Apple 24" LED Cinema Display review...

So I just received my Apple 24" LED Cinema Display today, and figured there are some people on the fence, so this may or may not help with your decision. Let's find out?

For those not familiar with my getting this display, it wasn't a dead cert, until Apple managed to mess up a few times. You can read about that here:

http://forum.notebookreview.com/showthread.php?t=325590

The review:

So the Apple Cinema Display comes in a very white box, which is clearly designed to match the new external aesthetic of the MacBook and MacBook Pro boxes. It's quite pretty, really. One could sit for hours, staring at it, before even opening it. Personally I resisted that temptation and opened it immediately, whipping the screen out and planting it firmly on my desk.

And here it is, in all its screeny glory!



It's VERY pretty, and VERY glassy.

Setup is very easy. You connect the Mini Displayport to the MacBook Pro/MacBook/2nd gen MacBook Air, and you're away. You can also connect the USB cable to the system (there are 3 ports on the back of the display) and then use the display as a 3-port hub. And then there's a power cable so you can power the latest laptops with your screen. Then, as Apple suggests, you can leave your power cord in your bag.



There are NO buttons whatsoever on the Cinema Display, so all adjustments of brightness are done in system preferences. You can, of course, adjust the brightness using one of Apple's Aluminum keyboards.

The first thing you notice is that the screen is very, VERY bright. Much brighter than the outgoing 23" model, and much brighter even than my MacBook Pro, and heck I thought that was pretty bright! (Native resolution is 1920x1200, for those wondering...)

It's also stunning to look at, a real piece of industrial art like all of Apple's new notebooks.



It's also very thin, much thinner than the 23" model, though I'm not sure the black surrounding the screen is necessarily more attractive than the silver on the older displays, but it's something we're all getting used to on the notebooks themselves, and in that respect they match very well!




Anyway, usage-wise, the screen is lovely to look at, and doesn't suffer from two problems that were a bit annoying with the 23" Cinema Display:

1.) The CCFL buzz, that only went away at maximum brightness. Every Cinema Display I've ever used has had this problem, so if you don't notice it it's only because a.) you're at full brightness, or b.) you have enough ambient noise (computer noise, speaker sound etc...) that you don't notice it. In any case, this noise is no longer there because it's LED back-lit.

2.) The "shimmery"-ness of the older IPS panel is no longer present. While you got used to it, you were always aware of it. The whites on the LED Cinema Display are super white, with nary a hint of shimmer.

The display, as stated before, is stunning. The H-IPS panel used in this display is just beautiful to behold, and the viewing angles put the MacBook Pro (and especially the MacBook) to shame.



So far, I haven't experienced any of the weird external display bugs with my MacBook Pro that my wife still experiences with her Samsung 24" 245BW and I experienced with my 23" Cinema Display using the Mini Displayport -> DVI adapter. This is good.

The included iSight works great, as does the microphone. Not much to say there.

How does it sound?

The display includes a 2.1 sound system, with downward firing speakers and, supposedly, a horizontal firing small woofer that bounces off the back of the stand to provide some "oomph." I'll say that, sound quality-wise, the display puts the MacBook Pro speakers to shame. It's still not great, but it's perfectly adequate for quieter music or just general sound use. It by NO means is a replacement for a quality 2.1 sound system. It serves my purposes quite well. Just music in the background, at not-excessive volume. Yay!

Also to note, the sound is transferred via USB, NOT via Mini Displayport.

A few things to note:

First, this display DOES have a fan in it. The first time I plugged it into my MacBook Pro, the fan went haywire, spinning up quite loudly, until it slowed back down and became silent. You can still feel a teeny bit of air if you hold your hand under the LEFT speaker (your left, facing the display), but it's even quieter than the MacBook Pro fans at 2000rpm, and you can't hear it unless you literally put your head to the back of the display in a silent room.

Second, I do find the LED backlight to be a bit more of a strain on my eyes than the CCFL of old, though I suspect this might take some getting used to...

Lastly, I'm not going to fight over whether this display is unusable due to glare. I can tell you that in MY work conditions, there is no discernible glare. If I had a window or major light source behind me while I worked, it may well be an issue. So bear this in mind before making a purchase.

Some REAL issues:

Unfortunately, my display is not without fault. There are some dust bunnies under the glass, and one nice stuck red pixel in the center of the display. Thankfully, Apple is working with me on this, so hopefully I'll get a display to my satisfaction. Aside from the pixel, dust WILL be a fact of life with this display. Numerous threads on the official Apple Discussion Boards mention this, and it's something that affects iPhone and new MacBook/Pro/Airs too (both of mine included). It's a shame the dust bunnies are so large on my LED display that they do distract. It may very well be possible to get a 24" LED display that has little-to-no dust, so we'll see...!

Color calibration? This will be an interesting one... I've done some preliminary calibrations with my Spyder2Pro tool, and it's proving quite tough to calibrate OR match my MacBook Pro. I was hoping that with both my laptop and display in LED-lit form, it would be easier to match them. It's unfortunately proving quite the task, but I'll update if/when I successfully manage it...

Overall:

An excellent screen from Apple. Yes it's $899, but it's also inexpensive compared to other LED-lit displays, and the H-IPS panel is just a joy to behold. It serves as essentially a dock for your new MacBooks, and just looks like a piece of art sitting on your desk. Small issues aside (and large ones if you're a professional photographer!), I wholeheartedly recommend this unit!

9/10

PS It's still not as cute as my shih tzu. Once again, Apple is smote by the power of tzu!

 

Sorry to hear that your 24" goodness has a red stuck pixel and dust under the glass. I guess I lucked out with no dead/stuck pixels, no dust whatsoever and very even backlighting!

So there is a perfect ACD out there so your next one will be perfect.

One thing to note is that my 24" ACD does have the fan on the left side as well but I never heard it rev up even the first time I have connected to my 2.53ghz mbp. But the fan is very quiet (so quiet I never even knew there was a fan until I put my hands under the left grill).

Heh, your setup looks strikingly similar to mine!

 

Hehe! Yeah wow you stole my gear!! GRR!!

I hope you're right that there's a perfect (or near perfect) unit out there! We'll see what Apple has to say when they call me tomorrow...!

In any case, I'm really liking it, imperfections aside!

 

Im guessing from what i read in another review, that the sound is coming through usb? and not the display port?

kinda wondering now if the dp in the new laptops have sound built in or not..

 

Correct, and let me add that to the review. The sound is 100% transferred via USB.

 

hey guys, what happened to the credit crunch?

 

pretty amazing that they upgraded you to the new display.

is calibration really necessary with the MBP and this display? from what I have seen comparing the two side by side, the default calibrations are quite accurate, much much more accurate than the older cinema displays and MBPs.

as far as this being an issue for a pro photographer, it really just depends on your workflow, print is not always the end format for a lot of photographers nowadays. And color accuracy is only important if everyone viewing your photo is using the same display with the exact same calibration, which they won't be, so it all just comes down to printing, which I can definitely argue from experience, display calibration can never exactly what you are going to get from a print.

not to mention a slight difference in color accuracy will definitely not make a good photo bad or a bad photo good, it plays an important role but it is far from the only one.

 

thanks for the review williamg, i always appreciate you putting the time and effort to write a review

 

Great review as usual!

According to a CNet review the screen actually has some special anti-glare cover that defuses glare.

"The extremely glossy screen was the first thing we noticed about the 24-inch Apple LED Cinema Display. In fact, it's so reflective that it's practically a mirror when the display is off. Upon closer inspection, we noticed what seems to be a sheet of antiglare glass over the screen that slightly blurs out the reflection and extends over the bezel to the very edge of the panel."


Source:
http://reviews.cnet.com/lcd-monitor...html?subj=fdba&part=rss&tag=MR_Search+Results

Did you notice anything of the sort, William?

 

Is it me or I haven't seen anybody say what the native resolution on these displays is.

Maybe William can enlighten me?
Anyways, great review as usual mate! You've got yourself a small Apple arsenal now

 

does it work under windows?
great review WilliamG

sorry to hear about you troubles

 

I can't speak for how much anti-reflective coating there is etc, but in this REALLY crappily-lit room I'm in right now, there's an overhead light and it's barely reflecting off the screen. Basically, it's no issue at all. If I compare my MacBook Pro display to the Cinema Display, they are similar in terms of coating. Again, where your screen is is the big issue...

Thanks! It's 1920x1200, and yes I should have mentioned that in the review, d'oh! Now added!

I haven't tried under Windows, but I will.

Oh, and get this. I called Apple to arrange a replacement, and they felt so bad for me they offered me an iPod Nano 8GB for my trouble. I was like, uh sure!

So hopefully I'll get a replacement in the next few days. Sweet!

 

Nice review man!thx very much!BTW,+1 for apple CS

 

Awesome review, WilliamG! +1!

 

what the what! they are making a monster out of you, hahaha. I hope for their sake that the iPod is up to par, ^_^ enjoy the goods!

 

I know! And I even got the order confirmed and everything! Prepared for shipment already!!!

"Dear William,

Thank you for contacting AppleCare.

Apple has agreed to send you a(n) IPOD NANO (4TH GEN)8GB PINK I will be handling the product order, and following up with you to confirm that you have received it."

And:

"
Prepared for Shipment
Product / Part No.
Qty
IPOD NANO (4TH GEN)8GB PINK-USA
MB735LL/A
Ships: within 24 hours

w00t! Go Apple! I would never have asked for anything, as they had agreed to upgrade me to the LED display from my 23" Cinema Display, but the Nano is a bonus. The wife is excited.

But.... now let's hope the REAL issue (the display) doesn't have anything wrong with it next time!

 

Thanks guys. My apologies for the crappy pics, but my external flash still isn't working, so the lighting was poop. Oh well.

(A bad worksman always blames his tools. )

 

What camera did you use?

I was originally thinking of getting a D300, but after reading Ken Rockwell's review of the D90, and how both essentially have the same quality (except in low light, where the D300 has low noise in high ISO levels) I am pretty much convinced. Plus, the D90 is cheaper

 

I used a Canon 5D MKII. Those pictures were all ISO3200 shot JPEG (not RAW). The D90 is a great camera, but the D300 will have better noise levels at high ISO. But if you're new to SLRs, you'll do VERY well with the D90. It's probably the best camera out there for the money, especially with some of the deals floating around now.

 

Wooo! The iPod Nano shipped, but the display hasn't yet. Poop.

 

Wow, that's amazing how little noise there is considering you used ISO 3200. I'm a newbie to photography, so I think I'll stick with the D90. Thanks!

 

5D MkII, slap a tripod onto that sucker and you should have perfection in any light.

let's see some video from that bad boy.

 

You'll have lots of fun with it! Make sure you pick up the 50mm f1.8 Nikon prime. It's around $100, and should be in any Canon/Nikon bag.

Hehe, true that. The light in my make-shift computer room (re-doing mine) is REALLY awful. Nasty yellow bulbs. The MKII does a really great job in low light, especially if you shoot RAW. All I did was crop and adjust white balance (nightmare in JPEG) the above pictures, so there was no de-noise going on there. But definitely not even close to my best pictures.

Sue me, huh!

 

you ll continue to get free staff ask for mac pro

 

LOL. I'm sure that's likely.

 

The d90s a cropped camera, so wouldnt a 50mm turn into a 80mm? I know everyone says to get a 50mm, but with the crop factor its annoying. But I guess they just say to get one because of the quality and fast lens, rather then its focal length?

I think my next lens purchase will be a 10-22, or a 70-200L, 2.8 would be nice but id probly end up getting the 4 cause of the price.

btw, isnt the mkii hard to get? i thought they were all backed up in orders.

 

I preordered my MKII September 17, so I was ahead in the line..

Yes, the 50mm on a Nikon crop is the equivalent of a 75mm (35mm comparison, since Nikon is 1.5x and Canon is 1.6). This makes it a super portrait lens. Portraiture lenses are usually from around 85mm to 135mm, so 75mm is very close, and you'll be able to take stunning portraits with it. Here's one from my full frame (85mm 1.8 lens) 5D MKI (one) before I got the MKII. This is just to give you an idea of the type of shot you'll get with the 50mm on your D90.





To stay on topic, my iPod Nano arrived today from Apple! Less than 24 hours after the courtesy order being placed!

 

Congrats again...does it have any defects?

 

LOL. I'm scared to open it.

 

Open it up man, we wanna know

 

LOL! I'm not going to ruin Christmas.

 

you should start a how to speak with customer service thread.

 

Haha, That could be very useful!

 

Circa,are you going to get one?

 

I checked out the ACD at my local Apple store. Liked it alot. However I use a 30in right now and going form 30 down to 24 is a pretty major downgrade. Hope they come out with a 30in LED ACD soon.

 

it will cost $

 

a 24" Cinema Display?

definitely not at the moment, I have 2.4ghz 17" MBP and a 20" Cinema Display. So what I am really interested in is a 23" Cinema Display for cheap, as it would match my 17" 1920x1200 resolution. but the 20" is excellent for how I am using it now.

I am just patiently waiting to see what Apple is going to do with the 17" MBP before I make any changes to my setup. I actually need to send my machine in to get a Temp Sensor replaced, and possibly a few other things, so I figured I would hold of until they announce the new machine and see if I can pull a WilliamG on them and get them to give me an upgrade ^_^

 

Haha. Wishful thinking. I've been through too much crap with Apple lately, though I of course appreciate their willingness to try to fix the issues!

 

I bought a 24" LED Cinema Display yesterday and I have to say it's a wonderful monitor! I had some issues with mine yesterday: the MagSafe would not charge my MBP, but strangely it works now. This is my first Apple monitor and it is worth every penny it costs! I am not using the integrated speakers, but I tested them and they are very surprising.

 

Can someone play a game on this setup and tell me what frame rates are like??

Thanks,

JP

 

monitor does nothing to frame rates

 

It doesn't slow down the frame rates at all?? Not even a little bit?

 

Its not the monitor that gauges the framerates. Its the CPU+GPU on the computer that affect the framerates.

 

Also the increase in resolution (if you play in native res). But you can still play in whatever resolution you were playing before.

 

William, you are so crazy. You get everything I want .

 

Well, sometimes these "things" just mean more trouble.....

 

Guys,is samsung 244T much worse then this screen?

 

Bump!I would like to know the answer of my question

 

I doubt its much worse, both should be S-IPS screens (I'm assuming the 244T is because of its high price, most likely but not 100% confirmed). So yeah, the Samsung 244T is going to be a nice display too (I have a Samsung TN panel), but the Cinema Display arguably has the better design .

 

Well,I got my screen(actually,it is dads screen from office,he just bought bigger one)It is awesome-so bright that it can "overshine" the sun!Sadly it is black-silver version would look much better!Still,can't wait to connect it with MBP