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Apple LED Cinema Display (24" flat panel)
Is this display worth the money?
Written by IG from Chester
08-Dec-2009
I had been toying with the idea of purchasing this display for a while so had read numerous reviews and talked to guys at an Apple authorised seller to see if it would really meet my needs for the not inconsiderable purchase price. I was already using a HP 22" monitor with speakers which was adequate enough but, as a keen photographer/videographer, wanted to step up to an LED display for the extra clarity. Seemed like the Apple display would suit that need.
As I like to keep my desktop clutter free I was also keen to know whether I would need to attach an additional audio cable to power the speakers. A simple enough question, or so I thought. On asking the Apple authorised seller if the mini display connection carried audio they said no and that I would need to attach a cable! An assistant in a department store said that the mini display port transported audio and mic feeds so I did not need to attach a cable. Even chatting to a representative from Apple via the Apple Store did not give me a conclusive answer. Finally, I downloaded the documentation to find out that audio and mic feed is transported via the USB cable. All of that sorted, I went ahead and ordered.
Delivery took place on the third day after ordering so well done to Apple for that. After getting the display out of the packaging I found it an absolute breeze to set up (as I expected, only three cables plus a power lead after all!) Despite having viewed the display in action in an Apple store I was still utterly amazed at how much more clarity and definition my pictures had once I had fired my Macbook up. In fact every application looked better. I was also pleasantly surprised about the quality of sound from the speakers despite having read reviews to the contrary. Not professional speaker quality but far superior to most monitors with inbuilt speakers and very satisfactory for my needs. All of that and the display looks superb on my desk which, lets face it, plays a part in the decision making process when buying Apple gear!
One point to note if you are considering purchasing this display and, like me, have fitted a Speck shell casing to your macbook, the display magsafe connector does not fit properly as it is obstructed by the Speck casing! I got around this by taking a sharp knife to the Speck casing and carefully trimming a hollow where the magsafe cable was hitting it. This took about two minutes and did the job perfectly still retaining enough structural integrity in the casing to prevent it breaking.
So far my short experience with this display has been outstanding. Hopefully it will give me years of service and I won't be tempted to upgrade to the next model (which will undoubtedly be out about two months after purchasing this one, will have better features and cost less!!!)
Is this display worth the money? For my requirements, definately.1 of 1 people found this useful
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Apple LED Cinema Display (24" flat panel)
Fantastic display though lacking on sound quality
Written by CS from Preston
29-Nov-2009
Just got the new display delivered on Friday and been using it over the weekend.
As a display it's a fantastic piece of kit. I work with spreadsheets, schematics of buildings plus use the display for catch up TV, surfing, etc.. and have found viewing all these a real pleasure and infinitely better than previously on the standalone MacBook Pro.
As always with Apple products, the design, look and feel of the Screen gets top marks 10/10. My only negative comment is as mentioned in other reviews, the sound quality is lacking. OK, I wasn't expecting state of the ART crystal clear audio but would have thought with the level of detail and quality put into the actual screen and picture quality Apple may have got the Sound quality better?
A shame but don't let this put you off.....a great product overall. Really glad I have taken the plunge for this display4 of 4 people found this useful
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Apple LED Cinema Display (24" flat panel)
Awesome Screen
Written by BL from Long Eaton
19-Nov-2009
Very happy with the cinema screen works just as apple say with MacBook Pro
Pros
Excellent quality screen
great design and build quality
Cons
Speakers are rubbish, just as bad as the macbook speakers, no bass and sound like there playing through a tunnel
Thats the reason for 4 star, would have had 5 if the speakers were better quality7 of 8 people found this useful
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Apple LED Cinema Display (24" flat panel)
Lovely, if you use it in a darkened room, poor speakers.
Written by JW from Errol
01-Oct-2009
All I can see is reflections. Everything else about it works well, except the speakers, which are similar to the MacBook Pro ones in quality & volume.
31 of 39 people found this useful
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Apple LED Cinema Display (24" flat panel)
Nice but where's the anti-glare & height adjustment options?
Written by GB from CHISLEHURST
21-Sep-2009
This is a very nice screen & the colour's are vivid & look very sharp BUT as I use this at work and do a reasonable amount of retouching & colour correcting I really need an anti-glare Matte option which this display does NOT offer & I have now reverted to using my old 23" ACD for any retouching as this just reflects light (esp. bright sunshine & lights in the evening) & it's almost like looking in a mirror at times especially when displaying blacks.
Also where is the height adjustment feature Apple??? As with the previous Cinema Display range, these screens are just too low on my desk & I end up having to buy 3rd party stands to raise them to eye level, not good when even Apple recommend having the top of the display at eye level, come on Apple research the average desk height please! There should be a built in height adjustment feature for this price!
...Overall I'm Disappointed with lack of options!72 of 87 people found this useful
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Apple LED Cinema Display (24" flat panel)
Great display but let down by length of connectors cable
Written by GP from LONDON
31-Aug-2009
What a beautiful monitor by Apple but unfortunately there are a couple of major let downs by this monitor. One is the mini display cable - it is only about half a metre in length and this is too short. I have a number of these monitors for a number of very satisfied users but the cable means that their Mac Pro either have to be situated on top of the desk (which is very overbearing and a problem if desk space is a premium) or the Mac pro needs to be raised from the floor so as the cable can reach the graphics port. I approached various Apple professionals at my local store and they inform me that you cannot get an extension for the monitors lead and you cannot get an adapter to convert from Mini port to DVI. You'd think for such a beautifully designed product this would have been taken into consideration.
The other problem I have with the Apple display is they do not give you detailed specifications as to what percentages of Abobe RGB colour space the display is accurate to. This is very important when ensuring your colour management is as accurate as possible129 of 136 people found this useful
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Apple LED Cinema Display (24" flat panel)
Nice screen
Written by JF from Bristol
27-Aug-2009
lovely deep blacks and vibrant colour, but only for users of very up to date hardware. Until the DVI to Mini Displayport adaptor unit at Circuit Assembly gets released
I imagine this won't support the DRM restrictions this screen introduces for DRM'd iTunes videos. Still, good to know it's on the way!20 of 26 people found this useful
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Apple LED Cinema Display (24" flat panel)
A fundamental flaw!
Written by FC from LONDON
21-Aug-2009
This is a beautiful display, no doubt, but a fundamental flaw presented itself as soon as i took it out of the box: The power, display port & USB cables are built in to the back of the display which means that when they get damaged thru normal wear & tear, you cant replace them! Rendering this very expensive display completely useless! This is such an obvious flaw! Come on Apple designers! Where is your common sense? This display would have a much longer life & be much more flexible if the cables connected via normal plugs & sockets. I shall be returning this product for a refund but would buy an improved model without question. It is beautifully designed, clear and bright and a pleasure to use otherwise.
71 of 100 people found this useful
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Apple LED Cinema Display (24" flat panel)
I love this screen!
Written by JC from coolock
01-Aug-2009
I originally bought myself a macbook (aluminium) in February, and when i worked on a friends imac I loved the screen size and clarity. This screen gives me the combo of both. Plug the laptop in, I basically have an Imac, then unplug it and off to college etc. cable length complaints are a bit unfair, cable is approx 1m long, dont see a need for anything longer, complaints about glare are again picky. It is pricey, but worth it. Oh and easy way around not being able to turn screen off at night is to use energy saver settings and turn display sleep to 1 min before you head to bed.
34 of 39 people found this useful
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Apple LED Cinema Display (24" flat panel)
Does What it's Meant To Do
Written by SP from DRIFFIELD
22-Jul-2009
Using my display with my 2009 13' MACbook Pro and its amazing. No complicated set up, just plug and play.
Worth every penny.29 of 35 people found this useful
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Apple LED Cinema Display (24" flat panel)
short lead problem
Written by DP from HOLMFIRTH
20-Jul-2009
I totally agree with AP from London on all counts and share the Mac Pro under the desk problem!
I found an extension lead at Circuit Assembly eStore.39 of 40 people found this useful
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Apple LED Cinema Display (24" flat panel)
Stunning Display, but...
Written by TA from London
17-Jul-2009
Appearance:
The display looks awesome; it's a beautiful piece of design genius. The glossy finish is fantastic, and makes photos and video jump out at you (especially if you are viewing HD content; the screen is full HD). The gloss finish does reflect; but they aren't noticeable when the screen brightness is at, or near full.
Connectivity:
The laptop connector cable is great; its brilliantly quick to plug into your laptop and certainly removes the hassle of plugging several cables into your computer and tying it down to the desk.
Other:
The inbuilt speakers are certainly better than a computers; but they aren't hi-fi quality. If you just want to listen to short clips etc or a bit of quiet music they are fine; but otherwise consider investing in usb attached speakers!
ISSUES:
There is one problem with this product; dust under the screen. I'm on my second screen now, and am about to return it for a third. If you buy your screen in store, ask them to get it out so you can check to see whether there is dust under the screen before buying!
33 of 34 people found this useful
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Apple LED Cinema Display (24" flat panel)
24 inch Cinema Display
Written by AP from LONDON
01-Jun-2009
I agree with all the positive comments about this display. The quality is very good. But I also want to emphasise what at least one reviewer has already said. This is really only suitable for use with a laptop. I made the mistake of buying one to go with my desktop, or rather, desk under, MacPro (itself a great bit of kit) and the mini display port lead is nothing like long enough to reach (its less than three feet) to be able to position the two items comfortably. A search for a longer lead, or a way of extending the existing one including creative use of connectors, failed miserably (and I was looking in the UK and the US). So this is a potential show-stopper unless Apple, or a third party supplier, fix this problem.
I strongly urge, therefore, a google search for a longer lead before buying the screen, so that you can be sure that a stupid minor glitch like this doesn't render your expensive purchase unusable.178 of 189 people found this useful
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Apple LED Cinema Display (24" flat panel)
Awesome...
Written by JT from Brussels
23-May-2009
This is probably one of the best displays I have owned!
Very easy to hook up to your MacBook (new line-up) without the need of fidgeting around with extra cables...but please not that this is really being sold as a MacBook "accessory" i.e. as an external display for your new MB.
Don't bother buying this for any any other use!
Picture quality & Design are simply..well, Awesome!32 of 37 people found this useful
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Apple LED Cinema Display (24" flat panel)
Good looking AND functional
Written by MS from Reading
20-May-2009
Even unpacking the box is a pleasant experience! Apple have paid a lot of attention to making sure it arrives in pristine condition - there is protective film over the body of the screen to prevent scratches etc.
Set-up is easy, you really don't need to use the manual. The inclusion of a Magsafe connector to link up to your macbook is genius as it saves the need for another socket - with so many peripherals power sockets are at a premium for me! Although, the cable comes from the side of the Magsafe connector (rather than straight out as a usual Magsafe connector on the power pack) which means it causes me a problem running the cable to the back of my desk without a loop with my protective case installed on my Macbook - but that's a minor issue.
The 3 USB ports are handy, and are helpfully located on the back of the screen - some might say this is a problem but, if like me, you have several peripherals which are plugged in permanently, this keeps them out of sight.
The image provided by the screen is brilliant - you have to turn the brightness down just a touch from the factory setting as it's like looking at the sun otherwise (it is really that bright!)... the image is crystal clear and sharp. I don't know if one should expect dead pixels with LED's but there aren't any anyway.
Overall, although pricey, this screen is second-to-none. Looks wonderful and performs brilliantly. Get one!48 of 52 people found this useful
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Apple LED Cinema Display (24" flat panel)
Excellent Performance, fantastic product!
Written by JH from Burgess Hill
05-May-2009
After looking around at the various screens on the market I decided to try the Apple LED Display. There were many reasons for this, but the main one was the fact that the quality of image on this screen is absolute perfection. Colours are rich, blacks are very black, and the resolution is high enough for the work I was intending to use it for. I could have purchased a much cheaper display (at £635 the Apple Cinema Display is very expensive), however, other less expensive displays use CCFL technology for the lighting of the panel, and this is no way near as effective as using LED technology in the way that Apple have chosen to do with this display. Cold cathode fluorescent lamps achieve excellent results for their price, but I wanted a display that really delivered when it came to colour, and produced an even tone across the whole display.
The first thing you notice when you remove it from the box is the stunning industrial design. The guys at Apple have once again produced something which will not look out of place in any home or office. The display has a cable bunch attached with includes a Micro Displayport connector, USB 2.0 lead and the Magsafe connector. The Magsafe connector allows you to charge your Apple MacBook while using it with the display. This is a great idea as it removed the need for me to purchase an additional power block for use at home. I can now leave my Apple charger in my bag, ready to go. The USB cable is also handy as it allows you to use the display as a USB hub for up to three devices. The only downside of this is that as the USB sockets are located on the rear of the display they can be quite hard to locate without turning the display around and the cable bunch is pretty short.
When you plug in your display into the MacBook you have a choice of different modes to use. You can leave the MacBook lid open and have the displays running together, giving you a huge area to work within, or you can close the lid and the 24″ display becomes the primary display for using your MacBook. Either method provides excellent results, and the display is a joy to work with. Also included in the display is a built-in iSight camera, speakers and a microphone - all of which are powered via the same USB connection to your MacBook. This is an excellent feature, as it gives you the option to work with the lid down on your MacBook and still use all of the features of the MacBook. Obviously working in this way requires a keyboard and mouse (I have been using the bluetooth wireless keyboard and mouse and these work perfectly with the lid closed. Performance under Windows via Bootcamp is also excellent and everything works just as it should.
Overall using the Apple 24″ LED Cinema Display is an excellent experience, the screen looks fantastic and has the performance to boot. An excellent display and well worth the extra money - £635 never sounded such a bargain. Perfect for all MacBook users.71 of 76 people found this useful
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Apple LED Cinema Display (24" flat panel)
Very good monitor, connection lead far too short
Written by SM from Inverness
08-Apr-2009
A superb monitor, now that apple extracted the digit and started selling cards for backwards compatibility with existing towers. I just purchased a new tower for a team member, and bought two cards for my old tower and two of these monitors based on how good they were.
They only go out with the mini-dv, so be aware.
The only real problem that I can find is that the lead is far too short. Should have put a couple of extra meters on that lead. Imagine you have your machine well hidden away, and you want to connect to a wall of monitors on the desktop. You'll be out of luck as it won't stretch very far :(87 of 101 people found this useful
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Apple LED Cinema Display (24" flat panel)
Great monitor, but check compatibility first!
Written by CR from London
06-Apr-2009
This is a superb monitor (as long as you like the glossy finish). However...
This monitor only comes with a mini-DisplayPort adapter. Unless you have a brand new Mac laptop or desktop, you will not be able to connect the monitor.
Optimists hoping to be able to find a mini-DisplayPort to DVI adapter of the right gender (opposite to those sold in the Apple Store) will be doomed to a long search.250 of 274 people found this useful
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Apple LED Cinema Display (24" flat panel)
Its brilliant and attractive
Written by FN
01-Apr-2009
I cannt say much the product speak itsself
29 of 107 people found this useful
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Apple LED Cinema Display (24" flat panel)
amazing......
Written by CB from shrewsbury
30-Mar-2009
simply amazing......ive got a 23' cinema, a 24' imac and this display is by far a and away the brightest, instant on, sexy colors and the size and shape so lovely.....
chris burt shrewsbury38 of 48 people found this useful
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