Original 22" Apple Cinema Display with DVI connection.
The Apple Cinema Display is a product line of widescreen flat panel monitors made by Apple Inc. Apple initially introduced the 22" Apple Cinema Display in September 1999 alongside the Power Mac G4. The display used DVI, and was enclosed in a high-density plastic frame with an easel-style stand. Apple upgraded the Cinema Display in July 2000, by running DVI, USB and 25V power through a single ADC connector. In March 2002, Apple replaced the 22" model with a 23" model supporting full 1080p resolution, which was redesignated the "Cinema Display HD". In June 2004, Apple completely redesigned the Cinema Display line in an aluminum case, introducing a 30" Cinema Display HD as the flagship model. These later models have an aluminum stand with a design similar to the current iMac stand, and a surface that matches Apple's Mac Pro and MacBook Pro computers. They come in 20", 23" and 30" models. While designed to be paired with Apple computers, the displays are also compatible with other personal computers equipped with an appropriate video card. (The 30" Cinema HD Display requires a dual-link DVI connection.) Currently LG.-Philips produces the LCD panel used by the Cinema Displays.
While they are favored by graphics designers and Mac fans, the monitors have attracted some criticism due to their relatively high prices. One of the first notable examples is the comparison of the Dell UltraSharp 2005FPW with the similarly configured 20-inch Apple Cinema Display of the 2004 generation of Cinema Displays. Both displays use the same LG.Philips LCD display[1]. At the release of the 2005 series of Dell LCD monitors, the Dell 2005FPW was the first widescreen monitor available retail at under $1000USD at the price point of $799USD while the 20-inch Apple Cinema Display stood at over $1200USD. As of April 2007, the 20-inch Cinema Display was selling for $599USD on Apple's web site. In contrast, the Dell 2007WFP (a competing 20-inch widescreen LCD monitor) was selling for $399USD during that time. The displays are also criticized for lack of Windows drivers to support the displays. As a result of this, many users who attempted to make use of the USB and firewire connections (that connect from the displays to the computer) experienced problems including unresponsive display side buttons and the operating system not properly recognizing the display. This has led to the creation of unofficial drivers such as WinACD.
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