12/18/2014 Apple Cinema Display review ­ CNET Search CNET Reviews News Video How To Download US Edition CNET › Computer accessories › Monitors › Apple Cinema Display Apple Cinema Display review: Apple Cinema Display REVIEW USER REVIEWS SPECIFICATIONS PRICES WHERE TO BUY / SEE ALL PRICES Apple Cinema Display (20- inch) Part Number: M9177LL/A / Released: Jun 28, 2004 2 Related Models MSRP: LOW PRICE: $599.00 $54.99 Memory4Less.com $689.54 SEE IT CNET EDITORS' RATING AVERAGE USER RATING $54.99 MacMall $54.99 SEE IT to $689.54 Vstaerrsy good Be the first to review! PC Mall $54.99 SEE IT See all prices » 0 / 0 / 0 / / / more + QUICK SPECIFICATIONS / SEE ALL Review Date: September 14, 2004 Updated on: September 14, 2004 The Good / Beautiful image quality; stunning design; PC-compatible; integrated Release date Jun 28, 2004 USB and FireWire ports. Display Type LCD monitor / TFT The Bad / A bit pricey; limited adjustability options; no home entertainment video active matrix inputs. Interface DVI The Bottom Line / The Apple 23-inch Cinema Display is low on extras and high on price. Still, one look at this gorgeous LCD, and you'll kiss your practicality good-bye. Diagonal Size 20 in Pixel Pitch 0.258 mm EDITORS' TOP PICKS SEE ALL EPEAT Logo Silver Image Contrast Ratio 700:1 Image Aspect Ratio 16:10 Dell U2713HM HP DreamColor Asus PA248Q HP ZR2740w ABOUT THE AUTHOR / Starting at: $584.99 LP2480zx Starting at: $284.52 Starting at: $517.08 Starting at: $649.99 Kristina Blachere stars stars stars stars Apple 23-inch Cinema Display MSRP: $599.00 LOW PRICE: Apple's latest line of Cinema Displays (available in 20-inch, $54.99 23-inch, and 30-inch models) ushers in a renewed spirit of cross-platform cooperation. Thanks to a DVI connector on http://www.cnet.com/products/apple­cinema­display/ 1/3 12/18/2014 Apple Cinema Display review ­ CNET Memory4Less.com SEE IT each and every Apple Cinema Display, PC users can now $689.54 enjoy the fabulous design and stunning image quality that MacMall Apple aficionados have been luxuriating in since the iMac. SEE IT $54.99 The 23-inch Cinema HD Display LCD, in particular, is a looker. It's so lovely that we're willing to forgive its high price, limited PC Mall SEE IT adjustability, and lack of video inputs. In fact, hooking it up to $54.99 a comparatively hideous Intel-based PC feels like such a See all prices » crime that we're beginning to suspect an ulterior motive on Apple's part. How much was that Apple Power Mac G5 again? The Cinema HD Display's design leaves no detail overlooked. The sleek, 0.75-inch brushed-aluminum bezel is unblemished by anything so vulgar as a power button (it's tucked discreetly into the right-side edge of the display), and the aluminum neck and base form a simple, elegant L shape that's both completely stable and smooth enough on the bottom to turn and slide easily across your desktop. As you contemplate the Cinema Display's pristine beauty, you'll notice small, elegant details, such as the oval cable pass-through ringed with white plastic; the single white cord, which meets the glossy white power brick and splits into signal, power, USB, and FireWire cables; and the DVI connector, which also wears a tidy, white, iPod-style suit. The simple design, however, limits the adjustments you can make to the display panel. The neck height is fixed, so very tall users may have to set the Cinema Display on a riser (though it's almost painful to contemplate sullying the display's minimalist appearance with such a device). Also, unlike many large LCDs, such as the Eizo FlexScan L885 , the Cinema HD lacks the ability to pivot between Portrait and Landscape modes--a feature that would have made it even easier to view legal documents and Web pages. But while the display doesn't have a hinge or a lazy Susan for swiveling left and right, the slippery aluminum base lets you accomplish the same thing by sliding the monitor around. The panel also tilts back and forth about 20 degrees and 5 degrees, respectively; it's by far the smoothest, easiest tilt function we've ever seen in an LCD. This generation of Cinema Displays marks Apple's return to a DVI connection (after years of using a proprietary ADC connection), making the Cinema HD Display PC compatible. Also, for the first time, the new Cinema Displays are compatible with VESA mounts, allowing you to attach the monitors to walls. But unlike many jumbo LCDs that incorporate home entertainment features such as picture-in-picture, a TV tuner, or composite and S-Video ports, the Cinema Display provides only two USB and two FireWire ports. We're willing to forgive these omissions because this LCD looks so pretty, but you should know that you can get these video extras in a 23- inch LCD (such as the Planar PX212M or the HP L2035) that costs several hundred dollars less than the Apple Cinema HD Display. CONTINUE TO NEXT PAGE 01 / 02 EDITORS' TOP PICKS SEE ALL http://www.cnet.com/products/apple­cinema­display/ 2/3 12/18/2014 Apple Cinema Display review ­ CNET Dell U2713HM HP DreamColor Asus PA248Q HP ZR2740w Starting at: $584.99 LP2480zx Starting at: $284.52 Starting at: $517.08 Starting at: $649.99 stars stars stars stars J OIN THE DISCUSSION 0 Comments / 1 person following Log In + Follow conversation Share Post Comment As... 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