The Apple Cinema Display line features a gorgeous new anodized aluminum enclosure to complement the Power Mac G5 or PowerBook G4.
Eliminate Tunnel VisionThe widescreen design of the Apple Cinema Display line offers a natural format for arranging documents the way your brain processes them longer wide than high. That’s why each display gives you the best view for your work. It just makes sense to be able to display a Web page and its code next to each other horizontally, or long video timelines in wide format. And the 20-inch Cinema Display, at an affordable price, provides the exact resolution to display widescreen High Definition material. Apple engineers find that 100 pixel per inch resolution is ideal for images, yet allows you to easily work with sophisticated type treatments or just plain email. This painstaking attention to detail moves the industry forward and gives you best LCD technology available.
Connect With Pure Digital DVIGive your PowerBook G4 a second display when you’re not on the road. Now you can connect the 20-inch Apple Cinema Display directly to any PowerBook G4 with a DVI port. This DVI connection also removes all barriers to using an Apple display with a PC. If your graphics card supports DVI with DDC technology for widescreen viewing, you should be able to use these two displays with a PC.
1 A Stunning display
This is by far the best computer display I have ever seen in my 22 year affair with computers. The design of the display is just stunning - it's a jewel on your desktop or on your wall. It's bright (even in mid day full sunlight), it's crisp, the colors are alive/fantastic and it's very easy on the eyes. It is not only superior to any LCD I have seen to date but also better than any CRT I ever looked at (numerous - believe me, including all kind of mitsubishi, sony etc). I am truely excited about this monitor. By the way, DVD films look great on it too! Well worth the money. It will make you happy.
Cheers.
2 Awesome, but RF Expensive
It's everything we would expect from apple.
Colorful. Bright. Detailed. and REALLY Expensive.
Even though I'm a PC user, I couldn't help, but pee in my pants upon seeing this screen. If you can fork over $1000, it's very much worth it. Another option is get one of those for free at
http://tinyurl.com/8rg58
In conclusion, good quality, but really really expensive.
Oh well, that's Apple for you...... :-p
3 20" with a PC/DVI
After several months of debating whether or not it was worth the money, I finally bought one of these babies. I hesitated for so long because of the price. I came close to ordering the 21" Samsung several times but really wanted a WS. After seeing the in the Apple stores several times, I really wanted one but $1300 was a big chunk of change. Then when the price dropped to below $1000 I gave in.
Overall, it is an impressive display. I am running it with a custom built PC using an ATI 9700 Pro w/DVI out. At first I could not get the thing to work at native resolution at all and any other res would produce strange results. Eventually, I discovered that something was wrong with my display drivers and I simply wiped out windows and started over from scratch (had been meaning to do it anyway and I upgraded the HD at the same time). After that, it worked like a champ. No problems whatsoever.
My only grips are the incompatibility with XP and the USB hub in the display. This is a well know problem with the PCs and Apple does not seem to care. Also, the only hard button controls you get are brightness and contrast. No other screen adjustments with the PC. I haven't really need any since the display have proven to be very intelligent when resizing different screen res's and I can use the ATI drivers to adjust things like color temp and gamma.
Other then that it is a fantastic display for the price.
4 Apple Cinema 20" Display
I bought a G-5 last summer and was using a 17" PC monitor for months with it. Let me say that the monitor is more important than I thought! I am a graphic designer/artist that works on the computer most of the day. If you are using a computer as a professional and especially a graphic person PLEASE CONSIDER THIS FOR YOURSELF!!!!! I also talked my boss into getting me one at work ... so I have one at the office and at home.
The graphics are so crisp and clear! The wide format which allows you to have all your pallets and toolbars open and still have a two page spread open with NO overlap! This is worth the cash in it's self. It is a lot easier on the eyes than a CRT.
The only downside to it is there is a little banding on it when viewing a DVD movie, or a heavy video game... but mine is used 95% work and internet so I don't care.
GET ONE!
5 Apple Cinema Display gives you full computing experience...
There was a time that I never considered buying an Apple display. I figured a Mac costs enough money, without spending $1000, or more, on a display. In late January 2005, I purchased the newest Powerbook G4 12 inch 1.5 GHZ G4, with superdrive. The notebook had nearly all the performance I was looking for, and the small form factor allows me to easily haul it around the house, or the world should I ever get to travel properly. However, I wanted more from my Powerbook, when at my desk.
Yes, I was already using my Powerbook with an external display. It was an analog Sony LCD. However, it was only 15 inches, with a resolution of 1024x768, so I actually had as little screen real estate on my external display, as I had on the 12 inch built-in display. I wanted more.
After deciding a 17 inch LCD would not be enough, I ordered the Apple's 20" Cinema Display, and I'm glad I did. Unfortunately, the box arrived beat-up, and there was even dirt inside. However, everything inside seemed to work ok, thankfully. Un-wrapping the cinema display was a joy, and I was eager to put it on my desk. The design of this display is stunning. The aluminium enclosure will please the eyes of anyone, and the back of the display is as beautiful, if not more beautiful than the front. There is a single cable that comes from the back of the display, which neatly goes through an opening on the aluminium stand. This single cable splits in the end into Firewire, USB, DVI, and a power connector that you plug into the power brick. I connected the firewire, USB, and DVI to my Powerbook, and then I connected the power to the display. Wow. It was perfect out of the box. I could never get the color profile right on my old external display, but the cinema display was out of the box the most beautiful display I had ever used. The brightness was exceptional, and it took a few days for me to get used to the brightness. Yes, you can lower the brightness with grace of your finger over the sophisticated tough-sensitive buttons on the right side of the display, but I loved the look at full-brightness.
My computing experience has been at another level, since the cinema display arrived. Whether I'm browsing the web, working in Photoshop and iPhoto, or making a movie in iMovie, the 20" cinema display and its 1680x1050 resolution is a joy to use. The display also gives me two USB and two Firewire ports directly behind the panel, which is incredibly convenient. If you're a gamer, which I'm not, you will appreciate the 16ms response this display offers.
Yes, your computer does all the hard work, but it is your display you interact with. A great display like the Apple Cinema Display allows you to get more done, with less work and effort. For example, you do not have to figure out how to fit all your Photoshop palettes on the screen, for there is plenty of room.
DVDs are quite the experience on this display as well. I popped in Shrek 2, and I was amazed by the images, but DVDs are far from the only reason you should want a widescreen. The widescreen aspect of this display allows you to work in the way our minds are designed and used to working. We read from left to right, so a display that is wider than it is long makes a lot of sense.
Overall, if you would like to save some money, there are other displays out there. Dell actually offers a 20 inch widescreen display, which compares nicely with this one, even supporting additional inputs. However, it does lack something. It lacks the beauty in design that the Apple Cinema Display offers, and it probably lacks some of the quality control that Apple strives hard to achieve. For example, Apple might reject some of the panels they use inside of this display, if they suspect quality concerns, where other manufactures may use any panel they are supplied with, without spending the time and money to ensure a quality panel. If you believe you would like to spend some money on a fantastic display to use with your Powerbook, PowerMac, or DVI-output PC, then you should not pass-up this beauty. It is truly a piece of art from an aesthetics point of view, and the images it displays are spectacular. This display will not look like "yesterday's" display anytime soon. In fact, it is a pleasure to enjoy a display that does not look like it should be part of a busy, cluttered office. This display oozes beauty and grace, and the stock Apple pictures do not do it justice. The Apple Cinema Display gives you the full computing experience.
6 excellent
I recently bought this monitor for use with my 12 inch Powerbook G4. What an incredible combination! The Cinema Display offers unbelievable clarity, brightness, and "crispness." The Powerbook drives it with no difficulty. The Display slides around very smoothly on the desk, so I can move it out of the way when I'm not using it. Expensive, yes, but if you are using your Mac for making money, it is well worth it in improved productivity!
7 Amazing image quality - worth it with the price drop
I bought the 20" model after looking at many other options for a long time. When Apple finally dropped the price from $1299 to $999 It became a no-brainer.
It is hard to find the monitor that matches the image quality and ease of setup (especially on a mac). I love the built in firewire and USB hub and the pure aluminum case is beautifully designed. It literally melts into the wall in my studio with its understated design and I feel like the images just hover in mid air.
As I said I looked at other monitors, but they were all a bit too clunky and unrefined in both picture quality and design for not much less or even more money sometimes.
8 great product
apples monitors have always among the best. Most people skimp out on monitors and think they are smart. asa designer i can tell you, screens matter. the monitor is what you actual interface with, not the computer. and if you are looking at a cheap, dim display for 8 hrs a day for 8 years, you saved nothing. i bought this after my 17" apple sony trinitron died after 8 years of service. I'm a graphic designer and this screen is perfect for my needs. the brightness and color accuracy are superb and well within my tolerances. (i need proofs no matter what screen i use for print materials) the industrial design and small foot print on desk are also a plus. it reeks of quality. a plus was my monitor had no dead pixels. this being my first LCD, that was a big concern for me.
9 Beautiful - Limited Functionality on PC
I recently said good-bye to my 55 pound Viewsonic CRT monitor to make room - and an excuse, for the Apple 20 Cinema Display. The pros are as you would expect: beautiful design, excellent color quality and convenient usb/firewire connections. As with Apple, the cons are also fairly predictable: once you get beyond the emotional experience of buying and installing the monitor you realize that this is an expensive product with limited functionality and a mediocre warranty.
One disappointing note, and the reason for my 4-star rating, is that the brightness controls do not work on a Windows PC. As of today, (11/26/04) there are no drivers available to make this feature work. There wasn't any mention of this issue on Apple's web site or from the Apple store staff. PC users - make sure you realize this limitation. It doesn't impact the image quality, but it does limit the ability to adjust your monitor.
Sidenote: My computer meets all of the required specs as listed by Apple - Windows XP Pro, with a Radeon X300 video card that has DVI and DDC. So technically, the monitor controls should work.
10 Best LCD on the Market
I just purchased the 20" Cinema display and right out of the box this thing was amazing. Zero setup (with the G5) was needed. Just plugged in the only cable coming out of the back. This cable split int the power, DVI, USB, and FireWire. Great design. Then I booted the computer and WOW. The picture quailty was so crisp and pure. It was an obviously upgrade from the 17" CRT I've had for 4+ years. The only slight downside was the price. If you're a student or educator, you can get this monitor for $1169 + tax, so it's about the same depending on your tax rate. Perfect companion to the G5 aluminum look!
11 Excellent monitor, but EXPENSIVE
I'm a relatively new convert to the Mac scene having just purchased my G5 a couple of months ago. Along with it I purchased this monitor to experience the full Mac-Attack. I have not been dissapointed. I could rave on endlessly about the G5, but we're talking about the monitor here.
The monitor makes a very nice match to the G5 with its faux brushed aluminum surround and 'real' brushed aluminum stand. Quality is absolutely outstanding in both build, finish and, most importantly, display. It takes up about as little desk space as a 20" monitor possibly could without using a VESA mounting arm.
One caveat is that if you're not using a DVI card, you'll have to buy one (a worthy investment anyway). One of the nicest things about this monitor is the Apple calling card clean lines. No analog controls or buttons mucking up the faceplate (only a power and two brightness buttons hidden on the side).
My only real problem with this monitor (and the only reason it didn't receive 5 stars) is the price. It's just very hard to justify laying out this kind of cash when you can pick up similar monitors that are extremely close in display quality for almost half the price. If you're willing to 'settle' for a 19" monitor (non-widescreen), then check out the Samsung 910t. It's available here on Amazon for $579 right now and is most excellent (I've purchased two).
In closing, I am very glad to have purchased this monitor when I bought the G5 as I really do love it, but I can't really see myself spending this kind of money after the fact. It hurts a bit less when it's a smaller percentage of the total bill... :-)
