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all2ofme · May 20, 2003, 08:58 AM

I'm thinking of getting one of the following Samsung displays:

172T
181T
191T

THe 18" and 19" ones both seem to be rotatable. Are there drivers and software in OS X to handle this? I'd be running it as a second monitor out of a Powerbook G4.

If anyone could be of some help here it'd be much appreciated.

Ben

exa · May 20, 2003, 09:36 AM

Erm, you don't need special drivers to run monitors. I have a 170T anyway, pretty nice screen. I think all three you mentioned are limited to 1280x1024 so they all have the same screenspace.

all2ofme · May 20, 2003, 10:56 AM

I wasn't very clear in my question:

I was asking if they need to have special drivers (as they do in Windows from what I've read) to drive them once you've rotated them to portrait instead of landscape orientations.

It's such a pity that the bigger screens aren't higher res, but yes, they're all 1280x1024.

Originally posted by exa:
Erm, you don't need special drivers to run monitors. I have a 170T anyway, pretty nice screen. I think all three you mentioned are limited to 1280x1024 so they all have the same screenspace.

tomrock · May 20, 2003, 05:03 PM

I have the 191T which is a great monitor but you can't rotate it with OS X and the vendor who wrote the rotating software for Windows and OS 9 says that they won't write it for OS X. http://www.portrait.com is their link.

all2ofme · May 20, 2003, 06:39 PM

Ahhh, interesting. Thanks very much for the reply. If that looks as if it's going to remain the case then I'd rather go for the 17" (newer tech, from what I've read) since the res is the same and the size doesn't really bother me - I've got good eyes.

Surely there's someone else who writes the same stuff? I can imagine it being quite easy to code.

Originally posted by tomrock:
I have the 191T which is a great monitor but you can't rotate it with OS X and the vendor who wrote the rotating software for Windows and OS 9 says that they won't write it for OS X. http://www.portrait.com is their link.

rambo47 · May 20, 2003, 07:26 PM

I had a Samsung SyncMaster 170MP and the quallity was superb. Price/performance of the Samsung LCDs is about the highest you'll find. I only got rid of mine to get the Apple 22" Cinema Display.

Now my dad has it, going strong for about 4 years now.

icruise · May 20, 2003, 08:26 PM

I'm quite happy with my 172T. I'd recommend it.

Mr. Blur · May 20, 2003, 10:24 PM

I went with a pair of 172T's a couple months ago....very nice indeed.

all2ofme · May 21, 2003, 03:55 AM

Thank you all for your posts - I am definitely going to get a Samsung over my original planned purchase of Apple's 20". Everyone seems to have better warranty than they do, so for now I'll leave their screens alone.

With the difference I can get an iPod (I'm getting public transport to work again - time for something to make the trips more pleasant!) and perhaps a halfway decent photo printer.

Next question, then - Does anyone have any experience of the differences between the 172T/181T and the 191T?

My understanding is that the 172T is newer than the others, though I've not read anything yet which says that the 172T is a heap better. If I could get one which would pivot it'd be brilliant (I do a fair bit of photography and to be able to show more at once of portrait stuff would be great). Surely there's someone out there who makes a utility to swap the screen's orientation!

all2ofme · May 24, 2003, 01:26 PM

Well I went into town intending to get a 191T but came back with an Apple 20". It was so much nicer that I just couldn't not spend the extra. Very glad I did.

I had the shop get one out (they did it, though it was a bit grudgingly at first) so that I could check it for darker or lighter spots and dead pixels. None whatsoever, so I bought it.

Decided I needed an iPod while I was there, too. So far it's the monitor which has soaked up all my time - sooooooooo nice to look at.

geekwagon · May 24, 2003, 10:24 PM

Cool beans, the 20" is a sweet display. I fully intend to purchase one and relegate my 191T to "second display" status after my next consulting gig.

The higher resolution and widescreen aspect ratio are really nice to have, I bet.

michaelb · May 25, 2003, 07:16 AM

Update: OOPS! I didn't read your followup before posting. Forget the stupid bit - you obviously made a very wise decision.

I'll leave the post here though in case anyone else is considering something dumb like buying *anything* instead of a 20".

Originally posted by all2ofme:
Thank you all for your posts - I am definitely going to get a Samsung over my original planned purchase of Apple's 20". Everyone seems to have better warranty than they do, so for now I'll leave their screens alone.

Whoa!

I would strongly caution you to rethink this.

I've had both a Samsung 181T (which is just the 191T with slightly smaller pixels) and a Cinema Display 20".

While I used to think the 181T was okay, next to the Cinema Display it simply looks like sh*t. The whites are muddy, the refresh not as snappy, the gamma way too bright.

Buying a monitor based purely on the length of the warranty is, I've got to say I'm sorry, plain stupid.

The Apple Cinema Display 20" has a well-deserved reputation of being amongst the best flat panels on the market.

To give you an idea of what I think of the 181T when the CD is around... that's it under the dolphins! It is very much a secondary monitor.

all2ofme · May 25, 2003, 07:39 AM

Hi Michael,

This screen put the others I saw yesterday to shame. That includes all manner of Sony, Samsung etc. (other Apples, too). You're absolutely right in saying that it would be a shame to leave this screen out of consideration because of the warranty you get with it.

What I don't like about it is that Apple can be so stingy when it comes to warranty. Most other manufactures offer (or at least state!) their dead pixel policies and provide more than a year's cover. I don't think Apple's 1 year's cover and a "we'll replace it when we decide to, no matter how much it's affecting your work and is outside other manufacturers' warranties" line cuts it.

Luckily I can get an extra year's cover through my credit card company, but I don't feel I should have to do this sort of thing to cover what is a rather large purchase for most people.

I'd love to know who makes the panel in this thing, because we can be certain that it's not Apple. Whichever company it is has hit on something that others would like to. This screen is gorgeous.

Yours almost �1200 poorer

Ben

Originally posted by michaelb:
Update: OOPS! I didn't read your followup before posting. Forget the stupid bit - you obviously made a very wise decision.

TMLai · May 25, 2003, 09:33 AM

I don't think its fair to compare the Samsung with the Apple Cinema Series. Their price different are just too wide. You wouldn't compare the quality between a Swatch and a Rolex, would you? I would say both worth every single dim of the money.

By the way, there aren't any way to change any monitors orientation on OS X. I had searched for this solution for a long time.

Eug · May 25, 2003, 09:53 AM

Originally posted by TMLai:
I don't think its fair to compare the Samsung with the Apple Cinema Series. Their price different are just too wide. You wouldn't compare the quality between a Swatch and a Rolex, would you? I would say both worth every single dim of the money.

And a Swatch often actually keeps better time.

Leonis · May 25, 2003, 12:40 PM

As for warranty on the ACD

Go buy it from some big retail chain and get the extended warranty service.

In my case I paid extra $80 US for 3 yr warranty....not bad

If you are spending $1200 US for a LCD it's not a big deal to pay another $80 for peace of mind

all2ofme · May 25, 2003, 03:55 PM

True, buying extended warranty is one way around it, but it's something that you wouldn't need to do with a lot of the other brands. I think that having to do this on top of paying the extra is a bit rich.

I'd disagree with the Rolex/Swatch comparison, too. I like both watches a lot, and I've NEVER seen a watch keep worse time than my Rolex, but I wouldn't swap it for any other watch. It just *feels* nice on my wrist.

I know it's silly, but the ability of my screen to function well for what I do with it is much more important than how well my watch keeps time

TMLai · May 26, 2003, 02:32 AM

Sorry, I think my example of Rolex and Swatch (I only have 1 each, and the Rolex I owned keep better time then my Swatch, and my Casio, and my Omega) may not be suitable in this case. But I am 100% sure that the Cinema Series can display a lot more colors then Samsung. Please ignore the technical maximum of 16M colors. Not a single monitor on earth even come close to that.

A better example would be consumer flatbed scanner vs professional flatbed scanner. Most of them claim 48 bits scanning. But even the best pro model will ony do 3.6 Dmax and most of the comsumer model don't even list the Dmax number (It could be anything up to arround 2.9 Dmax). But the pro model cost up to $3,000 and the comsumer model cost as little as $100. Can we compare those using price and warranty? No, we choose by how much quality we need and how much we are willing to pay for that quality. I am a very satisfying user of a $100 model but I am sure some one out there would only satisfy on the $3000 model.

I ready can't image how a professional artist can relie on a Samsung LCD to fine tune the color of their works!