Shane Ross hipped me to this. Until he posts his MacWorld ruminations, I'll tell you about it.
The Apple Cinema Display is just fine, thanks -- but here's a 30-inch monitor that's faster and brighter, with higher contrast and a wider viewing angle. It can be hardware calibrated - way way WAY overdue for ACD. (Professional monitor? Hmph.)
2560x1600 res, dual DVI including HDCP-encryption and analog inputs, 12-bit LUT...
Now throw in automatic backlighting and pixel-level adjustments to ensure uniform color across the screen and across time. Did I mention killah and crazy? It is.
Of course, MacWorld isn't exactly gizmo central. Not even vaguely close if you compare it to CES. Indeed, CES is where NEC introduced their bigger, beautifuller, even more expensive monitor, a 42-inch CURVED DISPLAY.
Okay THIS is the one that I want at least 3 of.
2880x900 (double WXGA+) panel with a contrast ratio of 10000:1 - yes TEN THOUSAND to 1. DLP, no bezel, 170% of the NTSC color range - hey! even more than PAL! And for you kids with your fast-twitch reflexes -- the pixel redraw time is .016 MILLISECOND!!
My math is pretty weak, but I think of one and a half-ish tenths of a millisecond as FAST.
NEC is pitching it to hardcore gamers, hence CES. The specific pitch: the curved monitor mimics peripheral vision, perfect for shooting things and making them explode even from the corner of your eye.
Oh yeah, and the specs. And how it looks.
So here's the business model:
1) Show 'em the cutting edge.
2) Charge what you want.
3) Get very, very rich.
Since there aren't many meaningful games on Mac, it's easy for Mac users to forget that GAMING is the dominant force driving computer innovation. Period. It's also easy for video guys like us to comprehend that video games generate more money than theatrical movie releases, DVDs, music and books COMBINED.
Having said all that, why would you NOT want to have a monitor this purty that's 2880 pixels wide?
And having said THAT, I admit that the first one is more practical. So I buy 2 of those for the office, at only $2200 each. Don't know when it will ship or how much it will cost, but I don't care. I'll get the curved one for the game room. Wait! I don't play computer games! So I need to buy some computer games too.
Looky there - I have at least 3 NEC monitors, mixed and matched. Sweet.
Or I could change my mind and go on vacation for a month. Which assumes I could stop working for a month. Which means that buying the monitors is the only smart thing to do.
Digg it