what non Mac monitor are u using?

[jonboring]

I am in need of a new monitor. I mostly do b&w so color doesn't have to be state of the art, though shades of grey are required. Everyone talks about how good the Lacie's are but I am wondering if I can get by with something for less money.

Any suggestions?

[Jorgen Udvang]

I use an LG W2252TQ, which I'm rather happy with. I'm particularly happy with the grays. It's not expensive (around $250 last time I checked, but that was in Thailand), but it's a year old already, so they have probably changed model a dozen times since I bought it.

[Jeremy]

I'm using a 30" Dell 3007WFP-HC. Sadly, this model is now discontinued as it uses the same 30"WS LG.Philips S-IPS as the Apple 30" Cinema display and even had card readers (if you don't need to download fast, free is good!) and USB ports built-in for a paltry sum in comparison.

[johnastovall]

I'm planning on moving to an Eizo CG243W when I get my Mac Pro in and loaded up.

Mac has lost me with its shinny screens....

As for cheap, remember long after the price is forgotten, quality remains.

[Eoin]

I've used an 23" Apple cinema display for the past number of years, can't say it's been fantastic for colour work, tends to get magenta tinges around the bezel. However it's served me well over the years once profiled correctly and frequently.

I've just bought a Eizo CG243W to replace it. Not here yet, but by all accounts it will be a huge improvement. I can't decide what Mac Pro to get until SL settles down and Aperture X is released.

[TRSmith]

Another satisfied Eizo user here. Wonderfully consistent and accurate but almost the opposite of cheap. I've also heard some very good things about NEC's better displays.

[Robert Campbell]

Eizo CG241W. Excellent.

[Robert Campbell]

Originally Posted by johnastovall

As for cheap, remember long after the price is forgotten, quality remains.

"The quality remains long after the price has been forgotten." -- FH Royce. How true.

[Dale Allyn]

I opted for the NEC 2690wuxi2, and will be adding the 2490 as a mate to it. The 2690 is a wide gamut display, but I've decided (discovered) that with as much web work as I do that I need an sRGB display as well. I could add a cheaper sRGB option for web, but don't want too many different aesthetics to stare at, and want to use hardware calibration as well.

The NEC has the advantage over Apple displays (and many others) of having 12-Bit, hardware calibration via SpectraView II software. IOW the display is adjusted at the LUTs (look-up tables) rather than simply adjusting the video card, etc. Eizo has a similar option.

Not all NEC displays are SpectraView II compatible, so one should take care to check the compatibility list if interested in such a display.

Apple's 30" Cinema display was well regarded by many, but the most recent iteration is not getting the same reports. Still, the Apple 30 is not wide-gamut if that's of interest, and is not a 12-bit display (I believe it's 8-bit, but don't recall).

[Corlan F.]

Don't own a Mac anymore, but concur with the Eizo CG line praises. The 243W's a great deal as per usual Eizo standards (but i personnaly favor a 26" display).

Nec latest Spectraview 2690 and 3090 are top of class too, and allowing an excellent hardware calibration even with a cheap Eye One Display LT. Highly recommended. (edit: i se that Dale has completed the Nec part just above)

Similar results but with some reliability issues with LaCie equivalent (526 namely and heard the same about the LED 730 -but no direct experience).

On the cheaper side, the LG W2600HP-BF (not PF) is a great monitor at less than half the price, almost a third... the shortcomings compared to the "supermonitors" above being a tendency for pronounced reds and less deeper black. But still equal or above the Dells and HP counterparts. Hard to find though.

All of the monitors above require calibration.

If not, there's still good TN like the one mentionned by Jorgen above. LG and Asus have genrally pretty good performance value. Then the new Samsung T220 with what appears to be an excellent black definition might be worth a look.

Overall, if funds permit Eizo CG and Nec Reference lines undoubtedly stay top contenders, above the pack.

[Eoin]

My Eizo CG243W arrived today. After spending the weekend loading up a new 2.5in HD with a fresh install of Leopard 10.5.8 and fresh installs of my used apps to replace the drive I installed SL on, I'm now a happy bunny.

All I can say is WOW, I now know I've been straining my eyes all this time with poor quality displays. A few little tweaks in colorsynch to set the external display as primary and all is well in Aperture Dual Display mode.

[jjlphoto]

I bought the Eizo CG21 in 2004. You'll need to pry it from my cold dead hands. The US Eizo tech rep told me I could reasonably expect 30,000 hours of use from it. That's over three years running full on 24/7. It just came out of its five year warranty period, and could possibly last until I retire.

[Oxide Blu]

Originally Posted by jjlphoto

... It just came out of its five year warranty period, and could possibly last until I retire.

Don't know about your display but the newer Eizo monitors come with a weird warranty -- so many years, if under such-and-such brightness, or less years if used over some brightness setting ... or some number of actual hrs of operation -- whichever comes first. There is an internal clock that rats you out for how many hrs the display has been used and what the brightness setting was.

That said, you'd have to pry my Eizo from my cold dead hands ...

[danielvalentephotography]

I use a lacie 324 24". I like it but now that there is the 27" iMac I would think about getting that instead of my macbook pro and 24" LCD

http://www.danielvalentephotography.com

[JimCollum]

Originally Posted by Robert Campbell

Eizo CG241W. Excellent.

another vote for this one... outstanding quality!!

[Professional]

I use Eizo CG222W, great monitor, but still i need to profile it better, i am not sure if i calibrated it correctly or properly but later i will check, i use it with my Mac Mini for now, and i hope to buy a Mac Pro in the future.

I am also planning to buy a Dell monitor maybe [U2410] or NEC for my PC [non Mac] computer for gaming and movies but not sure yet.

I have Apple Cinema Display 30" which is great but i don't use it now [i used it twice since i bought it about 5 months ago] until i buy a Mac Pro.

[Oxide Blu]

Originally Posted by Professional

I use Eizo CG222W, great monitor, but still i need to profile it better, i am not sure if i calibrated it correctly or properly but later i will check ...

My experience with Eizo support is positive, both for telephone support and email support. If you need help calibrating your Eizo, maybe give them a call.

[Professional]

Originally Posted by Oxide Blu

My experience with Eizo support is positive, both for telephone support and email support. If you need help calibrating your Eizo, maybe give them a call.

I live in UAE, support here maybe different than support there, but i will give a call later and see anyway!

[Oxide Blu]

Originally Posted by Professional

I live in UAE, support here maybe different than support there, but i will give a call later and see anyway!

Try email -- the email support was also good, but if you have something that requires a lengthy conversation, a phone call is the way to go. Hope it works for you -- the Eizo's are wonderful monitors.

[DougDolde]

I bought my EIZO CG21 in 2003 and it's still going strong. I'd prefer a wide aspect EIZO model but I can't justify the cost of trading up.

[Professional]

Originally Posted by Oxide Blu

Try email -- the email support was also good, but if you have something that requires a lengthy conversation, a phone call is the way to go. Hope it works for you -- the Eizo's are wonderful monitors.

Wait, what i should call for?
I have Spyder3Studio and the calibration is great, but i was saying that i am not sure if really i've done that calibration great or good enough, i may say it is great and amazing but it may be not correct or not accurate yet, i didn't print anything yet since i bought my Eizo monitors because my printer is far away in another room and i only print using my Mac Laptop, and i was printing with my MacBook Pro 17" [early 2008] before it stopped to work at all last 3 months ago, so i bought new MacBook Pro 13" [late 2009] but i am really looking to buy Mac Pro to use with my eizo or ACD 30", so how can someone be sure if he did calibration correct without printing?
Also when i was in USA last month [October] i went to a Phase One dealer office and i saw they were using Eizo monitors as well including mine, and on one table i saw they connected one Eizo display to 20" ACD and i think another monitor, i asked one of the salesmen there about the difference between the monitors then he told me some differences then show me a gray scale i think or something similar [that scale or chart from White to Black] to show the uniformity between the Eizo and the Apple Cinema and the Eizo was the winner clearly, anyone can tell me where i can find that chart or scale where i can test my monitor uniformity?