Any iMac (or TBD) + rMBP owners?

jondunford said:

I am worried about this as when I use low end computers when out and about I really notice the display difference however I understand these are substantially lower quality displays than even the 21" iMac

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Worried about what exactly?

jondunford said:

I'm just looking for answers to a serious question rather than sarcasm thanks, I thought this was meant to be a friendly community

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I only asked a question.

jondunford said:

I have a rMBP and am looking to get a desktop (iMac/Mac Pro/hackintosh)

I'm just wondering how rMBP owners see the screen of their iMac (21 or 27, not decided yet)/Thunderbolt display after getting used to the Retina display on your laptop.

Thanks

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Why don't you just go to an Apple Store or a reseller and look at an iMac display, that is exactly what you will see. I seriously doubt you will be disappointed.

I dont notice the difference no. TBD and 15" rMBP.
Then I dont even notice the difference between the rMBP and my cMBP with 1680x1050. Atleast not at normal working distance. The colours are much nicer on the rMBP though.

We just got a new 27" iMac and a 13" retina MacBook Pro.

Honestly they're about the same to me. The iMac sits further back and is beautiful. I do see the difference in text, but only when it occurs to me to look closely.

jondunford said:

I have a rMBP and am looking to get a desktop (iMac/Mac Pro/hackintosh)

I'm just wondering how rMBP owners see the screen of their iMac (21 or 27, not decided yet)/Thunderbolt display after getting used to the Retina display on your laptop. Do you notice the difference in pixels per inch or not so much with the distance you sit from the screen?

I am worried about this as when I use low end computers when out and about I really notice the display difference however I understand these are substantially lower quality displays than even the 21" iMac

Thanks

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I had a 15" rMBP until a few days ago when I switched to an iMac. Like you, I anticipated that I wouldn't tolerate the lower pixel density, that my eyes would always be adjusting to the jagged edges of text like it happened with an 11" MBA I tried out a few months ago. Well, good news: the iMac's display is so good (see Anand's comments and measurements) that it more than offsets the much lower pixel density. Though I can definitely see blurry edges, whether close or from normal distance, text is sharp enough as I sit much further from the screen than I did from the rMBP's and MBA's. My eyes have no problem adjusting. Now, I would very much appreciate a Retina display, but I can live with the 1080p resolution, and even enjoy it. And watching TV shows and movies on this thing is incredible, not to mention the sound quality (deep bass, much to my surprise). I definitely do not regret the switch. And I loved my rMBP and especially its Retina display, so... .

I have a 27" iMac and a 13" rMBP. I notice the difference in text only when I stick my nose in front of the iMac screen. At normal viewing distances it's fine.

I always use my 13" rMBP at 1680x1050 and when plugging it into my TBD I notice no degradation in quality. Maybe slightly in text, but hardly any and certainly not enough to bother me, and all I do is program. I do use the rMBP as a secondary display in "Best for Retina" mode when it's plugged into the TBD, and I can notice a difference then, but it really is not a big deal especially since I just use the second screen for iTunes, Messages, etc.