An external monitor or the 13" rMBP?

This probably sounds like a bizarre dilemma, but let offer some background first: I currently have a 2012 13" cMBP, and aside from the screen, I love this machine. It's quiet, it's powerful enough (for me), it doesn't give me problems, and it's portable enough that I never feel uncomfortable. I have since put in a 256 GB SSD and 8 GB of ram.

One of the things I was hesitant on before purchasing this however, was the screen of the cMBP. Aside from the eye strain that I get after working with it for extended periods of time, the small working space that I have is a bit uncomfortable for some of the things I do. I was considering buying an external Dell IPS monitor (since it seems to have such wide praise, both from my personal friends and online), but I came to an interesting realization: it would actually cost me more to buy the monitor (23-24" range that is, if I go smaller it's comparable) than it would be to sell my current machine and buy a refurbished retina.

The case for the rMBP:

Pros:
-It adheres to my minimization philosophy of having a single computing device rather than multiple, specialized units.
-It's cheaper or comparable in cost.
-Easier on the eyes, even compared to an external.

Cons:
-Newer technology that isn't quite mature yet (image retention issues, is this overblown or not?) and U/I "lag" that hasn't been fully corrected by software developers yet.

The case for the external:

Pros:
-Even compared to the 13" rMBP in scaled mode, offers superior working space.
-I don't have to give up an otherwise perfect machine.

Cons:
-Doesn't truly address the eye strain issue, in fact, the dell's anti-glare coating could actually make reading text for prolonged periods even harder.
-I'll still have to deal with the limited desktop while on the go.
-It's potentially more expensive.

This may seem like a straight-forward decision in the rMBP's favor, but are there any advantages of the external, or viewpoints that I haven't considered? The weight/footprint advantage of the rMBP is immaterial to me, although I suppose it's nice. Thanks to those who take the time to respond.

EDIT: I just want to note that the reduced size of the standard rMBP HD is not a big deal to me. As is, I only use about 50-55 GB of space anyway, and I don't see that expanding any time soon unless OS X balloons up by a massive amount in the very near future...

anarti said:

having external display for macbook is great. you can get much more workspace and "desktop like" feeling when working with excternal keyboard and mouse.

remember to put your macbook on something like hirise stand etc, to keep it ventilated and to have screen on better level.

I was working with external display for a very long time, main screen is on the external monitor and secondary on macbook itself. On macbook I get itunes or email opened all the time and everything else is happening on the external display - it is reallt good setup. highly reccomended!

Click to expand...

To be honest, I don't really care for the "desktop experience". One of the things I love about my laptop, is that I can disconnect it from my power source on my desk and get the same, consistent user experience working on my sofa or on my bed (as bizarre as this sounds, I'm actually more productive sometimes away from my desk).

Extending my desktop isn't something I consciously considered before, and would reduce the need to buy a keyboard, although would take up more valuable space on my desk. Something to consider I suppose.

What I do value however, is the working space an external monitor offers. That being said, I've lately been leaning towards just buying an external monitor rather than replacing this with a retina. Aside from the screen, this laptop is perfect for my needs and has zero problems. Moving to a line that has known hardware "issues" isn't too appealing to me, and even if I do decide to replace this with a revised Retina line later this year or next year, I can still benefit from the additional working space the external provides.

Thank you for your input though.