Thunderbolt Display vs New iMac

[brian017]

I've got a 2011 Mac Mini. I'm considering getting the low-end new 21" iMac for €1,400; but then I figured I could just get the 27" Thunderbolt Display and hook my existing Mac Mini up to it saving €400 in the process

My question is would I suffer from buyers remorse if I did this? Or should I just take the plunge and spend the extra bucks and get the new iMac

 

[cyclotron451]

treat yourself to a Dell 27 inch LED panel for around €600 from Amazon or there's a rotateable e-IPS Dell 24 inch LED for just over €260. They're both Display-Port so would need a €7 mini-display-port to display-port cable (the Dells do seem to be Mac mini 2011/2012 thunderbolt compatible but only thru the MDPort)

the savings over the admittedly wonderful TB display would get you something like a 'free' iPad2 or even upto a short holiday in Rajasthan! No buyers remorse!?

 

[designs216]

Dell monitors get high marks from Anandtech and are certainly more adjustable. Some also have USB3 hubs built in. I wonder if Dell offers a display with built in speakers and web cam? I also like the way the TB display minimizes cabling. I'm also excited at the prospect of Apple putting a video card in future displays.

 

[cyclotron451]

?... I wonder if Dell offers a display with built in speakers and web cam? .....

Er, no! There's a Dell "Sound Bar" that clicks underneath many of their monitors, costs about $15 from Amazon or $40+ from Dell but it's terrible quality sound!! I think it's rated 10 watts peak music power output and has no bass or treble. Webcam, nope! the USB hub could allow a Win7 compatible cam (works great with Mac) to be plugged into the Dell display.

As the recent owner of the stunning 27" Apple Cinema Display, its 40 watts of Classical music quality HiFi is great, but for home use the savings from buying the good qualityDell IPS display instead would buy my family lots of food.

 

[joshuaginter]

Why not sell the Mac Mini and get the iMac? The iMac would cost about the same (if not less) as if you bought the Thunderbolt Display. And you're left with the most up to date computer hardware.

The biggest downside is the 27" vs. 21.5".