Apple 30-inch Cinema Display
Ranked 14 of 14 monitors by recommenders
People recommend it for its long lifespan, with some units still working after two decades and a well-regarded design. Its backlight wears over time, causing uneven colors, and it is dim by modern standards.
People recommend it for its long lifespan, with some units still working after two decades and a well-regarded design. Its backlight wears over time, causing uneven colors, and it is dim by modern standards.
7 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 5
- criticize it
- 2
- approval share
- 71%
Recommended in 4 of 13 months
- November 2025: not recommended
- December 2025: recommended
- January 2026: not recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: recommended
- April 2026: recommended
- May 2026: not recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Owned for 23 years
Median of the 4 owners who said how long they have had it.
Each square is one year.
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 5 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, not met.
- 2.5 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 4 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Long-lasting, still working after decades
“we've got a few that still work to this day”
Comment from 1 Dec 2025 in “CachyOS: Fast and Customizable Linux Distribution” “early 2000s Cinema Displays are so great”
Comment from 3 Mar 2026 in “Apple unveils new Studio Display and all-new Studio Display XDR”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Dim and low contrast
“it was never particularly bright and had low contrast”
Comment from 3 Mar 2026 in “Apple unveils new Studio Display and all-new Studio Display XDR” “striking how dim it is compared to modern monitors”
Comment from 3 Mar 2026 in “Apple unveils new Studio Display and all-new Studio Display XDR”
Other monitors people recommend
The four most recommended other monitors, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple Studio Display | 65 | 53 | 55% | 10 | — | — |
| Dell UltraSharp 52 Thunderbolt Hub Monitor | 27 | 35 | 44% | 2 | 2 yrs3 owners | — |
| LG UltraFine Evo 6K monitor | 17 | 16 | 52% | 4 | 2 mo5 owners | — |
| Apple Pro Display XDR | 16 | 4 | 80% | 7 | — | Approved |
| Apple 30-inch Cinema DisplayThis page | 5 | 2 | 71% | 4 | 23 yrs4 owners | — |
What people said
All 7 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“Maybe the best monitor of all time… the thing was MASSIVE and was peak Apple design perfection.”
“imo the rendering is still pretty good”
“early 2000s Cinema Displays are so great”
“striking how dim it is compared to modern monitors”
“In its last year or two the backlight wear started to result in colors to become uneven.”
“it was never particularly bright and had low contrast”
“we've got a few that still work to this day”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.