1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:02,600
You have a desk, you have a Macbook.

2
00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:05,600
But why not a monitor?

3
00:00:09,100 --> 00:00:10,900
Okay, we're not all millionaires.

4
00:00:14,100 --> 00:00:18,100
There are a load of other options out there, but they're all ugly.

5
00:00:18,100 --> 00:00:21,500
And it's a problem for us design obsessed Mac users.

6
00:00:21,500 --> 00:00:26,600
It can be a big challenge to find a good monitor to set up at a nice desk, at home,

7
00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:31,000
or work, or at home for work. So I'm going to go on a journey

8
00:00:31,000 --> 00:00:36,400
to see if I can find a monitor that can feel at home beside all my other Apple devices.

9
00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:46,100
This predicament is really confusing because Apple has made a range of beautiful monitors before.

10
00:00:46,100 --> 00:00:50,500
Demonstrating the future of LCDs, the Apple Cinema and Studio displays

11
00:00:50,500 --> 00:00:56,900
were offered in a range of different sizes at prices that shrunk slightly as the technology matured.

12
00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:00,500
Their last branded monitor, the Apple Thunderbolt display,

13
00:01:00,500 --> 00:01:05,100
priced at $1,000, was perfectly suited for laptop deskers,

14
00:01:05,100 --> 00:01:10,300
sporting an IO hub at the back and a MagSafe connector to charge your laptop.

15
00:01:10,300 --> 00:01:13,900
But in 2016, after putting that screen to pasture,

16
00:01:13,900 --> 00:01:19,000
Apple was fine to just throw their hands up in the air and stock Apple stores with this,

17
00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:25,100
the LG Ultra Fine Display. It's available with either a 27-inch 5K panel

18
00:01:25,100 --> 00:01:31,800
or 24-inch 4K one. But just look and feel it.

19
00:01:33,500 --> 00:01:37,600
This is almost a moto rocker situation, unbecoming of what Apple users

20
00:01:37,600 --> 00:01:41,800
would like to have on their desks. With charcoal plastics,

21
00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:45,000
a weirdly thick forehead bezel to hold a webcam,

22
00:01:45,000 --> 00:01:48,100
it's a monitor that almost gets there in so many respects,

23
00:01:48,100 --> 00:01:53,900
but never completes the journey. With the wonderful high-resolution 5K panel from the iMac,

24
00:01:53,900 --> 00:01:58,300
it could be a fantastic Macbook companion like the old Thunderbolt screen,

25
00:01:58,300 --> 00:02:01,300
but there's just so much missing, like nice materials,

26
00:02:01,300 --> 00:02:05,600
an Ethernet port, SD card reader, or even any USB-A ports,

27
00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:09,800
all things that would have made this a fantastic and useful screen.

28
00:02:09,800 --> 00:02:14,100
So what happens when we leave the Apple Store and look at the hundreds of other options

29
00:02:14,100 --> 00:02:17,500
out there in the monitor sphere? There's gotta be something nice.

30
00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:23,200
What I'm looking for is a monitor with good industrial design,

31
00:02:23,200 --> 00:02:26,400
good cable management, and support for USB-C,

32
00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:30,800
all for less than $800. And after looking through all the options,

33
00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:33,000
I've arrived at these three.

34
00:02:34,400 --> 00:02:38,100
Now, the first option I wanna show comes from Razer.

35
00:02:42,100 --> 00:02:46,100
Despite being gaming focused, this monitor is really stunning.

36
00:02:46,100 --> 00:02:50,100
The back is clad in fabric. The stand, though quite heavy,

37
00:02:50,100 --> 00:02:55,900
has integrated diffused RGB light that tastefully glows against the desk.

38
00:02:55,900 --> 00:03:00,900
Cable management looks like a set of spillways that the bright green cables flow down.

39
00:03:00,900 --> 00:03:05,300
If you have a space gray Macbook and matching keyboard and mouse,

40
00:03:05,300 --> 00:03:08,400
this will look great on your desk.

41
00:03:08,400 --> 00:03:11,700
As it is a gaming monitor, it does retain those priorities,

42
00:03:11,700 --> 00:03:18,100
like temporal resolution over spatial resolution. This monitor is only 1440p, not 4K.

43
00:03:18,100 --> 00:03:22,500
This one, the latest model, has a 165 Hertz refresh rate,

44
00:03:22,600 --> 00:03:27,400
and it'll set you back $800, but a 1.44 Hertz model is also available

45
00:03:27,400 --> 00:03:30,400
for $1 to $200 less if on sale.

46
00:03:30,400 --> 00:03:34,000
And that one offers 15W of charging over USB-C.

47
00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:39,500
That's a mere trickle compared to the 96W, the big 16-inch MacBook Pro charger outputs,

48
00:03:39,500 --> 00:03:44,700
but better than this newer model that doesn't charge at all.

49
00:03:44,700 --> 00:03:48,600
This Razer is still kind of expensive, and if it's money you wanna save,

50
00:03:48,600 --> 00:03:51,800
might I suggest the MSI Modern Monitor?

51
00:03:53,500 --> 00:03:58,800
It's 24 inches and 1080p, which is the largest I would recommend anyone go

52
00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:02,300
at this resolution. The panel is nothing to write home about,

53
00:04:02,300 --> 00:04:07,100
and the cable management could be a little bit better with a hole in the stand or something.

54
00:04:07,100 --> 00:04:10,500
Also, this logo, kind of meh.

55
00:04:10,500 --> 00:04:14,400
But it costs around $160, and at that price,

56
00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:19,300
it's very hard to find something this attractive that includes a USB-C input.

57
00:04:19,300 --> 00:04:23,300
Though, it doesn't come with a USB-C cable, so you're going to have to find one

58
00:04:23,300 --> 00:04:26,500
that supports DisplayPort, which is harder than you think.

59
00:04:28,300 --> 00:04:32,000
How am I supposed to know it's DisplayPort? Do I just have to test all these?

60
00:04:34,500 --> 00:04:38,500
It too will only send a 15W trickle to your laptop.

61
00:04:38,500 --> 00:04:42,700
Perhaps the most exciting thing about this monitor is the potential for color.

62
00:04:42,700 --> 00:04:45,800
A few months ago, MSI posted a short animation to Facebook

63
00:04:45,800 --> 00:04:48,800
previewing five familiar looking options.

64
00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:53,100
And when I asked MSI about it, they didn't have much information other than to say

65
00:04:53,100 --> 00:04:57,800
that they're in the process of releasing other colors and that the post was to gauge interest.

66
00:04:57,800 --> 00:05:02,800
So please let them know your interest in the different variants because that'll be great.

67
00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:07,800
If you're looking for an ultra-wide, the Samsung CJ791 is really compelling,

68
00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:11,500
which unfortunately I don't have here. It supports Thunderbolt 3

69
00:05:11,500 --> 00:05:15,000
with an extra port for daisy chaining. It is quite attractive

70
00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:20,000
and has really decent cable management. Priced at $700, sometimes less on sale,

71
00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:24,100
I haven't been able to find a more compelling ultra-wide.

72
00:05:24,100 --> 00:05:29,600
So these monitors are all good, but there is one that stands out among the rest,

73
00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:33,000
providing what I think is the most attractive package

74
00:05:33,000 --> 00:05:39,000
at a decent price. And it's this, the Dell Ultra Thin 27-inch monitor.

75
00:05:39,000 --> 00:05:42,600
Now most of Dell's monitor designs are competently generic,

76
00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:47,500
but with an MSRP of $550 or on sale in the $400 range,

77
00:05:47,500 --> 00:05:50,500
I don't think you'll find a more attractive companion

78
00:05:50,500 --> 00:05:54,300
for your Mac book. Yes, it's only got 1440p resolution.

79
00:05:54,300 --> 00:05:57,600
I kind of wish it was at least UHD, but it is quite bright

80
00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:03,000
at up to 400 nits brightness, 600 if you use the HDR mode under HDMI.

81
00:06:03,000 --> 00:06:07,600
This is truly the spiritual successor to the old LED cinema display.

82
00:06:07,600 --> 00:06:13,100
I love how the ports are tucked behind the stand ARM and that the cables can neatly be fed through it.

83
00:06:13,100 --> 00:06:16,100
I love how you can connect your Mac with one USB-C cable

84
00:06:16,100 --> 00:06:21,700
and provide 45 Watts of power. I love that there are two USB-A 3.0 ports

85
00:06:21,700 --> 00:06:27,100
for peripherals and drives. If I had a Mac book that I wanted to set up on my desk,

86
00:06:27,100 --> 00:06:32,200
this would be the monitor I'd get, no doubt. In fact, the design is so good

87
00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:35,900
that I think it's worthy of the Fruit Logo sticker itself.

88
00:06:36,200 --> 00:06:48,600
There are rumors that Apple might have a less expensive

89
00:06:48,600 --> 00:06:53,700
consumer-oriented monitor in the pipeline, or not.

90
00:06:53,700 --> 00:06:57,100
And without powerful Apple's ARM-equipped laptops are now,

91
00:06:57,100 --> 00:07:01,600
there's less reason than ever to buy a desktop instead of a more convenient Mac book.

92
00:07:01,600 --> 00:07:04,800
It's just too bad it can't be an Apple made, attractive,

93
00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:09,200
perhaps even colorful screen, just like the iMac we all know and love.

94
00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:12,200
But in the meantime, at least to my taste,

95
00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:16,200
all we have are these.

96
00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:20,500
Thanks for plugging your DisplayPort-compatible USB-C cable into this Mac Address.

97
00:07:20,500 --> 00:07:24,600
Make sure to like and subscribe. And if you think you know of any monitor

98
00:07:24,600 --> 00:07:32,000
more attractive than the options I presented, sure, you can put them in the comments below.

99
00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:34,900
I'm curious what you'll come up with.