Apple Cinema Displays: Epic. Fail.

Section: Mac + Computers, Peripherals, Cinema Displays, OriginalsYou should not buy a Cinema Display from Apple. They are a total rip-off, and aren’t even the best displays. First off, the cinema displays are wayyyyy overpriced. For the cost of the 20-inch display, I could buy two Dell 24-inch displays. Unless you are a big-time, famous graphic designer or someone who just has a lot of money to burn, I don’t think a 30-inch display is even close to your price range. And, to pour salt in the wounds, even the “refurbished” Cinema Displays will require a second mortgage. The image above shows the “deal” you will get on a “refurbished” display. For some reason, the folks over at Apple got their prices messed up. Here, it shows that the 20-inch display originally costs $1,299, when, in fact, it is only $599. Thus, buyers think the price drop to $499 is a much better deal. Isn’t that false advertising? Yup. Hasn’t Apple considered the fact that they could get sued for that? Guess not. Secondly, they aren’t even the best monitors. You’re really paying for a shiny, half-eaten Apple on the back of a hunk of aluminum. This Dell monitor, which costs $389 after rebates, is an inch bigger then the 23-inch Apple. The Apple Display is almost $600 more expensive then the Dell. The Dell also has a faster response time and much better contrast ratio. In general, you should just stay away from Apple Cinema Displays. They might look awesome, but they don’t have the performance or affordability to back that up. If Apple wants to keep selling displays, they should definitely consider an upgrade. What is your opinion on the Cinema Display? Would you buy one?  Full Story » | Written by Mark Rowland for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

A refresh for the Apple Cinema displays may be in the works

Section: Apple News, Rumors, Conferences, Macworld, Mac + Computers, Peripherals, Cinema DisplaysMacRumors is reporting a rumor of new Apple Cinema displays to be announced at MWSF 2009. The only feature rumored to be added is LED backlighting. Apple’s 20”, 23”, and 30” Cinema displays have remained expensive and relatively unchanged since launched in 2004. You may remember Jobs’ promise of a complete switch to LED backlighting for all of Apple’s displays as fast as the industry could support the transition. So far, only the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro have enjoyed the benefits of being backlit by LEDs. The article continues to say that there are 30” LED backlit displays currently available from Samsung, but they cost over $4000. I think a product refresh on the Cinema displays will be welcomed, and LED backlighting will be huge, but neither the article nor the rumor say anything about design. Will Apple stay true to the brushed aluminum look? I think it’s likely, seeing as the MacBook Air and Pro are both encased in it, and all rumors point to a complete switch to brushed aluminum MacBooks. So it seems that LED backlighting will be the only new feature. Is Apple just going to launch a moderate improvement, or do they still have something up their sleeve? What else does Apple need to do to make you want to buy a Cinema display? Lower the price? Add multi-touch? Leave a comment. Via [MacRumors] Full Story » | Written by Jake Gaecke for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Apple may have new Cinema Displays ready for Macworld

It's been over four years since Apple made a material announcement surrounding its line of standalone Cinema Displays, but that could finally change come early next year, says a new report. According to MacRumors, the wheels are in motion for the ...

I won’t buy a Cinema Display from Apple

Section: Mac + Computers, Peripherals, Cinema Displays, Features, Originals I just received a 23” Cinema Display. I bought it off of eBay for the “cheap” price of $600. This is a steal compared to Apple’s list price of $899 before tax and shipping, but a rip-off when comparing it to a similar monitor. Before the Cinema Display, I had a 24” HP. Cost? $369, before tax and shipping. It had four USB ports compared to the Cinema’s two. It could tilt from perpendicular to the desk all the way to parallel to it. It could move up and down. It could swivel. It could even rotate to portrait mode. It was very feature-paced for only about $400, but I got a Cinema Display anyway. I’m a sucker for the Apple brand. I don’t regret the purchase, I love my Cinema Display. It is a beauty, and it fits in well, and is instantly plug and play with my MacBook Pro. That said, I would never buy one new from Apple, and here’s why: Price: Cinema Displays are incredibly overpriced. A 20” Cinema Display will run you over the $600. Compare that to the 24” HP for only $400 or a myriad of other brand’s like Dell. The 30” Cinema’s price is an abomination, at over $1800 all said and done. Design: The 23” and 30” Cinema Displays are very nice to look at though they are a bit thick. The 20” Display (pictured), however, is possibly the ugliest product Apple currently ships. Compared to the [relatively] small 20” screen, the foot is huge. (It is the same size foot as the 23”.) The small size of the screen also accentuates the thickness of the sides of the screen. These two things make for a very disproportionate item that looks like Apple created it just so they could have a 20” version with no real attention to detail. Features: As I said before, the HP could do much more than the Apple can. It could go in any direction, offered easier USB access, and was overall more flexible. I wouldn’t want Apple to build all these features in, as it would ruin the look of the display, but it would be nice to have one USB port on the side at the very least, and screen rotation and height adjustment would be great if they could do it without a huge hinge in the middle of the stand. If Apple can address these items, they will have a VERY attractive product on their hands. My dream line-up is a 24”, 27”, 30” lineup, a lot thinner, with 3 USB ports (one on the side for easy access) and rotation and height controls. What’s yours, and why do you think Apple hasn’t updated the displays in years? Sound off in the comments below! Full Story » | Written by Adam Fisher-Cox for Appletell. | Comment on this Article »

Rumor: New Cinema displays at Macworld '09?

MacRumors speculates on the possibility of Apple releasing updated Cinema displays at next year's Macworld Expo. According to the post, the new displays could incorporate the LED backlight technology that Apple has started building into their 15" MacBook Pros. MacRumors notes that LED backlit displays going into the 30" range tend to be more expensive than Apple's current 30" Cinema display. However, if this is true, it would be a nice change from Apple's 2004 design of the current Cinema displays. There is no word yet on if the new displays would include the iSight camera.Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

New Apple Cinema Displays Finally at MWSF 2009?

Readers interested in new Apple Cinema Displays may have to wait just a bit longer. Apple has not significantly updated their Cinema Displays in years. Apple currently offers 20", 23" and 30" monitors at $599, $899, and $1799, respe...