Screen Review: HP w2558HC

[LordNomad]

Hello Everyone,

 

For my first post and contrary to many on the new user's lounge i decided to post a review/buying advice to my fellow hackintosh users. It's thanks to the incredible work done on this forum that i was able to build my Hack and i think i would participate by sharing my thoughts on some hardware.

 

A year ago i started to look for a way to transform my PC into a hackintosh, having become a fan of OSX since i bought a Macbook Pro to replace my Vaio.

 

thankfully, my system was almost entirely compatible with OSX, however my peripherals like my webcam were not. The search for a replacement was on and i decided to replace my 22" Samsung screen with a bigger one i tried to find one which could do both, in fact i was looking for a Cinema Display but without the connection problems they had on hackintoshes and the price tag associated with the Apple brand.

 

After many searches on the net i finally found the perfect screen, the HP w2558HC.

 

The screen is 25,5" with: Webcam, speakers, Memory card reader, Usb Hub and both 2 hdmi and DVI connections for the price of 400 $ compared to the 800$ of the ACD 24".

 

The best:

-the webcam recognized OOB via every program i tried (photobooth, iChat and Skype)

-the usb hub where every port is recognized

-the memory card reader recognized OOB

-look, reminiscent of the Apple cinema Display 24" with a discrete HP logo in the front like the apple logo and a shiny black framing the display elegantly.

-USB MIC working OOB

-exterior light detector adjusting automatically the level of brightness.

 

Now the defaults :

-the screen is a TN display which compared to Apple's IPS has less brightness and quality.

-the Screen comes with glare and i know many among us don't like the reflections it causes.

-The foot holding the screen is bulky and cumbersome since it doesn't rotate and needs too much room at the back of the screen. Personnally i dismantled it and fitted the screen on a Vesa wall holder with an arm to flatten it out against the wall.

-The screen comes with a remote however it's only use is to command the screen when viewing photos and mp3 via the Card reader.

 

Conclusion: frankly i know that some have better looking designs (Apple's is my personnal favorite however their prices are too high) or displays, however i have yet to find a multi purpose screen able to replace an ACD while working OOB on a hackintosh. Having this screen made my hackintosh feel more Vanilla and allowed me to enjoy my shiny macos X with all it's functions.

 

Here are some reviews :

http://reviews.cnet.com/lcd-monitors/hp-w2...7-33342045.html

http://www.lesnumeriques.com/hp-w2558hc-p327_4379_23.html (in french)

 

I will post my system in my Signature.

 

i hope this little review helps others, i know i had a lot of problems finding out before buying it if the features on this display were mac compatible.

 

Take Care and again thanks for the help.