[donclarkjr]

I am stuck on a hard choice, either buy a 24" imac to use as a desktop, or use my 2.4 15" macbook pro and buy a external display. I can easily buy a display and a stand for the macbook for half the cost of the imac. I am leaning towards the external display, im affraid if i get the imac the macbook pro would not be used hardly at all. Then a 2500 dollar computer will be going to waste. That being said I am torn between 2 different monitors of course the Apple 23" display is a runner up but for the price i seems like I would be wasting a lot of money on design and the apple brand. I have been really thinking about the new Gateway 24" display with the built in HDMI for under 500 bucks. I guess my real question would be for the guys that have their computers hooked up to a external display how is that working and do you like it? I would also be getting a external hard drive to have a little bit extra room. I almost forgot I already have upgraded the ram in this machine to 4GB and if I got a imac I would have done the same.

Sorry if this doesnt make sense to you all but I have spent most the morning comparing displays and such.


Thanks
Jerry

[Mac User #001]

I used to use a 19" with my iBook but gave it to my brother as a present as his monitor had recently gone down the hole. I liked it, but found that I never used the iBook's built-in display. I set the dock to the 19" and put the iBooks display to only the bottom left corner and ended up never using it. You might run across the same problem.

[donclarkjr]

Yeah I think I would leave the macbook pro lid closed. And just use the external display. Another option might be to sell this and get the 2.8 imac, since I have another laptop I can use to listen to music, burn cds, and write papers.


Jerry

[Mac User #001]

Closing it would work pretty well. Unfortunately I never had the external keyboard to do so.

[donclarkjr]

I understand the benefits of a imac but for over half the cost I am thinking I might be just as happy

[mfbernstein]

MBP + external display setup works fine. Had a MBP connected to a 20" Samsung 204B LCD for about six months working in clamshell mode (closed). Only nuisance is disconnecting and reconnecting the various cables when you want to take the MBP with you. Really, the iMac's only advantage would be faster internal storage. Not worth it, IMO.

[macuser9909]

Can somebody give me monitors comparable to Apple's Cinema Displays, roughly 20" to 24". Thanks.

[donclarkjr]

I think I found a monitor that could possibly blow away the apple and dell 24". I went and pick up a gateway fhd2400 from bestbuy and they price matched ciruitcity 499 price, regular 549. This monitor looks freaking great with the macbook pro under it sitting on a antec xcool laptop stand. plus this monitor is full hd and comes with hdmi, component, composit and s-video. I can try to take some pictures of it and post them if someone would like to check it out. I even think this monitor looks better then the 24" imacs that i have seen in compusa. I am a very happy person right now.

[mduell]

Originally Posted by macuser9909 

Can somebody give me monitors comparable to Apple's Cinema Displays, roughly 20" to 24". Thanks.

The 20" Dell used the same panel as the 20" ACD in the last and may still. Also the 24" Dells are nice displays.

[iREZ]

i have a 24" dell lcd and its AWESOME, one more vote for the external monitor vs the imac unless you want two computers.

[BoingoBongo]

Go the external display route. I have an iMac that I'm trying to sell to fund my purchase of a new laptop and external display. iMacs are great, but it sucks having a couple thousand dollars locked to a desk.