Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!fernwood!apple!decwrl!world!boris From: boris@world.std.com (Boris Levitin) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware Subject: Re: Advice sought for "cheap" color monitors Message-ID: <1990Oct30.083652.16829@world.std.com> Date: 30 Oct 90 08:36:52 GMT References: <28897@boulder.Colorado.EDU> Organization: The World @ Software Tool & Die Lines: 42 suj@boulder.Colorado.EDU (SU JAMIE CHI YANG) writes: >I'm looking for a low cost (~$500) 3rd party color monitor as an alternative >to getting Apple's new color 12". First, if you wish to find a monitor to work with the on-board 8-bit color on the Mac IIsi, the LC or, for that matter, the IIci, be warned that the on- board video on these machines will work ONLY with Apple-labeled monitors. Right now there are only two Apple-labeled color monitors: the trusty, high- quality Sony-manufactured Trinitron 13" High-Resolution RGB (640x480 pixels) and the pathetic Mitsubishi-tube 12" display shipping in January (512x384 pixels, the same as on a compact Mac's built-in 9" screen with an extra 40 lines tacked on top and the image stretched over a larger space, for an unnaturally large and choppy Apple IIGS-style picture). To my mind, there is absolutely no reason to buy the 12" display, since the 13" Trinitron ($700 street minus $250 rebate; the rebate will be in effect until year's end, when the list price will supposedly be reduced) is barely more expensive than the back-ordered 12" monitor ($410-420 street). The LC will need its VRAM swapped for the 512k upgrade, at a cost of roughly $50, to run the 13" at 8 bits; otherwise you get 4 bits. The IIsi and IIci give you 8 bits on the 13" as they come off the assembly line. >I've come up with the following candidates: >Seiko 14" Trinitron, NEC MacSync 14", Magnavox Color 14" There are also the Sony CPD-1302 and CPD-1304 (note that, while Sony makes Apple's 13" monitor, the monitors that come under its own label will not work with the LC's, IIsi's or IIci's on-board video). These five monitors are compatible with any NuBus or 030 PDS card designed to drive the 13" Apple display. Of these, the Sony offerings (the 1304 can be used with a near-megapixel resolution as well as 640x480, if your video card supports it; the 1302 is stuck to 640x480) are best, followed by the Seiko Trinitron and a not-very-close runner-up, the Magnavox. The NEC, from what I heard, is best avoided. Boris Levitin ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- WGBH Public Broadcasting, Boston boris@world.std.com Audience & Marketing Research wgbx!boris_levitin@athena.mit.edu ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- (The opinions expressed herein are my own and do not necessarily coincide with those of my employer or anyone else. The WGBH tag is for ID only.)