Ordering TB Cinema Displays now? Stupid?

[Strengthu]

About to place a big order of a fully beefed up Mac Pro. Going to include 2 screens and I'm leaning towards the Thunderbolt displays. However, having serious difficulties ordering two now considering surely an update must be coming soon. If not retina, at least 4K, and a redesign ala the iMac.

Not really a question, but a serious dilemma

 

[smellalot]

About to place a big order of a fully beefed up Mac Pro. Going to include 2 screens and I'm leaning towards the Thunderbolt displays. However, having serious difficulties ordering two now considering surely an update must be coming soon. If not retina, at least 4K, and a redesign ala the iMac.

Not really a question, but a serious dilemma

Yeah I don't get the use of 28" or even 32" 4K displays either. Using pixel doubling like on the MacBook will give you 1080p resolution which is only useful up to 24".
So I'm really interested to see what Apple will come up with. I don't think they can make a 27" retina display yet considering their only 4K display costs 4000 €.
Going down to 24" 4K is the most likely thing to happen I think. But it would be strange since Apple obviously considered 27" to be the perfect size for everyone for the last couple of years.

So in conclusion: get the display that is best for you right now because I don't believe there is anything special coming from Apple anytime soon.

 

[xlp]

About to place a big order of a fully beefed up Mac Pro. Going to include 2 screens and I'm leaning towards the Thunderbolt displays. However, having serious difficulties ordering two now considering surely an update must be coming soon. If not retina, at least 4K, and a redesign ala the iMac.

Not really a question, but a serious dilemma

I was in the same situation as you, i dont think its worth buying brand-new Thunderbolt displays because a update is coming but it might be a while tho
The update is most likely going to have the iMac design and less glare, thats what i think atleast and its not a major update to the current display if thats true, only thinner and less glare but neither bothers me if you place the screens correctly and not by a window or a lamp the glare is no problem!

I really dont believe that a new Thunderbolt display is going to be 4K. Imagine Apple setting a pricetag on their own 4K display, the base Mac Pro will be cheaper..

The way i did it, i ordered the nMP (Still waiting) and i bought 2x Thunderbolt displays used for about half the new price, no damage on them, looks brand new, so i got 2 monitors for the price of 1 New.

 

[DCSOL]

If you don't mind me asking. Where did you buy the two TBDs?

 

[willcapellaro]

The way i did it, i ordered the nMP (Still waiting) and i bought 2x Thunderbolt displays used for about half the new price, no damage on them, looks brand new, so i got 2 monitors for the price of 1 New.

I think your new setup will split the audio between displays in a stereo configuration. You have to enable that but it should work fine without 3rd party hacks. Do some digging in the forum and you'll find it (or maybe it works natively).

 

[xlp]

If you don't mind me asking. Where did you buy the two TBDs?

I bought them on a site similar to Craigslist but in Sweden

I think your new setup will split the audio between displays in a stereo configuration. You have to enable that but it should work fine without 3rd party hacks. Do some digging in the forum and you'll find it (or maybe it works natively).

I wont be using the display speakers, i got a external reciver + speakers!
Thanks tho!

 

[RoastingPig]

i have a thunderbolt display and 2x 27 cinema displays and when apple releases the new 4k monitor i am going to get that and sell one of the cinema displays..putting the 4k in the middle of two 27 is making me tingle. cant wait!..i have a gaming rig that i could put that extra cinema display on but for some reason i cant play on it..i went 120hz tv for gaming and i cant go back

 

[Commy1]

I wouldn't buy at this point. New display technology seems to be the thing these days, as you said Apple is certain to update soon. The TBD is getting quite aged.

Try the Asus Pro Art series screens or get something useable but not all out for now until they do update.

 

[theluggage]

About to place a big order of a fully beefed up Mac Pro. Going to include 2 screens and I'm leaning towards the Thunderbolt displays.

The only reason I can think of for using TBDs with a nMP is if you actually wanted to connect 6 displays to your nMP and still have some Thunderbolt ports left.

The Thunderbolt Display's Unique Selling Point is as a MacBook dock giving you display, sound, webcam Ethernet, USB, Firewire and TB through all via a single cable, plus a built-in MagSafe PSU to charge your laptop.

If you have a nMP, with 6 thunderbolt/displayport ports *and* a HDMI, 4 USB3s, 2 Ethernet and audio out sitting on your desktop, what's the point of the docking functionality? There are far better value 1440p displays available, and they have the advantage of offering multiple inputs and compatibility with non-Macs.



There are plenty of good 3rd party 1440p monitors out there which would be a far better value choice for a nMP.

 

[thedeske]

There are plenty of good 3rd party 1440p monitors out there which would be a far better value choice for a nMP.

That seems to be the mssg loud and clear from Apple right now. Who would G.A.S. about Firewire or USB2 on a new MP system? That's half the hub on the TBD. Great when it was first out and suffering when Apple finally put USB3 on the Laptops. Just the one update of USB3 might have kept the TBD alive in it's current form, but ??.
Adding the treatment iMacs have now, which is indeed better by a good margin with the same panel. What to design, when you have a monitor for Laptops that needs to cross over to other Macs? Camera, Mic & speakers? Hmm?

Can't even count the "When" threads here. Almost a matter of IF or Legend

 

[theluggage]

That seems to be the mssg loud and clear from Apple right now. Who would G.A.S. about Firewire or USB2 on a new MP system?

But then, who would care about a couple of extra USB3 ports - inconveniently tucked around the back so you can't plug memory sticks in, on a new MP system? How does it help a nMP user to plug their ethernet into the monitor rather than the nMP? What's the big deal with a single cable connection if you're not plugging/unplugging daily?

I'm not knocking the TBD but it is a luxury laptop peripheral and designed as such. Exhibit 1: the MagSafe connector. Exhibit 2: rear-facing USB ports - only needed for your permanently connected stuff because it leaves your laptop ports free and accessible for memory sticks etc. Exhibit 3: Ethernet (see above - a Mac Pro already has two of those).

I'm still tempted by the TBD to go with my MacBook Pro - and might bite if I saw a discounted one - but I wouldn't consider one, even an updated one, if I succumbed to a Mac Pro and could have 2-3 3rd party displays for the same price (personally, I'd probably go for 3x24" 1200p screens).

Can't even count the "When" threads here. Almost a matter of IF or Legend

See above re. the TBD primarily being a laptop dock.

Apple will soon have an all-retina laptop lineup. Marketing-wise, they probably want a "retina" branded Thunderbolt Display to go with them.

That's a problem.

27-30" UHD displays may be great for viewing 4k video content, but the DPI is all wrong for a 27" TBD replacement.

5120x2880 would give the best 27" 'retina' experience, but 5k resolution isn't happening any time soon, when current tech is struggling with 4k.

My guess is that they're waiting for a 21-23" UHD panel small enough to produce a 21.5" 'retina' iMac or a matching TB display, with a 'looks like 1920x1080' pixel-doubled 'best for retina' mode.

 

[thedeske]

27-30" UHD displays may be great for viewing 4k video content, but the DPI is all wrong for a 27" TBD replacement.

Agree - I might be wrong, but it seems 90% of the owners using the 27 size are concerned with still photo work and standard video for personal use. A pro concerned with 4k, is a small group of buyers. The Retina thing wouldn't make sense without inexpensive 4k Mom & Pop cameras being sold. Don't see it yet.

 

[John Kotches]

The luggage:

4k displays are already pixel doubled full HD. The actual viewable resolution is 3840 by 2160.

 

[theluggage]

4k displays are already pixel doubled full HD. The actual viewable resolution is 3840 by 2160.

...but "full HD" is only 1920x1080 - the current 27" Thunderbolt display and 27" iMacs are already considerably higher resolution than that, at 2560x1440.

Replace 2560x1440 with 3840x2160 and you have a choice between 'native mode' in which system fonts, menus, icons, dialogs are too small (unless you're a youth with better-than-20-20 vision) and 'best for retina' mode which assumes that pixels have doubled and consequently make everything too big.

Future releases of OS X promise "scaled mode" for 4K screens that renders as 5120x2880 internally and downsamples to 3840x2160 - I'm betting that will look pretty good, but it has implications for CPU/GPU load, lag and artifacts and might not be a good choice for 'default'.

 

[chfilm]

I was in your spot and went for the TB displays. I have no regrets since they are beautiful displays. When apple comes up with their own 4k solution I'll just sell them. TB displays seem to have a pretty good resell value compared to other 27" displays on eBay.