MacBook Air + Thunderbolt Display vs. iMac

[qcmacmini]

I was wondering that too.

While there are a lot of inexpensive 27 inch displays, they aren't near the same quality. Most of them are only 1080p. You don't find cheap 2560 x 1440 displays.

Dell have the U2715H out now which is reasonably priced. Even cheaper is the U2515H. Both 1440p. Thinnest bezel you will find, and an LG panel similar to the Thunderbolt display, but with a matte coating.

I have a Mac mini as a desktop, but I must admit there is something cool about a Macbook Air and Thunderbolt display combo. It's like having an iMac that's portable. Really cool setup.

 

[Hacks]

Dell have the U2715H out now which is reasonably priced. Even cheaper is the U2515H. Both 1440p. Thinnest bezel you will find, and an LG panel similar to the Thunderbolt display, but with a matte coating.

I have a Mac mini as a desktop, but I must admit there is something cool about a Macbook Air and Thunderbolt display combo. It's like having an iMac that's portable. Really cool setup.

That Dell 27" that you mentioned is $600, which is a HELL of a lot more than $350 like quoted earlier.

 

[febahadir]

What display?

Thunderbolt Display

 

[Hacks]

Thunderbolt Display

He asked what display that is similar to the Thunderbolt display can be purchased for $350.

 

[legioxi]

I was wondering that too.

While there are a lot of inexpensive 27 inch displays, they aren't near the same quality. Most of them are only 1080p. You don't find cheap 2560 x 1440 displays.

Search for this Acer display: K272HUL

Runs from $340-$450. Also Asus makes one for $450. And there are no name Korean ones around for $350 or so. Just google 1440p and check out some of the results for options. Some will be high priced, but some will be in the $350-$450 range.

 

[Hacks]

Search for this Acer display: K272HUL

Runs from $340-$450. Also Asus makes one for $450. And there are no name Korean ones around for $350 or so. Just google 1440p and check out some of the results for options. Some will be high priced, but some will be in the $350-$450 range.

The Acer you cited is $400+.

All of the monitors you mentioned are bottom of the line. I'm not saying that they are bad, but they are not at the Thunderbolt Display level by any means.

I plan on buying the Asus model for $450, but I am not going to try and fool myself into thinking that it's similar to the Thunderbolt. That's like comparing Dell's $299 laptop to a Macbook Pro.

 

[Meister]

Search for this Acer display: K272HUL

Runs from $340-$450. Also Asus makes one for $450. And there are no name Korean ones around for $350 or so. Just google 1440p and check out some of the results for options. Some will be high priced, but some will be in the $350-$450 range.

Those are cheap TN panels.
They are in no way like the TB display. That's why they are so cheap.

 

[qcmacmini]

That Dell 27" that you mentioned is $600, which is a HELL of a lot more than $350 like quoted earlier.

Well the U2515H is only €290 here in Europe, which is about $350 US incl tax.

Those are cheap TN panels.
They are in no way like the TB display. That's why they are so cheap.

No that's an IPS, but it's like the cheapest on the market and has severe backlight bleed. You can definitely pick it up for $350 though which is awesome.

The Thunderbolt display is cool, but now with only USB 2.0 and fan noise, when other options are silent, it's not very good value.

However, I would argue that with a Macbook Air it's still a decent option because it gives you all the functionality you need in one cable. Magsafe charger, USB Hub, Thunderbolt, Ethernet, Webcam.

 

[Hacks]

Well the U2515H is only €290 here in Europe, which is about $350 US incl tax.

And it's 25". We are discussing 27" monitors similar to the Thunderbolt.

 

[qcmacmini]

And it's 25". We are discussing 27" monitors similar to the Thunderbolt.

Anyway the point is I was looking at a Thunderbolt display at one point and I think I'll end up buying the U2515H. Arguing something on a technicality is silly, I'm clearly stating these are the logical options.

 

[motrek]

Those are cheap TN panels.
They are in no way like the TB display. That's why they are so cheap.

Actually the K272HUL is an "AHVA" panel which seems to be one of these proprietary/brand-name technologies that are similar to IPS:

http://www.pchardwarehelp.com/guides/lcd-panel-types.php

The K272HUL was actually advertised as an IPS display when I bought it last year but I guess they changed that. Probably somebody got upset. I also bought mine for $330 and it seems the price has gone up.

Anyway, it's an excellent monitor with very good color accuracy and off-axis accuracy. There is some backlight bleed, although to be fair, there is backlight bleed with a TB display too. (Have you ever looked at an all-black image in a dark room on an Apple 27" display? It's not amazing either.)

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Anyway the point is I was looking at a Thunderbolt display at one point and I think I'll end up buying the U2515H. Arguing something on a technicality is silly, I'm clearly stating these are the logical options.

True, it's just 2 inches, but you might consider looking for a 27" monitor anyway. The pixels on a 2560x1440 27" monitor are already pretty small, and it took me a while to adjust to them, and if you go with 25" they will be even smaller than that.

I would also make sure its an IPS panel or similar. I can't find anything about the U2515H's panel technology. It seems like if it were IPS (or similar) they would say something about that.

 

[Meister]

Actually the K272HUL is an "AHVA" panel which seems to be one of these proprietary/brand-name technologies that are similar to IPS:

http://www.pchardwarehelp.com/guides/lcd-panel-types.php

The K272HUL was actually advertised as an IPS display when I bought it last year but I guess they changed that. Probably somebody got upset. I also bought mine for $330 and it seems the price has gone up.

Does it have the contrast, brightness, conectivity and glossy surface like a tb display?
All the screens I have seen so far do not come close to the tb display.

Weirdly I just purchased a HannsG 23" 1080p touchscreen (TN panel) for only 150€ and that's about as close as I ha e come so far to a TB display.

 

[qcmacmini]

True, it's just 2 inches, but you might consider looking for a 27" monitor anyway. The pixels on a 2560x1440 27" monitor are already pretty small, and it took me a while to adjust to them, and if you go with 25" they will be even smaller than that.

I would also make sure its an IPS panel or similar. I can't find anything about the U2515H's panel technology. It seems like if it were IPS (or similar) they would say something about that.

The pixel density isn't a huge difference, 109ppi vs 118ppi.

FYI the two Macbook Air models are 135ppi and 128ppi respectively.

The other factor for me is desk space. I don't have a huge desk. Ideally with unlimited budget and space I would go for the 27".

It's definitely IPS, all the new Dell models are PWM free IPS panels, from LG. However it seems the 25" panel is from their sub-brand. I forget the name but it's part of the LG brand. Hard to say if the quality is different.

 

[Hacks]

Anyway the point is I was looking at a Thunderbolt display at one point and I think I'll end up buying the U2515H. Arguing something on a technicality is silly, I'm clearly stating these are the logical options.

We are not arguing technicalities. We are trying to find a thunderbolt level monitor for $350.

 

[motrek]

Does it have the contrast, brightness, conectivity and glossy surface like a tb display?
All the screens I have seen so far do not come close to the tb display.

Weirdly I just purchased a HannsG 23" 1080p touchscreen (TN panel) for only 150€ and that's about as close as I ha e come so far to a TB display.

I found this review of it, with some interesting data:

http://www.digitalversus.com/lcd-monitor/acer-k272hul-p20417/test.html

And here's some data about the Thunderbolt display:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/4832/the-apple-thunderbolt-display-review/6

The contrast looks to be almost exactly the same.

Maximum brightness is not quite as high (300 nits vs. 375) although the Acer still gets so bright that it's painful to use in a normal indoor setting. I have mine set to 30%.

I know these are two different reviews with two different measuring techniques, but it looks like the Acer might actually have slightly better backlight evenness (7% vs. 8%).

The Acer doesn't have all the same features as the TB display, since the TB display is really more of a docking station than a monitor. So the Acer does not have a USB hub or TB connection or camera. It does have speakers but they are horrible. But, it's still a very good display, which is what its supposed to be.

Unfortunately it's matte instead of glossy. Some people prefer matte but I prefer glossy. But for $330 I'm willing to live with matte.

If you haven't had an IPS display before, I would definitely recommend it. The difference is pretty huge. I used to have a 24" 1080p TN panel and no matter where I sat, either the top or the bottom was washed out. Now I can look at my monitor from whatever angle I want and it looks great.

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The pixel density isn't a huge difference, 109ppi vs 118ppi.

FYI the two Macbook Air models are 135ppi and 128ppi respectively.

The other factor for me is desk space. I don't have a huge desk. Ideally with unlimited budget and space I would go for the 27".

It's definitely IPS, all the new Dell models are PWM free IPS panels, from LG. However it seems the 25" panel is from their sub-brand. I forget the name but it's part of the LG brand. Hard to say if the quality is different.

I know the MBA has higher pixel density but for some reason the pixels on my 27" display seem very small in comparison. Maybe it's because the display is so much bigger that I instinctively try to view it from further away, maybe to see more information.

 

[Hacks]

That Acer now costs $400. The Asus I was looking at is $419. Both have good reviews. I wonder which one is better.

 

[qcmacmini]

That Acer now costs $400. The Asus I was looking at is $419. Both have good reviews. I wonder which one is better.

It seems ASUS have updated the PB278Q so that it's now PWM free.

When I was originally looking at 27" options I was going to go for the Acer based on price, or the BenQ BL2710pt which has better colour accuracy for similar money.

However, I think the Dell is now a great option because it comes with a USB 3.0 Hub and thin bezels. I already have the similarly styled U2414H 1080p monitor, and the 25" or 27" would look great next to it.

 

[Hacks]

The Dell is nice, but $600 is too much.

$400 is right around what I'd like to pay.

It seems as if the Asus PB278Q and Acer K272HUL are the best choices.

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I know the MBA has higher pixel density but for some reason the pixels on my 27" display seem very small in comparison. Maybe it's because the display is so much bigger that I instinctively try to view it from further away, maybe to see more information.

Agreed. A laptop is normally closer to the user so a higher PPI is ok.

My 24" iMac with 1920X1200 resolution was the perfect PPI in order to locate it at the back of my desk. The new 27" monitor at 2560X1440 resolution will have to be moved up closer in order for me to comfortably use it. A 25" at that resolution would need to be even closer, which would look terrible and take up all my desk space.

 

[febahadir]

Hi guys,
My orders have just arrived. I really liked the TBD. I wish I had this setup for a long time ago.
Thank you for your valuable advises.

This is my setup:

http://i.hizliresim.com/pjV1bL.jpg

 

[febahadir]

I used exactly that setup with the same Air you have for over a year and I was very happy with it. As others mentioned, only having to manage one computer is a big plus. I never felt like I needed more speed or power for anything I did.

I recently updated to the new 13" Retina model and that works nicely with the TB display also.

I got my setup at the end. I have some questions about using TBD:
1-What should I do when I don't use the setup? Shall I snooze or close down the system?
2-While I use MBA, I just open/close the cover without totally closing down the system. What do you when you don't use your setup?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Weaselboy]

I got my setup at the end. I have some questions about using TBD:
1-What should I do when I don't use the setup? Shall I snooze or close down the system?
2-While I use MBA, I just open/close the cover without totally closing down the system. What do you when you don't use your setup?
Thanks in advance.

1. I just let it go to sleep and do not power down.

2. I never power down, and just close the lid to sleep it.

How are you liking this setup?

 

[febahadir]

I think when I plug in MBA's charger, the setup works. So, MBA will be always on charging mode during using the setup. Because when I plug off charging cable of the MBA, the setup doesn't work.

I don't know doing right or wrong but if I don't use the setup, I just plug off the MBA's charger. Then I plug in whenever I use the setup. But I hesitate about MBA'a battery life. Because it is always on charging mode during using.

I cannot find any information on how to use MacBook with Thunderbolt Display. Thus, I'm not sure on how to use my setup properly.

I really like my setup. I have used 12" Windows laptops for 10 years. I have been using MBA for 3 years. When I start to use 27" TBD, I felt like I am swimming from hot deserts to cool seas. It's awesome man! I wish I had it for along time ago. Thanks for your valuable advice.

 

[motrek]

I think when I plug in MBA's charger, the setup works. So, MBA will be always on charging mode during using the setup. Because when I plug off charging cable of the MBA, the setup doesn't work.

I don't know doing right or wrong but if I don't use the setup, I just plug off the MBA's charger. Then I plug in whenever I use the setup. But I hesitate about MBA'a battery life. Because it is always on charging mode during using.

I cannot find any information on how to use MacBook with Thunderbolt Display. Thus, I'm not sure on how to use my setup properly.

I really like my setup. I have used 12" Windows laptops for 10 years. I have been using MBA for 3 years. When I start to use 27" TBD, I felt like I am swimming from hot deserts to cool seas. It's awesome man! I wish I had it for along time ago. Thanks for your valuable advice.

Quick note, instead of "plugging off" the word is "unplugging."

And no, the MacBook is not always charging when it's plugged in. When the charger light is green, it's not charging. So, nothing to worry about. Keep it plugged in. This is by design.

 

[febahadir]

Quick note, instead of "plugging off" the word is "unplugging."

And no, the MacBook is not always charging when it's plugged in. When the charger light is green, it's not charging. So, nothing to worry about. Keep it plugged in. This is by design.

Thank you for your answer and new vocabulary.

 

[Ronnoco]

I use nearly the exact setup at home. 2013 13" MBA i7/8gb/512 with a 2010 27" ACD with Apple bluetooth keyboard and trackpad and USB 3 hub. ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!
Wouldn't trade it for a brand new iMac.