My Apple 30″ monitor is dying so I decided to go ahead and replace it (additional business expense in 2008 FTW). I was surprised at what I found when looking up the Apple and Dell 30″ offerings.
Apple offers (for $1799 retail):
- An elegant cosmetic design.
Dell offers (for $1399 retail):
- Faster response time.
- Higher contrast.
- Three times the support level (3 years to 1).
- Card reader built in.
- Adjustable height.
- Does not have a big power brick.
I buy much of my gear refurbished, so let’s compare the refurbished prices as well. Apple: $1499, Dell: $750. Literally half the price. The Apple display refurbished is more expensive than the Dell new.
Sorry, this is a no-brainer.
(Hopefully the Dell arrives in good working order and there is no postscript to this post needed.)
$750 for a 30″ display is amazing. I bought the original 22″ Apple Cinema Display in 1999 and my Apple 30″ monitor in 2004. I think both were in the $3k range at the time.
As Rands says, you’ve got to have room for big ideas.
UPDATE 2008-12-24: It arrived today and seems to work beautifully (card reader works too). I’ve added “height adjustable” and “no big power dongle adapter” to the Dell list.
Popularity: 10% [?]
Joe Perrin adds this Comment:
Great info here Alex! Thanks.
Do you have a link for the Dell refurbished 30″ model?
December 24th, 2008 at 2:31 am
Richard adds this Comment:
Joe, here are the links to the Dell site for refurbished monitors:
30″
http://preview.tinyurl.com/6aqaz7
Complete Line
http://preview.tinyurl.com/qbxvt
December 24th, 2008 at 8:50 am
Charlie (Colorado) adds this Comment:
Alex, check out techforless.com. They’re down in the Springs and have been good to me in the past on refurb equipment.
December 24th, 2008 at 10:01 am
Chris Kelly adds this Comment:
The 30″ Dell is a great deal (working on one now), but I’d watch out for the build quality (do a search for 3007WFP buzzing). Apparently a few substandard parts allow for a loud buzzing at varying brightness settings. I can confirm this and I’m one where it bugs me at times. Other than that the screen is flawless.
Still, it’s not bad most of the time (and a downright steal at $750), assuming you’re not blasting the brightness at full. I didn’t buy mine myself, but if I had, I would have still considered the Apple one, and if Apple ever updates the 30″ like the new 24″ it would be close to a no-brainer.
Dell has a new 3008 as well, which has a whole slew of ports (3007 has just the Dual-link DVI). You can get it from $1500-$2000.
Any way, I couldn’t live with anything smaller now. even disconnecting and using my laptop’s 15″ screen is painful at times
December 24th, 2008 at 10:21 am
(a different) Alex adds this Comment:
It’s a shame that your monitor had to break down now, most signs point towards a new set of iMacs and Displays sometime in the new year.
With the current tech specs of the Apple displays I have to agree, I run dual 24″ Dell displays with my Mac and PC and they’re excellent. We can only hope that their next update brings them up to the standard that we’d expect from Apple.
December 24th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Alex adds this Comment:
Yes, the new Apple 24″ is gorgeous. But it will still be twice the price; so I’d probably still go with the Dell.
December 24th, 2008 at 1:49 pm
Tony Nelson adds this Comment:
I went through the exact same decision. I bought my Dell 30″ two years ago and I’ve been 100% satisfied. At some point, Apple is going to have to look at how their margins may be eroding sales volume. With Apple being primarily a hardware company, you’d think that volume would be the main focus. High margins can only be sustained for so long. As much as I wanted the Apple 30″ monitor, it didn’t make any fiscal sense to do so….
December 28th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
Paddy Mullen adds this Comment:
I bought a samsung 305t plus this summer for about $1300, it was a good deal at the time, I feel like a bit of a dolt now. I recently ran into some trouble with my screen, my mac book pro was being fixed so I was using my mac book, which can’t drive 2560×1600, it drove the 30 inch at its only other resolution, 1280×800. Very annoying. the dell 30 inch has the same resolution capabilities. the apple 30 inch can do 1920×1200. Congrats on the purchas
December 28th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
Pavi adds this Comment:
Hi Tony, I think Apple has heard your voice now and will soon become the volume leader as well, especially when more and more products from Apple are being offered on Wal-Mart. I hope the Apple does not end operations just like 1000’s of other suppliers of Wal-Mart after unable to make money supplying products to Wal-Mart.
December 29th, 2008 at 9:18 am
Joe Perrin adds this Comment:
Why not just buy a 42 inch HDTV and use it for your computer display? I’m asking because I don’t know the answer.
It seems to me that you get more for your money if you go with an HDTV. It’s multipurpose (monitor or HDTV) and you can get a bigger screen like a 42 inch HDTV for $600-$800.
I assume there is good reason why you guys aren’t doing this. Maybe HDTV resolution isn’t that great for use as a computer monitor. Or maybe it’s response time. I dunno.
I’m looking to buy a 30 inch monitor for my computer but I’m not sure why I shouldn’t get an HDTV which I can use as a TV if I ever needed to.
Care to clue me in why the Apple or Dell monitor beats out an HDTV?
Thanks.
January 6th, 2009 at 8:04 am
Alex adds this Comment:
1080p HDTV resolution = 1,920 x 1,080
Apple/Dell 30″ Display resolution = 2,560 x 1,600
January 6th, 2009 at 10:00 am
Joe Perrin adds this Comment:
Ah. Enough said.
Thanks Alex.
January 6th, 2009 at 6:33 pm
Dual-Link DVI Cable Causes Crash | alexking.org adds this Pingback:
[...] would fit properly under my desk I needed a longer DVI cable than the 6ft. cable that came with my Dell 30″. I ordered a 10ft CablesToGo cable from [...]
January 17th, 2009 at 10:53 am
steve adds this Comment:
Wondering if any of you are working design professionals… Im on the fence but most manufacturers cant hold a light to Apple as far as the design / color proofing industry is concerned…
Any feedback?
February 12th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Big BAD Benny adds this Comment:
@ steve – Eizo Colour Edge is the gold standard as regards design /colour / proofing, but the 30″ is mega bucks!
I’m researching the next best to the Eizo, choices are Apple, NEC, Dell and HP. Any ideas?
February 23rd, 2009 at 4:29 am
Joe Perrin adds this Comment:
Hey Alex,
I pulled the trigger on the 30” Dell. It’s an AMAZING monitor. Thanks for turning me on to it.
I’ve got the monitor plugged in to my 15” Mac Book Pro and I’m looking to calibrate the monitor. My primary use is editing photos so correct color is very important to me.
Did calibrate the monitor? If so how did you go about it. I’m thinking of buying a Spyder 3 Pro hardware calibration unit but wanted to check with you before I did.
February 23rd, 2009 at 10:26 pm
Joel adds this Comment:
Thanks for this comparison!
June 8th, 2009 at 1:09 pm