Apple Updates 30″ Cinema Display

Competition is always healthy, especailly in our industry. Several weeks ago, we reported on Dell’s 3007WFP — a mammoth 30″ LCD supporting a native resolution fo 2560×1600. Of course, Dell wasn’t the first to release such a screen, as Apple had announced its 30″ Cinema Display just close to a year prior to the 3007WFP. However, Dell’s new screen was supporting much better specifications:

• 178 degree viewing angle on the Dell vs. 170 on the Apple
• 700:1 contrast ratio on the Dell vs. 400:1 on the Apple
• 400 cd/m2 light output on the Dell vs. 270 cd/m^2 on the Apple
• 14ms pixel response time on the Dell vs. 16ms on the Apple

Several readers have emailed us claiming that Apple has updated its 30″ Cinema Display to reflect the new panel used in the display. Apparently, Apple’s panel change on the 30″ ACD now matches the specifications of the Dell 3007WFP. However, the Cinema Display lacks the 8-in-2 media card reader slots that come with the Dell and is not as flexible in terms of viewing adjustments (the 3007WFP can be height adjusted and swivled).

The Apple ACD 30″ is priced at approximately $2,300 USD while the Dell 3007WFP is priced a hundred or so dollars cheaper, unless you live in Canada.