Apple has, somewhat deservedly, come in for some serious flak since unveiling a $999.99 Pro Stand for the Mac Pro Display XDR at WWDC, but one monitor manufacturer can see the funny side.
PC manufacturer MSI has lampooned Apple’s famous “I’m A Mac” ad campaign from a few years ago to point out that desktop users can actually get a little more value for money by buying a stand that actually comes with a display.
Related: WWDC 2019
In a tweet posted from its Australian Twitter account this week, MSI pointed out that for US$1,299 it’s possible to buy a 34-inch 5K Nano-IPS Display that’s HDR 600 Certified with a 98% DCI-P3 colour gamut.
I'm a Mac, and this is a PC. ?️ pic.twitter.com/NpjiJm6C7T
— MSI Australia (@AustraliaMSI) June 5, 2019
Contrarily, Apple’s thousand dollar Pro Stand doesn’t actually have a screen, let alone a colour gamut, or a 5K resolution. For users seeking the 32-inch Pro XDR display, which offers a 6K LCD panel and upto 1000 nits of brightness, they’ll need to hand over another $5k.
However, it appears all is not completely as it seems within MSI’s spoof. As Contrast founder David Barnard points out in a tweet (via 9to5Mac), MSI may have presented its PS341WU monitor in a more flattering light than reality would suggest.
He said a recent eyes-on look at the MSI monitor showed it has giant bezels and is surrounded by cheap plastic, without any cable management to speak of. So, as funny as the tweet may be, the reality is seemingly a different story altogether.
From what I’ve heard, the Pro Display XDR is even more beautiful in person. The MSI Prestige, not so much. Giant bezels, cheap plastic everywhere, no cable management, etc. Their marketing shot is so misleading. (I was genuinely thinking it might be a decent alternative… ?) https://t.co/WxOsWaVJ6j pic.twitter.com/WBSNRornxE
— David Barnard (@drbarnard) June 6, 2019
So, to recap, the Apple Mac Pro Display XDR is a 32-inch 6K panel, with a pixels-per-inch count of 218, 1000 nits of brightness, 1600 nits of peak brightness, full DCI-P3 coverage, available in glossy or matt finishes. However, $1,000 for a stand, just so you can rotate a $5,000 display into portrait mode? Come on, Apple. If we didn’t know you better, we’d think you were pulling our legs.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
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We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.