I'm using an external 27" Thunderbolt display with my 27" iMac and I want the iMac and display to have the same height. By default, the Thunderbolt display is about an inch shorter than the iMac, which is quite annoying.
I'm sure this problem comes up all the time. Is there any solution for evening out the heights? I'm open to something as hacky as "this book is the right height – put it under the display."
I'd recommend buying this book:
It's exactly 1" thick, put it under the monitor.
If you want something more elegant than a book under the iMac, you can can add vesa mounts to your iMac and Thunderbolt display and then attach it to a desk or wall mounted adjustable monitor arm. There are many to choose from but here is one pictured below to give you an example. So you could technically mount both or just one to a VESA stand. Note that most monitor stands allow you to infinitely adjust the height, angle, rotation, with in pre-determined ranges.
Just be aware of the maximum weight capacity of the VESA monitor mount you choose. The 27" iMac weighs 11.2kg or ~ 24.7 LBS and the 27" Thunderbolt display weighs ~ 10kg or ~ 22.1 LBS without their included stands.
Looks a product was created for this task. Checkout the HiRise by Twelve South as reviewed by MacWorld. Boom iMac and Display = Level.
Mac accessory maker Twelve South has introduced the HiRise for iMac, a stand that lets users elevate their desktop Mac monitors to a better viewing level.
The $80 device is designed to support all generations of Mac that have an L-shaped stand, including the largest 27-inch displays on the latest generation of iMacs. The stand itself looks a little bit like an older, metal-shelled hard drive—a reminder of the days when drives and displays were separate components of the same computer.
Ars Technica's Eric Bangerman has solved this problem…twice:
via Ars gear: 2008 triple-headed "Harpertown" Mac Pro
There's the LapWorks 10" Heavy Duty Swivel:
Used under the Thunderbolt monitor, levels the two perfectly and makes the the Thunderbolt monitor nice and swively.
Carefully tap the outer "corners" of the base of the Thunderbolt Display to accept threaded "leveler" feet commonly found on the bottom of tables and electronics cabinets.
Image source Edmund Optics. Provided for reference only.
If drilling into the base of your monitor isn't something you're comfortable with, you might find self-stick rubber feet that are thick enough to provide the appropriate rise.
A piece of plywood (or, if necessary, two pieces of plywood sandwiched together) or cutting board made from bamboo or plastic can provide material for risers. You can easily cut and sand these materials with simple tools. Hardwood can also be used, though it will be harder to shape. Fit and finish quality will depend on your skill and patience, but if you use one of the softer materials, a casual evening's work should produce something that registers okay at three feet.
On the other hand, if you have access to a CNC router or a Bridgeport mill you can machine the riser out of a solid block of aluminum to produce an aesthetically pleasing solution.
You could take this one step further by extending the riser out towards the viewer and incorporate cut-out trays to store the mouse, paperclips, etc.
I know this is an old ask/thread, but thought I'd post in case anyone is still looking for a good and cheap way to accomplish this. I've been using a book for a few years now and decided to find a better way and more aesthetically pleasing way. I really don't like the look of the stands that are out there for this specific purpose. I also think the stands available are too expensive for what I was wanting. I just fixed the problem for good and for only $9. I ordered these:
I measured the book I was using to lift the display and found the closest thing to it on Amazon (above). Got them today and they work perfectly. I just placed them underneath the display in the four corners and can't be happier with it.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010E8N5E0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
I just bought a 27" iMac and ran into this issue and some $24 monitor stands I bought for my 27" Thunderbolt Displays a few months ago work perfectly. The support stands are 3-part, 2 plastic and some rubber feet. I removed one of the plastic support pieces on the stand I use for the iMac and it lowered that monitor perfectly in line with the other 2 that use both pieces.
Just saw this post, as I was looking for an answer to the same question. Discovered that two old desktop drives fit nicely side-by-side under the 27 inch thunderbolt monitor. Raises it almost perfectly with the iMac screen and provide plenty of stability.
This is such a massive oversight by the apple design team, I myself use books to prop up the display, just had to find the right combo.
Good luck
