Apple unveiled a new Cinema Display, too

The spotlight may have been on MacBooks at Tuesday's Apple press conference, but there was one other product on the stage: Apple's new 24-inch Cinema Display.

Admittedly, a monitor is hardly as exciting as an aluminum MacBook, but I do find myself intrigued. The 24-inch display is Apple's first with LED backlighting, which is not only thinner but also reportedly produces more accurate colors while using less energy than traditional monitors. It incorporates an iSight camera, built-in microphone, and speakers. And it includes a second cable at the rear of the display with branches for a MagSafe adapter, USB, and mini-DisplayPort connector.

This last feature is what appeals to me most; combined with three USB ports on the back of the display, it turns the display into a de facto dock for the MacBook and MacBook Pro. The end result is just one cord on your desk, and no more than three connections to unplug when you leave.

Of course, as Apple has shown us time and again, simplicity like that doesn't come cheap: the 24-inch Cinema Display costs $899. To quote CNET Labs' Eric Franklin, "There is no way a 24-inch monitor is worth 900 dollars." Indeed, the HP w2408h is just $500 at HP.com, and Dell currently sells the UltraSharp 2408WFP for $619 on its site. Even the Lenovo ThinkVision L2440x, which also uses LED backlights, costs $750.

So is the unified look and docking function of Apple's 24-inch Cinema Display worth the extra dough? You'll have a little time to decide, because it doesn't start shipping until November.

For complete coverage of the Apple notebook news, see "Apple polishes up its MacBook line."

[pj4614]

While the quote from CNET Labs' Eric Franklin appears to indicate a lack of intelligence and vision, it's not really fair for Michelle Thatcher to have used it in the article. How about your own opinion Michelle? The truth is that for $899 Apple provides a superior product with built in iSight video camera, microphone, speakers and convenient/attractive cabling. Apple is providing much more than the competitors mentioned who simply provide a "monitor". (Or......I suppose I could buy one of the other monitors, some speakers, a microphone, a mounted camera and have cables running amok....) Apple will sell plenty of these and deservedly so.

[goodspeed8701]

Retard

[jandler]

Wait...integrated microphone...So I have to yell @ my monitor? I have a 20 inch monitor and I keep it at least @ 2 arms length.

[fleurya]

Why wasn't anything about the acutal specs of the monitor's performance mentioned??? Sure it has camera, speakers and other stuff most people will hardly use (especially the speakers) but what I want to know about is specs like contrast ratios and response time.

Well, I looked them up myself and understand why Jobs nor anyone else is talking about them, because they are flat out disappointing. A mere 1,000:1 contrast ratio and 14ms response time is really sad. The $619 Dell mentioned above has a 3,000:1 contrast ratio and 6ms response time!! I think I'll stick with Dell for my monitor needs.

[Christopher Wohlschlegel]

because all the other monitors are ugly as hell

[fleurya]

Typical lame Apple fanboi response. It's especially lame when it comes to monitors, since they offer little for aesthic difference anyway. For me and most people the more screen and less everything else, the better. That glass bezel will just be a distracting PITA, especially if you have anything bright behind you getting reflected on it. Just give me maximum screen and the thinnes, least distracting bezel possible, like my Dell monitor, and that makes the best monitor in my book.