Posted to Monitors 2008-12-10
PC users, welcome to the beauty that is Apple. The 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display (M9179LL/A) is a beautifully designed, elegant looking, high end monitor that for the first time, has switched from its proprietary ADC connection to the more standardized DVI connection to allow Apple and now PC users alike to enjoy the immaculate quality of Apple's monitors. Performance-wise, this monitor is a dream. It's elegant design looks great sitting on your desktop. For the professional's who need a monitor to provide amazing color detail, this is definitely a monitor you will want to consider, however, if you're simply looking for the best monitor on the market for multi-purpose use, there are a few things you will want to think about.
ValueThere is no doubt about it that Apple produces quality products. The very fact that it now has DVI inputs only makes it that much more exciting. What is disheartening though is that even though I know Apple offers great products, I find it ironic that they will not back it up in warranty. The one year warranty offered by Apple is a couple years short of the LCD standard, unless of course you don't mind paying the extra dough for the extended warranty. Which conveniently ties me into my biggest beef with the computer giant Apple, price. I looked around to see what others were saying about the M9179LL/A and many forgave the price because of the name on the label. However, for several hundred dollars less, you can still purchase a very nice, high end monitor, with more inputs (see below in features) and options and still get a great picture. Yes I know its Apple, but I really think that there are better options in this category that provide better return on the investment than this monitor. In saying that, in certain situations, I am a brand name kind of guy, I only buy my jeans at one place, and yes, they are not cheap, so if you're an Apple addict, you probably won't mind the price but if you're not, at least look around a little before you make your purchase. FeaturesThere's no doubt the 30inch screen will blow you away upon sight. However, think about what you don't see. I'll concede that the picture is ultimately the most important feature when shopping for a high end monitor, but the star is only as good as his supporting cast and for the M9179LL/A, I feel like there isn't much else beyond the picture. I was a little disappointed as I think the usefulness of the HD is somewhat limited, because when I think of HD, I think of watching movies. From what I could find, the 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display requires dual-link DVI which means that the only way you will be able to view Blu-Ray movies is if you invest in an external Blu-Ray player that connects to either USB 2.0 or FireWire (LaCie d2 Blu-ray Drive 301828U). Unlike other monitors in its class, there is no landscape to portrait capability and the adjustments are rather limited with the L shaped stand. It has about a 25 degree adjustment, 5 degrees down and 20 degrees up, but no vertical adjustment; however the monitor can be wall mounted with a VESA wall mount. Me being 5' 10inches, I'm good to go, but you giants of the world might want to go with the wall mount as you will find yourself looking down at the display which just isn't right. There are also two USB 2.0 and two FireWire 400 inputs on the bottom of the screen. PerformanceWhile I might complain about the value, I cannot say anything bad about the amazing picture quality. Even better, for you techies of perfect picture, there is very little you will need to adjust, if you need to adjust it at all, though they have provided brightness buttons on the lower, right side of the display, for quick brightness correction. With the 700:1 contrast ratio, 16 ms response time, 170 degree viewing angle, 16.7 million displayed colors, and a 2560x1600 resolution, the 30 inch antiglare hard-coated, active-matrix liquid crystal display will absolutely leave you more breathless than if you read this sentence out loud five times fast. (Go ahead, take the challenge, but if you pass out, I'm not responsible, Apple is.) It's simply gorgeous. PC users note, you're going to need to have some high end video guts in your PC to take full advantage, but if you can afford the monitor, you can afford the video cards, RAM and processors required. Without handing out 5 stars all the time, there is no doubt this display will perform to your every liking. SummaryWhatever your reasoning might be, be it frivolous spending, necessity for your work, or simply an Apple fan, the 30-inch Apple Cinema HD Display is an amazing LCD monitor to have. Consider your options though, as this is not an inexpensive monitor and you will want to make sure that it is going to fulfill the needs for which you bought it and also, PC users, that you have a system that is going to be able to take advantage of its graphical capability. This screen is one of the reasons I love to go into the Apple store, but just make sure the large investment isn't going to go to waste. Pros
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