[oranjdisc]

To quote Railhead Design (www.railheadesign.com) >>

"As for Apple, you can now purchase three sizes: 15, 17 and 22 inch displays, and prices range from $600 to $1000 to $2500. Also, these current models match only the Graphite enclosure � but not for long.

Here�s what I know: the 15 inch display will be dissolved and the new low-end display will be the 17 inch model. The 22 inch display will remain the top-dog, and to fill-in the middle spot, Apple will introduce a 19 inch model. So, we�ll have the full range: 17 inch, 19 inch, and 22 inch.

As for pricing, even though LCD is getting more and more affordable, things won�t be too much different from what they are now: the 17 inch will come in around $500, the 19 inch around $900, and the 22 inch display will hold fast to the $2000-$2300 spot."

Now, I just purchased a 17". Does anyone really think they'll drop the price of the 17" all the way down to $500? That's HALF of what I just paid! I'm tempted to return it, wait a couple of months, then buy another one. Thoughts?

[wags1_9_99]

I wouldn't be surprised. You can already purchase a 15" LCD for about $250 retail (at Staples, of all places).

Then again, Apple's products are always a lot more expensive...

Find out how long you have to return the LCD screen that you just bought. Maybe Steve will update the LCD line in January at MacWorld.

[Mr Heliums]

Originally posted by oranjdisc:

Now, I just purchased a 17". Does anyone really think they'll drop the price of the 17" all the way down to $500? That's HALF of what I just paid! I'm tempted to return it, wait a couple of months, then buy another one. Thoughts?

I can't see it dropping by anything like that amount. LCD prices just aren't that low. If there was a 17in screen for $500 in January, they wouldn't be able to cope with the demand, simple as that.

The 17in LCD is a fantastic screen. I just wish I had one.

[Skypat]

I read the prices of LCD was stabilizing and even going up ...

Anyway I am about to buy a 17" LCD myself but I don't know where to buy it: Apple or Formac ;-) I will wait until Macworld Janurary anyway ! You never know ...

The 17" is about 1 year old as far as I remember ... nice age for a refresh

[Rob van dam]

if they were going to scrap the 15 inch LCD. I wonder if this could be a clear indicator of a lcd imac in january.

[Skypat]

mmh yes ! That could be logical indeed :

iMac 2002 : 15" LCD

G4 2002 : 17", 19", 22" LCD

iBook 2002 : 13,3"

TiBook : 15,3 ..



S k y p a t

[zos]

There's no comparison between the $250 flat panels marketed toward PC users and the current ACD displays offered by Apple. The Apple products blow the others out of the water a few times over. One only needs to check out the design, picture quality and features of both side by side to see the difference.

LCD prices are supposed to be stabilizing and then going up as Skypat posted. I really can't imagine Apple cutting the 17" price in half.

[oranjdisc]

Originally posted by zos:
<STRONG>There's no comparison between the $250 flat panels marketed toward PC users and the current ACD displays offered by Apple. </STRONG>

I totally agree. I checked out the LCDs at CompUSA, and even though I knew I would be buying the Apple 17", I walked around the wall of "other' flat screens for a look.

The difference is staggering. All the other ones had horrible brightness, washed out color, and even seemed kind of blurry. They felt cheap, ugly, and were just a joke to look at.

Apple's 17" is a dream. The screen is so crisp and bright it almost looks like a fine grade of white paper. Crisp, illuminating from within, but without any glare. It's just wonderful.

After starting this thread, I realized a $500 price drop was just too silly. Every other comporable 17" LCD screen is priced around the $800$-1000 range. If Apple does drop the price, it probably won't go below $799. That's just my guess.

[timmerk]

First off, I hope you don't return it - support Apple!! Second off, I would bet money that this was true - I have never seen railheaddesign begin wrong about anything.

[Mack]

I love my Cinema Display. And with the rebate for buying a G4 at the same time, the price wasn't bad either.

[sirlexelot]

If Apple really wants LCDs to take over, and wants people to stop ignoring their display offerings and heading out to get CRT monitors, then they're going to need to not only drop prices, but keep the 15" and cut its price in half. The fact is that Apple's LCDs still aren't priced at a point where the average consumer will realistically buy one instead of a CRT. Why waste a grand on a 17" Apple LCD when there are plenty of monitor offerings that are significantly cheaper, crisper, have much better resolution options, and substantially higher refresh rates (no, LCDs don't have hz refresh rates - but yes, it takes them time to draw a single frame in Quake III too - no LCD can accurately represent 80+ FPS in a fast-pased first-person shooter game), as well as better color accuracy? (Take any of Apple's LCDs and set the whole screen to a single color, in a drawing app or something - look around the screen and notice how the color isn't uniform - it's brighter in some areas, darker in others, more washed out in some places - this is simply a fault of current LCD technologies).

The average consumer won't be compelled to get an LCD for their desktop machine until they're priced at around $200 or less for a decent-sized display (at LEAST 15"). Sure, those with plenty of money to blow will go for the latest thing - but chances are those aren't the people buying the low-end towers. Buying a low-end tower with a really expensive flat-screen is a waste - the money saved by getting a monitor could allow for a much nicer config on the tower. So if Apple wants me to buy one of their LCDs with my next tower, they're gonna have to figure something out about those high LCD prices in a hurry.

[iDaver]

Originally posted by sirlexelot:
<STRONG>(Take any of Apple's LCDs and set the whole screen to a single color, in a drawing app or something - look around the screen and notice how the color isn't uniform - it's brighter in some areas, darker in others, more washed out in some places - this is simply a fault of current LCD technologies).
</STRONG>

I disagree. I find that to be somewhat true with the 15" but Apple's 17 and 22 inch displays are different and don't suffer that effect.

[OldManMac]

Originally posted by wags1_9_99:
I wouldn't be surprised. You can already purchase a 15" LCD for about $250 retail (at Staples, of all places).

Then again, Apple's products are always a lot more expensive...

Comparing a 15" LCD at Staples to an Apple 15" is like comparing p**s to your favorite drink. The vast majority of LCDs on the market are analog, compared to the digital signal on Apple's. You don't get a USB hub built in on most VGA LCDs, and you sure aren't going to get a quality image on a $250 LCD.