Hi everyone, I'm thinking of getting a new iMac to replace my beige box PC so I can run Mac OS X on my desktop. Looking at the specs of the base systems in the catlaog, there is a A$450 price difference between the 20" and 24" models (there's two models that are exactly the same except for this difference). I'm trying to decide between getting a single 24" iMac or a 20" iMac and a second flat screen monitor (such as the one offered by Dell Australia). I'm leaning towards the dual screen setup; I've got one at my research lab and it's pretty useful to have a second screen for the extra space or if something is full screen. I'd also have a second monitor to use for other things, like connecting to a laptop, which the iMac as an all-in-one machine can't do. The downsides I see are that it will take more real estate on my desk, which currently is a little tight. Plus I guess I'd lose the whole Apple cool form factor by hooking together two different makes of monitor (I doubt I'd get a second Apple screen; they seem pretty expensive for what they are). I'm thinking the positives of the dual screen setup outweigh the negatives, but I'm hoping for feedback on considerations I might have missed. While I'm considering the iMac I'm also open to comments on the whole single large screen versus dual slightly-smaller screen debate for other PCs. Thanks in advance

We recently had a choice at work as for upgrading our monitors. We could choose either dual 20" or 1 24". I went with the duals, because I personally found the positive to outweigh the negatives.

It really depends what you do though. For me, being able to run a program on one screen while the other window has the debugger up is really worth it. It beats having to constantly switch which app is open.

Then, being able to use the monitor elsewhere. I'm not sure about how iMacs work, but I was always under the impression that they were the computer, and you couldn't use it as a secondary monitor for when you wanted to replace it. (Correct me if I'm wrong). Having a secondary monitor which is only a monitor will work regardless of if you replace your computer once or 100x (for the life of the monitor of course).

The one thing you have to take into consideration is that the 24" iMac might be more powerful of a machine than the 20" one.

I too would go with the dual monitor setup. I have one now (17inch CRTs) and love it. I won't be able to go back to a single monitor again.

The biggest draw back I've found to them, is I keep trying to drag stuff to the monitor beside me when I go to the computer lab. I've had to start taking the one in the corner to break the habit.

I don't like dual twenties. I found it too wide.

I also like having a monitor in the centre of my view and didn't like having one off to the side. I also find my self working on one monitor more then the other when I am working on dual monitors so the extra real estate of the 24 really helps (especially with all the xCode floating windows that I am actively working on).

Quote: Original post by Cwiddy
I don't like dual twenties. I found it too wide.

I also like having a monitor in the centre of my view and didn't like having one off to the side. I also find my self working on one monitor more then the other when I am working on dual monitors so the extra real estate of the 24 really helps (especially with all the xCode floating windows that I am actively working on).

I agree. I had a 24" Dell LCD but at work I was using 2 17" LCDs, so I sold my 24" one and bought 2 20" Dell LCDs for home. But after only about 1 month, I got rid of them and bought a 24" again. I'm telling you, once you go 24" you never go back. Unless you go bigger of course :-p

Hi,

depending on your need, choose either.

24" is great for gaming, CAD working, graphics, movies (of course it won't beat a bigger TV but still) etc.

On the other hand 2x 20" is said to be good for doing programming, at least, that is what my friend is saying. According to him, on 24" screen you'll find yourself adjusting window locations often, compared to the ease on 2x20" where you can drag programs to the other screen and simply maximize it.

Cheers!

I know the OP is getting a Mac, but for windows people I can't live without this anymore when on my windows machine.

Winsplit Revolution

http://reptils.free.fr/

Thanks for the replies!

I'm in agreement that it sounds that a larger monitor is better for graphical tasks while dual is better for programming. In my case, I do a fair bit of both; I'm doing research into computer vision, and in game dev I do both the programming and the graphics.

Thinking it through I'm still more in favour of dual; 20" should be fine for the sorts of graphics work I do, and big enough for games and multimedia.

The desk space issue might be a bit of a program though. Two monitors will take up the majority of my current desk. But they're thinner than my CRT so they should leave enough room up front for papers and so on. I'm also going to be moving sometime later this year, so I can get a bigger desk.

I'll head over to the local Mac store today and have a look at the models to help make a decision. Although the last time I was there I thought both were pretty freakishly huge - I'm used to 17" monitors, so anything bigger looks enormous.

I had a close look at both iMacs, and I'm still undecided. The 20" didn't actually look that big, but it was in a line with the 24" iMac and a couple of 30" displays, so it's hard to compare. Both looked really nice, although I admit the 24" looks really impressive. The default text size on the 24" was a little bit too tiny though; the icons looked minute. I'm also a bit concerned if in a few years time I need to upgrade whether I could handle discarding something so large.

Quote: Original post by Cwiddy

....

I'm telling you, once you go 24" you never go back. Unless you go bigger of course :-p

30" Samsung LCD @ 2560x1600 ftw.

You'll never go back lol. Pad it on both sides with 2 22" LCDs and you're golden :-)