point.

tasslehawf

I suggest you find a used Dell Ultrasharp 2405fpw. The older Dell screens have the nicer IPS lcds and by benefit of being old are cheaper - maybe $200-300.

vinea

Quote:

Originally Posted by tasslehawf


I suggest you find a used Dell Ultrasharp 2405fpw. The older Dell screens have the nicer IPS lcds and by benefit of being old are cheaper - maybe $200-300.

The 2405 has PVA panels and not IPS panels.



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dell_monitors



Someone who has calibrated both feels the 2410 panel is better. Which isn't too surprising since one if PVA and the other IPS.



http://www.dontpanik.com/blog/archiv...ell-U2410.html



In addition the 2410 has a DisplayPort port (and HDMI for that matter). That means that the 2410 will work with any current mac using a simple mDP to DP cable and not need any conversion.

benroethig

A 21.5" ACD would be a nice addition to the lineup.

wicked666

Thanks guys. Can someone please confirm whether this is an IPS monitor

http://accessories.euro.dell.com/sna...dt1&sku=193757



For the price, I guess not but it doesn't say it's TN anywhere and has a large viewing angle.



Thanks

vinea

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wicked666


Thanks guys. Can someone please confirm whether this is an IPS monitor

http://accessories.euro.dell.com/sna...dt1&sku=193757



For the price, I guess not but it doesn't say it's TN anywhere and has a large viewing angle.



Thanks

This one is nice for the extra resolution. One downside is no DisplayPort.



It's TN...but pretty much anything at that price is. Honestly, if you're not doing anything that really required good color accuracy you can just use a good TN monitor. They've gotten a bit better than say 5 years ago. The viewing angle should be okay if you can live with color shift.



If you can't then go with this for about the same money:



http://accessories.euro.dell.com/sna...dt1&sku=198660



Make sure to get the WA model in the link. There is a 2209W model that is TN.



Downside? No HDMI or DisplayPort and res is only 1680x1050. A 24" monitor is usually 1920x1200. The 23" you picked is 2048x1152.



I'm going to assume the 2010 models will have at least HDMI or DP but I'm going to guess the same 1680x1050 rez.

Marvin

I think the most affordable 24" IPS is the HP LP2475W:



http://www.macmall.com/p/5023302?dpno=7612981



If you shop around, you'll get it closer to $500, like eBay:



http://cgi.ebay.com/HP-LP2475W-24-WI...ht_3567wt_1167

pmz

Quote:

Originally Posted by Marvin


I think the most affordable 24" IPS is the HP LP2475W:



http://www.macmall.com/p/5023302?dpno=7612981



If you shop around, you'll get it closer to $500, like eBay:



http://cgi.ebay.com/HP-LP2475W-24-WI...ht_3567wt_1167

That IS a great price, too bad it has to be ugliest monitor ever sold, anywhere.

wicked666

Hi Guys,



I'm considering this which I can get for circa $600 from eBay.

http://accessories.euro.dell.com/sna...hs1&sku=294438



However, I would want to store my MBP vertically with the lid closed to keep it out of the way. Would it cause any issues with the HDD if I use it in this way? There would be sufficient cooling space and my Time Capsule is relatively close so shouldn't experience any network issues.



Also, I have a Mini DP to HDMI adaptor - if I used HDMI with this monitor, would there be a black band around the screen (like when I plug it into my TV).



Thanks

faxthat

Ditto to Dell Ultrasharp 2405fpw. I run one with my MBP (Santa Rosa) and love it. It's bright, sharp, rotates, and can be adjusted precisely to user prefs.

faxthat

Why not keep MBP open as it can remain as a separate display and you can drag items from display to display? Vertical may be troublesome if you need cables plugged into both sides of MBP.



My Dell connection is DVI, not HDMI, so have no experience there. However, I do use HDMI to connect to HDTV and black surround or sidebars can be eliminated with TV screen format adjustments.

Quote:

However, I would want to store my MBP vertically with the lid closed to keep it out of the way. Would it cause any issues with the HDD if I use it in this way? There would be sufficient cooling space and my Time Capsule is relatively close so shouldn't experience any network issues.



Also, I have a Mini DP to HDMI adaptor - if I used HDMI with this monitor, would there be a black band around the screen (like when I plug it into my TV).



Thanks

wicked666

Quote:

Originally Posted by faxthat


Ditto to Dell Ultrasharp 2405fpw. I run one with my MBP (Santa Rosa) and love it. It's bright, sharp, rotates, and can be adjusted precisely to user prefs.

There are none on UK Ebay unfortunately.