Second monitor for a 27" iMac

Raz0rEdge

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I currently have a 27" iMac and couldn't be happier with the screen real estate, but I find myself constantly needing to read some or refer to something while doing my coding and having to shuffle windows around to make space for things.

I'm thinking a second monitor connected to my iMac will suit this purpose well and would like some recommendations..

I, however, do have some criteria that I would like to meet with the monitor
  • An IPS panel
  • MUST be able to adjust height AND pivot
  • Ideally 21.5" screen size
  • At least 1920x1080 resolution
  • Displayport connection would be awesome

Last, of course, is the budget and my research so far seems to indicate that I can get essentially what I want for around $250..so I'll keep the max as $300 for monitor and any necessary cables (mini-displayport to displayport)

To start off the discussion, I was really looking at the Dell UltraSharp U2212HM, but some of the reviews indicated that this screen had some heavy duty anti-glare coating that affected the image quality and my iMac being so nice and vivid might make this contrast appear worse..

So give me all of your opinions..:)
 

pigoo3

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Raz0rEdge

Raz0rEdge

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Thanks for the recommendation Nick and it looks like the LG will pivot but not height adjust, and between the two I'd rather have pivot..

I'm finding that a lot of Dell monitors seem to have the height and pivot adjustments while a large number of monitors, as you said, seem to lack one or both..
 

RavingMac

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Does the 2nd Monitor need to be high quality?

I'm asking this because I am considering doing a similar setup, only for Photography.
A lot of folks at work have dual monitor setups, but I have never used one.

My thought is (hoping it is reasonable) to use my existing 27 in Monitor for Pics and keep the controls and pop up panels on the 2nd (probably smaller) monitor.
 
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Raz0rEdge

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Well after much back and forth with myself..:) I finally decided to pull the trigger and purchase the second monitor. While I was initially looking at the Dell UltraSharp 21.5" monitor, a lot of people complained about the anti-glare coating and suggested that the larger models didn't have that problem. I, however, wasn't interested in going to a large than 21.5" monitor since my primary goal is to use the monitor in portrait mode for viewing documents..

To that end, I continued my search and settled (and ordered) a ViewSonic VG2239M-LED that should be arriving within the week.

I also ordered a mini-displayport to displayport cable since this monitor supports that as well as DVI/VGA.

I'll report back on how it works with my 27" iMac when I get it and set it up sometime next week..
 

pigoo3

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Well at least you didn't rush your decision!;)

I'm thinking the most difficult requirement to fill was the "pivotability" of the monitor. From my memory...this feature was more common 5-7 years ago (heck...it was even available back in the CRT monitor days)...but I don't think that it's a feature that's super common now. So great to hear that you were able to find something that will work.

I bought a 24" HP monitor probably about 5 years ago that would have met many of your requirements:

- height adjustable
- pivotable
- and it has a resolution that you don't find very often anymore...1920 x 1200 (slightly more area)


But it is not an IPS panel, and because it is older...it doesn't have a Displayport...and it's not LED.

That pivoting feature (for folks that have never experienced it)...can be really awesome. Especially for many webpages that are long vertically. You can see MUCH more of the webpage...and much less vertical scrolling!:)

Looking forward to hearing how everything works out!:)

- Nick
 
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Raz0rEdge

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Agreed Nick, virtually all of the Dell monitors from 3-5 years ago have the adjustable stand. These days though, you can get large monitors for a good price with a fixed stand with just a bit of tilt control. In my job I had a 24" monitor and a 20" monitor in portrait and that worked awesome. The ViewSonic turned out to be cheaper than the Dell and had good reviews..

The only downside of this monitor is that it's entirely black and will stick out next mother silver iMac..but it's hard to find a monitor beside the Cinema dispay that'd math the iMac anyway..:)
 

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The only downside of this monitor is that it's entirely black and will stick out next mother silver iMac..but it's hard to find a monitor beside the Cinema dispay that'd math the iMac anyway..:)

Yes...the final parameter after all other parameters are met...esthetics!;) Unfortunately sometimes hard to get everything desired technically...AND get great esthetics to boot!:)

I have a solution for you from the esthetics standpoint...the older Apple 30" Cinema Display (what I'm currently using).:) It's got the silver bezel to match your iMac...but it's:

- not pivotable
- not height adjustable (well you could put a book under the stand)
- not LED
- not 21.5"
- not an IPS panel
- but it does have an awesome 2560x1600 resolution!:)

Hey...great esthetics comes at a price. Just ask any woman running around in 6" stilettos!;)

- Nick
 

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We had a Radius Pivot (think that is what it was called) for a while. In some ways the picture was not as good as I thought it would be though that may be just personal preference on my part. The picture was OK but I loved that pivoting feature until it croaked.
 
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Raz0rEdge

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Nick, I was initially considering the Cinema display just to get a nice match for the iMac, but even a used one is quite expensive and 2 screens at 2560x1440 would be overkill for my intended purpose..

Woah Sly, a pivoting CRT..that's quite cool..:) I went as large as 21" CRT which weighed an absolute ton before switching over to LCDs and then when I began dual wielding at work, I kinda got used to it..so now even with the single (albeit 27") screen I still feel like I could use a second display..:)
 

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It was cool. It did not last as long as I would have liked. Something heavy fell off of the desk and bent the pins in the connector. By that time replacing the cable was going to cost more than I could afford.

That monitor, and one of the Apple ones, convinced me than whenever possible it was best to get a look at monitors in action before purchase. The picture wasn't bad but you could get the same or better output for less cost if you were willing to give up the cool factor.

Since much of my computer use is in portrait mode I miss the ability to see a full page in one shot.
 

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We had a Radius Pivot (think that is what it was called) for a while. In some ways the picture was not as good as I thought it would be though that may be just personal preference on my part. The picture was OK but I loved that pivoting feature until it croaked.

That was it exactly Slydude! I believe the Radius Pivot was the first pivoting consumer monitor. At the time I always wanted one...but they were ungodly expensive...and of course this was the time when a new 21" CRT monitor would cost more than $2000 bucks!

Here's a crazy monitor story. It's probably around 1992-1993. I'm a relatively young "pup"...and I'm looking thru the advertiser/classified section in the back pages of either MacWorld or MacUser...and I see a place selling used/refurbished 21" color monitors at great prices. Remembering this is still a few years before the internet is "really" up & running.

Long story short...I drive from the Philadelphia area to just south of Boston to purchase this 21" CRT monitor. I think that I paid something like close to $1000 for it...when they were selling new for like $2500. Today this thing isn't worth $5.00 bucks (if I could find someone to pay $5.00 for it)!;)

When I got this 21" monitor I thought that I was on top of the world. Kind of like the feeling of getting a brand new Mac Pro today. So much screen real estate (1152 x 1024). Remembering that 15" monitors at the time was the norm (640 x 480). And many folks were still playing with DOS on monochrome monitors!;)

It's really really amazing how monitor technology has advanced (since LCD/flat panel monitors)...and become so much less expensive!!!:)

- Nick
 

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Nick, I was initially considering the Cinema display just to get a nice match for the iMac, but even a used one is quite expensive and 2 screens at 2560x1440 would be overkill for my intended purpose...

Yes the 30" Cinema display surprisingly does still sell for quite a bit. I got mine at a very good price via my local CL for $400. Even got the original box!:) I think that I usually see them selling for $650-$750.

It does sound like it would have been overkill for your purposes...both in size & price. Since you opted for a 21.5" monitor for around $200.

What's really crazy about this 30" monitor. After using it for around 6+ months...it doesn't even seem that big anymore. But I do use my 17" MBP (the computer connected to it) in clamshell mode much more often!;)

- Nick
 

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That was it exactly Slydude! I believe the Radius Pivot was the first pivoting consumer monitor. At the time I always wanted one...but they were ungodly expensive...and of course this was the time when a new 21" CRT monitor would cost more than $2000 bucks!


- Nick

I don't remember what size it was but we must have gotten one heck of a deal because I could not have afforded full retail at the time. I think we got it just before CRTs started to be on the way out.

If I remember correctly we would have used it longer than we did but the video cable was hard wired into the monitor. When the pins were damaged repair costs would have been prohibitive.
 

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I don't remember what size it was but we must have gotten one heck of a deal because I could not have afforded full retail at the time. I think we got it just before CRTs started to be on the way out.

I seem to remember it was something like 1024 x 768. I could Google it to be sure...but I'm feeling lazy!;)

If I remember correctly we would have used it longer than we did but the video cable was hard wired into the monitor. When the pins were damaged repair costs would have been prohibitive.

Yes I remember this. I think that if someone had something like a higher end Apple desktop of the time the Radius monitor would plug in directly. But I remember a lot of computers (at the time) having that Radius video cable disappearing thru a "hole" on the back of the computer (not connected to a normal video port)...and somehow plugging into something on the inside.

It might have been connecting into a special video card plugged into the computers PDS slot (processor direct slot).

Heck...I remember seeing these Radius pivoting monitors hooked up to the original form-factor Mac's like the SE, SE/30. And of course with the 9-inch 512×342 resolution built-in monitor they had...you REALLY needed the much better resolution of the Radius.:)

- Nick
 
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Raz0rEdge

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The monitor came in today and I set it up on my desk making room for it. I'm still tweaking the color/brightness/contrast on the ViewSonic to try to match the iMac so that one isn't brighter than the other..

The connection using the mini-DP to DP cable was flawless and immediate. Furthermore, the ViewSonic nicely goes to sleep and wakes up with the iMac with the cable I chose..

It's absolutely awesome to be able to dedicate the entire iMac screen for my coding/simulator and leave the external display just for documents or anything else..

photo.JPG
 

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Looks pretty good! Considering that the iMac has a 27" display...that 21.5" ViewSonic display looks pretty big!

Monitors these days (new or used) are so inexpensive...no one should really have issues with display real estate. Assuming they have enough desktop/table top space for the monitors.

Even the extra electricity used by a 2nd monitor really isn't that big of a deal...compared to back in the day using multiple large CRT monitors.

Sounds like a happy customer!:)

- Nick
 

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Raz0rEdge

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Looks pretty good! Considering that the iMac has a 27" display...that 21.5" ViewSonic display looks pretty big!

Monitors these days (new or used) are so inexpensive...no one should really have issues with display real estate. Assuming they have enough desktop/table top space for the monitors.

Even the extra electricity used by a 2nd monitor really isn't that big of a deal...compared to back in the day using multiple large CRT monitors.

Sounds like a happy customer!:)

- Nick

The monitor has a nice stand that can allows it to tilt, pivot and raise and lower in height so in portrait I can position the monitor at the right height and tilt to read it comfortably. Another nice thing is that the base itself is on a rotating base that allow me to rotate the monitor with great ease and not have to worry about playing with the stand itself..

My wife was asking why I wanted a second monitor with the 27" iMac screen and after I put it all together and showed her how I planned on using it, all she could say was "Ohh" and walk away..:)

This ViewSonic has some EcoGreen technology that reduces the amount of electricity that it uses, so that's an added bonus..

I'm a totally satisfied customer right now.:)
 

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My wife was asking why I wanted a second monitor with the 27" iMac screen and after I put it all together and showed her how I planned on using it, all she could say was "Ohh" and walk away..:)

Ha ha. When it comes to some things...wives just don't get it!;)

- Nick

p.s. Sounds like that monitor comes with a pretty remarkable (and uncommon) stand!:)
 

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