20" or 23" Cinema Display for Photography

My advice since you are working with photos, go for a 20" to prevent some
problems that are connected with the 23" ACD, persistance / ghosting etc.
That problems can show up after a long time, trust me! The 20" ADC is still good and value for the money! A proper calibration and you will have a nice display ( and good looking)

I'm ready to upgrade my old 17" Studio Display (not
lcd) to either the 20" or 23" CD. As a photographer,
I'm looking for the best colour and consistency. Any
comments on which is better, and is the 23" really
that much bigger in use?

Along with prices the monitors themselves changed recently. Numerous folks on the Photoshop forums have made positive comments about the 23". Note that the 23" is 1/3 brighter and IMO a better monitor. I am ordering a 23" (main) and a 20" (palettes) with a new system soon but would order two 23" if I had the space. IMO the extra size and pixels make the 23" very much worth the extra $300.

Regarding size in use note that the new wide screen format makes the sizes seem smaller. For portrait-oriented images the 23" definitely "feels" better than a 20"; 30" even better but you need sufficient work space.

-Allen Wicks

Well "mikegull", you got a vote for the 20 and a vote for the 23. Obviously, the 23 would be better simply from a "real estate" standpoint. But, if it were me I absolutely would not buy a 23 unless I could inspect the actual unit I was going to get. This means going to the Apple store or to an Apple dealer and having them take the display out of the box, connecting it and demonstrating that it was free of the many issues that have plagued these units in the two years since their introduction. And if they refused to accommodate this request, I would either:
A) Shop elsewhere
B) Buy a 20" display or a 30 (if you could afford it along with the video card upgrade needed on most "older" Macs to get the full res) or:
C) Buy a different brand 23" display.

Buying a 23" ACD is risky business regardless of the build date and/or advertised specs. So sorry Apple but on this one I just don't trust you.....

personally I like to spread out my toolbars in photoshop/flash/c4d/final cut etc so the 23" is a must. I really enjoy having the space and my cinema display doesn't ghost or bleed like others claim theirs do. I wouldn't go for the 20" because of issues with the 23" - if you get a monitor that isn't up to your expectations, exchange it for another. I definitely notice a HUGE difference in size between the 20" and the 23" but it's your call.

"...I'm really hoping the next batch of 23" ACDs are better..."

As are we all. But, as it stands right now, there are better options. I love the 23" display for all of the reasons mentioned...lots of space for everything, the elegantly understated design, etc. But Apple has simply got to address the problems. They need to state in no uncertain terms that the issues have been addressed and in exactly what way they have been remedied. They need to assure potential buyers that the problems experienced by so many have been corrected. Unfortunately, this is unlikely since they have never acknowledged the issues to begin with. This creates something of a dilemma doesn't it? I'm not saying that it is impossible to get a "good" 23" ACD. But it is still a "crap shoot" because people are still reporting the same problems with the newer units, image persistence, light leakage, uneven backlighting, unreliable power supplies etc. And even tho the "new" 23s "only" cost half of what I paid for mine, you are still talking a grand which is , IMMHO, still a fair chunk of change.....

...people
are still reporting the same problems with the newer
units, image persistence, light leakage, uneven
backlighting, unreliable power supplies etc.

I certainly do not get the same impression. As far as I can tell overall reports on the new 23" displays are fine. I will be buying at least one soon, and if it is bad I will... return it. Apple's products have in my 20+ year experience either been fine or easily returnable.

I recognize that a few folks have been screwed (e.g. Quad G5 buyers who still today cannot run Aperture well due to non-upgradable stock graphics cards). However I do not intend to avoid the modern 23" which seems excellent just because some folks did have problems with the past generation.

-Allen Wicks

"...However I do not intend to avoid the modern 23" which seems excellent just because some folks did have problems with the past generation..."

I'm not suggesting that anyone avoid buying a 23" ACD, just that they should cover their rear ends if you get my meaning. Additionally, FWIW, there is no "new generation" ACD. The displays being sold today are basically the same as the units that were sold in '04. I know, they have seen some spec changes and price drops. But show me where any official announcement of "new" or "improved" displays has ever been made. Furthermore, the number of people who have had problems with what you refer to as "past generation" displays is rather more substantial than is implied by the term "some folks".

The truth is that "some folks" are not even aware of the defects in their displays or simply are not bothered by them. I personally know several people who are using 23" ACDs that, for example, blatantly exhibit the dreaded "pink panther" syndrome. But they think the display looks fine. And there are many who don't worry about the image persistence issues, toasted pixels, etc. That's fine for them. If they are not bothered by that stuff, who am I to try and convince them otherwise? But these displays are pushed as being "professional" units for use in "professional" environments and capable of withstanding the closest and most critical scrutiny possible, that of a SWOP environment. Professionals will notice and be bothered by these flaws, believe me.

I also have been an Apple customer for 20+ years as has my brother, my wife, my daughter, my son and my other son who has also works for Apple and has done so for most of his adult life. If I got commissions on the sales made to people I have convinced to use Apple computers, I would probably not have to work for a living. So I don't need to have my wrist slapped and be told that Apple's products are "fine". But that does not mean that I am willing to "roll over" on real issues simply because the screwup was made by Apple.