I do a lot of web/graphic design and photography, so having a quality monitor is extremely important to me. I initially choose the 27" iMac for my work not only because of the capabilities of the computer, but because of the display. Apple's Thunderbolt Display contains the same screen and glass overlay as the 2011 27" iMac and has the same overall appearance, so it pairs perfectly with the computer (Note: I believe the 2012 iMac has a similar screen, however Apple now mounts the actual LCD screen closer to the glass and also uses a new anti-reflective coating on the glass. While I'm sure the Thunderbolt Display would pair wonderfully with the 2012 iMac, the screens may have a slightly different appearance.) It was also very important to me for colors on my displays to match, so it is nice to be able to have colors match my iMac perfectly right out of the box.
Many other 27" screen available have a resolution of 1920x1080. On a screen this size, individual pixels start getting rather large at that resolution, resulting in an image that appears more pixelated. The 2560x1440 resolution of this screen is one of the primary things that attracted me to it (and of course originally to the 27" iMac). The image is beautiful with one of the highest pixel densities available in this monitor size. Note that the density still does not approach that of the retina MacBook Pros - you will notice the difference if pairing this monitor to one of those computers.
Unfortunately, Apple chose to make the screen sit slightly lower when compared to the 27" iMac. The actually screen sits about 1/2" lower when compared to the iMac. This doesn't bother me much since I also have a speaker between the screens, but the
Twelve South HiRise for iMac and Apple Displays
is available to adjust the height and even slip a Mac Mini under the display.
This screen is also prone to glare, so make sure you don't have a bright light source behind you. Again this is not a problem for me as I use it in a home office where the windows are in front of me, but some users will want to be aware of this before purchasing this display, especially if you are using a 2012 iMac or one of the newer MacBook Pros. The anti-reflective coating applied to these newer screens dramatically reduced glare issues, so you may have more issues with glare on the Thunderbolt Display if pairing it with one of these computers.
The speakers on the display are sufficient for system sounds and low-volume background music, but if you care about audio quality at all, you'll want external speakers. I doubt anyone looking for quality sound would expect it out of thin display speakers, so this isn't much of an issue. More of an issue is the lack of audio-out ports on the display itself, which seem like an odd omission for a display primarily meant as a docking station for laptops. Again, not an issue for me since my speakers plug directly into the iMac, but something that may affect you. There are solutions available for audio-out using USB or Bluetooth, so there are ways around the problem.
I'm looking forward to the release of OS X Mavericks (10.9) to take advantage of the improved multi-display support. One of Lion and Mountain Lion's big shortcomings is the lack of features for multi-screens (particularly in full-screen mode). Mavericks will address these issues. After using multiple displays on Macs for years, I'm glad Apple is finally adding some features targeted for users like me.
I wish this display would have included USB 3 instead of USB 2 (same goes for my iMac). If your Mac already has USB 3, just be sure to plug USB 3 compatible devices into the actual computer. If you're like me an want to add USB 3 to a 2011 iMac, I recommend checking out the
Belkin Thunderbolt Express Dock
or the upcoming Sonnet Thunderbolt Docking Station.
I would highly recommend this display to anyone who owns a Mac with Thunderbolt, especially those owning a 2011 iMac looking for a second display. While it is expensive, you won't find anything that better matches the quality and beauty of your Mac.
| Standing screen display size | 27 Inches |
|---|---|
| Max Screen Resolution | 2560 x 1440 |
| Graphics Coprocessor | No Information |
