What Mac Stuff We Like to Buy From Dell - Wait a Minute, Dell!? :: My First Mac - Help Buying and Getting Started with Your New Mac

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Apple hasn't competed as aggressively with their displays.

Dell's displays are very good and 50-70% the price of Apple.

Dell's come with more features too, including multiple inputs, card readers, and picture in picture.

Apple could really use the competition.

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What Mac Stuff We Like to Buy From Dell - Wait a Minute, Dell!?

By: Chris Kerins
Published: Friday, October 12, 2007
Categories: Before You Buy

Isn't Dell supposed to be Apple's new nemesis? Are we being traitors to Apple's cause? There's a dirty little secret out there among Mac owners: We buy Dell monitors.

Who hasn't walked into an Apple store and proclaimed how they would buy that 30" display if only you could afford it? They are glorious. Look at all that space! But at $1800 plus tax, that adds up to $1940 around here. Not the type of money I walk around with.

And of course the more sensible of us look to the Apple 23" and think that might be a good compromise. But still, it's $900 plus tax.

This points out the key reason to look to Dell: price. Their 30" goes for $1275 and their 24" goes for $569. And this is without the random Dell discounts that come and go like stray dogs. That's not to mention the 20" going for less than half the price of a 20" Apple display.

But is that it? Of course the Apple displays are the best, right? So are you paying for an inferior product? Not really. From the CNET review of the 2407WFP:

"Dell's 24-inch wide-screen LCD delivers excellent image quality and a ton of connectivity options, including video inputs and picture-in-picture settings. Add in a great price, and the Dell UltraSharp 2407WFP is the best value in its class."

Wait, what was that about connectivity options and video input? More from CNET

"Inputs include one upstream and two downstream USB 2.0 ports, DVI-D and VGA (analog) signal inputs, a 12-volt audio jack for connecting an optional Dell Sound Bar speaker, plus composite, component, and S-Video ports for connecting a VCR or DVD player. Along the left side of the monitor are two more USB 2.0 ports, and a 9-in-2 media card reader."

And wait a sec, let's back up. They have card readers and tv inputs? Plus they can do picture in picture and rotate the display? USB hub too? Lots of features that Apple could do well to emulate.

Well, what about the picture? There's an interesting sporadic conversation going on over at Macintouch on Dell monitors. Many people report that the screens are bright, some say too bright. But most people when shown a dim display next to a bright one will prefer the brighter one. The colors might not be as true, so if your work depends on super accurate color display, you may want to move along.

So what does this mean? I'm so confused.
I can tell you that I use a 20" Apple and a 24" Dell right next to each other hooked up to the same PowerMac and I prefer the Dell. Plus I am stoked to have a card reader built in for my digital camera.

In the bigger picture, I'm happy to have Mac users buy Dell displays to put market pressure on Apple to lower their prices and improve their products. These displays haven't been upgraded in too long. And with Apple canceling the FireWire iSight, Mac Pro and Mac Mini users are left without built in video iChats until Apple releases the next displays with (hopefully) built in iSights. Bad for them but good for me because I sold my iSight on eBay for above cost.

So am I a turncoat? Does the idea that you can get a 30" AND a 24" Dell display for the price of Apple's 30" display get you thinking? Know other products that are good buys from Dell (not PCs, smart aleck). Let us know in the Comments section below.

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Macintouch Dell Display Discussion

CNET's Dell Reviews

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Your Comments:

I have heard the same from a lot of other Mac users. I would definitly prefer a dell monitor as well...first for the price reason and second the displays don't look bad design wise either.

MB-switcher
10/12/2007 at 02:00 AM

Apple leads in consumer satisfaction, Dell is far back.

Our group of 20 at work had 8 hard drives fail in their Dells resulting in many hours of productivity lost. Maybe I'm lucky, but I've been using Apple computers since 1981 and have NEVER had a single problem.

Quoting CNET on any review is generally quoting an article biased against Apple.

I prefer reward innovation so I buy from Apple, rather than from Dell, a company that has not innovated a single thing.

Frank
10/12/2007 at 06:00 AM

Meh. I'd consider a Dell for cost reasons, but not for quality or ease of use.

At work I have both a Dell 24" monitor and an Apple 20" monitor, sitting side by side, which I use to switch between several Macs and PCs, and I occasionally use both in a dual monitor configuration. Generally, the Dell is much harder to get to look good, because it has too many buttons, options and inputs. Getting images to look good for a PC is horrible and error prone, and often looks blurry if you let the monitor or Windows pick; but on the Mac, if you let the Mac auto-detect, it works right out of the gate.

In contrast Apple monitor on a Mac just works, even for a PC, and it is also easy to configure. Images and text on the Apple monitor are a tad sharper than the Dell. I see the difference every day.

I suppose if you are on a budget and don't mind wrestling with configuring a monitor, and don't mind that the Dell's picture quality is a tad off the Apple's, then a Dell might make sense. But for me, the cost savings isn't really worth it: the daily side by side comparison at work convinced me to spend a little extra to get the Apple monitor at home. FWIW.

Dual monitor user
10/12/2007 at 09:02 AM

I am on a Mac G5 tower with dual Dell 24" monitors. My PB G4 laptop is connected to my third Dell 24" monitor. In fact, I own 5 24" LCD monitors from Dell, with all but one connected to Mac (the last is actually hooked up to a Dell tower).

I love my Macs, but their monitors are way too expensive and lacking on features, IMHO.

Mac User
10/12/2007 at 09:32 AM

I've used Samsung LCDs at home for the past 5 years. They are much more affordable than Apple and usually have excellent image quality. If a display has uneven brightness and color, or colors shift when I move my head a little, I don't want it. Unfortunately low pixel latency seems to be more important these days to most buyers so I followed the advice of photographers for my last purchase and have been very happy with my SyncMaster 215TW.

At work we have 17" Dells and image wise they're OK for office work. One really good thing about them is how much height adjustment is available (are you listening Apple?). It allows me to save desk space by putting one above my MacBook Pro.

David
10/12/2007 at 07:13 PM

I ordered a monitor from Dell, but they could not deliver it overnight as they promised. I went through hoops to get my money back months later. So, if you have an urgent need like I did (Apple Studio Display failed) buy local.

Bob Peterson
10/13/2007 at 08:47 AM

I got a 26" Dell LCD for the price and the features. What sold me over the smaller Apple display was that, with the Dell, and a new apartement, I only needed one TV...cable, my MacBookPro, and my Wii.

Mike D.
10/13/2007 at 08:14 PM

i have a 22" samsung hooked up to my macbook pro via dvi. the picture quality is great, it has superfast response time and great contrast ratio. i picked it up at circuit city for less than $350 which seemed like a great deal.

i use a 24" dell at work and the samsung at home is definitely my fav of the two.

jason
10/14/2007 at 12:55 AM

I also have a dell 2407 wfp hooked up to my powerbook. Its great. definitely worth it.

dylan
10/14/2007 at 02:32 PM

Actually, Dell monitors and Apple monitors use the EXACT SAME Samsung made LCD element in each screen. They are actually technically virtually the same screen inside the case.

Paul Hindt
10/14/2007 at 02:34 PM