Apple Announces 20" Cinema Display, Drops Price On 23" HD To US$1999

by , 12:15 PM EST, January 28th, 2003

On top of Apple's new PowerMac models, the company has dropped prices on the 23" Cinema HD Display by a whopping US$1,500. That puts the 23" high-resolution flat panel display at US$1,999, some US$1,000 cheaper than Sony's competing 23" display.

Apple has also introduced a new member of the Cinema Display family at 20". The unit offers 1680 x 1050 resolution, and is being introduced at US$1,299. The company has removed the 22" Cinema Display model from its product line.

Lastly, the company dropped the price of the 17" Studio Display to US$699, down US$300. From Apple:

Continuing its industry leadership in flat panel display technology, Apple® today introduced the 20-inch Apple Cinema Display®, a professional-quality, wide-format active-matrix LCD with 1680-by-1050 pixel resolution at a breakthrough price of $1,299 (US). A perfect complement to Apple's new Power Mac® G4 desktops and ideal for demanding color work, the all-digital 20-inch flat panel display provides more work area than Apple's previous 22-inch Cinema Display.

Apple also dramatically reduced the price of its 23-inch Cinema HD Display, with 1920-by-1200 pixel resolution -- enough to view High Definition Television (HDTV) content with room to spare -- from $3,499 (US) to an amazing $1,999 (US). Widely regarded as the finest quality flat panel display in the industry, the 23-inch Cinema HD Display is now within the reach of almost every professional user. Apple also reduced the price of its 17-inch Studio Display®, providing 1280-by-1024 pixels, from $999 (US) to just $699 (US).

Apple's Cinema Display features an active-matrix, liquid crystal display that incorporates a pure digital interface to deliver superior, distortion-free images that never need adjusting. Like the current 17-inch and 23-inch flat panel displays, the new 20-inch Cinema Display is designed for use in the most demanding color environments. Using the industry's best wide viewing angle technology, Apple flat panel displays provide maximum color quality even when viewing images off-axis.

With a broad color gamut that stays consistent edge-to-edge, Apple flat panel displays are easy to calibrate using measurement devices such as the GretagMacbeth Eye-One calibrator to create ColorSync® profiles for use with Apple's ColorSync or other color management systems, such as Integrated Color Solutions, Inc. Recognized providers of innovative tools for advancing color management technology, ICS relied solely on Apple's Cinema Display and breakthrough Cinema HD Display to develop Remote Director 2.0, the first display-based proofing system to be certified by SWOP Incorporated. The prestigious SWOP certification means Remote Director 2.0 can be used to approve jobs for press production on-screen without the need for hard-copy proofs providing significant time and cost savings for print professionals.

The Cinema Display is less than two inches thick while providing a wide format design (16:10 aspect ratio), allowing customers to easily view a full 11-inch by 17-inch two-page spread, a complex illustration or view a DVD movie, making it the ultimate display for the creative or technical professional. Based on Apple's award-winning design, the Cinema Display offers the innovative Apple Display Connector (ADC) that carries the digital video signal, USB data and power over a single cable to simplify setup and minimize cable clutter on the desktop. The Cinema Display also provides a self-powered, two-port USB hub for easy connections to peripherals.

Pricing for the new models is as follows:

• 17" Studio Display - US$699 - Available Now
• 20" Cinema Display - US$1,299 - Available Now
• 23" Cinema HD Display - US$1,999 - Available Now

You can find more information on the new Display models at Apple's Web site, and at The Apple Store.

The Mac Observer Spin:

A quick show of hands: Who thinks Apple is serious about competing in the high-end flat panel display market? The price on the 23" HD display is just about unbelievable, and the 20" model is very competitive, too. A quick check at Dell's Web site -- quick being subjective because of the horrid navigation through that company's online store -- finds a 20" LCD from Planar at US$1,306, with other models ranging in price up to Sony's 20" model at US$1,774. Dell has Sony's 23" display priced cheaper than retail at US$2,746.95, still some US$747.95 more than Apple's.

There is little doubt that some, if not all, of the display manufacturers will move to match, or beat, Apple's pricing, but today's move places Apple squarely in the lead in this market.

Now, if we can only get the company to move away from the Apple Display Connector, and go with the industry standard DVI connector. At these prices, Apple could definitely sell a lot of displays to the Wintel world, and the company is missing out on what could be a very nice revenue stream. This would also fix the absurdity of needing an adapter to run Apple's own displays with the company's portable line.

Apple's Display Line