It uses 1080p instead of 1440p in the Cinema/TB displays so the workspace is about 3/4 in each direction but the UI will be bigger, which is actually nicer if your eyesight isn't great. It uses AH-IPS so the quality should be very good but there are factors like the coating and backlight brightness to consider. Someone here lists various IPS iterations and says they bought that display:
Other manufacturers start out with high prices and lower them over time, usually before a new model arrives. Apple's retail strategy is to keep prices as steady as possible. This allows them to undercut the competition at launch but after a few months to a year, the competition undercuts them and after 2-3 years, they are a fair bit cheaper. The equivalents to Apple's ones that are 1440p are around $650 but there are some cheap brands that use Apple's rejected panels.
I think Apple could do with having a cheaper panel than $999 e.g a 24" 1080p for $499 and have the 27" at $799. They always seem to want to make 30-40% gross margins on everything they sell. I think they need to relax that rule on their peripherals. If someone has already bought an expensive Macbook Pro and the only choices are a $999 Thunderbolt display or a ~$300 display that will do the job ok, it drives people to 3rd party displays. Although a $499 24" model would be smaller, it would be laminated and act as a dock so it can still persuade some people to buy it over a cheaper model.
Just went through a purchase decision for my wife and her new MBA, the HP was one of the monitors I looked at.
The Apple and higher resolution displays are definitely worth more with their 2560x1440 but there are many things to consider like glossy vs matte, resolution, how the display looks, will other people have to view the display, price etc and so on.
Her display is often used to show info to clients - travel industry.
It depends on your needs, one thing to try is to bring up a website and see if you like the look of text - the 1080 panels when on a desktop means that you can see the individual pixels. 2560 by 1440 wins by a mile there. 1080 panels are ok for pics and gaming.
Anyhow - to cut a long story short - I preferred the look of this one http://www.asus.com/Monitors_Projectors/MX279H/
Its ok - matte. Looks good. Not brilliant as a monitor but imnsho none of the 1080's in a 27" are - I wouldn't want to work on one all day. A 23" 1080 is ok tho.
My wife says her clients love it (everything is bigger for them so they dont have to squint to read text).
Comments
http://www.overclock.net/t/1369334/ips-panels-ips-pro-vs-ah-ips
The following site does a good job listing the panel types in various displays, just hit return in the box:
http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/panelsearch.htm
The Dell S2740L also uses an AH-IPS panel and is around the same price:
http://www.amazon.com/Dell-927M9-IPS-LED-27-Inch-LED-lit-Monitor/dp/B009H0XQPA
Other manufacturers start out with high prices and lower them over time, usually before a new model arrives. Apple's retail strategy is to keep prices as steady as possible. This allows them to undercut the competition at launch but after a few months to a year, the competition undercuts them and after 2-3 years, they are a fair bit cheaper. The equivalents to Apple's ones that are 1440p are around $650 but there are some cheap brands that use Apple's rejected panels.
I think Apple could do with having a cheaper panel than $999 e.g a 24" 1080p for $499 and have the 27" at $799. They always seem to want to make 30-40% gross margins on everything they sell. I think they need to relax that rule on their peripherals. If someone has already bought an expensive Macbook Pro and the only choices are a $999 Thunderbolt display or a ~$300 display that will do the job ok, it drives people to 3rd party displays. Although a $499 24" model would be smaller, it would be laminated and act as a dock so it can still persuade some people to buy it over a cheaper model.
Just went through a purchase decision for my wife and her new MBA, the HP was one of the monitors I looked at.
The Apple and higher resolution displays are definitely worth more with their 2560x1440 but there are many things to consider like glossy vs matte, resolution, how the display looks, will other people have to view the display, price etc and so on.
Her display is often used to show info to clients - travel industry.
It depends on your needs, one thing to try is to bring up a website and see if you like the look of text - the 1080 panels when on a desktop means that you can see the individual pixels. 2560 by 1440 wins by a mile there. 1080 panels are ok for pics and gaming.
Anyhow - to cut a long story short - I preferred the look of this one http://www.asus.com/Monitors_Projectors/MX279H/
Its ok - matte. Looks good. Not brilliant as a monitor but imnsho none of the 1080's in a 27" are - I wouldn't want to work on one all day. A 23" 1080 is ok tho.
My wife says her clients love it (everything is bigger for them so they dont have to squint to read text).
jus my 0.02c