by Apple’s Thunderbolt Display (
) is very nice. It has a beautiful 27-inch IPS screen, a stylish aluminum case, and handy connectors that replace ports missing from Apple’s laptops. But at $1000, the Apple display is too expensive for many consumers, especially if those extra ports aren’t necessary.
Less expensive displays are available, but 27-inch displays with high quality IPS panels and LED backlights still cost a pretty penny—HP’s ZR2740w is over $700 and Dell’s U2711 has a list price of $999 (available for $800). Monoprice, a company known for its affordable computer cables and adapters, hopes to shake up the display market by offering its 27” IPS LED CrystalPro Monitor WQHD for much less—under $400—than these more expensive monitors.
Removing the CrystalPro out of the box, it’s quickly apparent that there are major differences between the Apple and Monoprice displays. If you’re expecting the fit and finish of Apple’s LED Cinema Display () or Thunderbolt Display, you need to reset your expectations. The Monoprice monitor uses a generic-looking black plastic case with a somewhat flimsy stand. It has seven buttons on the bottom, two of which do absolutely nothing. There’s a power button, volume up and down, and backlight brightness controls. No onscreen menus appear to show you where on the scale from low to high the monitor’s brightness or volume is set; just stop pressing the button when it looks or sounds good. Apple displays have no buttons, but you can control the brightness and volume from the keyboard, with onscreen cues as to the relative level of each.
The CrystalPro offers only a DVI connection. DisplayPort, HDMI, and USB are not included. If your Mac has Mini DisplayPort, you need a dual-link Mini DisplayPort to DVI adapter, which you can find from Apple ($99) or Monoprice ($69). The monitor does have speakers but they sound tinny, especially when compared to the Apple Thunderbolt Display’s speakers.
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