![\"hkn62\"](\"https:\/\/lucvandal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/hkn62.jpeg?w=630\")
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Well, I’ve annoyed my Twitter followers a lot those past few weeks so I’d better write a review!<\/p>\n
I like having a one computer setup. For years, I had a Retina MacBook Pro attached\u00a0a Thunderbolt Display and that worked quite well. Then in 2014, Apple announced\u00a0the iMac 5K<\/a> – I just had to get that beautiful, gorgeous Retina display! My plan was to have a two computer setup for a couple of years until Apple releases a Retina Thunderbolt Display or whatever it\u00a0would be called it at that point.<\/p>\n Unfortunately, that day never happened. Instead, Phil Schiller briefly mentioned<\/a>\u00a0during the October 2016 Keynote event<\/a>\u00a0that Apple worked with LG on a new UltraFine 5K display<\/a> and was now the official external monitor for the MacBook Pro. That Apple wasn’t releasing a new external display was expected at that point but my hopes were still high as Apple was seemingly involved in the design of the display.<\/p>\n That 4K Display That Never Worked Well<\/strong><\/p>\n Being the impatient person that I am, I ordered an UltraFine 4K display<\/a> to test out while the 5K version would become\u00a0be available. After cleaning out all the styrofoam that got everywhere when unboxing the display, I plugged in my MacBook Pro the UltraFine 4K – nothing. The damn thing wouldn’t turn on. After multiple reboots, cable plugging\/unplugging, it finally complied.<\/p>\n After a few days of use, my MacBook Pro wouldn’t recognize the display when plugged into the left side Thunderbolt ports. A SMC<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0NVRAM<\/a> reset didn’t help. Only one of the right Thunderbolt ports would let me use the display.<\/p>\n I then proceed to return the display within the 14-day period in order to get a refund from Apple.<\/p>\n That 5K display that was DOA<\/strong><\/p>\n The first 5K display I received had the same issues as the 4K except that it worked for about a minute and then just died. Since I had similar issues with the previous display,\u00a0I went to the Apple Store to exchange the laptop for a new one, thinking that something was wrong with it. Unfortunately it didn’t solve the issue and had to, once again, send the display back to Apple and order a new one.<\/p>\n The second display has worked well since I’ve received it so maybe there are some quality control problems over at LG or software issues at Apple. Who knows! \u00af_(\u30c4)_\/\u00af<\/p>\n The Good<\/strong><\/p>\n As expected, the display is gorgeous. This is great since once you start looking at it, you forget about its bland\u00a0design.\u00a0Where’s the aluminum<\/a>? Where’s the glass?<\/p>\n Having only one cable to plug in\u00a0is great.<\/p>\n The Bad<\/strong><\/p>\n The thing wobbles like a Bobblehead. I don’t have the most stable desk but that was never an issue with my iMac.<\/p>\n Sound quality is not great. The volume level is also broken. You cannot go over two notches without being way too loud. Hopefully a software update will solve that issue.<\/p>\n This seems to have been fixed in macOS 10.12.3 but I still need to open my MacBook Pro’s display before unplugging it because the display won’t turn on otherwise. This also could be solved by a software update.<\/p>\n The overall construction quality not what you would expect from a product endorsed by Apple. This display is more expensive than a\u00a0Thunderbolt Display and yet it feels much cheaper. That Apple is fine with that is beyond me.<\/p>\n It smells weird while it’s turned on, although it seems like the smell is slowly going away as weeks go by.<\/p>\n Conclusion<\/strong><\/p>\n I’m keeping the display but\u00a0I think Apple made a mistake\u00a0by leaving\u00a0the display market<\/a>. Like John Gruber and Ben Thompson discussed on The Talk Show #179<\/a>, Apple probably never made much money from their displays but they did it because the user experience was important. I’d love to learn the rationale behind that decision.<\/p>\nI\u00a0sometimes need to unplug USB accessories (iPad, etc.) when I plug in my MacBook Pro because they stop working or charging.<\/del><\/p>\n