Two Shorts and One Long - aka Apple 23 ADC Display

[Boyd 9]

So...... Ever since I graduated from one of those "compact Macs," I've been using the old Apple Displays.... first a 17 incher and then a 20, then a 23.

I got the 20 incher at a garage sale here. The seller was a bit of a techie, and he explained that before his Apple Warranty expired, he took his screen in (the one he was selling) and had the backlights replaced. I always loved how bright it was.

A few years ago, I graduated to a 23 incher. It seemed a bit darker than the 20 incher, but.... I got a fancy piece of calibrating software, and just grew to love it.

Today, after my nap, I woke up the computer from its nap, and the power light on the screen was flashing two short and one long. Took me a couple minutes, but found out it refers to the backlight failure. And.... yes, I could confirm that the top of the screen was definitely darker.

So.... still had the 20 incher kicking around. Using it now. And damn.... is it bright! Love it. But not happy to be back in the land of 20 inches again. And unless I elevate it, it also changes (slightly) the ergonomics of being in front of the computer and the angle of my neck. Sigh.

So.... I guess this is a stupid question.... but I love those old Apple Cinema displays. Is it worth it to get the 23 incher repaired? Or should I just give up and get a new one from large "Box" chain store? I found a 24 incher online for $129. But.... it's HDMI. I don't have HDMI. LOL. I have a 2008 Mac and it's DVI.

Appreciate any feedback. And... anyone ever get one of the old Cinema Displays repaired? How much does getting the backlights repaired run anyway?

Thanks!

[M.Brane]

If you are reasonably handy replacing the backlight is not a horrible job. Lots of how-to info out there.

I thought about getting a 30" when I got my CMP, but the people selling them were way too proud of them then. Got a brand new 27" Dell instead, and I'm glad I did.

[Boyd 9]

Thanks. By doing some quick searches I found an online seller of backlights and they claim they have step by step instructions.

I did find a 23.8 incher at a local big box warehouse store. It's DVI-D (which by searching additionally found out it will work with a DVI-I - you just need a cable that doesn't have the extra four pins on the one side).

There was a brief time between the 17 incher and the 20 incher, that I tried one of the newer monitors... complete with the "modern design" of the single pedestal..... and I found that when I typed, the darned thing wobbled back and forth quite a bit. To be fair, my "desk" is a 6 foot long folding table, and I never thought of myself as such a physical force to be reckoned with when it came to typing (LOL) ...which.... one of the things I always liked about the old Apple Cinema displays is that, dammit, they were solid!

The local warehouse store has a 90 day return policy. I may try it and just put some weight on either side of the pedestal to keep it from wobbling. LOL. This place also has 27 inchers and even a 32 incher, for not that much more money all things considered.... but the resolution doesn't get any better (it remains constant at 1920x1080). One reviewer said he was returning the 27 inch monitor because the type looked fuzzy. A slightly bigger screen size appeals to me I have to admit, but..... if you're dealing with the same resolution at 24, 27 or 32 inches... I guess I can see his point (no pun intended).

Anyway.... the 24 inch one I'm considering supposedly has all the latest technological bells and whistles built into it.... plus it's "energy star" rated.... for whatever that's worth.

I'll contact the online seller of the backlight kits tomorrow and see what kind of cost I'm dealing with...... They have an online store but they don't list Apple as one of the manufacturers (I figure Apple didn't make them themselves, but farmed them out to a 3rd party... right?).

More will be revealed. Decisions decisions....

[Boyd 9]

The same place has a Dell 27" that's 2560 x 1440 resolution. Hmmmmmmmm. It's on sale this week at $150 off normal retail. Hard to pass up!

[M.Brane]

Mine is the U2715H. Really nice display though I had to buy an adaptor to run it at native res. off the stock 5770 in the CMP. I have it solid mounted to the back of my desk to free up desk space for gadgets.

[Boyd 9]

Yeah.... looking into it further.... the same warehouse place also has a 4k monitor for $50 less (Samsung, every day price) than the discounted Dell (the $150 off sale ends today). Of course, the 4k monitor would require me to get a new graphics cards, which.... I found a flashed one on eBay for $129 that the seller says will work with a Mac Pro 3,1 and up (which is what I have... a 3,1). This is starting to add up. LOL.

I dunno. Maybe the flashed graphics card would work. He has a good seller reputation on eBay and he says that the HDMI and DVI ports will work normally under boot up and support the full 4k at 30 Hz and that the "Displayport" will support the full 4k at 60 Hz, but with the latter, you'll bypass the gray start up screen and go straight to the login or desktop page. This is all new stuff to me..... never having ventured into the land of 4k before. But, it's nice to know there's relatively low-cost options for graphics card upgrades if I want one.

All I know is that a friend of mine got a desktop Mac with a 4k screen, and I thought it was gorgeous! LOL.

Another option is the local computer recycling/resale for charity place (a kind of "Goodwill" store for computers). They sometimes get Mac stuff in and they usually have an assortment of monitors. Worth checking out for sure before doing anything else I guess. But it means missing out on the discounted Dell.

In the meantime.... I still have a perfectly good 20 inch Apple Cinema Display.

Decisions, decisions!

[ricks]

Like you, I have a long history with multiple Apple Cinema Displays. I have a couple 23 inchers on this MacPro. I pretty much switched everything else to Viewsonic. Still made in US. Still has great warranty and great support of said warranty. Back when Brian was here he purchased a 23 inch Dell. Gotta say I dislike it intensely. Its color is miserable to adjust and it just does strange things year after year.

I think the next thing I do is a big Viewsonic on a 5 foot arm over the wife's bed. She is pretty much completely disabled and having a monitor she can swing out will help a lot with her ability to enjoy life.

Rick

[Boyd 9]

Thank you! Really nice to know about the Viewsonic monitors. I have a 32 inch Viewsonic TV I got some 8 years ago, and I love it! Great TV.... everything you'd ever want (well.... I am a man of simple needs when it comes to TV viewing. LOL). It's also nice to have further options to explore!

[Boyd 9]

(brain fart). My TV is a Vizio. Not a Viewsonic. You'd think I'd be able to remember that after 8 years! LOL.

[ricks]

Is not how long you had the TV, is how long you been wearing the same brain cells.

[Boyd 9]

That is so true! Tee Hee.

[Boyd 9]

So..... short term solution to the problem. Cost me all of $30. I'm happy.

Went down to the computer recycling place today, and was looking at their used monitors. Some of them looked nice, but a couple of them were $90 or $100 and for $129 could go down to the warehouse store and get a brand spanking new one with the same resolution.

Then..... my eyes fell on a cute little 17 inch Apple Cinema Display. Bingo. $30.

My Mac Pro 3,1 can run two monitors and I also just happen to have two of the ADC to DVI adapters on hand. I tried once to run my 23 incher and my 20 inch at once.... it was too much. But the 20 inch and the 17 inch side by side seem to work okay for now.

Maybe one of these days I'll get that fancy 4k monitor and upgrade the graphics card too.... but for right now, $30 fits in my budget. I'm happy. And.... I'm sure it was gonna sit there for a long time before anyone else bought it....

[ricks]

Somebody paid $400 for that.

[Boyd 9]

I know! The 23 inch Apple Cinema Display I was using I think I got on eBay used for $70 plus shipping. It was cheap because the plastic stand on the back was broken. There were a few extra concrete blocks laying around in the back yard, and I just put those behind the monitor.... sitting in my desk chair you couldn't tell.... plus, it gave me something to put my desk lamp on (as there was no leftover room on the desktop itself. LOL). The wiki entry on Apple Cinema Displays doesn't say what the 23 incher ran new, but I'm sure (knowing Apple) it was a pretty penny.....

[ricks]

How's this for a price tag, and I am still using it right now.