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Apple 30" display advice?

Rick Thompson
Expert
I am faced with a decision. I currently have a 23" and a 20" Apple display which I am very happy with. Personal family situations ... (daughter leaving for school (vacating room) and son needing a display... means I can have more room to expand, so I am thinking about a 30", along with the 23". That would bump the 20" to the son, so killing 2 birds with one stone

I recently saw one, and was quite impressed, but I wonder if it is too big? I remember someone (Dwight?) saying something to that extent. I do tend to keep many windows open at a time.

Question #2. I have an X800 Radeon (256MB), plus the "whatever" card that came with the dual G5/2gig Mac (card currently in a box). Can I put that original card in another slot and run both, or does it require something I need to get?

Thank you, any feed back would be appreciated.
Rick Thompson
Mac Sonoma AC 26
http://www.thompsonplans.com
Mac M2 studio w/ display
8 REPLIES 8
I can tell you that it's a "life-changing" monitor. Really, really nice. I can't imagine needing a secondary monitor, though. That's seems a lot of screen real estate to be scanning -- you're asking for whiplash. You can get so much on the 30" you don't need to split any program up.

Seriously, I'd think about giving your son the 20" and selling the 23" inch to help fund the 30".You could try the 30" and see whether you really need more screen space. Personally, I'd just find it annoying.

Sorry I can't help you with #2.
Richard
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Richard Morrison, Architect-Interior Designer
AC26 (since AC6.0), Win10
Dwight
Newcomer
Yes, that was me about the 30" display.

I have since added a 20" display as a tick bird for palettes.

I still feel a pair of 23" or 24" displays is superior to a single 30" for the progressive corrective lens user since a lower, longer display of information means less head tilting.

Younger eyes can cope.
Dwight Atkinson
Dwight wrote:
I still feel a pair of 23" or 24" displays is superior to a single 30" for the progressive corrective lens user since a lower, longer display of information means less head tilting.
As a progressive lens wearer myself, I've found a single vision lens just for computer use to be a great investment.
Richard
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Richard Morrison, Architect-Interior Designer
AC26 (since AC6.0), Win10
Rick Thompson
Expert
I think the height would be something I would regret. The top of my 23" is out or "clear" range really. So, ? Maybe I'll stay with what I have, it is fine really. Or, get a another 23" (that sounds nice.. I do a lot of copy/paste between AC files). The son is the deciding factor.. hummm. He'd probably rather have a laptop. Irony is I was giving him my old TiBook, but I had to get the hinges fixed... and when they did that the back light died, so, I thought he could use it with an external. Hummmmm.

Thanks for the feedback, it was helpful.
Rick Thompson
Mac Sonoma AC 26
http://www.thompsonplans.com
Mac M2 studio w/ display
PB
Expert
Just to add my 2 centimes worth: Having had the 30" monitor now for almost a year, I find that even going back to a friend's 23" screen seems restrictive! The sheer pleasure of viewing a project in a manner that approaches the freedom & 'real estate' of a drawing board is addictive....
AC27 Apple Silicon. Twinmotion.
16" M1 Max MacBook Pro 32GB, Apple Studio Display, MacOS 15
Chazz
Enthusiast
Another $.02. I really like the Dell monitors. They're cheaper (not surprisingly) than Apple at every size (right up to their 30") and have more ports (USB etc) and a better warrantee -3 year?. I've been very happy with the image quality and brightness though to really judge this you need to see them side by side, which I've not done. As furniture, the Apple display is worlds ahead of everything else but bang for buck, I'm happy I went Dell.
Nattering nabob of negativism
2023 MBP M2 Max 32GM. MaxOS-Current
Thomas Holm
Booster
The screen is my most imortant work tool. i've got an Eizo Flexscan S2410W. It's 24.1" 1900x1200, not as big as a 30" but big enough. Also, not cheap. But its quality is worth it. Flexible color management, configurable and flexible backlighting, and a stand that lets me move and place the screen in any position and angle I want, like hovering close to the table just above the keyboard. Worth every dime!
AC4.1-AC26SWE; MacOS13.5.1; MP5,1+MBP16,1
Rick Thompson
Expert
I decided the eyes win, and the 30" would be too tall for comfortable head tilting.... so I got another 23" and I am very happy with them.

Thanks for the feedback
Rick Thompson
Mac Sonoma AC 26
http://www.thompsonplans.com
Mac M2 studio w/ display