A good monitor with an exceptional tube
Written: Jun 18 '05 (Updated Jun 18 '05)
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Pros: Mitsubishi DT Tube
Case design
Build quality
Cons: ADC connector
Up-tier price (in 2001)
The Bottom Line: Discontinued. Nice design, good picture tube, and reliable. Only works with ADC-equipped Macs.
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| jedo1507r's Full Review: Apple Studio Display 17 inch CRT Monitor |
Features:
17" Mitsubishi Diamondtron (aperture grille) flat surface tube
Seamless integration with an ADC-equipped Macintosh
2 USB (Philips chipset) ports
Attractive design
I purchased this monitor with a demo model PowerMac G4 Cube; however, unlike the CPU, this monitor was new.
When I first used the monitor, I was impressed by the sharpness of the picture that only an aperture grille tube could produce. Also, the design is impressive, a clear case that shows the innards of the monitor - a departure from any other monitor.
To compare this to, my old monitor was an Iiyama Vision Master Pro 17, which also had a 17-inch Mitsubishi tube, except it had a cylindrical face - a traditional design. The picture quality of the two matched each other, only differing in the case design (beige), menu structure (independent from OS), and flexibility (VGA/BNC) - although they both were somewhat similarly priced.
The adjustments are accessed through the MacOS "Monitors and Sound", or by pressing the brightness button, bringing you to that specific menu; pressing the button again exits the menu (for OS9). The perks for the adjustments through the OS is complete accuracy, especially when running through the convergence setting, a red and blue crossgrid - which is quite impressive giving total control. The downside is the monitor can not be adjusted independently without help from the OS.
Another irk, although most Apple customers disagree, is the limited flexibility of the Apple Display Connector (ADC). ADC consolidates power, USB, and an analog video signal on one cable and connector (comparing to Apple's LCDs that had the same connector but was fed with a digital signal). There is a box on the market that converts DVI to ADC; however, it does not work on this CRT display - due to the nature of recieving only the analog signal. Also, Apple has (for a while) discontinued using the ADC connector in future machines, making the monitor a candidate for recycling sooner than the average.
The USB connections are quite handy and located on the lower right-hand side of the monitor. Also, the USB speakers that originally came with the G4 Cube work well connected to the monitor because of the increased amperage compared to connecting it to the keyboard or some external USB hubs. The base also is designed for the USB speakers' amplifier to be tucked underneath, making the design practical as well as a nice looking base.
The monitor's case is nice because it looks different, and no other company could touch the design. At the time (in 2001) there were standard VGA monitors with candy-colored cases, they were interesting to look at; however those monitors wore off their charm after thirty seconds of looking at them. The drawbacks to this Apple display are the transparent case has a tendency to show dust on the inside of the monitor; which could be cleaned up, but the display has plenty of screws and clips to work with. The untextured transparent case is prone to scratching, which may or may not drive anyone crazy (although I haven't gone crazy, but I move it frequently and scratches appear). The monitor still looks new - although holding its own against the LCDs because of the unique case design.
Bulkiness isn't an issue (to me) residing in my kitchen atop an old marble coffee table; the base is taller than most monitors, don't expect to fit it in small spaces or on a countertop with top cabinets.
The monitor generates quite a bit of heat, because of the transformers up-converting a low voltage current to different circuitry, including the flyback - which had a rather large heat sink. This may bother me, since I had a buddy with an '99 iMac 350 that had a failing monitor section, which was notorious for alternating brightness and colors - blaming on the cramped quarters and ventilation for rapid deterioration of components.
These small issues are unfortunate for this good display, but the monitor continues to serve well and without problems.
Note: The closest current Apple model to feature the 17-inch flat surface DiamondTron tube is the eMac.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 299.00
Operating System: Macintosh
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Epinions.com ID:
jedo1507r
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Location: Clarksville, Tennessee
Reviews written: 37
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