Can't Afford Thunderbolt Display for New MacMini, Next Best Brand?

None of those devices can be used as computer monitors except the Gateway monitor.

I can't tell you what the best brand might be. I can tell you that I am using a Samsung S27B350H 27" monitor with my new late-2012 Mac Mini, which I chose after weighing a number of factors including cost. Unlike with the built-in monitors on the iMacs, which are usually perfectly calibrated right out of the box, I did need to spend a little time calibrating it (using OS X's tools in the Displays pane of System Preferences). I'm very pleased with it so far. I recommend it.

I got mine from eBay, but you can get specs here at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-S27B350H-27-Inch-LED-Lit-Monitor/dp/B007A1G07O/ref =sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1355790083&sr=8-1&keywords=samsung+s27b350h

I purchased a refurbished unit from a large-volume eBay seller for less than $200.

Hi Linda Cate, Dell has a kind of affordable offer. I intend to buy one in the next few weeks. Price might vary depending on when and from who you buy it from.

The monitor I am talking about is the Dell UltraSharp U2713HM, 27". It's still not exactly cheap but it might be worth your while to consider. The monitor has a lot of positive reviews from different sources.

Good Luck !

I have an LG and 2 Samsung monitors, both brands are good and work well with Mac's.

If you just want a 21.5" to 24" monitor, then one's with HDMI and/or DVI input will work with either a HDMI to HDMI cable or the Apple supplied HDMI to DVI Adapter and a DVI cable.

If your wanting a 27" or larger monitor, then you will want a monitor that supports DVI and/or DisplayPort and connect it up to the Thunderbolt-MiniDisplay Port.

One thing to keep in mind when it comes to displays is

the actual resolution and not necessarily size. A vast

majority of monitors out there in the low to mid price range

have a resolution of 1920x1080. Reason, this is a standard

HDTV resolution.

So, 21.5", 24", 27" will have the same number of pixels, and the

larger screen sizes will have bigger pixels. So, you won't get any

more desktop on the screen with a 27" than you will with a 21.5".

The reason the Apple display and others like it are so expensive

because they pack more pixels into the display (33% more in

both vertical and horizontal). For example on Amazon (all 27", 2560x1440):

NEC PA271w-bk $952

Dell Ultrasharp U2711 $785 (on sale reg. $949)

HP ZR2740w $706 (also on sale reg. $860)

to mention a few.

The result of the higher resolution is it can pack a little more desktop

on the screen (really helpful if you work with schematics or architectural

drawings) and images and such will appear sharper.

Just something to keep in mind when making your final decision

that size isn't everything.

I would recommend a LG 27" IPS, which I got quite recently.

> http://www.lg.com/hk_en/monitors/lg-IPS277L

This has a LED IPS screen for superb brightness and detail; thin bezel, superb colour gamut range, wide viewing angle and a very high quality HD screen (up to 1920 x 1200) for a fantastic price of around US$380-$400 or more than half the cost of a Cinema Display. If that's too much for your budget they also have a 23" for around US$230 (on Amazon). It's also guaranteed to be compatible with the Mac Mini because LG makes the panels for most of Apple's current range of displays.

All in all, a great purchase...

John,

I have recently purchased a Mac Mini and a Samsung B350 S27B350H, I have yet to receive them. My question to you is did you connect your Mac Mini to the Samsung B350 S27B350H via HDMI to HDMI, or some other way? Also, would you mind posting your calibrated settings? I am very excited about the new combo, but after reading some other reviews I am a bit concerned on how well the two will work together. Does the Samsung show up as a recognizable monitor?

Thank you.

Widget74- I am using HDMI->HDMI. The monitor has HDMI and VGA inputs; you'll get a much better experience using the digital (HDMI) input.

When you receive your Mini, be sure to update to 10.8.3 as soon as possible. 10.8.3 addresses a white point issue with the late-2012 Mac Minis which was most apparent when using HDMI->HDMI video. Without 10.8.3 (or a manual white point adjustment) the attached monitor would look washed out.

Then just go to System Preferences->Hardware->Displays->Color, click on CALIBRATE, and follow the instructions. Your monitor is best set for your room's light, your eyes, and your particular preferences. Doing this will take only 2-3 minutes.

For what it's worth, I remain very pleased with my S27B350H and I'm even more pleased now with Mac OS X 10.8.3 since I no longer need to correct for the white point issue.

Thank you!

Please : YOUR PROBLEM WAS RESOLVED SO CLICK ON THE JOHN HAMMER1'S ANSWER

"THIS RESOLVED MY PROBLEM"

well, some good 27" monitors at good prices online, but you have to get one with right specs, this is helpful:

http://www.derekunderwood.com/alternatives-to-the-apple-thunderbolt-display/

Without a doubt the Dell UltraSharp is the best deal out there. Great qualtiy for a small fraction of the cost.

Hi, you may check out some apple thunderbolt display alternatives here http://www.dailytut.com/product-reviews/apple-thunderbolt-cinema-display-alterna tives-2014.html This should help you from choosing some best hand picked display monitors. My personal suggestion is dont go for 1080p display. For experiencing sharper texts and better picture you should consider getting 1440p display (which you can see in iMac 27 Inch). It fits best for Mac mini, Macbook Pro.

Robin.