Apple Cinema Displays take price cut: 30-inch now $1,799

Looks like Apple is getting ready to clear some shelf space in their stores with price reductions across their entire line-up of Cinema Displays. Both the 20- and 23-inch displays have been reduced by $100 making them $599 and $899, respectively. While the oh so luxurious 30-incher has been cut by $200 and now sells for $1,799. Not bad if you just have to have a matching LCD for your new 8-core Mac Pro desktop. We can't help but wonder what they're making room for, of course. Full fledged HDTVs to augment their move into the Apple TV living room maybe? Or perhaps multi-touch displays to make the most of all those super secret new features yet to be unveiled in Leopard? Hell, we don't know, let's just enjoy the price cuts for now, mkay?

[Joey @ Apr 4th 2007 9:27AM]

Very Nice!

First =D

[Eric Chiu @ Apr 4th 2007 9:35AM]

quality wise, how does it compare with the new Dell 3007WFP ?

[AC @ Apr 4th 2007 9:43AM]

I think they still both use the same LCDs...

[Galley @ Apr 4th 2007 9:51AM]

I'm sporting a tremendous woody for the 23-incher, but I'd still like to see the price come down more.

[Hans Allis @ Apr 4th 2007 10:13AM]

It's still USD 3,070.00 over here in The Netherlands. Or USD 2,580 excluding taxes. I feel like we're left in the cold by Apple.

[John Miller @ Apr 4th 2007 10:16AM]

"Not bad"???

You can get a ton of 22" displays for $300 these days. Why spend $599 on a 20" Apple? Oh I know, because you're an Apple fanboy and it makes you feel good inside to have that Apple logo on your monitor.

The idiots shall pay for their idiocracy!

[Mike Cerm @ Apr 4th 2007 10:18AM]

Wow, they're that expensive?!? What the heck did they cost before? Dell's been selling their 30" for $1499, and for $1049 you can get a refurb. I'd rather just get a Dell refurb and paint it silver. The base on the Dell is also much more adjustable which, on a screen this big, is pretty useful.

[Kent Pribbernow @ Apr 4th 2007 10:26AM]

Meh! Still too pricey in this range. $899 for a 23" LCD? Come on Apple, if you're going to gouge us that much at least include built-in iSight cams.

Logically this price reduction indicates Apple is flushing out the channel in preparation for a new line of Cinema displays. One can only hope.

[Rick Lyon @ Apr 4th 2007 10:34AM]

John Miller Windows Fan Boy-
Yea, you can get a ton of CRAP for $300. You windows guys are always so quick to bash Apple and point out the CRAP that can be had for cheaper. Not many HD Widescreen monitors that are that much cheaper then Apple's. AND we pay just a little extra for 1) styling and 2) complimentary design. So, you can buy your cheap chinese black plastic monitor for cheap to go with your ultra cool tan plastic tower hidden under your desk. I'll go with an an Apple monitor that matches my desktop G5 and proudly display them. Apple spends R&D on design, esthetics, something common pc users are ignorant about.

Yes, the logos are bonuses. How many WINDOWS stickers do you see on the side of car windows? Not many unless they are techs on the way to fix another crap pc box.

[You Say Duh @ Apr 4th 2007 10:55AM]

I did not realize Samsung was crap. Or the Dell monitors that use the exact same panels and cost half as much. But yeah, must be crap if it doesn't have $100M+ in marketing behind it.

[Greenline @ Apr 4th 2007 12:13PM]

Amen!

[Rick Lyon @ Apr 4th 2007 11:21AM]

I didn't blanket everyone one in my statement, duh, try to read it all. Samsung was $350. So for a little more you get what I described. I don't buy Dell, but I know their HDTVs are really cheap, so I can't comment on their monitors.

[Jaxim @ Apr 4th 2007 11:10AM]

I'm still waiting for a 50" monitor with contrast ratios so high that black actually looks black.

[richard @ Sep 17th 2007 11:23PM]

you may be waiting for those nice blacks while your hair turns grey....

[Syndication @ Apr 4th 2007 11:29AM]

Too little, too late. Apple needs to come down more than this. Anyone who buys this over the Dell 3007-HC is too trendy for their own good. The 3007-HC comes with a better panel than the one in the Cinema Display and it's still only $1499.

I looked at the Apple 30" a few months ago and decided it wasn't for me even with the edu discount. It's going to take more than design to make me drop almost 2k on something that performs the same, but is more pleasing to the eye.

There are better alternatives out there for less cost people. Read the apple forums in the display section to find out what a POS apple displays are.

[steve-o @ Apr 4th 2007 11:31AM]

Ok, I have several monitors in my home from many different brands- but the one that I love the most is my Apple 23". There is no comparison when you put the Samsung next to the Apple- and I took it over to my neighbor to compare it with the Dell. Anodized aluminum casing, WAY more inputs, and the picture is just AMAZING! I too was skeptical, considering the low numbers on the contrast ratio- but we all know that companies pretty much guess at contrast ratios. I actually bought the Apple 23" with the intention of returning it if I didn't see the justification of the cost- It's staying. I even bought mine refurb from Apple website- and it's flawless. I especially like the power/brightness/contrast buttons- they respond to touch like an ipod- you just barely touch the button without pressing and it will do what you want.

[Vasilis @ Apr 4th 2007 11:32AM]

you can't get a 1920x1200 panel for 300$. You can get a 1680x1050 one for that price though however it is not really fair to compare it with a higher res one.

Having said that my 2 pennies for the Apple prices of those monitors in the uk! ! !

20" 529£ or a bit under $1000
23" 779£ or a bit under $1500
30" 1529£ or a bit under 3000$

Simply a robbery, even if you subtract the 17.5% VAT...

[Syndication @ Apr 4th 2007 11:39AM]

Lets also not forget that cheapo 1 year warranty on LCD displays apple gives! 3 years is STANDARD FOR MOST MFG's selling LCD's. If apple can't stand behind their line for 3 years without you purchasing extra service warranties, rest assured, your product isn't too reliable.

There's a reason some people avoid hard drives with 1 year warranties. It's a sign with quality and its no different that LCD's. For how much you're paying apple for them to sell that monitor for you, it better damn well come with a 3 year warranty.

Dell 3007-HC = $1499
HP 30" = $1639 + 3 DVI Ports (Even greater value)
Samsung 305T 30" = $1581

All cheaper than apple too. Remember people, apple doesn't make the LCD's other MFG's do!

[Eric @ Apr 4th 2007 11:42AM]

The difference between Dell and Apple is that Dell (and Sony) use LCDs that Apple's quality control has rejected. Not only that, but the Dell has migh higher contrast ratio. Great for zapping monsters in Quake IV, but for color correction you want lower contrast ratios. In fact, only Apple and Eizo's high-end LCDs are SWOPE certified. Nobody else can claim that. Not even LaCie.

So with Apple monitors, you lose multiple input capibility, and you don't get memory card slots (big deal) but what you get in return is a monitor that is appropriate for high-end graphics work, publishing and photography. Well, isn't that a big surprise?

Otherwise, get the Dell monitor if you like. I have a 23" Cinema display at home.

As for why the monitor price drops, well, it's pretty obvious. NAB is on the 15, Apple is there in force with a much larger than usual booth, and there is going ot be some big-time annoucements. So big that Apple chose to introduce the Octopussy Mac Pro today instead of then. Is there any doubt there are new monitors coming? Built in isight? Better LED backlights? Bigger? We can only hope!

[steve-o @ Apr 4th 2007 11:44AM]

"So with Apple monitors, you lose multiple input capibility..."


You have the Apple 23" and don't know that you have multiple inputs on the rear of your monitor?

[Eric @ Apr 4th 2007 12:02PM]

Steve-0,

There is one DVI input from the computer to a Cinema display. You cannot hook them up to two computers at once and use the monitor to switch between them. You can put the monitor on a DVI KVM switch, but that's different.

I should know, I've set up enough of them at work. All those other "holes" are Fireiwre and USB ports. They have NOTHING to do with the DVI signal. If I'm wrong, tell me, were are the HDMI or Composite ports on the back of Apple's displays? Unless they added them in the past few weeks, I've yet to see one.

I was distinguishing them from Dell monitors that have multiple format inputs for the monitor signal.

[harpreet @ Apr 4th 2007 1:04PM]

I'd rather pay 200$ more and go for a macbookpro which is a really nice notebook

[Moogle @ Apr 4th 2007 1:16PM]

After some research, I see that you actually mean SWOP, not SWOPE. Yes, that's a very interesting certification. Worth noting is that they revised SWOP last year, since before 2006 it was only a subjective visual analysis (Does this sheet look the same to me as the screen?). Apple is not listed on the page for systems certified after 2006.

Also of note is that Apple historically has been very friendly with the print industry, and companies like Dell, Sony, and Samsung have no real interest in getting a print industry certification.

As for Dell using Apple's rejects, sure, if you feel the need to justify your arbitrary purchasing decisions to a bunch of internet goons, we can go with that.

[Reid Conti @ Apr 4th 2007 2:24PM]

I bought the Dell 2407WFP 24" over the Apple 23" to go with my Mac Pro. Not so much because of cost; if I'm already paying over $700 for a monitor I can swing a few hundred more for the Apple unit if it's even just slightly better subjectively.

But the Dell has VGA, DVI, Composite Video, Component Video, and S-Video inputs. That did it for me, as I use it as an HDTV in my bedroom as well. Apple couldn't touch that. The memory card readers on the side of the display are just a bonus.

I love the Dell display, and don't regret buying it over the Apple one for one second. However, the software on the monitor was designed by the biggest idiot monkeys on the planet. It never remembers which input I was using with PIP, so just about EVERY TIME I want to do PIP, I have to switch to PIP, wait 3-5 seconds for the "info box" to disappear, hit the menu button, cursor over to the right menu, cursor down to the PIP input, cursor over to select "component video," then hit the select button.

There are a number of other times the useless menus frustrate me, and the worst part is having to wait for one display box or menu item to disappear before you can press ANY other button. C'mon, Dell, who designs these things?

I was thinking of upgrading to the Dell 30" some day, but I found out it (like the Apple) does not have any video inputs! So you have to pay twice as much for 6" more in diagonal screen size, and lose a ton of features? No thanks.

[tiuk @ Apr 4th 2007 3:03PM]

While I agree that Apple's prices are too high, everyone who is saying Dell is the way to go are wrong. Yes, Dell *sometimes* uses the same panels are the Apple monitors. That's the problem, though. Sometimes you might get an awesome S-IPS panel, other times you might get a crappy S-PVA. In November I bought a Dell 2007WFP and got stuck with an S-PVA. I returned it and bought an LG L204WT, because I at least knew which panel I'd be getting.

[Gadget Chick @ Apr 4th 2007 3:11PM]

i could buy a 40" hdtv for that kind of money

[barnz2k @ Apr 5th 2007 12:17AM]

using the 30" at work right now..
Frame gets WAY too hot.
No height adjustment which really sucks.

another 30" is sitting on the floor because the 2nd "older" g5 cant run it more than 600x res - Icons the size of a A4 page haha

[harpreet @ Apr 9th 2007 1:28PM]

or a nice 24 inch imac for 200$more

[simon @ Jul 26th 2007 7:56PM]

Gadjet Chick
You can't use a 40" HDTV as a monitor, unless you want massive pixels...
You wont read small text at all.