tenthousandthings

Detnator said:

tenthousandthings said:

OutdoorAppDeveloper said:

There are a lot of Mac users who have posted here in the past about how much they want an Apple Studio Display. I would really like to know why? I am genuinely curious. I thought it was a huge improvement when Apple started supporting HDMI connectors for displays so you could buy any third party screen you wanted. What is it about Apple displays that you find so desirable? Is it that the design will match your computer or do you think that the resolution or quality will be better? Perhaps it is that it will work better than a third party display (no fiddling with a wonky button on the display to set the options)? Please enlighten me.

If it’s just being used as a display, sure, I guess. But if the display is also being used as a dock, then Apple’s displays are the best. I had two MacBook Pros in succession that I used with an Apple Thunderbolt Display 2K, beginning in 2012. A completely seamless experience. It’s still in use almost ten years later, hooked up to an M1 Mini.

In my limited experience with it, HDMI isn’t an ideal experience with a laptop that you regularly connect and disconnect, you need Thunderbolt for that. It’s fine for a presentation, but not day-to-day use in real life. YMMV.

Indeed.  Add that (the docking capabilities) to my list above as well -- at least for the Thunderbolt Display of the past.  But unfortunately I suspect that's not an option going forwards.

I read somewhere that Thunderbolt 3/4 is mostly saturated by 5K+ resolutions such that the best you get out of any other ports is not much more than USB2 speed, which is why the USB-C ports on the LG 5K and Apple XDR are only USB2 speed -- no USB3/4, no other ports, and no TB3 pass through for daisy chaining (compare with the LG UltraFine 4K that does have TB3 pass through for daisy chaining). It's possible I heard/understood that wrong, and if so, someone please correct me, but if I did, then I'd love to know any other reason for the hobbled USB on both those displays.

Fortunately, this is somewhat offset by the existence of other decent docks now. So with one of those connected between a TB3/4 display and the Mac, the process is as seamless, even if not quite as clean on the desk. But just note that in that situation, when the TB connection is (usually) saturated at 5K+, then the display takes precedence and everything else is throttled, meaning external drives etc. get slow, giving a similar result to the USB in the 5K+ displays.  Only real solution to that (and my solution) is two TB connections -- one to dock, one to display. Better performance, only slightly less seamless (two connections to Mac instead of one -- a compromise, but better than slow stuff).

OutdoorAppDeveloper said:

There are a lot of Mac users who have posted here in the past about how much they want an Apple Studio Display. I would really like to know why? I am genuinely curious. I thought it was a huge improvement when Apple started supporting HDMI connectors for displays so you could buy any third party screen you wanted. What is it about Apple displays that you find so desirable? Is it that the design will match your computer or do you think that the resolution or quality will be better? Perhaps it is that it will work better than a third party display (no fiddling with a wonky button on the display to set the options)? Please enlighten me.

cpsro said:

Why not 8K+?  8K TVs have been out for years.

DAalseth said:

tenthousandthings said:

iMac : iMac Studio : iMac Pro
Mac Mini : Mac Studio : Mac Pro
Apple Studio Display : Apple Pro Display

What you’re missing is the Apple Mini Display. A 9” B/W LOL
All kidding aside, I like the idea they returning to the Good/Better/Best grid. So maybe just drop the Mini.
iMac : iMac Studio : iMac Pro
Mac : Mac Studio : Mac Pro