I'm fantasizing about buying the rMBP 13 with maxed out storage to use a daily driver, and use it a bootable drive (Target Disk Mode over Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2) when I need heavy lifting. I'm looking for reasons why that wouldn't work or would be a bad experience.
Context:
Getting the rMBP 13 with 1tb storage is $2,299.00. It would be $3,099.00 for the rMBP 15. So I'd be pocketing $800 to put towards my "docked" setup: a Mac Pro or new iMac, or updating my wife's iMac.
This is straightforward, right? Booting from my internal SSD over Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 should be seamless, no? Anyone doing anything similar or care to tell me what this experience would be like?
Context:
- Currently using a 2010 MBP 15 that's been tinkered with SSD+HDD, RAM. It's been good, but I'm aiming to retire it. Limited by monitor output (I have 2 ACDs and a Cintiq to support) and by data transfers.
- I am aiming to max out storage. 256 has been painful. I'm debating whether 512 would work.
- I love the tininess of the rMBP 13.
- I don't love the dual-core, or Iris graphics. Quad core and Iris Pro would have been nice. I mostly do 2D design but when I do video or 3D I would like to "plug in". Meaning: More and better processors, including discrete graphics, more RAM.
- I almost always use my laptop as a "docked" system when at home. But I do need portability.
- Wife has a iMac (NVIDIA GeForce GTX 675MX 1024 MB) with (1st gen) Thunderbolt. Only 8GB Ram (it was a Applecare replacement, not sure what she had before). So I could use that to "tide me over" if I need a dGPU, and increase the RAM if I need it.
- I'm probably waiting until WWDC to see what gets refreshed, but I could also buy current gen refurbs now and still have TB2. TB2 and a large drive are really the only specs I need. But quad core and Iris pro would be compelling.
- I am aiming to use boot camp and parallels infrequently, to use solid works.
Getting the rMBP 13 with 1tb storage is $2,299.00. It would be $3,099.00 for the rMBP 15. So I'd be pocketing $800 to put towards my "docked" setup: a Mac Pro or new iMac, or updating my wife's iMac.
This is straightforward, right? Booting from my internal SSD over Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 should be seamless, no? Anyone doing anything similar or care to tell me what this experience would be like?