[MacBook]

Can someone explain how the current (clear plastic) 15" Apple Studio LCD Display differs from the earlier beige one? The earlier ones can be found for about $300-400 less, and I was wondering what one loses in performance.

[tooki]

Apple never, ever, made a beige LCD Studio Display. If you mean the graphite one, it's the connector. The crystal clear one only works with G4's with gigabit ethernet, and with Cubes.

tooki

[MacBook]

I'm sorry, I meant the graphite one. Thanks for the information (and the correction).

[patrickthickey]

There is one small other difference between the graphite units ( I am using it as we speak on a Dell) and the new digital units...this older flat panel has a cool "S video" connector for direct connection to S Video sources. VERY handy.

regards,

patrick

[MacBook]

Somehow I thought that the graphite ones were digital as well. It is not, but rather analog?

[floogee]

Correct me if I'm wrong but the S-Video connect you wrote about is only on the Blue and White version of the 15" Flat panel, yes?

I'm pretty sure that the graphite 15" doesn't. Anyone know?

[floogee]

You're right, the graphite ones are digital. They connect using DVI whereas the new 15" displays from Apple use ADC.

I think this info is contained in the above posts, but a simple summary for anyone who's interested:

The blue studio displays had a VGA connector, as well as S-Video.
The graphite studio displays have a DVI connector.
The crystal studio displays have an ADC connector.

In addition the blue studio displays require an ADB port on your Mac, while the grahite studio displays require USB. Image quality should be similar on all of them. Hope that helps!

[Michael T. Doyle]

There is one MAJOR difference no one else here has mentioned. The picture on the new, lucite LCD is far superior to the image on the older LCD. The old LCD's image is darker, less color accurate, and has a more narrow viewable range. By contrast, the new LCD image rivals CRT displays. I replaced my Cube's former 17" CRT with the new LCD flat panel and actually find the LCD to be a better display. Moreover, after getting my new LCD I had the chance to see one of the older LCDs in action and was shocked at how poor the picture was. Bottom line: the older LCDs are cheaper because, well, they're cheaper.

From what I can recall there are 4 total 15" LCD displays:

Purple and Graphite
Blue and White
Graphite
Crystal

[tooki]

I did some looking on the TIL and figured this out:[list][*]"Original Studio Display LCD" M6356/A, is the original purple Studio Display, with VGA, RCA composite video and S-Video inputs; RCA jacks for audio input, a headphone jack; and ADB ports.[*]"Studio Display LCD /B" M6356/B is the Blue and White version, otherwise identical.[*]"Studio Display LCD DVI" is the Graphite version with a DVI cable and 2 USB ports, but no video or audio.[*]"Studio Display LCD (ADC)" is the one that's basically a baby Cinema Display, and has the ADC cable and 2 USB ports, and also no video or audio.

tooki

FYI, the blue and white display doesn't require ADB to work, it only requires it if you want to use the Monitors control panel to adjust the display.

I have used it for quite a long time without it, but I recently purchased the iMate USB-ADB connector, and it works very well with the studio display.

I have both the blue and white flat panel and the new ADC 15" flat panel, and I'd have to agree, the ADC one is superior. However, the blue and white flat panel looks darn good too. To me, either is an acceptable monitor, however, I am not doing any serious graphic design.

In case anyone wanted to know...

-Finrock

[Ruddigger]

Anyone have any pics, or know of links with pics of the purple and graphite LCD? I've never seen it....


------------------
-Ruddigger
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Have you had your
gigaflop today?

Technical specs of the older LCD Studio Display, including a description of the differences between the A & B revisions: http://til.info.apple.com/techinfo.nsf/artnum/n30460

For a technical description of the older LCD Studio Display: http://til.info.apple.com/techinfo.nsf/artnum/n30458

For a list of monitors and model numbers: http://til.info.apple.com/techinfo.nsf/artnum/n15087

For more articles, go here and perform a search for "Studio Display": http://til.info.apple.com

As far as the older flat panel Apple Studio Display monitors being "cheap" compared to the new digital clear-plastic one: While it is true the new clear plastic model is an incredible monitor, the older analog models are very good! If you've got an analog video port and limited budget, I definitely recommend getting the several hundred dollar LCD over a CRT (tube) monitor.

LCD's have no refresh rate which makes them *much* easier on the eyes. CRTs have much truer and richer color than the analog LCDs, but unless you are a professional color graphics person, go LCD. I've used Apple's last 21-inch CRT as well that latest high-end $1,200 NEC CRT, and for all-day computing I much prefer my old blue-and-ice LCD. Except for servers which are rarely viewed, I won't be buying any more CRT monitors again.

And one more thing:
My new Wintel running Windows 2000 automatically recognized accurately my "Apple Studio Display" (old blue-and-ice model) with a driver built-in! At the time Apple was selling displays and printers in beyond-Macintosh markets. (I just had to tweak the Display > Settings control panel Refresh rate setting to 70 hertz to eliminate a slight shimmering.)

--Basil

[taffy]

Ruddiger:

i was a bit curious myself what the old displays looked like and i think this is it:
http://www.zdnet.co.uk/pcmag/flooks/...s/applelcd.jpg

I guess apple went from this design and changing its coulour to blue and white and then to graphite scheme.

[Cipher13]

That brings back memories... that display was back in the 5500/9600 era...
9600/350 that is, not the earlier ones...
Wow...

Cipher13

In addition to all the good points above, the new has improved ColorSync management, and a new "button" than means that you don't actually have to press the display for sleep or on/off. And apart from the cool casing, this is a totally awsome screen, if somewhat expensive.

[Rand]

One more difference is that the newer (crystaline) minitors have a usb "hub" built in. It connects using the new ADC and so that includes USB. There are 2 ports on the back of the new monitor, that were absent on the older ones. Very nice, and helpful addition, expanding 2 to 4 ports on the new g4s.

Please Steve please . . . give us the rumored 17 inch flat and affordable LCD on Tuesday . . . it's cruel to make us beg!

------------------
iMight [email protected]
G4 Cube.450.128.20.904.17.Radeon
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[babble]

Originally posted by georgius:
In addition to all the good points above, the new has improved ColorSync management, and a new "button" than means that you don't actually have to press the display for sleep or on/off. And apart from the cool casing, this is a totally awsome screen, if somewhat expensive.

ColoSync management??? Isn't that only available on CRT screens?
Please tell me if I'm wrong.

[olePigeon]

The difference between the original 15" and the new 15" is their LCD technology. The originals used your standard ActiveMatrix TFT display as you would find in a Laptop.

The new one uses a newer Plasma liquid crystal technology. This results in a MUCH clearer and brighter picture, higher contrast, and higher resolutions per pixel. The older flatpanels can only view a mximum of about 262,000 colors. The newer ones with the Plasma technology can go a full blown 32-bit color. This means a better looking picture quality.

It's because of this plasma technology which makes it so expensive compared to other "flat panels." The only other equivelent is by Sony, and it costs over $12,000, but is 4" bigger.