Customer Reviews and Ratings

3.5 out of 5 stars

Based on 331 reviews

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Joke of the day: too glossy glossy :D

    • Written by from Colorado Springs

    cafe can't be too black, girl can't be too hot and HD Cinema can not be too glossy.
    Thanks Apple :) Well done job, again :D
    Your hardware rULeZ the World, no questions !

    14 of 51 people found this useful

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    27" iMac

    • Written by from Houston

    I bought the new 27" iMac with i5 processor. This is the finest display I have come across. Please do not convert it to anti-glare. The main reason I bought this computer is the beautiful display. Glass is best.

    Some people don't like the reflective properties and have trouble due to lighting but I am not one of them.

    If Apple decides to offer a anti-glare screen I really hope they continue to offer the current one as an option as well. OSX Snow Leopard runs great, I really like it after using Windows 7 too. I run Windows 7 apps on the OSX desktop using Parallels with Coherence. It really is the best of both worlds.

    21 of 50 people found this useful

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Best PC monitor I have ever owned.

    • Written by from Wakeman

    I absolutely love my Apple LED Cinema Display 27". Don't believe these myths that the ACD27" works only on Macs, or that you need a Mac to control brightness controls from 0 to 100%. I have a PC with an eVGA GeForce GTX 260. The ACD27" is connected to my GTX 260 with the Atlona AT-DP400. There is no lag or image degradation from the Atlona.

    I am running Windows 7 Ultimate x64 with Boot Camp 3.1 installed, along with Apple's 27" Display Update. The speakers, microphone, iSight camera, ambient light sensor, USB ports, and brightness controls work flawlessly. Driver level 1:1 pixel mapping even works through my nVidia card. With a pixel pitch of .233, text is razor sharp. Images look vivid and really pop with the glossy finish! The glossy panel could be a problem if you want to use this in a bright environment, but with proper lighting conditions glare is a non-issue. This is hands down the best PC monitor I have ever used. It has a much cleaner image than any other LG IPS display on the market, all of which have an aggressive anti-glare coating which creates a "sparkle" effect. Thank you, Steve Jobs, for bringing a glossy solution to IPS buyers!

    17 of 29 people found this useful

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Exactly what i was looking for!

    • Written by from Toronto

    I know a lot of people want to complain about the fact that it only works with Mini Display ports and the glossy screen is very reflective, but the bottom line is they say the monitor has a glossy screen so if you do not like that then do not buy it. Do not buy the glossy screen then bash the product because you do not like that because you knew very well what it was! The Mini Display Port is a somewhat annoying problem but i bought a nvidia GT 120 i believe and it has DVI and Mini Display so i was fine. It once again clearly says to you works with every NEW Mac not every 1 Year old Mac or every 2 Year old Mac so stop acting like they are tricking you because they give you all of the information right here and expect you to actually read it.

    The quality of the monitor is unbelievable its dark blacks are great and even at full brightness it looks fantastic. At night with my lamp on i turn off the backlight because it doesn't even need it. The clarity is also just perfect and the speakers surprised me. I normally use Bose computer speakers and so i am used to great sound so i thought trying the built in ones would disappoint but they do not. They still sound great and are very usable as well as the Isight camera it is very good quality and its all built in to the monitor so you cant lose. I also enjoy that there is no buttons on the monitor because then you just turn off the computer and it is off as well and same thing for when it goes to sleep.

    I recommend this monitor without question and the money is not that big of an issue when you know you are getting quality like this.

    14 of 22 people found this useful

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Fabulous with new 27" iMac!!

    • Written by from Elk River

    I connected the 27" Cinema display to a 2 week old 27" iMac. Fantastic combo! The 27" cinema display looks identical to the 27" iMacs screen. Both have the same glossy finish. The form factor of the monitor is slightly shorter than the iMac by 1-1/4" but the screen dimensions and resolution are identical. I created a simple spacer to elevate the display to align the top of the monitor with the top of the iMac.

    I don't understand all of the complaints about the glossy finish. I own several Dell 24" flat screen displays that have the non-reflective finish and I can tell you that this new 27" cinema display is considerably sharper and clearer compared to the Dell 24" WFP displays and I have no issue with reflection.

    Setting this up with the 27" iMac couldn't be easier. The iMac automatically detected the new display, dialed in the max resolution at the first boot up. I simply had to choose which side logically I wanted the display to be on in system settings. It also gives you the cool option of deciding which monitor the menu bar/dock is located. You don't need to buy a separate cable as it comes with an all-in-one cable for mini-display port, USB, mag power connector for MacBooks.

    Overall I highly recommend the new 27" display...you won't be disappointed!

    39 of 50 people found this useful

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Sweet!

    • Written by from East Hartford

    loving this new monitor!!! Just received last night and very impressed...blows away all the others I 've looked at in this price point! i have a brand new 15" fully loaded macbook pro courtesy of apple care because my 2008 had a minor glitch when I opened the lid of flickering. They couldn't seem to fix it after 3 attempts and sent me a brand new model which I upped to 8gb ram. I thought I would treat myself to this monitor, wired keyboard, and magic mouse, and "bam" I now have the best of both worlds! This led was made to work together and I am very impressed. As far as all the complaints regarding glare and glossy, go back to 1990 you can keep your matte screens. After all you can't please everyone. I do agree Apple should increase cable lengths as well as add some other port compatibility but other than that you get what you pay for and thats quality. i though about saving a couple of hundred on the 24" but I am glad I didn't, much better quality with the 2560x 1440. If you can afford this is the way to go! Thanks APPLE!!!

    17 of 23 people found this useful

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Great Display

    • Written by from Cockeysville

    This display is extremely clear and vivid. The only time I notice the glossy screen is when my computer is asleep and the screen is black. Once it wakes, the glossiness becomes a non issue. I could just be used to the glossy screen of my kids iMac though. I agree the cords could be longer, but I was able to adjust my computer location to make it work. I really like the space with which the 27" screen gives me to arrange my work. If you are not used to a glossy screen, this may take just a little for some people to get used to. But, I think this monitor is fantastic and well worth the investment.

    18 of 25 people found this useful

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    r0ck0rz!

    • Written by from KUNA

    If you haven't invested in blockout blinds, dark purple Ralph Lauren wall paint and track lighting, I can't help you. But I have and this monitor is the greatest ever. The cord could be longer.

    33 of 46 people found this useful

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Simply Amazing

    • Written by from Santa Monica

    Lots of real estate, excellent color reproduction, great contrast, booming sound from the 2.1 speaker system. This monitor was just plug n play. Excellent product all around.

    28 of 36 people found this useful

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    As a pro photographer - I love it!

    • Written by from Montreal

    I'm a pro photographer and having this screen is great asset.
    Yes, there is a problem with reflection, but with any screen you should good lighting condition. The colors are really nice and my photos looks great and sharp. It's really nice to have only one cable on my table that also charging my MacBook Pro.
    I returned my new Dell U2711 27' HD UltraSharp 2 month age just because it was hard to see if the image is sharp or not.
    Apple display is one more great product that you mast to have for photography business.

    32 of 42 people found this useful

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    The Glare is from Your Room

    • Written by from Basalt

    I love the glossy screen and much prefer it over the matte screen it is replacing (a 30" LG). My Macbook Pro from two years ago came with the matte screen and it was not nearly as crisp or vibrant as the new Macbook Pro or the iMac with the glossy screen. I guess if you live in a world of unfiltered fluorescents you should look elsewhere, but in my very bright, south facing office it has never been an issue.

    24 of 34 people found this useful

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Happy Customer

    • Written by from Thousand Oaks

    I've read all the reviews and was hesitant to purchase due to the glare, limited port availability and mostly inability to use for PC. I decided to go into my local Apple store and give it a shot.

    The port limitation isn't much of a big deal for me though. If I need hdmi, etc I'll go to my 55" Samsung. I would've like to have seen 1 or 2 USB ports built-in though.

    I'm loving this thing. The images are as crisp as I've even seer. The colors pop off and are extremely vivid. I have no glare issues but my office is situated in a way to mitigate this problem others have expressed.

    My one gripe is the lack of a power button and short cabling. I tend to leave my MBP on but would like the option of powering off the display. I suppose I can adjust the power setting to control the monitor going to sleep though.

    All in all, very happy customer. I haven't seen a Dell monitor which can compare to this yet, and if it did, the price point is more than the Apple unit. I'm satisfied and will be keeping mine.

    26 of 35 people found this useful

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Love it

    • Written by from Las Vegas

    I switched from a 24" Samsung 2493HD LCD and the Apple display is way better. Mostly because the changes they made in Snow Leopard in regards to font smoothing. Text on my Samsung looked so awful that I just couldn't deal with it anymore. I decided to take the plunge on the Apple display and after 24 hours I can say it was well worth it! Text on the 27" Apple LED is phenomenal! I did have to calibrate it to get the color saturation a little better than the default. When I initially plugged it in the colors looked slightly washed out compared to my Samsung. But, after calibration everything is looking stellar! I'm very pleased with the display and would highly recommend for anyone switching from another brand of display

    15 of 23 people found this useful

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Glossy, maybe it's ok

    • Written by from Firestone

    Well, at first i was mad that it's glossy, but couldn't pass up the features. Now that I've been using it for a week, you know what? I'm starting to become a fan of glossy. It's actually very clear, good colors and my eyes don't feel like they are blurring out. All, in all, i'm going to have to say I'm becoming a glossy fan. No headaches, and I've been a hardcore matte for a while. Color calibration went fine, and the thing is a beauty. The auto brightness is great for coding, text is crisp and clear and this things just beats the u2711 (seems much clearer). No dead pixels, no issues, a+

    103 of 138 people found this useful

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    amazing

    • Written by from miami

    wish the cables were longer thats my only complaint, otherwise amazing display. pricey but worth it.

    27 of 44 people found this useful

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Extremely satisfied

    • Written by from 豊見城

    Pros
    Huge.
    Color temperature and grayscale tracking are excellent.
    No inverter noise.
    Does not generate significant heat.
    Brightness range is incredible - more than comfortably usable in pitch dark rooms.
    Amazingly easy connection to macbook pro. the magsafe charger is a godsend.
    Built-in speakers surprisingly good quality. can easily surpress need to connect to a real audio system.
    Uniformity is surprisingly good to the naked eye. Only some edge bleeding near the bottom, visible only on test patterns. No yellow tinging.
    Sleek and sexy design, second to none, apple elegance all the way.

    Cons
    No height or left-right swivel adjustment
    Only one display port input, no HDMI, no HDCP, cannot display video game material without some serious conversions.
    Extremely glossy coating makes it unsuitable for watching dark material (eg movies) in harsh lighting.
    More usb ports would've been nice.

    75 of 97 people found this useful

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Overall great display!

    • Written by from Clifton Heights

    I purchased mine on 9/25/10...

    Coming from the 24" model I felt that the widescreen aspect ratio was a little hard to get used to. It made the display look a little less tall and it almost looked the same as the 24" display.

    I do agree with peers and I too wish there was an HDMI port on it. Real bummer that there isn't one. It would make the display more multi-use.

    I’m a power user/designer/video pro/photographer/blogger and the glossy screen does not bother me one bit, so I don't see how others really dislike that. I have an old 30" Cinema Display at work and either work for me, however I prefer working on the 27" display.

    Question to upgrade from the 24" to the 27"... If you have the money and you can sell your old one go for it, I don't know if it's a big upgrade in technology to make that jump for some.

    The new auto dimming feature is a real nice plus, but I feel like its always setting the brightness a little to bright for my tastes.

    The 178 degree viewing seems very similar if not any different from the 24" model.

    I do like that Apple made the glass go to all the way to the edge similar to the iMac. This makes wiping the glass a little easier so dirt/dust don't collect there.

    One other thing that could have been updated with this monitor would be the length of the cable that supplies usb, mini display and power. I think it’s a little too short and I needed an extension cable so I can have my MacBook Pro off to the side and further away.

    Overall great display!

    33 of 53 people found this useful

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    Awesome 27"

    • Written by from San Diego

    I had the 27" inch LED display for two days know and I love it, The glossy screen does NOT bother me at all, I own a 2010 12-Core Mac Pro with ATi 1GB 5870 and my Mac is on the floor and the cable on the 27-Inch LED Cinema was long enough to hook up the display onto my Mac Pro didn't need any extension, Now i can enjoy using Photo Booth and ichat on the Mac Pro without any external webcam.

    12 of 30 people found this useful

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    love it! even with the glossy!

    • Written by from Atlanta

    don't understand all those complaining about the gloss. The gloss is what gives these monitors a more vivid and clearer look to the display. If your lighting conditions are bad, then fix it! you should be working in proper lighting conditions anyways.

    I can't even look at monitors without gloss as you just don't get the level of clarity and detailed sharpness in the image, especially with text.

    keep'em comin Apple!

    60 of 107 people found this useful

  • 5.0 out of 5 stars

    BIG and shiny!

    • Written by from ATLANTA

    This monitor is great! The width is wide enough to place 2 documents or web pages side-by-side plus another chat or Twitter client on the side. Yes, there are glares but it's not any worse than the glare that you already experience on your current, modern Macbooks or MBP's.

    Although the price tag is $1,000, comparable Dell or Samsung monitors with 2560x1440 resolution are sold for $1,200 to $1,300 - so this is actually cheaper if you want a 27" monitor with resolution higher than the standard 1080p or 1920x1080 pixels. Size wise it's comparable to the 30" Cinema Display - that monitor seems to be taller... but for almost 1/2 the price and more features, you really can't beat this one.

    54 of 84 people found this useful