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photoflow · Oct 4, 2003, 10:00 PM

Hi all-

I'm preparing for the purchase of my first Mac!! Whoo hooooo!!!!

Ok, here is what I'm planning to get this December:

12" Powerbook w/ super drive and 512 ram
17" Apple Studio Display
Airport Extreme

Like the thread topic states, I'm wondering if I should get the Apple 17" display or go for another brand? Is the Apple display a new model, and if so, how does it compare to other similar models?

Any feedback is much appreciated!!

TheMosco · Oct 5, 2003, 11:19 AM

I would get a samsung or something like that.

dcsmrgun · Oct 5, 2003, 11:29 AM

I wholeheartedly endorse Dell's 1800FP. Its a great 18.1" LCD with DVI and VGA input. Max res of 1280x1024, and at $450US its very reasonably priced for its size, I think.

Picture quality is great, even over VGA which is how I use mine.

Edit: http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/p...9&sku=320-0469

slider · Oct 5, 2003, 01:17 PM

If you hunt around in this forum, you'll find that the Samsung 172T comes highly recommended, it is this reason that mine is arriving this Monday. I got it form www.bcd2000.com which has a 0 bad pixal policy for the first 30 days, and the best price result from www.pricegrabber.com, plus free ground shiping and 2 day for only $20. I went with the silver one for $559, just a little more expensive then the black one, but I thought if would match my soon to arrive powerbook better.

photoflow · Oct 5, 2003, 02:22 PM

Thanks for the replies. Seems like nobody is recommending the Apple display for some reason. I'll take a look at the forementioned Samsung and Dell LCDs, then I'll make the comparison with Apple in terms of quality and price.

Boochie · Oct 5, 2003, 02:50 PM

I have the Apple 17" LCD and I'm very happy with it. ADC connector is very convenient -- power, video, and USB all in one cable. The monitor has two USB ports on the back. Definitely declutters the desktop.

The screen looks great, too. Great color reproduction in iPhoto, and it looks fantastic for games too. I have not observed any ghosting or other such artifacts. It also integrates nicely with the Mac -- the power button on the monitor turns the computer on (or puts it to sleep when it's on), and a brightness button brings up the Displays prefpane.

Having said that, were I buying one today I'd certainly consider some of the others mentioned in the other replies. When I got mine a year ago (for free, I might add) the Apple looked the best of all the 17" flat panels I saw. And I looked at a lot of them -- Samsung, NEC, Apple, and a few others that I've forgotten. At the time my wife worked for a company that reimbursed personal computer purchases, so price was no object. So I went with the Apple.

But I do think you'd get better value for the dollar with some of the other makes out there.

Good luck!

Eug · Oct 5, 2003, 04:23 PM

I looked at both the Samsung 172T and the Apple 17" display. (When I got the TiBook, I had the option of getting a discount on the Apple Studio Display.)

No question, the Apple display was inferior to the Samsung, cost more, and required that ADC->DVI converter. For a PowerBook, no question, get something other than the Apple display. I would only consider the Apple if you're getting a desktop, because of the ADC connector. The other bonus with the Samsung is that it supports VGA (as well as DVI), so you can run another machine off of it too. I actually run both my DVI PowerBook and my XP box off the same monitor. Just press one button to switch inputs.

slider, give us a review when you get your 172T.

Boochie · Oct 5, 2003, 05:58 PM

I guess it's all a function of what you see and how you see it -- my experience was the exact opposite between the two monitors you mention.

The connectivity considerations are a strong argument for the Samsung, though.

Originally posted by Eug:
I looked at both the Samsung 172T and the Apple 17" display. (When I got the TiBook, I had the option of getting a discount on the Apple Studio Display.)

No question, the Apple display was inferior to the Samsung, cost more, and required that ADC->DVI converter. For a PowerBook, no question, get something other than the Apple display. I would only consider the Apple if you're getting a desktop, because of the ADC connector. The other bonus with the Samsung is that it supports VGA (as well as DVI), so you can run another machine off of it too. I actually run both my DVI PowerBook and my XP box off the same monitor. Just press one button to switch inputs.

slider, give us a review when you get your 172T.

The Placid Casual · Oct 6, 2003, 08:52 AM

I have an Apple 17" LSD that I use with the ADC-->DVI adaptor with a TiBook... Very impressive.

Looks very cool. Very durable. Great screen.

However I would probably think hard about buying one again for a few reasons.

First off, the top edge of the screen is become 'yellow'. It is getting worse as time goes on... Not a huge issue, but annoying none the less.

Second, price. In the UK at least, there are some excellent alternatives such as the Samsung and my favourite, Formac screens.

If money was not an issue, I would probably still go Apple, but I would recommend you shop around as there are some great deals to be had.

Peace,

MArc

slider · Oct 6, 2003, 06:02 PM

Well, mine came in today along with my D-Link BT adaptor, which was was going to use on my XP box at work, but I am still waiting on my Al 15" Book. Oh, and I have the BT Apple keyboard, which I am typing on now. I am being over loaded.

About the Samsung, 172T, what can I say, it's absolutely beautiful, fit and finish is perfect, and my god is it bright. The border is far less then Apple's. Seeing and using this thing is totally beyond expectations. And I have no bad pixels. Yes.

I can only recommend this monitor.

urban · Oct 6, 2003, 08:09 PM

I have the viewsonic VP171B, good specs reasonable pricing.

tvfollower · Oct 6, 2003, 09:34 PM

Apple 17" LSD

Apple makes LSD? Nice! I bet it's like apple flavored or something...wait, how does one consume LSD? Well, if you eat it, then I'm sure it's apple flavored

...

docholiday · Oct 6, 2003, 10:59 PM

Originally posted by photoflow:
Hi all-

I'm preparing for the purchase of my first Mac!! Whoo hooooo!!!! Ok, here is what I'm planning to get this December:

12" Powerbook w/ super drive and 512 ram
17" Apple Studio Display
Airport Extreme

Like the thread topic states, I'm wondering if I should get the Apple 17" display or go for another brand? Is the Apple display a new model, and if so, how does it compare to other similar models?

Any feedback is much appreciated!!

Go Dell LCD.. they often have great deals on LCDs and they have a lot of DVI ones that go well with your PB.

my 2 cents

Lizard7 · Oct 7, 2003, 01:30 AM

I would go for the Samsung. I am very happy with my 172T. It is much brighter than the Apple 17 inch when viewed side by side.

Be careful with the Dell 1800FP. Supposedly it uses a non-standard pixel arrangement (BGR or something like that) that doesn't play well with Apple's antialiasing. There is a way to configure Windows XP to use the monitor properly, but I am not sure of a mac alternative. You can check the forums and arstechnica or anandtech for more info.

Btw, Samsung recently announced the 173P, with a faster reponse time than the 172T if games are important to you. Also, the 192T doesn't cost all that much more and has what appears to be the same enclosure. Anyone seen one in person?

photoflow · Oct 7, 2003, 02:32 AM

wow, seems like everybody likes the Samsung!! I think I may have to abandon my plans to get the Studio Display. One thing I do like about the Studio Display (or so I've read on the board)............It seems that I can keep the 12" Powerbook closed and push a button on the LCD panel that will turn on the computer. This is nice because then I don't have to always open and close the powerbook when I want to turn it on. Something to consider and a nice feature, but maybe thats being a little picky.

Can anybody here confirm that I can indeed use the Studio Display to turn "on" the powerbook when its closed?

shatten22 · Oct 7, 2003, 03:13 AM

I just ordered the 173T from newegg.com and it came to $475 shipping included. It's cheaper than the 172T (though not silver) and has gotten some great reviews online.

It's a full hundred bucks cheaper than the 172T... when I receive it, I'll let you know how it does.

geoff

Lizard7 · Oct 7, 2003, 03:23 PM

Will the pivot feature work on a mac?

Originally posted by shatten22:
I just ordered the 173T from newegg.com and it came to $475 shipping included. It's cheaper than the 172T (though not silver) and has gotten some great reviews online.

It's a full hundred bucks cheaper than the 172T... when I receive it, I'll let you know how it does.

geoff

Kenneth · Oct 7, 2003, 04:16 PM

I checked those setup over on Spymac.com

Those NEC displays look awesome at the price.

MultiSync LCD1765

photoflow · Oct 8, 2003, 03:07 PM

Well, one thing I do like about the Studio Display (or so I've read on the board)............It seems that I can keep the 12" Powerbook closed and push a button on the LCD panel that will power on the computer. This is nice because then I don't have to always open and close the powerbook when I want to turn it on. Something to consider and a nice feature, but maybe thats being a little picky.

Can anybody here confirm that I can indeed use the Studio Display to turn "on" the powerbook when its closed? Thanks!!!

Ramza · Oct 8, 2003, 09:57 PM

What the shiz!? When did the 173t come out? It looks tasty.(I dig the 700 contrast ratio)

Footy · Oct 9, 2003, 12:23 AM

Questions for you guys...

I bought an Apple 20 Cinema Display yesterday, it had a pixel go out in the first 10 minutes of use. CompUSA was very very very cool and swopped it out. Unfortunately again after 10 minutes of use a pixel went out. Very disappointing. I went and got my money back. Again, CompUSA was very easy going about it and did not charge me the 15% restocking fee (Thank God).

I picked up a Samsung 192N today but for some reason it would not boot up in it's native resolution of 1280 x 1024. Instead it only booted up at 640 x 480 (maybe it was 800 x 600?). I only had that one choose in the Monitors Control Panel. I returned it but would really like to go back a pick it up again tomorrow. Any fixes for this? I only tried to zap the pram. Didn't work of course.

Best Buy seems very loose on the pixel issues (as long as it's not an Apple display). Said if one went out I could exchange it. Maybe they were just trying to make the sale but maybe not. Still, I can't imagine Samsung being worse than the Apple 20 inch Cinema Display for dropped pixels.

http://www.samsungusa.com/cgi-bin/na..._id=192N-Black

OSX 10.2.8 (the new version 2 one), Dual 1.2 G4, GeForce 4 Titanium.

Thanks,

-Footy

Eug · Oct 9, 2003, 08:33 AM

Originally posted by Footy:
I picked up a Samsung 192N today but for some reason it would not boot up in it's native resolution of 1280 x 1024. Instead it only booted up at 640 x 480 (maybe it was 800 x 600?). I only had that one choose in the Monitors Control Panel. I returned it but would really like to go back a pick it up again tomorrow. Any fixes for this? I only tried to zap the pram. Didn't work of course.

Uncheck the display recommended resolutions only (or whatever it's called) so that all resolutions are displayed.

You can then simply manually choose 1280x1024.

Footy · Oct 9, 2003, 09:58 AM

Nope.... I had already tried that. Still only had the one selection.

Thanks

Originally posted by Eug:
Uncheck the display recommended resolutions only (or whatever it's called) so that all resolutions are displayed.

You can then simply manually choose 1280x1024.

Footy · Oct 9, 2003, 02:36 PM

Never mind guys. I went and picked up the 191T instead to give it a shot since it's digital. All better, everythings back to normal.

Thanks

alligator · Oct 10, 2003, 05:50 PM

I have a 17" display, and it's perfect. I'm not sure what others are out there, but this display does NOT need a separate power cord, and includes 2 USB ports, and also has the power button built in. Plus, when the G5 I have sleeps, it makes a snoring looking light on the front of the display - really cool.

Get the Apple 17" display.

chrisutley · Oct 11, 2003, 11:33 PM

The Apple 17" isn't all that hot, esp. for the money. Go to an Apple Store and look at the 17" next to the 20", then you'll understand how poor the 17" really is compared to newer displays.

I cannot reccomend another 17", but if you are considering something bigger and more expensive - the Apple 20" looks awesome - the best quality of any Apple display.

Skypat · Oct 12, 2003, 06:18 AM

I am very pleased with my Apple 17" display. Perfect image, gorgeous colors. You can check also the formac gallery which does have a convenient ADC connector as well.

Every time a magazine compares flat pannels, the Apple 17 is always one of the best. So don't hesitate.

By the way, I read Apple would refresh the specifications of its entire monitor line by the end of the year. They might drop the 17 and only keep 20; 23 and add a 30" display. The 20" is very nice but it was too expensive for me.

Good luck in your decision

Back-to-Mac · Oct 12, 2003, 08:36 AM

Originally posted by Footy:
Questions for you guys...

I bought an Apple 20 Cinema Display yesterday, it had a pixel go out in the first 10 minutes of use. CompUSA was very very very cool and swopped it out. Unfortunately again after 10 minutes of use a pixel went out. Very disappointing. I went and got my money back. Again, CompUSA was very easy going about it and did not charge me the 15% restocking fee (Thank God).

I picked up a Samsung 192N today but for some reason it would not boot up in it's native resolution of 1280 x 1024. Instead it only booted up at 640 x 480 (maybe it was 800 x 600?). I only had that one choose in the Monitors Control Panel. I returned it but would really like to go back a pick it up again tomorrow. Any fixes for this? I only tried to zap the pram. Didn't work of course.

Best Buy seems very loose on the pixel issues (as long as it's not an Apple display). Said if one went out I could exchange it. Maybe they were just trying to make the sale but maybe not. Still, I can't imagine Samsung being worse than the Apple 20 inch Cinema Display for dropped pixels.

http://www.samsungusa.com/cgi-bin/na..._id=192N-Black

OSX 10.2.8 (the new version 2 one), Dual 1.2 G4, GeForce 4 Titanium.

Thanks,

-Footy

Is the 192 wideformat like the 20" Apple display? Is it true that there are new apple displays in the pipe line ready for the holiday season?

Footy · Oct 12, 2003, 12:30 PM

The 192N is a regular square screen analog LCD screen. Didn't work out for me so I went up the the digital 191T monitor with the DVI connection. It looks awesome.

With the exception of the pixel dropping the 2 Apple 20 inch screens I went through did, they were beautiful to look at for sure. The 19 inch Samsung I finally settled on is pretty darn nice too though and half the cost.
http://www.samsungusa.com/cgi-bin/na...id=191T-Silver

For the same price as the Apple 20 you could pick this Samsung up with a 100 buck rebate currently.
http://www.samsungusa.com/cgi-bin/na...Silver_Monitor

I read on one of the rumor sites that the new Apple monitors will be announced in November. Remember it's a rumor. Probable one that will come true I'm sure. I'd like to know if Apple is going to drop the price on the 20 a bit since it's going to be their bottom of the line model so to speak.

-Footy

Originally posted by Back-to-Mac:
Is the 192 wideformat like the 20" Apple display? Is it true that there are new apple displays in the pipe line ready for the holiday season?

Kissargi · Oct 12, 2003, 07:23 PM

go for the apple, i LOVE my apple 17" lcd

Eug Wanker · Oct 12, 2003, 08:44 PM

Originally posted by alligator:
I have a 17" display, and it's perfect. I'm not sure what others are out there, but this display does NOT need a separate power cord, and includes 2 USB ports, and also has the power button built in. Plus, when the G5 I have sleeps, it makes a snoring looking light on the front of the display - really cool.

Get the Apple 17" display.

He's going to be using it with a PowerBook.

Thus he'd need an adapter with a power brick to use it with the 17" Studio Display. And the power button won't work for the PowerBook. And neither will USB.

Ruffcat · Oct 14, 2003, 07:24 AM

I just picked up a 17 studio display (the biggest screen my desk would accomodate) and am really happy with the quality of the image and its overall look.

However, the dvi to adc adapter was faulty, causing the colors to reverse on the studio display, necessitating a trip back to the store. The second adapter we tried was also faulty. Thirds time lucky, but next time I'll test everything out first.

Ruffcat

superfula · Oct 15, 2003, 05:14 AM

Originally posted by Skypat:
Every time a magazine compares flat pannels, the Apple 17 is always one of the best. So don't hesitate.

When did THAT happen? And what magazine was it? I've NEVER seen ANY place label the Apple 17" lcd as one of the best. From what I have seen, it's always middle of the pack at best. It has NEVER been that great of a display. And now it's quite old and outdated. You can get much better lcds for a few hundred less.