Using an iMac as display for rMBP

[Commy1]

I realize this might be a well talked about topic,

What I want to know is, while using the iMac as a display for a MBP via Thunderbolt cable, does the harddrive in the iMac become accessible to the MBP as an external drive? Is it possible to do this with a partition?

What else remains active in the iMac? From a cursory search I read that the CPU will remain active which I assume takes stress off the MBP?

Can someone break down the whole set up for me?

 

[Basic75]

I
What else remains active in the iMac? From a cursory search I read that the CPU will remain active which I assume takes stress off the MBP?

"The CPU will remain active" means that the iMac will continue to run as independent computer, not that you will suddenly have the equivalent of a 2-CPU MBP (nice as that would be). You can then remote desktop or ssh into the iMac from the MBP to use it.

 

[chabig]

See Apple Support...http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3924

 

[FreakinEurekan]

I realize this might be a well talked about topic,

What I want to know is, while using the iMac as a display for a MBP via Thunderbolt cable, does the harddrive in the iMac become accessible to the MBP as an external drive? Is it possible to do this with a partition?

What else remains active in the iMac? From a cursory search I read that the CPU will remain active which I assume takes stress off the MBP?

Can someone break down the whole set up for me?

The iMac is totally independent; other than the screen. If you set the iMac onto some long task (a big Handbrake conversion queue; SETI@home; whatever) it'll continue doing it. If you have a 2nd external display connected to the iMac, you can continue directly using the iMac with that display.