What They Say
DPReview.com, the photography blog, published a review of the Apple Studio Display which called it “an excellent monitor at a steep price”. It likes the optional nano-texture coating but doesn’t think it’s worth the extra cost ($300) unless you have a really difficult lighting arrangement. It also dislikes the price of the dedicated height-adjustable stand ($400). The reviewer praised the integration with the Mac environment, but pointed out that the monitor really doesn’t make sense away from the Mac as it doesn’t have an OSD or adjustment controls that can be operated on a Windows PC. Settings (including calibration) created on the Mac do persist when the monitor is switched from one to another.
The reviewers like the audio which it says is ‘mind blowing when you compare it to anything other than a dedicated set of desktop computer speakers’.
Colour accuracy and calibration were exceptional and the reviewer liked the way the system helped to correct the calibration using a sensor.
The review pointed out the lack of HDR support. It also amended the review to include a review of the webcam which ‘leaves a lot to be desired’. That meant that overall, it reduced the attractiveness of the device for a Mac owner, and it already was deemed as not really suitable for professional creatives. Apple told the blog that it will be making “improvements in a software update”.
Another article that I spotted looked at alternatives to the Apple displays. It focused on issues of using displays that deviated from the 218ppi of the firm’s own displays and said that if you ‘stray too far’ from that level, ‘macOS becomes unusable’. MacOS can support other resolutions, but scales the images and that has a lot of issues.
What We Think
The issue of image scaling is an interesting one. After writing so much about the latest Apple silicon, I have been veering towards a switch to MacOS. On the other hand, I’m quite happy with my UltraHD monitor and wouldn’t want to have to double the cost of getting an Apple Studio by getting a new monitor as well, especially on that is locked-in to MacOS if I decide that a switch to Mac was a mistake. Hmmm, having also found this wee that my favourite video editing software, Vegas Video, is not available on the Mac is another blow. There are alternatives, but they come with more cost and another learning curve. Hmmm….. (BR)
