Apple Cinema 30-inch HD Flat-Panel Display Reviews

• Money well spent, even if you don't quite have it.

  
  By A33XOSS6UMB0RQ on 2004-11-26
  I'm a firm proponent that the size (in pixel quantity) of the display you are using is more important that CPU speed.
  
  The CTH bus (computer to human bus) in your computer system is the display/keyboard/mouse. For most people this has a bottleneck: the common 21" monitor (or smaller). You need to click the mouse a lot just to find information by opening panels, moving windows to uncover information, switching applications frequently. You're so used to this bus going slow from years of work on 21" displays going back to your first big CRT years ago you don't even notice it any more - you think it's normal.
  
  What if this bandwidth could be instantly more than doubled and a large chunk of all that mouse clicking and shuffling of panels, windows, and applications go away? What kind of difference would that make?
  
  None if you just use a couple of applications - well within the CTH bus bandwidth a 21" display provides. But if you're running 10 or more applications all day long doing design/video/audio/Flash/3D/CAD/software-development plus the necessary e-mail/web/iTunes/Acrobat/terminal/etc the CTH bus bandwidth is completely saturated (whether you know it or not). Time for a bus upgrade. Enter the 30" display.
  
  The result is a dramatically improved relationship with your computer. I previously worked on a 23" cinema and going to the 30" made a huge difference. You can run Final Cut Pro with the displays at 100%, a huge timeline and have a little room for an iTunes window. Finally, space to spread out, a bit of breathing room. Mouse clicking goes down. You start working your computer harder because your situational awareness goes up. You don't need to do things at 50% and then view it all over again at 100% later.
  
  Bumping the CPU speed by another 50% will never provide that kind of efficiency improvement. Obviously if you do server style stuff with your computer such as big renders then you probably want to spend the money on the CPU - get a server maybe. But for your workstation get this display.
  
  I've worked on dual 21" monitors for video editing before and this 30" display is a vastly different and much nicer experience. Even though you could put together a dual 21" LCD setup for less I'd recommend going the extra distance and getting this display. If you are in any of the visual fields I mentioned above and can afford this display then it's a no-brainer.
  
  If you can't quite afford it but work the computer hard - then I'd recommend some life modifications such as eating out less often or selling the car and biking to work -but buy this display. For heavy computer users this display will make enough difference that it justifies those extremes. Happy biking!
  
  

• It takes a little getting used to...

  
  By A9SZEFNJBUOFX on 2004-11-11
  I've had mine for a few weeks now, and it's a great monitor. It's just amazing to be able to open up 100+ thumbnails on the screen at once, and still be able to see what each one is. Games look fantastic on it , though not all support the native resolution. The dual firewire and USB ports on the monitor are very handy, too.
  
  There are a few quirks, due to the sheer size of the thing:
  It *just barely* fits under the overhead storage hutch on my computer desk. Measure carefully before you buy any furniture that you intend to put one of these displays on.
  
  Neck strain is a definite possibility if your chair and/or desk don't adjust far enough. The top of this monitor is a lot higher than the typical 20 inch or so monitor, and the stand is pretty tall, too.
  
  It's possible to "lose" things off towards the sides of the screen. While the (relatively low) pixel pitch means that a dialog box is the same size as it would be on a smaller Apple monitor, it can be far enough to the left or right to be out of your central vision. Sitting back a little farther from the monitor helps.
  
  
  

• Watch out for bad pixels!

  
  By A1F9Z42CFF9IAY on 2005-09-09
  LCD monitors inherently can be manufactured such that they end up with a few dead/bad pixels. This shows up as a colored dot on the monitor when certain colors are displayed. Apple needs to do the right thing and take a stand on quality control. Samsung has recently adopted a 'no bad pixel' policy on their monitors and Apple should do the same.
  
  Apple's policy is that it's not considered a defective monitor unless there are 5 ore more bad pixels or a cluster of 3 or more clumped together. Apple states that out of the millions of pixels that high resolution monitors have, a few dead bad ones isn't considered a problem. This policy is not fair when such a large number of these Apple monitors do actually make it to the retail stores with bad pixels. The first one I received had a bad pixel that was visible all the time and the replacement also has 2 bad pixels that are visible sometimes, when certain dark colors are being displayed. I was told point blank by the Apple Store that I would not be able to return it again, without paying an exhorbitant 10% restocking fee.
  
  While the monitor is beautiful in case, design and quality of the overall picture, the pixel issue is a serious issue for me. I feel it's unfair that I have to pay so much for a monitor that contains visible defects. And while I'm living with the bad pixels right now and don't notice them all the time, it still bothers me that Apple doesn't step up and do the right thing, especially on such an expensive item.
  
  

• Don't attempt to rationalize - Trust your instincts

  
  By A2YHVI2TGJ4ZZG on 2007-11-29
  In all likelihood, you are reading this review with two separate goals in mind. First, you want to make sure that nothing is horribly wrong with the lyrically-beautiful, breathtakingly-enormous 30-inch Cinema Display. After all, it is only natural to worry that its intoxicating attractiveness is counterpoised by some hidden, yet devastating, flaw. Well, you can breathe a sigh of relief: it is flawless. Indeed, it represents the very essence of perfection in both function and form.
  
  Second, you are reading this review in a desperate attempt to find some way to justify the purchase of a 30-inch Cinema Display. Perhaps you need to justify it to your thrifty spouse, and are trying to find a reasonable answer to that inevitable question, "but why do you NEED a 30-inch monitor?" Or perhaps you must justify the purchase to an emotionless manager, who is unable to appreciate the aesthetic beauty of this gargantuan monitor. Fortunately, previous reviewers have outlined a number of possible justifications that you might find helpful: a larger monitor improves work efficiency, reduces strain on your eyes, can double as a TV set, etc. Simply select the justification that will be most convincing to your target audience, and don't take no for an answer. I wish you luck.
  
  However, never lose sight of this fact: you do not need to justify the purchase of a 30-inch Cinema Display to yourself. Even trying to do so is dangerous, since in all probability you will be unable to justify spending $1800 on an enormous monitor when you have a perfectly serviceable monitor already. Yes, I'm sure that some people have a genuine need for a 30-inch monitor, but (be honest with yourself) you are almost certainly not one of them.
  
  And more to the point, any attempt at justification is irrelevant. This monitor is not about need, or utility, or functionality, or productivity, or other such tedious concepts. It is about sheer, unabashed, covetousness. You want it. You must possess it. You feel an inexplicable, unjustifiable compulsion to buy it. The vast expanse of the 29.7-inch viewable area haunts your waking thoughts, and appears in your dreams as a luminous vision of perfection that is always just out of reach.
  
  Don't question it. Just buy it.
  
  A year ago today, I did exactly that. Twice. Now, looking at both of my 30-inch monitors in front of me, I feel that I have come closer to true contentment than most people do in a lifetime. Is that shallow? Maybe. But I don't think so. And I'm willing to bet that you don't either. If you did, you would have stopped reading this review a long time ago.
  
  
  

• Apple Cinema 30" HD Flat-Panel Display

  
  By A1KDOOGDA7IZXC on 2006-01-12
  This screen is great.
  Upgraded from a 23" and the increase in realestate is awesome.
  You can play games with crystal clarity; have so many pages up and read them clearly.
  You will need a graphics card that supports Dual-link DVI, not a card that says dual DVI.
  I installed the GeForce 7800 GT on my PC and it works flawlessly!
  The Quadro cards are great, but big $$$.
  The 7800GT can be had for under $300!
  
  Here's a list of cards for PC and Apple:
  NVIDIA Geforce 6800Ultra DDL AGP for Powermac G5
  NVIDIA Geforce 6800GT DDL AGP for Powermac G5
  NVIDIA Geforce 6600 PCI Express for Powermac G5(PCI Express)
  NVIDIA Geforce 7800GT PCI Express for Powermac G5(PCI Express)
  NVIDIA QuadroFX 4500 PCI Express for Powermac G5(PCI Express)
  
  For the PC Windows platform, the following graphic cards support the Apple 30" Cinema Display:
  
  NVIDIA QuadroFX 2000
  NVIDIA QuadroFX 3000
  NVIDIA QuadroFX 3400
  NVIDIA QuadroFX 3450
  NVIDIA QuadroFX 4000
  NVIDIA QuadroFX 4400
  NVIDIA QuadroFX 4500
  NVIDIA Geforce 7800GT
  NVIDIA Geforce 7800GTX
  NVIDIA Geforce 7800GTX 512
  
  
  
  
• Beware!
  By A26BWKWR01YJ7G on 2006-10-13
  Be careful with this product. There are a number of problems present in the current model of the 30" ACD.
  
  The most notable one is the famous 'pixel-dancing' or flickering problem. You can read all about it in the following Apple discussion thread:
  
  [...]
  
  Scroll down to the end and you'll see that this problem is still very much present in these displays.
  
  I'm now going for my second replacement since I purchased the original display, and I hope I get a decent display this time. It seems to be a hit or miss situation, I'm afraid.
  
  Despite this, however, if you do receive one of the good displays, you'll absolutely love it. Just make sure you buy it from somewhere you can obtain a replacement and, in the worst of cases, a refund.
  
  
• Windows XP with an NVidia Quadro FX 4000
  By A9PNXQZCVIWKG on 2004-12-02
  This monitor works great on Windows XP with an NVidia Quadro FX 4000. If it's in your budget, buy it today. There is no downside to this monitor. I have no reservation in recommending it. It is one of the most expensive monitors on the market but I consider it an exceptional value. Everyone who has seen the monitor is stunned by the size, brightness, quality and response time.
  
  
• Just a note - not compatible with new MacBooks, but is with MacBookPro
  By A9A34R2YIYMV4 on 2006-05-18
  Although this is listed in the "compatible monitors" section by Amazon for the newly announced (yesterday?) MacBooks (the iBook replacements), you need a dual link DVI output to drive this monitor - the MacBook does not have this video output while the MacBook Pro does.
  
  
• Amazing
  By A25D2NJXR1YLZK on 2004-10-14
  That first review was terrible, not to mention wrong. Of course you can use this with a PC, you just need a graphics card with Dual-Link DVI, and the only one for the mac is coming out soon (Nvidia 6800). I have seen this monitor, and it is a technological marvel. The resolution is unfathomable, and coupled with the size, words escape definition. If you have the denero, just buy this thing and be proud knowing you have the absolute best media display in the unit, no argument.
  
  
• Gamer Card Compatibility
  By A1BAQRWF4G8SKH on 2005-01-04
  Just wanted to let everyone know that it's been confirmed with multiple owners that the Asus V9999 Gamer Edition based on the 6800 (not GT or Ultra) supports the optimal 2560x1600 resolution.
  
  
• Does not work with PNY Verto 6600GT !
  By A1BPP8LZJY2THH on 2006-05-28
  For the ones reading the previous reviews here .. this 30" does NOT work with the PNY Verto 6600GT. I assume the version of the PNY 6600GT that is produced now is different from the older one (which had 2 DVI ports, the new ones have 1 DVI and 1 VGA). The newer one is not dual-link-DVI capable, it's not possible to run 2560 x 1600 with that graphics card (I just tried, bought the PNY 6600GT from Amazon, but I have to return it because it doesnt work with the 30" display).
  
  Regarding the display : simply the best you can get ! I love it. Great design, works great, only has 1 pixel error (on 4 million pixels !). The pixels are so small, the pixel error is hard to see at all ... I found it after having the display 6 months, it's just too small to recognize, it's kinda invisible.
  
  Most newest generation graphics cards can support the 2560 x 1600 (i.e. the 7900 gtx cards), but it's never wrong to take a look at the tech specs or email the manufacturer to make sure. If you are looking for an AGP or PCI card, you gotta look for the Nvidia Quadro FX4000, Matrox Parhelia DL (DL!), or the Asus V9999GE Gamers Edition (not the normal VE or VD editions, it gotta be GE to run 2560 x 1600).
  
  
• Brilliant product. Productivity enhancer.
  By A1GKOF0C78I4BF on 2007-02-24
  I have been recently converting from PC -> Mac at home. Have an iMac 24" and a 17" MacBook Pro. Been using the MacBook to transition between work and home, and now can do a lot of my development for work on the MacBook (I am a programmer).
  
  I use a 24" Dell at work, and have been pretty happy with it -- though I have been lusting after a 30" Cinema Display just due to the fact that it looks really nice (like a work of art in comparison to the childish looking 30" Dells). But I didn't really want to pay the price premium ($400 difference between the two). So I've been patiently looking around hoping the price will drop. Well, the local Apple Store had a demo model that was never even used for cheaper than the Dell! The box looked beaten up (they have been shuffling it between the floor and the back room every week) but the monitor was in pristine shape. Plugged it into the MacBook at the store, and I was sold!
  
  While 1920x1200 on the 24" Dell was a nice bump up from the 1600x1200 I was used to with my home 21" Dell, 30" at 2560x1600 was a revelation. I finally feel unconstrained by my desktop, especially when I have my 17" Laptop screen next to it for miscellaneous windows, or reference materials (I am a programmer as mentioned above). I can have code views side by side on my main monitor, which I had never been able to do before and I am no longer flipping between applications. XCode's debugger basically yearns for screen space like this thanks to the multiple floating windows (an irksome 'feature' in XCode).
  
  I can have my Windows XP installation running fullscreen on my 17" laptop monitor at full resolution and can do cross platform development very easily now on one machine.
  
  I honestly feel unchained and unleashed. This monitor is well worth every penny, even at full cost (and Amazon is a bit cheaper than what you will find at the Apple store, unless you look at refurbs). I got the 3 year Apple Care on the monitor (is $99 and can be purchased anytime in the 1 year base warranty) since this thing is a significant investment and $99 is almost insignificant compared to the price of the beast.
  
  My monitor was manufactured in late 2005, so some of what I mention may or may not apply to later model monitors. The monitor is VERY bright, and out of the box seemed to be slightly biased to red (at least compared to my laptop screen). Well, after calibrating it it turns out that the laptop was just slightly calibrated towards blue. Go figure. I seem to be more tolerant towards blue shifts than red evidently. If you have a window that is all white, there are slight color shifts towards the corners. But this is apparently based on view angle, because if you move your eyes towards the corners, the shift disappears. Again, it is very slight and you would have to have your entire window be white to notice it.
  
  Mac users: By default, the software that is installed ties the power button to shutting off your machine (though it prompts you before it does shut it down). This was slightly odd to me. But you can change the preferences so that the power button in fact powers down the monitor and not the machine.
  
  The controls on the side are touch sensitive, and have little tactile feedback other than the depression that they sit in. For the first hour when I would be adjusting the monitor I would be constantly turning it off because I would just brush against the button. After a while, you memorize the exact location of that button on the side ;)
  
  The monitor itself can pitch up and down, and that's pretty much it. It sits on a low friction base similar to the iMac, and can be rotated left and right via the base very easily. I am actually impressed by how easy it is to move these things. My 24" Dell at work takes more effort. Speaking of the Dell monitor, I have suddenly noticed how cheap, even their 30" one feels now. There is something about having an item that is aesthetically pleasing, and the Apple Cinema displays certainly excel in that regard. The Dells are starting to look (with their hybrid silver/black designs) rather childish in comparison when placed side by side with the Apple unit. To be fair, the Dell is a lot cheaper than the retail price of this monitor, and that alone will be enough to make it the better purchase for many users. Also, the Dell has a 3 year warranty by default, while you have to pay $99 for the Apple 3-year warranty.
  
  I also on occasion do studio photography work of children (mostly *my* children these days, as I have gotten too busy to take on clients anymore but I digress :) ). Taking some of my 13 MegaPixel RAW photos from my Canon 5D and displaying them on the 4MP monitor took my breath away. Looking at some from my kids' Christmas shoot was great. I can see details that I had almost forgotten. You'd have to get large prints to see this sort of detail at a glance. Photographers: You MUST have this monitor!
  
  So I say: Indulge yourself with this purchase. You will not regret it! At the end of the day you not only have a monitor, but a very nice looking piece of furniture too.
  
  
• A Stunning Display
  By A3QNX5KWHDV0GD on 2007-03-01
  After seeing this display in person, I had to run out and buy one. In Windows at 2650x1600 it seems to display things about the same size as my 20" monitor does at 1600x1200, but you get more than twice as much on the screen as the 20" (2.1333 times to be more exact).
  
  Besides hearing about how stunningly beautiful it is, here are some things you might like to know about it:
  
  It will hook directly to a MacBook Pro's DVI port without any adapters or mods, and display at full resolution. If you're using it on a PC, you need dual-link DVI capability (not the same as dual DVI). I thought this would mean paying a lot of money for a new video card, but it doesn't. I called ATI and ordered a Radeon x1650 Pro PCIe card direct, which cost $150. It displays at the full 2650x1600 resolution with no problems, has 512MB DDR2 memory, video out, and though it includes several cables and adapters, none are required to hook the display up. In fact it seems faster than my two year old $700 card did. I do mostly digital photography (Photoshop), and it is plenty fast. I don't think that unless you're doing 3D modeling or serious gaming, that you'll need anything more. It is also Vista ready, so it can handle all the features of Vista (translucent windows or whatever. I don't have Vista). There are 3 plugs on the cable. One is the DVI plug, the second is a Firewire (400 not 800), and the third is USB. The latter two are to provide you with 2 USB and 2 Firewire ports at the back of the display.
  
  Now for the drawbacks, or should I say drawback. The only positioning adjustment is the ability to tilt the display. Although it is easy to rotate the image 90 degrees, it would require rigging something up to rotate the monitor. There is no height adjustment so I can't squeeze the center speaker of my audio underneath the display (I'd call it a monitor, but since it's Apple, they refer to them as displays).
  
  Included software assist you in setting the levels and color to the right settings. When I bought it, I considered it an extravagance, but after using it for a few weeks, I've changed my mind. It increases productivity immeasurably being able to keep multiple windows open, not having to zoom in and out while editing photographs, and being able to display 39 columns (64 pixel) and 66 rows (20 pixel) of an Excel spreadsheet.Or 3 legal size pages at 100% side by side in Word without scrolling. Pretty cool, huh?
  
  It's also extremely stylish, and along with my DiNovo Edge keyboard, it could go in a museum.
  
  When I bought it from Amazon, it was $1,924 plus a 5% discount at the time, no tax, and $10 shipping. It came out to be about $125 less than what I would have paid from Apple with their education program discount (since they charge 6% tax and I'm also getting 3% in rewards bonuses using my Amazon credit card). But even at full retail it would have been worth it. I am in love with this display!
  
  Any of you gamers interested in an ATI Radeon x850XT Platinum graphics card? Oh yeah, the new card takes up only one slot instead of two, so there's another bonus...
  
  Originally I was going to use this display with my MacBook Pro for my digital photo work, but now that it's connected to the PC, I literally can't take my eyes off of it. Does anybody know of a cable or switch that would allow me to use it for both and switch between them conveniently?
  
  If you buy one piece of expensive computer hardware this year, this display should be it. You won't regret it.
  
  I am delighted with this purchase!!!
  
  
  
  
• This display is a masterpiece...
  By A1PBMSBJ9DFBN9 on 2004-11-30
  I just recently bought this display and what an absolute masterpiece. I was using a Samsung 213T and this was to replace that monitor and become my main screen. The 213T is now a second screen for other tasks. If you can afford this monitor, I highly recommend it.
  
  
• Apple 30 inch 270nit model
  By A2XJ20LAL7EMO6 on 2006-04-23
  So I managed to get a hold off an older gen 30inch. I a will simply say that I LOVE IT !!. Totally awesome to play games, write code (Definitely) and pretty much everything. The colours on the monitor are almost photo like.
  
  I have had it the better part of a week and I am comparing it to a DELL 2405, yes an unfair comparison but its something. I also like the fact that there is virtually no screen door!
  
  If you have the dosh or get a good deal on a used one like I did, get it. You will not regret the expense.
  
  
• The finest display on earth
  By A1GRR29MVGSZ1R on 2004-10-25
  Photos and spec sheets cannot describe what an absolute masterpiece this display is. The picture quality is phenomenal, colors are rich and deep, and the wide aspect ratio is very addictive. Despite its high price tag, the 30" Cinema costs less than many other manufacturer's displays running at half the resolution.
  
  My display has none of the defects people typically find in LCDs. No dead pixels, no off-white tint, just an amazing picture.
  
  I do have two issues with my unit. I received a note with my system purchase indicating that if I plugged my Apple keyboard into the display's USB port, the keyboard's spare USB port would not function properly. Also, it seems that the display's power button will not turn on my new G5.
  
  These are the only forms of imperfection I've encountered, and are not enough to demote it to four stars.
  
  
• Why get 1 if you can have two
  By A1P3WH08J6VEXF on 2006-01-24
  I started my computing with a Mac+ with a 10" screen. Many Macs later I now have a G5 with Quad Processors and two 30" Cinema Displays. All I can say is FANTASTIC. Crystal clarity for all my digital darkroom work and slideshows. To run two 30s I bought the NVIDIA Qiadrp FX 4500 graphics card. Both displays work seamlessly as one virtual display. When I am writing on the right display I can (and do) run a slideshow on the left one. When I am doing research I can spread out 6 full pages and still have room left over for my iTunes window, dictionary window and more. Adjusting the screens is simple, there are extra firewire and USB slots on the back of the Displays for convience. One final note. The increase of photographic clarity from a 23" display to the 30" is outstanding. If you work with video or photographs get one of these babies....better yet, get two!
  
  
• Amazing!
  By A23SOQ3IBFLV9G on 2004-10-16
  I received it today, it took me all of a half our to install the new video card. The computer booted up, I set it up with my daughter's photo as a background, it was an image that I have never seen on a computer. I got so excited that I ordered another one, because the new Nvidia card allows two! If you can afford it just get it, you will not regret it. It is the most incredible piece of hardware that I have ever owned.
  
  
• Apple 30" Cinema Display and PNY 6600GT
  By A1AAC28S9GX8T8 on 2006-02-01
  I received it today, and it's a monster. If you've seen one in a store, it looks twice as big on your desk. Until a few hours ago, I was running two 20" aluminum cinema displays on a PNY 6600GT. After doing online research about using the 30" display under Windows XP, I found that the "functional" cheap solution being used is in fact the PNY 6600GT (Verto 128MB DDR3 with two DVI connectors). Considering that the other two most noted solutions, QuadroFX 4000 AGP or Parhelia DL256 PCI, are going for $600+ on ebay, I was willing to give my old beater a try. Besides, I didn't feel like buying another AGP card with PCIE taking over the world, or sacrificing the only PCI slot in my Shuttle XPC (SB75G2).
  
  To my great relief, the monitor worked on the card right away, even showing me the POST and Windows start-up screen (it did for the 20" displays, too). But to my absolute delight, the card is actually running both the 30" and a 20" in 32-bit color. The 20" looks absurdly small next to the 30", like I didn't water it enough or something. The 30" is enormous enough that I think it might be better were it curved! Maybe I'm just sitting too close.
  
  The only problem with the 6600GT is that the DVI jacks are so near each other that I had to take the plastic housing off of the 20" plug to fit it below the 30". I'm not a gamer, so I can't say whether the card performs well for that. It feels as zippy as with the 20" on regular windowing tasks. I use Eclipse, Flash, Photoshop, etc., but no video editing or 3D stuff.
  
  The screen had a slight warm cast that I didn't like. Nvidia's control panel let me adjust it manually, and now my 30" and 20" look almost identical. My biggest fear was of course dead pixels. By the good grace of lucky ducks, this is the third panel I've gotten from Apple with no dead pixels. Brightness is uniform but for a very very subtle drop in the far lower left and right edges. It's not apparent unless you put white there and actively look for it.
  
  In any case, I bought it to get more programming panels on the screen at once, and it does a fine job at that. I'm using the 20" for browsing and, alas, a few panels that STILL don't fit. Apple, where's 3840 x 2400?? I strip one star cuz it's crazy expensive.
  
  
  
• Step up to the best!
  By A27148TZWIDOK0 on 2007-04-20
  I recently bought a new intel Mac and loaded it up all the way. With such a monsterous system, I wanted an equally powerful monitor. I was going to purchase Mac's 23" HD Cinema display, but I bought my Mac just after their displays dropped in price, so I decided to go all the way with the 30" HD Cinema display... and I'm glad I did!
  First off, this display is like having 2 side-by-side displays, it's that huge. The brightness and clarity of the HD picture is stunning. On my previous Mac, I used a 17" display and used Photoshop and Illustrator on a daily basis. Now, with this 30" display using Adobe Creative Suite CS3 Design Premium Upgrade [Mac] I'll be able to have multiple programs on the screen at once and have hi-res photos open at full size. If you do a lot of design work, or if you just want to have the room to have iTunes, Safari and various other programs open all at once, this is the display for you.
  There is only one problem that some users may have. This display ONLY works with G5 Macs and G4 Powerbook Macs (PC users need to check the system requirements for compatibility). So, all other Mac users will be left out, so make sure you have the right system before purchasing.
  Overall, this is a tremendous display of the highest quality. The price may be too much for some, but if your serious about web and graphic design like myself, this is a must-have!
  
  
• It's really big
  By A56TXS76PETEV on 2007-09-25
  Pros: If you want some rationalization for buying this, you can convincingly argue that it will improve your productivity to have room for multiple large windows. But let's be honest: you just want it because it's really big and beautiful and will make you happy. So go buy one and you'll wonder why you waited so long.
  
  Cons: When I first bought it, my wife was afraid that it would come to life and eat us up and was afraid to enter my office for a week. Also it might give you some eyestrain until you get used to it; I recommend turning down the brightness.
  
  
• Preview Of the new Apple Cinema Dsiplay
  By A2ENRO74USAVIT on 2004-07-04
  Pros-
  1)great thin design
  2)biggest HD LCD Display ever
  3)Wonderful Picture Quality amazing!
  4)has firewire inputs
  5)Can hook up additional display WOW!

  Cons-
  1)Can't Be used With PC-(but the 20" and 23" can)
  2)Need different Graphic card just to use it

  ? Why does the design serve as a problem to whom own a power book G4 and like to place it under their Display the New design prohibits this.

  Bottom_____________
  This is a great LCD display with amazing clearity,has Dule monitor support. but has to have all new graphics card and design proibits the place of your laptop to slide underneath the display.

  OVER ALL preview rating a 9.5 of 10.00
  
  

• Just Plain Beautiful!
  By A5FS50VW0GWEE on 2005-03-11
  I bought this monitor for my Apple Power Mac G5 and it has been wonderful to own it. 30 inches of beautiful viewing and this is a perfect screen for playing games on. You really do have to go all out on this one because it costs almost or the same as the Power Mac G5 at around $2,999.99 which is extremely expensive but it really isn't too expensive for a LCD monitor at this size. The styling Apple did on this monitor is similar to the PowerBook and it looks amazing. You can use this monitor on Windows computers too. It has 2-Port USB 2.0 Hub Built-In and a 2-Por FireWire Hub Built-In right in it! Native Resolution of 2560x1600 pixels. I think this works the best of G5's but I guess you can use it on any computer you like. I would recommend this display to you because it has everything you need. Check it out!
  
  
• nothing short of perfect!
  By A3JMK6UNBPS9X on 2006-02-03
  Owning this monitor so far (two months) has been just wonderful! It took no time at all for me to get utterly spoiled by having a huge space to open multiple documents, multiple programs, everything at my fingertips. Plus, the display quality is drop-dead gorgeous. (And since I spend 8-12 hours a day staring at it, that's a big deal!) I would absolutely recommend this to anyone in the market for a high-end monitor.
  
  
• Amazing view--but get the extended warranty
  By A3AVJCB1ZD6ZY5 on 2008-03-30
  I love my Apple Cinematic Display. It's the best monitor I've ever had and I've had several. The color's crisp, the text is easy to read. Both computer and TV images are sharp and beautifully rendered. The tilt is a useful feature that prevents strain looking straight on.
  
  Note: You do need to get the extended warranty. My display is currently in for service and I'm VERY glad I made the investment on the AppleCare service.
  
  My service plan called for the monitor to be sent away for repairs. I believe there is an option to upgrade your AppleCare and get in-home repairs. If you are buying a monitor today, look carefully at your warranty plan options and make sure you get one that will get your monitor back to you ASAP. Once you have one of these wonderful displays, it's VERY hard doing without them.
  
  
• Breathtaking
  By AX4LJ4P4V8Z2D on 2007-02-08
  Great display, beautiful design. Using Parallels I run 3 computers at once on this display: the Mac, a Windows XP virtual machine, and a Windows Vista virtual machine (I'm a software developer). Plenty of real estate for my 3-machine "lab." I'm also a digital photography enthusiast and the big screen makes working with thousands of photos in Aperture a joy. This display would be perfect if you could raise and lower it, but I won't subtract stars because I knew about this limitation when I bought it.
  
  
• The best monitor for AutoCAD
  By AGUS7V3FYMFSS on 2007-03-03
  This is the best monitor I've used in a long time. I use AutoCAD on a daily basis and the screen is clearer and criper than any other monitor I've ever used. The screen is so large, I'm able to work without having to zoom in and out all of the time. The biggest problem I have with it is getting used to not zooming all of the time because I got so used to doing that. I use a Winows PC with a NVIDIA GeForce 7600 GT video card and the monitor is able to keep up with me when I draw. I had no trouble setting up the monitor out of the box and it's worked flawlessly for over a year now. I'm going to buy more of these monitors for my draftsmen.
  
  
• Productivity and Fun
  By A21BZBIDMO5E87 on 2007-10-16
  I've owned a 30" Cinema HD for a couple months now and while I regularly work on smaller monitors, I love the productivity and the immersion of a display this size. I regularly play World of Warcraft on it (which of course is a great experience) but a couple weekends ago I opened up Microsoft Word 2007 and was blown away by how productive it is to fit 3 pages side by side on screen at once. It's something you don't even think about until you try it; 3 full pages + 3 more partial pages = quick and easy access to whatever document you are working on.
  
  I also own a couple of 19" NEC flatscreens (and I use one in addition to the 30" Cinema HD). The NECs are definitely brighter and crisper, although I think the Cinema is more "true" and gives a clear but soft and refined look to images.
  
  PROS
  
  - So big...so much room
  - Elegant case
  - USB/Firewire hub built in
  - Works well with both Vista and OSX (haven't tried anything else) on my Mac Pro
  
  CONS
  
  - Ample video card power. While normal applications will run fine with a decent card, fullscreen games REALLY struggle. I'm running a tricked out Mac Pro but in lieu of dropping $1500 on a better (and Mac compatible) video card, I've been stuck running lower resolution and less detail.
  
  - Getting used to it. The first couple hours I owned this display I seriously contemplated returning it.
  
  - Price. Two 19"s are productive and will cost you $400-600. Even a good 24" display provides alot of bang for the buck. Apple is on the high end for 30" displays; you can probably get cheaper 30" displays elsewhere.
  
  The unit I purchased has no bad pixels and is used heavily. I highly recommend.
  
  
• Best monitor in the world!
  By A1YXJ7VHD3OEA7 on 2007-09-15
  This monitor is STUNNING. There is no better monitor for computers anywhere, no exceptions. If you don't have it for Mac or Windows, run (don't walk) out and buy it immediately!
  
  
• EXCELLENT MONITOR
  By A12O6C3ZO10M98 on 2007-01-14
  You will love it, and you will be the envy of your friends.
  
  

• Apple Wireless Pro Mouse ( M9269Z/A )
• Apple iSight Video Conferencing Webcam with Autofocus -M8817LL/B
• Apple M9314G/B iSight Accessory Kit
• Apple NV40 Graphics Card Kit M9593G/A
• Apple iPod 4 GB mini M9160LL/A (Silver)

• Apple Mac Pro MA970LL/A Desktop (Two 2.8GHz Quad-Core Intel Xeon Processors, 2 GB RAM, 320 GB Hard Drive, 16x SuperDrive)
• AppleCare Protection Plan MA516LL/A for Mac Pro (w/ or w/o display)
• Apple Mac Pro MA356LL/A Desktop (Two 2.66 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon Processors, 1 GB RAM, 250 GB Hard Drive, SuperDrive)
• Apple Keyboard Kit
• Mac OS X Version 10.5.4 Leopard