Monitor Recommendations

[edd_jedi]

I've just switched from a 27" iMac which I've had since 2009 to a Macbook Air laptop. I want to get a monitor to hook the laptop up to for 'desktop use', so I thought a simple trip to PC World would do the job - after all as a Mac user for years I get constant abuse about howApple stuff is 'overpriced' and 'style over substance.'

How wrong these people are - PC World had about 30 different monitors, ranging from £75 to nearly £400, and not a single one of them was anywhere near the quality of my 5 year old iMac's display icard I was literally appalled at the quality of most of them, IPS LED displays seem to be the norm these days but none of them were a patch on the iMac's display.

A 27" Apple Cinema display costs about £800 - which I agree is a lot of money - but from what I've seen today, you really do get what you pay for. I'm now considering not selling my iMac at all and just using it as a display via the Thunderbolt port!

What I'm after doesn't seem to be asking for too much - a monitor that's at least 1920x1080 resolution, and on a par with my 5 year old iMac. I'm happy to pay for a good one, but it's obviously got to be considerably cheaper or better than my iMac to justify selling it and replacing it.

So come on guys, if Apple stuff is overpriced tosh as I'm often told, show me some monitors that can give them a run for their money.

 

[RichyV]

That's easy...

Mac displays are ridiculously overpriced and stupidly heavy.

If you're looking for a 24", take a look at the Dell U2414H @ £200. If you want to replace it with a 27" (@ 2560x1440) then check out the ViewSonic VP2772, around £590 ish.

HTH.

 

[edd_jedi]

That's easy...

Mac displays are ridiculously overpriced and stupidly heavy.

Well the plastic pieces of crap PC World was full of felt like they would blow over in a breeze, I know I'd take stability over weight any day (unless you make a habit of holding your monitor while using it?)

If you're looking for a 24", take a look at the Dell U2414H @ £200. If you want to replace it with a 27" (@ 2560x1440) then check out the ViewSonic VP2772, around £590 ish.

HTH.

Thanks, will check them out.

 

[RichyV]

I stopped going to PC World about 100 years ago, when they tried to charge me £12 for a £1.75 USB cable..!

 

[tokyoracer]

Well there's your problem, you went to PC World... My 2008 Samsung 'rose' display beats anything they sell today and alot of Mac displays at the time too. You will find Apple still charge way too much for their stuff if you know where to look and crucially, what to look for.
Personally I think you got to be crazy to fork out for a Mac since the last good leg it stood on was it's OS stability which Windows does such a good job of now (7 atleast, not tried 8 yet).

Anyway, grab yourself a decent mag or look around on the reliable review sites and see what's what and what's not. Asus, Samsung and many others I know for a fact will sell you a 27"+ screen with atleast the same specs (if not better) than what Apple will offer you at half the cost.

 

[NinjaRabbit]

I'm a former Mac user, albeit one who used MacBooks and not any of the desktop machines, and I'll second how good the ViewSonic monitors are - the colour calibration is as close to perfect as I need (I rely on mine for buying fabric sight-unseen, which is a really tricky task to ask of any monitor), and they're very good value-for-money considering their build-quality. Some may find the inputs lacking on some models (the one I use has two HDMI ports and one VGA port), but they're probably enough for most modern requirements.

They're certainly much nicer than the MacBook displays ever were, at the very least, though I will admit that I've never seen in person, and thus never used, any of Apple's desktop units or cinema displays.

It is worth noting that at least some ViewSonic models (maybe all of them? I've only seen my own one close enough to notice this) have a bit of a weird design for the base of the monitor, though, which is a bit fiddly to put together, and looks like it may be flimsy but actually isn't. Once it's on it's absolutely fine, though.

 

[edd_jedi]

Anyway, grab yourself a decent mag or look around on the reliable review sites and see what's what and what's not. Asus, Samsung and many others I know for a fact will sell you a 27"+ screen with atleast the same specs (if not better) than what Apple will offer you at half the cost.

Yep, that's exactly what I did mate. Looked at reviews online, put together a short list (inclusing Acer, Samsung, LG and AOC) and then headed to PC World as the prices were similar to Amazon etc, and I could pick it up that day rather than wait for it to be delivered. So for example, this is the one I was hoping to get based on the positive reviews:

http://www.currys.co.uk/gbuk/comput...23-ips-led-monitor-with-mhl-21408588-pdt.html

But in the flesh it was absolute trash - build quality was terrible, the edges of the visible screen weren't at all refined, and the display itself brightness and sharpness was worse than many laptops I've used. Maybe I've been spoilt with Apple's use of aluminium and glass, but I don't expect a product made these days to wobble when you touch it or look like it was assembled by a 5 year old. Mock Apple all you like, their build quality is something you will only snub if you've never had one of their products.

Anyway, I think I'm going to take a punt on the Dell mentioned above. Has lots of decent reviews and it has decent connectivity too (something else it was looking like I was going to have to forfeit.) I'll report back when it arrives.

 

[edd_jedi]

Well a big thanks to RichyV for the Dell recommendation, I'm very impressed with it so far. The build quality is far better than any of the ones I looked at in PC World, and the built in USB 3.0 hub means it's hasn't made a mess of my desk which was always a big attraction of the iMac. The resolution is slightly smaller than the iMac and I wouldn't say the image quality is any better, but it's certainly good enough. Maybe it's the glossy glass display on the iMac that makes it look so crisp and bright. Still, for £200 definitely can't complain, and it was definitely worth paying the extra.

 

[RichyV]

Glad it's a positive outcome!

Just to say, I'm not anti-Apple in any way, as I've owned a Mac previously and have had several iPhones and an iPad, just anti their pricing.

If there's a lesson to be learned here, and it's been mentioned above, PC World is probably not the place to go for quality kit...

 

[Harrison]

I'm also a fan of Dell monitors, owning a 27" U2711 for a couple of years now and finding it brilliant. I've always been against their PCs, but for monitors and laser printers they are one of the best alongside Samsung.