Briefly: Apple shaves cost of Cinema Display line

Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
While unveiling a version of its professional desktop system that sports 8 cores of processing power on Wednesday, Mac maker Apple Inc. also cut prices on its matching array of Cinema Display flat panel monitors.



The new display pricing offers its steepest discount to the 30-inch Cinema HD model, which has fallen $200 in cost to $1,799.



Apple's other HD display offering, the 23-inch Cinema Display HD, shed $100 off its price tag and now retails for $899. Similarly, the 20-inch non-HD Cinema display pricing dropped down to 599 from $699.



No other changes appear to have affected the Apple display line, which otherwise includes a DVI Display Connector, 2 FireWire 400 ports, and a 2 port USB 2.0 Hub, on each model.



All three of the displays are VESA mount compatible. The 30-inch model requires graphics card with dual-link DVI.





«13

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 60
    eckingecking Posts: 1,588member
    I actually wrote this in the mac pro thread, but now that this is here it belongs here:



    Good to see a monitor drop but they're still way to expensive as much a I want one to match my mbp. I wanted the 20 inch but at 699 canadian that's wayyy too much even if it offers a firewire and usb hub. It should be more like 549 or 499 canadian (and that's still pushing it imo). I'm thinking of getting the 22" benq since I don't need all the pro colour calibration and I could get 2 benqs or 2 acers for that price. (22" benq 314.99, 22" acer 319.99).



    Lower it more apple, I can get a small hdtv for my bedroom for your 20" monitor price.



    But then again maybe I can finally get a decent price on one from ebay.
  • Reply 2 of 60
    Not even close to enough of a price drop. A widescreen Dell 20" monitor capable of the same resolution is $229. The Apple Cinema Displays are beautiful.... but not more than twice the price worth of beautiful.
  • Reply 3 of 60
    The last price drop (last summer?) put Apple at a competative price for display's... this price drop is still well short of the market.



    e.g. 20" Dell Widescreen (non-HD to non-HD) = $299 today versus Apple @ $599.



    http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/p...1&sku=320-5123



    With Apple's worldwide buying power on LCD (add up all those inches in ipods) and they certainly should have competative costing on quality panels from thier suppliers.



    I'm certain I'm going to get flamed about some quality differences, but really, if you are comparing the 20" Apple non-HD display to any other brand, how can you defend Apple's advantage when you can't justify buying the 23" HD?
  • Reply 4 of 60
    dacloodacloo Posts: 890member
    Boooh!

    Monitors: No HDMI, still too expensive!!

    Mac Pro: Still the underpowered 7300 as standard, just 1gb internal memory standard!



    Lousy update.
  • Reply 5 of 60
    zandroszandros Posts: 537member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dacloo View Post


    Boooh!

    Monitors: No HDMI, still too expensive!!

    Mac Pro: Still the underpowered 7300 as standard, just 1gb internal memory standard!



    Lousy update.



    What on earth do you need HDMI for, the screen has no speakers and HDMI->DVI conversion is easily done.
  • Reply 6 of 60
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    I don't think Apple CAN lower the prices of these monitors much more. The price structure of the monitor, apart from the screen itself, is likely too high.



    As far as I know, they are the only company producing monitors with aluminum cases and supports. That alone, is raising the price over what it could be.



    They would need a newly engineered series of monitors for them to be able to lower the price substantially. That's if they didn't introduce a series with heavy features and specs.
  • Reply 7 of 60
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Zandros View Post


    What on earth do you need HDMI for, the screen has no speakers and HDMI->DVI conversion is easily done.



    HDMI is a feature that all new monitors will eventually have, at least those over 17 inches.



    I recently bought my wife a new Samsung 225BW widescreen 22" monitor for a bit over $320. It has an HDMI connector with HDCP.



    As it appears to cost little to add, there is no reason not to, and every reason reason to.



    It will matter later this year when most companies will be moving to the 1.3 HDMI spec, which has many advantages, but even without it, there's no point in not adding it. And if Apple wants to continuing to charge more, then there is no excuse at all.
  • Reply 8 of 60
    dwsdws Posts: 108member
    My 2 cents...



    I think that this is simply a channel-clearing action by Apple; in preparation for new Cinema displays, which will debut later this year.



    Why? No integrated iSight.



    Given the existence of the Leopard iChat and iChat Server, Apple would be fools not to include pros in on the party.
  • Reply 9 of 60
    shanmugamshanmugam Posts: 1,200member
    melgross, how Samsung 225BW (1680 x 1050 rite?) compared to 20 " Apple Cinema display?



    I am contemplating between 24" Samsung & 23" Cinema display for my macbook, do not know whether integrated graphics good enough to drive 23" 1900 x 1200



    or need to settle with 20" 1680 x 1050



    price changes are welcome, but not update to mark for competition, hopefully newer design will bring the cost down
  • Reply 10 of 60
    LED version with iSight built in starting at 22" for the same price soon.

    Currently clearing inventory.
  • Reply 11 of 60
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Restalot View Post


    The last price drop (last summer?) put Apple at a competative price for display's... this price drop is still well short of the market.



    e.g. 20" Dell Widescreen (non-HD to non-HD) = $299 today versus Apple @ $599.



    http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/p...1&sku=320-5123



    With Apple's worldwide buying power on LCD (add up all those inches in ipods) and they certainly should have competative costing on quality panels from thier suppliers.



    I'm certain I'm going to get flamed about some quality differences, but really, if you are comparing the 20" Apple non-HD display to any other brand, how can you defend Apple's advantage when you can't justify buying the 23" HD?



    Im with you, show me the quality and contrast differences. If someone is going to shell out that much more then it should do so for significant better specs.
  • Reply 12 of 60
    desarcdesarc Posts: 642member
    this is simple:



    macs work with other manufacturer's monitors.

    if you want a matching aluminum enclosure and a little white apple logo, you have to PAY for it.



    don't complain about twice the price. you can buy your dress shirts at Wal-Mart for 19 bucks or at Bananna Republic for 98 bucks. both are made overseas, and the differences in quality are miniscule. apple is a well designed status symbol product. you're paying for that logo MUCH more than you're paying for aluminum enclosures.
  • Reply 13 of 60
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by shanmugam View Post


    melgross, how Samsung 225BW (1680 x 1050 rite?) compared to 20 " Apple Cinema display?



    I am contemplating between 24" Samsung & 23" Cinema display for my macbook, do not know whether integrated graphics good enough to drive 23" 1900 x 1200



    or need to settle with 20" 1680 x 1050



    price changes are welcome, but not update to mark for competition, hopefully newer design will bring the cost down



    Apple's monitors are tired. They simply don't meet the latest specs from other companies products. This is better.



    It's a damn good monitor. But, I think that Samsung just now replaced it with a newer, faster LCD, model.



    It depends on what you want to display. If it's 3D models, or games, then no. But, if it's movies, as my wife likes to watch, then it's fine, because that what that chip was designed to show.



    The 22 is 1680 x 1050.



    She really wants the 24" iMac, but I won't get her one until the new ones come out. This is a stopgap, but it's a pretty good looking one.
  • Reply 14 of 60
    deapeajaydeapeajay Posts: 909member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by EagerDragon View Post


    LED version with iSight built in starting at 22" for the same price soon.

    Currently clearing inventory.



    Exactly, I think people are forgetting Apple's move towards LEDs.



    Also, when you consider that the 30 inch cinema was 3 grand not long ago, this is a pretty decent deal, relatively speaking. And if Apple can release updated LED versions at the same price point. *I'll* be pleased!
  • Reply 15 of 60
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by DeaPeaJay View Post


    Exactly, I think people are forgetting Apple's move towards LEDs.



    Also, when you consider that the 30 inch cinema was 3 grand not long ago, this is a pretty decent deal, relatively speaking. And if Apple can release updated LED versions at the same price point. *I'll* be pleased!



    I think LEDs is more for the notebooks where power, weight and size concerns are much greater, with an added bonus for being brighter for equivalent size. The desktop displays are plenty bright enough, and none of those other factors are major concerns on a desktop display.
  • Reply 16 of 60
    jeffdmjeffdm Posts: 12,951member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Zandros View Post


    What on earth do you need HDMI for, the screen has no speakers and HDMI->DVI conversion is easily done.



    Standard DVI doesn't have HDCP. It can be added with no impact on compatibility, but it's usually not done. I'd rather have HDCP over DVI than HDCP, there's no positive latching or screw-in mechanism to keep HDMI cables from working its way out of their socket.
  • Reply 17 of 60
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JeffDM View Post


    I think LEDs is more for the notebooks where power, weight and size concerns are much greater, with an added bonus for being brighter for equivalent size. The desktop displays are plenty bright enough, and none of those other factors are major concerns on a desktop display.



    It isn't just brighter screens. LEDs offer the opportunity of a much wider color gamut. The new "deep color" standard of HDMI 1.3 can only be easily implimented with LED backlighting. The same thing is true for the black problem LCDs have. Selective black level change with LED lacklighting will help that as well. Longer lifetime is also an option, as well as, eventually, thinner screens.
  • Reply 18 of 60
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Restalot View Post


    The last price drop (last summer?) put Apple at a competative price for display's... this price drop is still well short of the market.



    e.g. 20" Dell Widescreen (non-HD to non-HD) = $299 today versus Apple @ $599.



    http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/p...1&sku=320-5123



    With Apple's worldwide buying power on LCD (add up all those inches in ipods) and they certainly should have competative costing on quality panels from thier suppliers.



    I'm certain I'm going to get flamed about some quality differences, but really, if you are comparing the 20" Apple non-HD display to any other brand, how can you defend Apple's advantage when you can't justify buying the 23" HD?



    It matters to anybody who needs accurate representation of colours.

    In any single frame, a Dell 20" E207WFP is physically incapable of displaying more than 6 bits per colour per pixel. That adds up to 262144 unique colours. The controller plays tricks like "blurring" consecutive pixels together, or quickly pulsing the pixel back and forth between two slightly different colours, to make it look like there are more colours than there really are.



    A 20" Apple display can reproduce 8 bits per color per pixel. That's 16777216 unique colours, always available in every pixel.
  • Reply 19 of 60
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by MoonShadow View Post


    .... but not more than twice the price worth of beautiful.







    As the old saying about economists goes, "they know the price of everything and the value of nothing."
  • Reply 20 of 60
    feynmanfeynman Posts: 1,087member
    I know it's not exactly worth the additional 300 to some people but also keep in mind these (Apple) displays do come with two built in USB 2.0 ports and two FireWire ports.
Sign In or Register to comment.