Cinema Display Prices...
It seems to me that Apple's Cinema Display prices are way out of touch with the market. I just recently got a 32" HDTV for around $1,299 and you can get a HDTV 42" for around $2,399. When do you think Apple will finaly offer competative pricing for their displays? And does anybody think they would do well to offer a non pro smaller screen option...say for those who are buying a mac mini for instance?
Comments
Originally posted by CDonG4
The 24" Dell UltraSharp is a FAR better piece of LCD than any Cinema Display. The Cinema Displays are actually very very poor compared to most other displays. The Dell 24" which is only about $850 right now has a 1000:1 contrast ratio whereas the ACD has 400:1... and 500 cd/m2 brightness to the ACD's 270. You'd have to be silly to buy a Cinema Display unless you are that addicted to having things match.
I don't doubt that the Dells are generally a better deal (I have said so myself before), but does the additional screen brightness even matter? It seems like one of those vapid marketing things that people latch on to, even under excessively bright flourescent light the ACDs look plenty bright enough. The only place the extra brightness would seem to matter is if you had these displays outside. I have a Samsung 730B which I have the backlight turned all the way down.
You can get other displays for cheaper, yes, but in the end the Apple Displays just look great. It is the same way with cars. I have a Nissan Pathfinder. The Infinity version (Q4) I think has the same, seats, engine, parts, etc., but it is refines and just looks a lot nicer. Same car, one just looks better. Now me, I consider me car nothing more than a transport for my laptop and I, but other might value the looks more.
If aesthetics don't matter to you, then Dell has some great deals. I believe I read on another thread that they even use the same panels.
Originally posted by JeffDM
I don't doubt that the Dells are generally a better deal (I have said so myself before), but does the additional screen brightness even matter?...
I don't know if this is true or not, but I would expect a display that starts out brighter to take longer to reach that point where it just won't get bright enough anymore.
Originally posted by jpennington
Neither of those displays have DVI inputs do they?
Why would high end LCDs be sold without a DVI input?
Originally posted by jpennington
Because the average consumer class TV isn't used as a computer monitor.
I suppose I missed the consumer TV part, which shouldn't be compared to computer monitors as if they were directly comparable products. Still, any flat panel TV or computer monitor worth money these days does have a DVI compatible input. Even if it only hs HDMI inputs, all it needs is a cable adapter as HDMI is electrically DVI compatible.
I don't recommend hooking buying a TV for hookup to a computer unless it will generally be used as a TV. Computer monitors are generally too expensive to be used as a TV screen.
Screen size and cost are not the only considerations on value. Resolution, overscan, fill ratio and rectangular grid are very significant as well. Most LCD TVs are 720p or lower in resolution, have a very low fill ratio, many use a "honeycomb" grid and many crop out the outer 5-10% of a display signal. The smallest 1080p TV is 37", which has slightly fewer pixels than a 23" or 24" monitor. Then when you get to plasma, you'll find that many of them have non-square pixels.
A 20" Cinema Display for $800 is just plain absurd.
I think the Dell equivalent can be had for $450 or so. Yes, the Dell looks ugly, but it has height adjustment, and even a pivoting screen.
But something tells me we won't see a $300 cut from Apple any time soon.
Oh yea, and the kicker - the BB model is 399 - NO REBAITS...just 399
Originally posted by a_greer
Bestbuy has a Westinghouse 20.1 inch for 399 that looks better than the Apple 20 inch cinema...Dells lowest price is ~$449 and Westinghouse isnt a bad brand.
The Best Buy web site says it is a 1400x1050 screen, is that wrong?
Originally posted by a_greer
REBAITS
Was that intentional?
Originally posted by JeffDM
The Best Buy web site says it is a 1400x1050 screen, is that wrong?
Was that intentional?
Yes on both counts, I hate MIRs and I thought the sign at the store said 1680.1050, maybe I mis read it, or maybe the tag was made by the same duchebag that was telling a lady that she needed the latest PSE for windows to garentee color accuracy of her artwork when she told him flat out that she already had PS on Mac, he also said that she would need a super high end $1000+ CRT "like the pros use", not once did he mention color adjustment of the monitor its self using Apples color sync tools or Gama in Windows...or a pro calebrator if she had a couple of hundred to spend.
17" - $200
20" - $350
23" - $450
30" - $950
Also, do you think Apple could put a tv tuner card into the back of the monitor or would they be way to bulky? Built in DVR/TV in a Monitor connected to FrontRow, iPod, etc in a Mac could be crazy delicious.
Originally posted by icfireball
I guess my main point was that Apple's monitors are WAY over priced, and don't make up for the extra price in features or tech specs. So how can Apple sell them -- to pros, or anybody? And why are they leaving out the mac mini market with no lower end monitor? I think we need to see these prices soon with more features:
17" - $200
20" - $350
23" - $450
30" - $950
That's a nice fantasy that won't be met for a few years yet. There doesn't exist a 30" computer monitor anywhere that costs twice your wished-for price. And don't quote the price of an LCD TV. The only competition for the 30" is Dell's, their list price is $2200, though some claimed to have gotten one for $1900. Heck, Dell's 24" is still $825, and I think that is just clearing them out for the next revision.
Keep in mind that the pro monitor market is a different beast, if a monitor gives them the color quality and calibration features they want, many of them will pay more if they have to. Consumer monitors generally don't have the adjustment capabilities that are necessary for that market.
Originally posted by DHagan4755
I believe the price of everything Apple computer related will drop once the entire range of Macs has been transitioned to using Intel processors.
Even for the items that don't have any obvious Intel components?