[Kelvasco]

I was in John Lewis today and they had 24" iMac on display and it was absolutly huge. I don't know anyone who could use this as a normal everyday computer its just too big. One other thing I am on an iBook G4 1.42ghz and for me its fast and it does everyday stuff but the 24" iMac was ammensly fast and very very responsive.

p.s John Lewis aren't allowing people to use the Mac Pro so I haven't used that yet but after using the iMac I just can't amagine how fast the Mac Pro is.

[zaghahzag]

go and use a 23-24 inch monitor for some real work, and you'll discover your blasphemy.

lol

huge monitors are awesome. lots of of studies show higher productivity with bigger monitors.

[mac128k-1984]

I have a 24" monitor, and it is large but not a monster by any stretch of the word. In fact when I'm working on photoshop and aperture or photoshop and indesign, I kind of wish I had a second monitor - the wife would kill me though (she doesn't believe in divorce )

[Chinasaur]

Originally Posted by mac128k-1984

the wife would kill me though (she doesn't believe in divorce )

But she believes in murder?

[chipchen]

It IS INDEED a monster. I bought one... and it was just TOO huge. I had to keep scooting the chair back. Exchanged for a 20" and it's a much better size for me. (that's weird... I always thought I'd be fine with a 30" cinema display too) Oh well, must be because I'm so used to laptop screen sizes.

[::maroma::]

Don't you know that screen size directly relates to penis size? Duh!

(That's why I'm waiting for Apple to release their 48"er)

But seriously folks, the 24" iMac is a sweeeeet beast. I'm getting one this weekend! Woot!

[Grrr]

Its quite big, granted. But there is certainly much bigger out there. I remember trying a Mac at the Regent Street Apple store which had 2 of their 30" screens on it. Must have taken me 10 minutes just to find the mouse pointer
I find my 20" G5 iMac plenty big enough. But when it comes to replacing it, I dont think I would be able to resist not going for the 24"er

[chrisutley]

I giggle like a woman when I see the 30" Apple Display in person. I don't see how anybody could resist one of those. It's like a giant monument to geekdom. They are so large they can be seen from space. As for the 24", it's a monster for sure. I've got one sealed in a box here next to my 20" Core Duo. Can't decide if I should crack it open or take it back, having a bout of guilt over upgrading so soon just to satisfy my geek lust.

[gooser]

Originally Posted by chipchen

It IS INDEED a monster. I bought one... and it was just TOO huge. I had to keep scooting the chair back. Exchanged for a 20" and it's a much better size for me. (that's weird... I always thought I'd be fine with a 30" cinema display too) Oh well, must be because I'm so used to laptop screen sizes.

i can see that.

[phantonym]

When going from a Samsung 17" display to an 20" iMac, I thought the iMac looked like a monster. Now I actually sometimes think the 20" iMac look too small, and start wondering if I should have bought a 24" instead... (:

[badsey]

When is the 30" iMac coming out?

[brassplayersrock²]

soon

[chrisutley]

Originally Posted by badsey

When is the 30" iMac coming out?

I'd say when the retail price of a 30" display hits $1500. Just a wild guess, but I'd think they wouldn't release one unless they could get the base price to about $2,400. That would seem to be a price that the prosumer market could handle.

[TheoCryst]

I have yet to see one of these beasts, but I understand the feeling. I was at a local Fry's Electronics a few months back, and they had a Quad G5 running a pair of 30" Cinema Displays. Holy s***, that was a lot of screenspace. Sure, sometimes my 13" MacBook gets a little cramped, but I can't imagine going for anything larger than a 20" display... at least not at first.

[ajprice]

I haven't seen a 24" iMac, but I have a 24" Dell screen (it replaced a 17" CRT). It does take a little getting used to and you find yourself moving your head around a lot at first, like when watching tennis, lol.

[Eug Wanker]

I have a 24". I don't think it's that big. In fact, I wish I had more screen space. The biggest problem with its size is not the size of the screen itself, but its the chin, which makes it hard to adjust the table/seat height. However, I've got everything dialed in now.

If there were a 30" iMac (with no chin), I'd buy it.

P.S. Once OS X becomes resolution independent, the 24" iMac is going to rock even more.

[warhammer72]

"I don't know anyone who could use this as a normal everyday computer"


I can't imagine not using a 24" for a monitor - after going from a 20" widescreen to a 24" one for the past couple years even the 20" seemed "small" beside it


I know several going for the Westinghouse 37" (revision 3) that really enjoy it for a monitor also and am sorely tempted -


Just got the 24" Imac and really enjoying it so far

[quiklee]

when will my employer let me upgrade my 15 inch monitor . . . PERIOD! Seriously . . who can honestly use a 15 inch monitor these days!?!?!?!?!

[mduell]

Originally Posted by warhammer72

I know several going for the Westinghouse 37" (revision 3) that really enjoy it for a monitor also and am sorely tempted -

That Westinghouse TV has no more pixels than the 24" iMac if it's 1080p, and possibly only half the pixels if it's 720p.

[Commodus]

Everyone says they can't imagine a given amount of space, but the more you use it - especially if screen area is important to your work, as it is for me - sometimes it'll feel like you never have enough. I used to think my 20-inch iMac screen was more than enough, but if I could justify the money I'd get a 24-inch model in a heartbeat.

[Peter]

I use a 24" Dell Monitor also, and it freaking rocks. I feel cramped using my 2x 19" monitors at work!

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by mduell

That Westinghouse TV has no more pixels than the 24" iMac if it's 1080p, and possibly only half the pixels if it's 720p.

The 37" Westinghouse is 1920x1080. ie. It's physically far too big for a standard desktop monitor. The pixels are too large, unless you have it sitting way back.

For a 1920x1080 monitor, a 24-27" diagonal is far more appropriate with current OSes IMO.

If I had a computer monitor that was 37" on my desk, I'd want it to be much, much higher resolution.

[dsteinman]

Originally Posted by Kelvasco

I was in John Lewis today and they had 24" iMac on display and it was absolutly huge. I don't know anyone who could use this as a normal everyday computer its just too big. One other thing I am on an iBook G4 1.42ghz and for me its fast and it does everyday stuff but the 24" iMac was ammensly fast and very very responsive.

p.s John Lewis aren't allowing people to use the Mac Pro so I haven't used that yet but after using the iMac I just can't amagine how fast the Mac Pro is.

When I unboxed my new 24" iMac it seemed really big, but you get used to it.. When I bring up a virtual XP machine under Parallels in a 102x768 window along with my other native apps, the screen real estate is mighty nice.. I use this machine several hours a day and love it..

[EdipisReks]

i bought my 20" LCD a few months back. at first it seemed huge, since i went from my MBPs 15" screen, but now it just seems normal.

[Andy8]

Originally Posted by Peter

I use a 24" Dell Monitor also, and it freaking rocks. I feel cramped using my 2x 19" monitors at work!

Likewise, you can never have enough pixels. I always want more, as you soon find stuff to fill up every corner of the screen.

[angelmb]

Originally Posted by ajprice

I haven't seen a 24" iMac, but I have a 24" Dell screen (it replaced a 17" CRT). It does take a little getting used to and you find yourself moving your head around a lot at first, like when watching tennis, lol.

Nice idea!, send a e-mail to game developers, all they need to make is a nice tennis game with a cenital view, so you -the player- would actually move your head to follow the game, pure genious !

Would it come with strawberries and cream ?

[telem]

How did I ever survive using my tiny 20" iMactel???? My 24" is super!!

[kerryb]

Try moving the iMac further away from you, duh

[cherrypop]

Too big? Maybe you should try and convince Al Gore to stop using two 30-inch Cinema Displays to do his work and use a 24-inch iMac instead. That would be much easier on the environment:

http://homepage.mac.com/cherrypop/ib...903/index.html

[PookJP]

This conversation is bizarre. There's no definite conclusion to be reached -- the iMac isn't categorically "too big" for all people, just for some. That's why there's a choice of three models available.

[onlykaria]

people will complain about anything. if the 24in is too big for you....ummm dont get it. thats really simple.

[SierraDragon]

Originally Posted by Kelvasco

I was in John Lewis today and they had 24" iMac on display and it was absolutly huge. I don't know anyone who could use this as a normal everyday computer its just too big. One other thing I am on an iBook G4 1.42ghz and for me its fast and it does everyday stuff but the 24" iMac was ammensly fast and very very responsive.

Graphics pros often find two monitors virtually a necessity (one for palettes), with larger-is-better for the main monitor, size depending on $$ and physical space available. Aperture, for instance, is specifically set up to utilize two monitors when they are available.

When my current tower is upgraded soon I will get two 23" only because the depth of my workstation is too shallow for a 30" plus a 23" display. A big benefit of the larger displays is that vertical images show better.

-Allen Wicks

[lkrupp]

Originally Posted by PookJP

This conversation is bizarre. There's no definite conclusion to be reached -- the iMac isn't categorically "too big" for all people, just for some. That's why there's a choice of three models available.

Yes but you have to realize that there people in this world who will trash anything that isn't EXACTLY what they consider acceptable. There's probably someone out there right now who is telling people not to buy an iMac until Apple gets rid the 24" model and produces what they consider to be the perfect size and resolution. I really don't understand the mentality but remember back when the original iMac was declared DOA because it didn't have a floppy drive and came in "stupid" colors.

[alansky]

"...you have to realize that there people in this world who will trash anything that isn't EXACTLY what they consider acceptable. There's probably someone out there right now who is telling people not to buy an iMac until Apple gets rid the 24" model and produces what they consider to be the perfect size and resolution."

Sad but true. I don't understand this mentality either, except to say that it is obviously indicative of a very low level of emotional maturity. Some people just love to complain, like a rat pouncing on a piece of cheese.

To state what should be totally obvious: The larger the monitor, the farther away from it you have to sit. DUH????

[SierraDragon]

Originally Posted by alansky

...The larger the monitor, the farther away from it you have to sit...

That is my problem. My workstation (soon to be 2 person workstation) is an antique 4-person stand up accountant's desk that has a shelf running along the back that limits how far back displays can sit. My measurements suggest that two 23" monitors will be OK, but I will test at an Apple store before I order. Currently the workstation has a 17" Apple LCD with a 15" Wacom Cintique at a shallow angle below it.

-Allen Wicks

[acorder]

I bought the 20" iMactel in February because I wanted to upgrade from my Pismo's little 14" screen. Like most people, I think, it took me a month or so to adjust, but now I wouldn't be able to get along with a 17" screen. However, I also use the Zoom option of Universal Access when I'm reading documents, because to me the resolution is quite high and I have rather poor eyesight. It's one of my favorite features of my computer. Silly, I know, but it saves me a lot of eye strain.

[armwt]

I just "upgraded" my work setup last week. I had 3 20's (2 on my PC, 1 on my Mac). I swapped one of the 20's for a 24 inch Dell... took me all of about 45 seconds to get used to it. My rig is now 20-24-20 inch monitors on my desk. Unfortunately, the 24 is mostly used for spreadsheet action.

[Cei]

I use dual 23" setup every day, and it's fine. Hell, I'm looking at upping one of the 23s to 30". The size you get used to, and having the desktop estate is a real boon.

[PookJP]

Originally Posted by lkrupp

Yes but you have to realize that there people in this world who will trash anything that isn't EXACTLY what they consider acceptable. There's probably someone out there right now who is telling people not to buy an iMac until Apple gets rid the 24" model and produces what they consider to be the perfect size and resolution. I really don't understand the mentality but remember back when the original iMac was declared DOA because it didn't have a floppy drive and came in "stupid" colors.

Unfortunately, it's a mentality adopted by a lot of hardcore Mac users (read: people who post on Mac message boards). There's a certain irony in how close-minded the many fanatical Mac users can be, given the brand's supposed reputation for flexibility and acceptance.

[Eriamjh]

I sit 3 feet back from my 20 iMac and wish I had a 24 to 30-incher. The iMac's height is perfect on this desk I have.

I want more pixels and more deskspace. The 24" iMac can do that. Although a 30" iMac could do it better.

[drg]

I'm working with a 37" Westinghouse HDTV monitor and love it. I would not take any advice from someone who said 24" was too big.

[ghporter]

I saw the 24" iMac in person for the first time today, and it is indeed enormous. But that's not a bad thing at all! For a lot of applications it seems ideal-photos, video work, watching movies-all of those would be much better on such a large monitor. While I don't have room for one in my study, I'm sure I could make room if I needed it!

[pimpmymac]

Typing at you now from the 24"er. Here's my impression so far:

- We're a bloated mac household.. 17" G5 for the kids (homeschooled), 20" Intel for the Wife (biz major, teacher), 24"er for me (2nd gig = ecommerce web dev, advert manager). The others have certified screenspace envy. If Apple releases a 30"er, we may all rotate one.
- I "switched" from a dual-21" CRT Wintel to this 'cause there just wasn't any argument left for me to use the monster machine. 24" gives me enough room to run side-by-side browsers horizontally with enough vertical space left over for an abbreviated wide-view of a spreadsheet.
- the only bad... it's too damned bright. Adjusted all the way down, I still get a bit of a frontal lobeache - especially at night when I'm a little tired but usually working on spreadsheets (lots o' white space).

The cliché is "bigger is better", but I can certainly see that this 24"er is not for all. For those running multiple apps that need to be copy-pasted or viewed at the same time, pixelspace is a must. For those looking to surf, mail and burn, save your money for retirement.

If you are sensitive to light, or astigmatismatic (?) like me, be prepared to see sun spots. Luckily my Ikea work center and freakishly long arms allow me to sit back a ways from this luminous lux model.

Now, if Adobe would get offf their ass and release Uni-version of PS I'd be happier than a banana dipped in chocolate.

p.s. Wingnuts 2 is a great quick-play game and renders great on the 24"er.

[jbleisure]

I've been gagging for a 24" sinnce they were anounced, the money is almost there but I hadn't seen one. Man, I went yesterday......my they are big!!

I really have to assess carefully whether the desk width can handle me working on in and perhaps replan where it would go - It's clear that you couln't sit too close to it. It really is BIG. Makes the 23" screen look like a dwarf.

[SunSeeker]

Originally Posted by Grrr

Its quite big, granted. But there is certainly much bigger out there. I remember trying a Mac at the Regent Street Apple store which had 2 of their 30" screens on it. Must have taken me 10 minutes just to find the mouse pointer
I find my 20" G5 iMac plenty big enough. But when it comes to replacing it, I dont think I would be able to resist not going for the 24"er

Finding the pointer is sometimes an issue with a large amount of screen real estate.
Hold down Ctrl and Scroll up if the Mac has a MIghty Mouse attached (also works with a normal scrollwheel).

You will pick up the pointer right away.

[vasic]

Originally Posted by kerryb

Try moving the iMac further away from you, duh

Originally Posted by alansky

To state what should be totally obvious: The larger the monitor, the farther away from it you have to sit. DUH????

That is actualy incorrect and a bad advice.

This isn't eactly a TV set, where every screen size contains the same amount of (so to speak) pixels (atually, horisontal lines), and where you need to move away from bigger screens, otherwise you'll see the pixels (lines).

Here, if you move away, you won't be able to read. The 12-point text on a 30" screen is exactly the same size as on a 12" PowerBook. The screen is bigger becuase there are more pixels in it. In order to see them, you need to be at (approximately) the same distance as when looking at a 15" monitor. In other words, there are (usually) about 75 pixels per inch on virtually all modern LCDs, which means that pixels are the same size, from 15" to 30" and beyond. If you have good eyesight, you should be able to see them clearly from about two to three feet.

I have a 30" Apple and a 18.2" Viewsonic at work. They're in front of mee at about 2 feet. In order to see the whole screen real estate, I have to swivel my head. This doesn't bother me. Most of the time, both screens are filled with information and I'm glad I have the space. At home, my 20" iMac often dosn't have enough screen space for both the browser and Mail app. I wish I had space for 24"...

[gurman]

I use 23-inch Cinema HD Displays at home and work, and I could never go back to anything smaller. I generally have several Safari windows (no, tabbed browsing doesn't work when I need side-by-side comparisons), several Excel windows (some quite large), three or four Terminal windows that cover 2/3 of the screen vertically, and multiple Eudora windows at any given time, and often Photoshop, Preview, and iCal windows.

If you only do one thing at a time, and it's not Photoshop, you can probably live with a smaller monitor, but if you're like most people who use several different pieces of software, you'll only find the additional space a help.

[MattJeff]

all this talk of displays is almost scaring me out of buying a 15" MBP

[kildjean]

Sigh.

World of Warcraft has to look and run killer in one of them...

Currently I own a Power Mac Dual 2ghz. But I think my next Mac will be a 24" iMac (I had thought of getting the mac pro, but the q4" monitor stole my heart).

I think i am going to be in the market for one, when Leopard finally comes out.


Cant wait till one comes out...

Kil

[pinkfloyd]

I cannot believe this is a discussion topic.

If you do nothing but surf and send email, buy a Mac Mini. If you want an iMac and are using it for games, some media editing, etc, the 24" is NOT too big. I gave my daughter my 20" because she is a media communications major and a 12" PBG4 didn't suffice. When I saw the 24" iMac, it was perfect for me. Yeah it's big on my desk but cetainly not overpowering. I wouldn't trade it in for the world.

gk