Note that this is still not even close to the pixel density on the Thinkpad you described. The 32" Dell monitor has 140DPI, 2880x1620 has 220DPI, which is a huge difference (compare today's high resolution desktop displays with a MBP's Retina display).
For my personal use, I prefer my laptop to have a higher dpi due to the distances involved. My current 15" thinkpad 1080p display is already straining my eyesight when I use it as a 2nd monitor on my desk, but is very nice when working directly on the laptop. So I'm still excited about this.
