Apple Studio Display (15-inch LCD, 1998) vs Apple Studio Display (17-inch CRT, 1999)
Better figure, where one is clearly better
| AppleStudio Display (15-inch LCD, 1998) | AppleStudio Display (17-inch CRT, 1999) | |
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Released | May 1998 | January 1999 |
| Display | ||
| Screen size | 15.1″ | 16″ |
| Resolution | 1024 × 768 | – |
| Sharpness | 85 pixels per inch | – |
| Panel | LCD (TFT active-matrix LCD; Apple does not identify the panel subtype) | CRT (Nominal 17-inch Mitsubishi Diamondtron aperture-grille CRT, 16-inch viewable image; 0.25 mm aperture grille pitch. Vertically flat screen, without a fixed native pixel matrix.) |
| Supported signal modes | – | Supported signal modes include 1600 × 1200 at up to 60 Hz, 1280 × 1024 at up to 75 Hz and 1024 × 768 at up to 85 Hz. Horizontal scan 30–85 kHz; vertical scan 48–160 Hz. These are selectable CRT modes, not a fixed native matrix or one native refresh rate. |
| Screen coating | – | Antireflective and antistatic screen coating |
| Refresh rate | 75 Hz | – |
| Brightness (typical) | 180 nits | – |
| Contrast ratio | 200:1 | – |
| Shape | Flat | – |
| Colour depth | 24-bit colour interface; up to 16 million displayed colours in Apple's April 1998 datasheet | – |
| Viewing angles | Typical 120° horizontal and 90° vertical | – |
| Connections | ||
| Video inputs | DA-15 | VGA |
| USB-C charging | None | None |
| Other connections | 15-pin D-sub analogue RGB computer connection with included VGA adaptor; separate RCA composite and 4-pin DIN S-video inputs; left/right RCA audio inputs and mini-stereo audio output. Two downstream ADB sockets on desktop stand and an ADB connection on display; no USB hub is specified. | Captive 15-pin mini D-Sub VGA cable; included VGA-to-Macintosh adaptor for older Mac video connectors |
| Design | ||
| Stand adjusts | Height, tilt, swivel (better) | Tilt, swivel |
| Weight with stand | 4.5 kg | 20.8 kg |
| Height adjustment | 110 mm with desktop stand | – |
| Tilt | −10° to +45° with desktop stand; +15° fixed picture-frame stand | – |
| Swivel | ±45° with desktop stand | – |
| Size with stand | Desktop stand, 39.9 × 38.1–49.0 × 24.9 cm (width × height × depth), from Apple's April 1998 datasheet. Service manual lists slightly different metric dimensions beside the same imperial figures; datasheet retained here. With included picture-frame stand, 15.7 × 11.6 × 6.9 inches (width × height × depth), weighing 2.3 kg. | January 1999 maker datasheet gives 41.1 × 42.7 × 44.7 cm (width × height × depth); archived support sheet instead lists 18.9 × 16.5 × 16.9 inches (height × width × depth), an unresolved maker conflict |
| Weight detail | – | January 1999 M6221LL/A datasheet specifies 20.8 kg (45.9 lb); archived Apple support sheet instead lists 48 lb. The model-specific datasheet metric figure is used. |
| Controls | Power, brightness, graphics/video source toggle, reset and on-screen display navigation; software controls for white point, black level, tracking, positioning and sharpness | Power, brightness, contrast, on-screen geometry, convergence, degauss, moiré and colour-temperature controls |
| Colours | Original translucent Azul blue enclosure; not the later Blueberry or Graphite models | Translucent Blueberry and white enclosure; the later August 1999 Graphite revision has the same performance and internal circuitry according to Apple's service manual |
| Power and support | ||
| Power use | Display operating consumption below 30 W, from the revision-specific Apple technical note; separate 45 W power adaptor | January 1999 datasheet specifies maximum 150 W operating, less than 15 W standby and less than 5 W with the computer in energy-saving mode. Archived support sheet instead gives maximum 120 W; this maker conflict is retained. |
| Power supply | External power adaptor, 100–240 V AC at 50–60 Hz; this mains frequency is not the display refresh rate | January 1999 datasheet specifies 90–264 V AC, 47–63 Hz; these are mains ratings, not display refresh rates |
| Software | Apple announced this model on 17 March 1998 for worldwide availability in early May; Apple's archived support sheet gives introduction on 7 May 1998. Release month follows retail availability rather than announcement. Native 1024 × 768 accepts 60, 70, 74.9 and 75 Hz in the original maker manual. Apple Technical Information Library article 30460 explicitly distinguishes original Rev. A (180 cd/m², 4.5 kg desktop stand and below 30 W) from 1999 Rev. B (200 cd/m², 5.5 kg and below 35 W). The April 1998 datasheet and archived support sheet give the later figures; the later revision-specific technical note is followed here. PowerPC Mac with Mac OS 7.5 or later, or Windows 95/NT; see manual exclusions for older Macs and graphics cards. | Maker announced the new Studio Display family on 5 January 1999; January retail precision is used because a distinct first-sale day is unconfirmed. January datasheet lists Power Macintosh G3 with Mac OS 8.0 or later. Brightness and contrast ratio are unpublished and omitted; no pixel density is assigned to this CRT. |
| In the box | Display, desktop stand, picture-frame stand, VGA adaptor, power cord and adaptor, Apple Displays software with ColorSync profile and user manual | Display, Apple Displays software, power cord, VGA-to-Macintosh adaptor and user manual |
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