Imac 27" negate 2nd screen?

Hi I am deciding between a 21.5 and a 27 inch Imac and wondering if getting a 27 inch means I wouldn't need a second screen. I do a lot of web/graphic/video/audio work and would usually use a second screen, although it wouldn't be a mac display (because they are too expensive for me) and I have found that most other screens are not as bright and crisp as the mac which can be a little annoying when you are constantly comparing it. However, if I got the 27 inch it seems to have enough real estate to not need a second display - thoughts would be appreciated!

Thanks

I'm a programmer and the need for real estate space on the screen is premium...at work I have my laptop screen and my 24" monitor going..and try to use as much of the space as possible..

With my 27" iMac at home..I have the resolution (2560x1440) to have 2 fairly large sized windows side by side and be quite effective..

I would suggest you head down to your local Apple store and really play around the screen sizes to see what works for you..

Regards

Raz0rEdge said:

I would suggest you head down to your local Apple store and really play around the screen sizes to see what works for you..

Click to expand...

Good suggestion.

Only you can tell us how much screen space you need. I find that I'm okay with a 21.5" screen but I recognize that there are people who would find that much too small.

Same here. We use a 22" screen which allows two pages side by side of a document to be displayed. A 27" would be better, ($$) but for now I prefer using just the one monitor rather than an extended desktop with two.

The OP brings up an excellent point, however -- the high-quality LED-backlit IPS screen in the iMacs these days make other (most third-party) screens look awful by comparison, and it certainly wouldn't be easy to have them side-by-side!

Problem isn't that other people don't make high-quality LED backlit IPS screens ... it's that they cost almost as much as an iMac!

Given the situation, unless you find a crazy good price on a similar quality screen, I'm going to have to suggest you either stick with the 27" by itself or spring for an Apple Cinema Display.

dell makes great monitors and at great prices. EIZO has some nice looking displays as well however they are more for professionals. still they have a few low cost ones that might fit the avg user.

when it comes to same-in-class monitors and tvs, they all look very similar to me. you just need to compare them on equal grounds. i normally go with the one with the better features at the best price of course.

ive too been thinking about getting a 2nd display. my need is based on greed tho. i want a bigger display for a laptop use.

EDIT: i should add that while dell does support the displayport standard, im unsure if eizo does. in addition, im not sure all dell displays do. something to think about if or when you go shopping for a display. hdmi is pretty much the standard today but im unsure if imacs have them.