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Any monitors aside from the Thunderbolt display that will do a rMBP justice?

The Clark

The Clark

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Dec 11, 2013
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Canada
If so which ones? Where can I buy them?

I hooked up my rMBP to my Asus but I nearly threw up, the display was horrible. I don't have a grand to drop on a TBD, so any substitutes would be great.

Thanks.

Oh, and happy New Year!
 
I love my Dell u2711. It uses the same panel as the TB! No thunderbolt, but it has HDMI, Mini Display port(backwards compatible with TB) and plenty of USB 2.0 ports, as well as an SD card reader, Dual-DVI and other sexy things.
 
The Clark said:
If so which ones? Where can I buy them?

I hooked up my rMBP to my Asus but I nearly threw up, the display was horrible. I don't have a grand to drop on a TBD, so any substitutes would be great.

Thanks.

Oh, and happy New Year!
Click to expand...

I would recommend the new Dell 4k monitor, but OS X offers poor 4k support. The Dell 27" monitors would be my best choice.

Happy New Year to you too!

Regards
Raptor
 
You want narrow gamut sRGB or wide gamut Adobe RGB? Wide gamut is nice if you do photo editing or other graphics work.
 
Choose the dell model that suits your requirements and you'll be fine - based on my pre rMBP experience at least
 
Why is everyone using dell out of curiosity? Is it just because they make quality monitors?
 
I have the Dell Ultrasharp 2412, and it is pretty great. 24" with DVI, VGA, and displayport support. It also has a built-in 4 port USB 2.0 hub.
 
The Clark said:
Why is everyone using dell out of curiosity? Is it just because they make quality monitors?
Click to expand...

Dell's WQHD monitors, since u2711, always had stellar reviews.

I should mention cost, also. My u2711 was nearly half the price of a thunderbolt display. :D
Same panel, no glossy, much more connectivity options... ;)
 
I have a Dell 30" with 2560x1600.
But it's crap in relation to the retina display on my new 15" macbook pro.
The Dell is just running in the background while my main work is done at the retina screen of the macbook.
 
That's because with the exception of companies like Samsung and LG, most companies just assemble and brand monitors. They don't manufacture displays. Apple doesn't even use Apple manufacture display panels.
 
I still prefer the Thunderbolt display simply for the fact that it's a decent monitor but it's also a hub.. and only have two cables to easily attach to the macbook. (the power and thunderbolt) from the monitor. I can leave my adapter in the bag for mobility.. and I have firewire/ethernet/3 usb's available to me..
 
Dekard said:
I still prefer the Thunderbolt display simply for the fact that it's a decent monitor but it's also a hub.. and only have two cables to easily attach to the macbook. (the power and thunderbolt) from the monitor. I can leave my adapter in the bag for mobility.. and I have firewire/ethernet/3 usb's available to me..
Click to expand...

Thunderbolt display is beautiful and does have those advantages; However, it has a severe limitation (at least for me) - it has only one video input.

People who buy a 27" monitor usually want to use it with more than a device.
 
Monoprice - same IPS panel as Apple, the glass has the same hole as the Apple (for a camera), yet lacks the camera. The board is also socketed for the camera. Except this has a non-glare but still glossy glass that users like. If you need a hub, you need a better one than in the TBD anyway. For the price of a TBD refurbished, you can buy this, a current TB1 USB3 HDMI hub, plus a VESA stand because the one it comes with sucks. The Bezel and back is all metal and it is very thin. With a good cheap aftermarket stand, It will look and perform great. 5 dead pixels within a year warranty. Less than $400. I'm waiting until CES on the 7-10th to decide, but I'll be happy if this is still my best choice. New products come out, and often prior released products drop their price during or just after the event. TVs and Monitors are usually at their best prices after CES.

http://www.monoprice.com/Product/?c...=1130703&p_id=10509&seq=1&format=1#largeimage

The TBD is a great monitor but a highly outdated hub. Either wait forever for a new TBD (I've been waiting for a year and a half) or jump ship like me for a great quality, good looking, cheap alternative. I prefer a non-glare glossy screen to the matte like the Dell. It still is as vibrant as the Apple, but without the glare. The Dell has a plastic housing but it also has more inputs including HDMI. The Dell costs 50% more than the Monoprice. The base price on the Apple is two and a half times what the Monoprice costs for the addition of a highly outdated hub.
 
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