Questions for Thunderbolt Display and Laptop Owners

[cambookpro]

Hi, so very excited just got my Thunderbolt display to hook up to my 15" MacBook Pro. I just have a couple of questions about what to do in terms of my setup!

1) Is it worth running dual displays (MBP/TBD)? At the moment I run the MBP in Clamshell mode and have the TBD as the only display. I played around with the MBP as a second monitor, but I didn't really 'get' the concept.

2) If I were to run dual displays, would you get a stand? I was thinking of the Griffin Elevator stand but do you guys have any suggestions?

3) Would you get a Magic Trackpad? I already have a Magic Mouse but some gestures are not available on it... Is the trackpad worth it?

4) If I did keep the TBD as the only display, are there any good cooling stands? I looked around a bit but wasn't sure what generally is considered the best one. My MBP does tend to get hot when hooked up to the TBD.


Thanks everyone, and merry Christmas/Hanukkah!

 

[mgipe]

1. Depends on what you do with the computer. I frequently use dual displays, since some applications make very good use of them. For example, photoshop and Lightroom can run with tools and context on one screen, with the image to edit on the other. Even with applications that don't use two screens, I often keep my email client on the laptop and the thing I'm actively working on on the big screen, so I can see new mail when it comes in.
2. Never bothered with a stand.
3. Yes. Great idea. Magic mouse sucks.
4. Don't know.

 

[JronMasteR]

Hi, so very excited just got my Thunderbolt display to hook up to my 15" MacBook Pro. I just have a couple of questions about what to do in terms of my setup!

1) Is it worth running dual displays (MBP/TBD)? At the moment I run the MBP in Clamshell mode and have the TBD as the only display. I played around with the MBP as a second monitor, but I didn't really 'get' the concept.

2) If I were to run dual displays, would you get a stand? I was thinking of the Griffin Elevator stand but do you guys have any suggestions?

3) Would you get a Magic Trackpad? I already have a Magic Mouse but some gestures are not available on it... Is the trackpad worth it?

4) If I did keep the TBD as the only display, are there any good cooling stands? I looked around a bit but wasn't sure what generally is considered the best one. My MBP does tend to get hot when hooked up to the TBD.


Thanks everyone, and merry Christmas/Hanukkah!

1) I use my MBP in a Twelve South bookarc while hooked up to the TBD. Dual Monitor in Lion is nothing for me, because it always adds the second desktop to your current space (if anyone can tell me how to change that, please)
3) I have a magic trackpad and a mouse. I use the magic trackpad for the gestures and the mouse for pointing because the mouse is much more accurate than any trackpad.
4) As I mentioned before, bookarc from twelve south. Works great for me.
http://twelvesouth.com/products/bookarc/

 

[JayMBP]

DD is very task dependent. When I'm browsing, the second display is usually off.

I have reference materials+preview of the HTML/CSS I'm coding on ATD and Coda on the MBP when working.

And of course when catching a show, I have the show on ATD while still doing whatever I do on the MBP.

 

[Lennyvalentin]

Viewing angles and contrast, color accuracy and so on isn't nearly as good on the built-in display as the external TBD, so if you go dual display by using the MBP screen, you need to be more careful with how you position them to get good viewing performance. Also, since it has a lot fewer pixels it's more difficult to fit stuff as well.

Anyway, if you wanna use this feature, I'm sure you'll find ways around the quirks. It's basically free screen real estate; you could be working with a full-screen app on the TBD, and have room to keep a browser and some smaller utilities and stuff open on the MBP screen for quick access, like Spotify or iTunes or somesuch.

I always run my MBP in clamshell mode with my TBD because there's not really any deskspace with my computer setup to keep the MBP open; I fear I'd throw my neck out of joint.

 

[cambookpro]

Thanks for your help everyone!
I think I may just run the MBP in Clamshell mode, as after using it for a day I've found out it doesn't really behave with full screen apps in Lion. One thing I will do however is use it to put the bin on when using FCP - very handy.

I'll have to think a bit more before getting a trackpad, probably will next year sometime. JronMaster, thanks for the suggestion of the Bookarc, I'll look into it.

 

[JronMasteR]

Thanks for your help everyone!
I think I may just run the MBP in Clamshell mode, as after using it for a day I've found out it doesn't really behave with full screen apps in Lion. One thing I will do however is use it to put the bin on when using FCP - very handy.

I'll have to think a bit more before getting a trackpad, probably will next year sometime. JronMaster, thanks for the suggestion of the Bookarc, I'll look into it.

You're welcome. The MBP gets a little hotter in clamshell mode. I just put the MBP in the downward position(fans on top). Runs cooler that way.
Also, you have to bend the MacSafe connector cable a little too much, depending how you connect it. A "T" style connecter would've been better in that case.

 

[flynz4]

Thanks for your help everyone!
I think I may just run the MBP in Clamshell mode, as after using it for a day I've found out it doesn't really behave with full screen apps in Lion. One thing I will do however is use it to put the bin on when using FCP - very handy.

I'll have to think a bit more before getting a trackpad, probably will next year sometime. JronMaster, thanks for the suggestion of the Bookarc, I'll look into it.

I always run my 11" MBA in clamshell mode when attached to a monitor.

I have a question about how people use full screen apps on their 27" display. I find that I often use full screen mode on my 11" MBA, but seldom use full screen mode on my 27" monitor, or my 27" iMac. Instead I use the larger display to show more simultaneous windows. I was wondering of others often run full screen on a 27" Display.

/Jim

 

[colshine]

I always run my 11" MBA in clamshell mode when attached to a monitor.

I have a question about how people use full screen apps on their 27" display. I find that I often use full screen mode on my 11" MBA, but seldom use full screen mode on my 27" monitor, or my 27" iMac. Instead I use the larger display to show more simultaneous windows. I was wondering of others often run full screen on a 27" Display.

/Jim

I use a mixture of full screen and multiple windows. I like to have my editors full screen so I maximise space and I dedicate one desktop to multiple browsers for testing.