Retina MBP paired with Thunderbolt Display

[jbirdie6]

First time poster here and long time Mac Rumors reader. I wanted to get opinions from anyone that is using the Retina MBP with a Thunderbolt display. I currently have an early 2009 24" iMac and a mid-2009 13" MBP. I anxiously awaited the release of the new iMac's only to be let down by the fact that they haven't updated them yet. My plans were to upgrade to the latest and greatest 27" iMac, but now considering other options. Now I am thinking of selling my 24" iMac and 13" MBP to help subsidize the cost of the rMBP in conjunction with a Thunderbolt display - best of both worlds, right? I was demoing the rMBP at the local Apple Store last night and the screen is just beautiful to work with, however I think I would miss having the real estate of the 24-27" screen to do desk work.

Just want to get some dialogue going so post your thoughts, suggestions, and any other things I should consider. I tried searching the forums for anyone else using this setup but I can't seem to find any info. Thanks in advance!

 

[arbitrage]

What kind of info are you looking for. The RMBP with a TB display would be an awesome combo. I am going to retire my late 2009 27"iMac and use it as my display for my RMBP which is going to be a lot faster than my iMac anyways. The TB display is even better as you will have Ethernet and other connections to use it as a hub. Then you can also use the RMBP to travel or away from your desk.

I think it would be an awesome combo.

 

[jbirdie6]

Thanks for the input. I guess the thing I'm hung up on is that if I have it running through the Thunderbolt display I'm not taking advantage of the retina display. Will the Thunderbolt display paired with rMBP be an upgrade resolution wise over my iMac 24", or will it be the same? I'm guessing it will be 65-75% running through the Thunderbolt display, so maybe it's a waste to go retina?

 

[Rudy69]

Thanks for the input. I guess the thing I'm hung up on is that if I have it running through the Thunderbolt display I'm not taking advantage of the retina display. Will the Thunderbolt display paired with rMBP be an upgrade resolution wise over my iMac 24", or will it be the same? I'm guessing it will be 65-75% running through the Thunderbolt display, so maybe it's a waste to go retina?

You will have a higher resolution with the 27" display than you current 24". But if you're not using the main display of your rMBP it's a bit of a waste.... But nothing stops you from using BOTH at once

 

[EpsilonExordium]

I am using the retina display macbook pro w/ the apple thunderbolt display, and a 30" Dell Display. It works very well, as long as you don't have the retina display open as well. OSX is not handling the dragging of windows between the retina display and external displays very well at this time. Browser windows specifically.