Reviews for Apple LED Cinema Display (27" flat panel)

Apple has finally fixed the color gamut issue with their glossy displays with this 27" screen. The resolution is really superb, but the gloss face is a killer. The amount of eye strain you endure isnt worth spending money on. Inevitably what you'll end up doing is tilting the monitor way up, down or to the side throughout the day. So essentially you're always looking at this display from a bad angle. You can attemp to put a hood on it, close the blinds, wear black...doesn't matter. If color is important to you this is definitely not the screen for you. I disconnect mine and use the matte screen on my MBP during certain hours of the day. It's a world of difference. Apple, we want a matte screen!

93 of 107 people found this useful

Okay for the company that really tries to think of almost everything to make computing easy for everyone really fell a little short... ACTUALLY VERY Short! Okay if you have a Mac Book Pro or other new Generation laptop that use the new Mini Display port you are going to love putting your little laptop next to the excellent Graphics quality of this screen.

HOWEVER!!! If you have a MAC PRO! The cable is a joke! The I am not about to put my Mac Pro on my Desk just so that the cable reaches! and I am not going to wedge it between my legs either! I was planning on getting two of these screens but I had a feeling that the cable was too short. Even when you buy a Mac Pro and a wired Keyboard they give you an extension for it. For those of us that use Aperture or Final Cut on their Mac Pros it's great to have two super screens but the cables have to reach guys!!!!

FAIL! Apple! Sorry guys you really really didn't think this one through or you really got cheap with the cable guys!

83 of 100 people found this useful

If I would work at night only, I would give it 5 stars for the image quality. However, I'm not. Even moderate light coming into my windows from behind diminishes the viewing experience significantly.
I understand that Apple likes the glass front from a design and manufacturing perspective, but they should provide an anti-glare option like on the Macbook Pro. I upgraded or should I say downgraded from the 30" cinema display and after using the 27" for 2 month I have to say I want it back. I'm currently looking on eBay.

Comparison 27" vs. 30":

Real Estate 30" + 11% (23 % for Photo editing 1.5 aspect)
Aspect Ratio 30" + unless you watch HD movies.
Power 27" - 50% (Led and integrated power supply)
Power button 30" (Can turn it off when not in use)
Connectivity 27" (No DVI converter, no external power for monitor and Macbook Pro)
Sound is not much different from my 17" Macbook, 49 Watts ???

Apple, please keep the 1.6 aspect ratio for the Macbook Pros and build a 30" LED monitor with anti-glare screen in 1.6.

103 of 117 people found this useful

Just bought this today after having used a 20" Apple Cinema Display for the last three years and boy what a great display. Love the ambient light sensor and the brightness and clarity of the large space. Overall I am very happy with it.

17 of 30 people found this useful

Apple has long enjoyed a successful relationship with the professional imaging / visual arts industry. We need Apple, and they need us. Or do they? This glossy screen is useless for professionals in the imaging industry, such as photography, graphic design, etc. The glare is incredibly problematic when judging color accuracy, contrast, shadow and highlight detail and subtle changes in tonal areas. And, no more 30" option? That extra space is vital. So you choose to DOWNSIZE to 27"? Why would Apple seemingly ignore this large segment of their loyal customer base? We can't use glossy screens!!!! If you don't bring back a 30" matte screen, you're going to loose the support of thousands of professionals. Very very disappointing. Unbelievable really.

196 of 229 people found this useful

I waited to buy this monitor due to a lot of the negative reviews. Finally decided that I needed it and purchased it over the holidays. I have had no issues with the speakers, they worked the first time I used them. The glare is not an issue, I have the monitor in my office that has a large picture window and plenty of light. Glare is not an issue at night either. Great picture clarity and definition. The cord length is not an issue I have my macbook pro on the corner of my desk (out of the way) and my monitor in the middle of the desk. Installation and setup took about 5 minutes and I did not have to buy any new cords or converters. In my opinion, this is another great product from Apple and I am glad to finally own one.

21 of 29 people found this useful

This display is easy on the eyes! We use it primarily for home usage but also some light work usage. We love it. As a couple who have just eclipsed their 40's...the clarity is fantastic.

11 of 23 people found this useful

I have a pair of these for my graphics/video workstation and love them. I would rather have a smaller display for my palette monitor (say, a 20") so I wish this were not the only offering, plus I would have opted for a non-glare screen if one had been available. Someone here complained about the small fonts, etc. If he were to have exactly halved the resolution and turned off font antialiasing, this would have been a good solution. Another complained that the colors are too rich. No monitor out there has perfect calibration for color accuracy. That's why they make things like the Spyder calibrator. No graphics pro should be without a hardware cailbrator, regardless of their choice of monitor. Another complained about a lack of buttons for brightness, etc. Brightness is controlled by a slider in the monitors control panel. Besides, physical brightness and contrast buttons are a bad thing for color hounds. Better to adjust things in software to maintain proper calibration.
My 27's are perfectly calibrated and look great. To sum up - my only complaints are about the lack of a smaller model and the lack of an anti-glare coating.

15 of 21 people found this useful

Yes, it looks sharp and the resolution is very good. You might even want to use it as long as there is no window, no light or anything else in the room. I sent it back because of the glare which made it really more or less useless and waited on ebay for 30 inch ones to show up in like new condition. This is sad, apple should give us in IMPROVED monitor, 30 inch, not 27, and at least the option to order it with anti glare.

65 of 75 people found this useful

this display comparing to the oldest cinema 30" is like comparing diamond to ashes ,
cause it reflects the smallest tiny light ....for me as artist painter and graphic designer
i still using the 30" cinema display from apple ... really it is a downgrade if we buy the led display to replace the cinema 30" ....try to do something not GLOSSY ......

214 of 240 people found this useful