Less is More
I was interested in purchasing a Thunderbolt Display to complement my 11 inch MBA 2011, but realised for the same price I can just purchase the base 21.5 inch iMac instead. But I couldn't see how I would ever use two computers and deal with the hassle of splitting up work between them, especially as I also have an iPad and iPhone.
However, I've seen some Apple users who own iMacs, Macbook Airs AND Macbook Pros. And then they also have iPads and iPhones, and maybe even iPods and Nanos.
Now in real life - at least my own real life - this many devices means it's literally impossible to make use of all of them. If you want to work mobile, an MBA should be fine...so where does the MBP go? If you have an iPhone, how do you make use of an iPod and Nano? Which of these becomes your main device? Don't you feel cluttered? And how do you justify these without feeling guilty? I'm curious.
Others prefer the more sensible iMac as main power station and Air as mobile work station. But how do you manage the two and keep them in sync, on top of using your iOS devices?
Personally, I'm planing the following setup:
1. MBA 11" 128GB SSD Core i7 as my main and only computer
2. Thunderbolt Display for home multitasking sessions
3. iPad for non-work general use and mainly content consumption
4. iPhone for communications and fall-to device I can always rely on wherever I go.
Some may find my setup even too much (although I have found my own good uses for them all). I'm just a little curious how others manage anything more than this. It would be interesting to know.
First off, and I know that given that the majority of forum-goers on this site are Pro-MBA and that I'll probably be flamed for this advice, but really, if you are getting a Mac to have as your only Mac, don't go MacBook Air. You are fixed for RAM at 4GB, which gives it an already limited lifespan. Today, it's cool to have 4GB and at worst, most will be rocking 2GB. Tomorrow, those numbers will be 8GB and 4GB. At the rate that versions of Mac OS X are having the minimum RAM requirement upped (by which I mean twice that of the previous OS), 10.8 will require 4GB of RAM, and 10.9 will require 8GB. This means that at best, your MacBook Air will be able to meet the minimum requirements of one more OS and that'll be it. On top of fixed RAM, the screws to remove the bottom plate as well as the blade SSDs are both uncommon, making the machine hell to do any sort of upgrades, giving it a very fixed lifecycle. On top of that, while most don't miss FireWire 800, Ethernet, or an optical drive, I'm of the firm belief that any Mac used as a main computer shouldn't lack these features. For $150 more, you could get a 13" MacBook Pro with a much faster dual-core i7 than is in that MacBook Air, and for $200 on top of that (cheaper if you do it aftermarket) you can outfit said 13" MacBook Pro with an SSD that is just as good, if not better. You are spending more money, but you're getting substantially more computer and (oh yeah) one and a half more inches of diagonal screen real estate.
Anyway, I digress from your topic. My current set-up is listed in my signature. This doesn't include the first-gen iPod touch and the 20" Early 2006 (Core Duo; first gen Intel) iMac or the FlowerPower iMac G3, all of which are in my possession, but in storage and are not in use. In addition, I have and currently use a Santa Rosa based Toshiba Satellite which I am currently running Ubuntu 11.04 (soon to be 11.10).
The plan is to sell the Mac mini Server in my signature and replace it with a forthcoming 15" MacBook Pro and a NAS for all of the things I'd put in the 15" MacBook Pro if it had a hard drive the size of the solar system. The Linux laptop is very much accessory and is more toy than anything; if it broke, I'd be sad for about a week and then I'd quickly forget its existence. My original thought is that I'd want the Mac mini Server for storing things and using a Mac at a desk, but having been in a position where I have used my 3rd gen iPod touch and my 1st gen; the 3rd gen did all I'd ever need the 1st gen to do, so carrying the two around at the same time seemed needlessly redundant, and thusly I've realized that the same concept applies to Macs. I don't need a Mac mini at my desk and a MacBook Pro on the go, I need a MacBook Pro that blows away the Mac mini in all respects, and a NAS to compensate for the lack of as abundant of a hard drive as the twin 500GB drives that I have on the mini. If I want a machine to use at a desk, I either get another monitor for my future MacBook Pro to dock it to, or I just use my PC tower (which, itself, has basic things like Google Chrome, iTunes, and Microsoft Office installed in case I want to use said machine for basic computer tasks). PC towers will beat any Mac at gaming, so it makes sense to have those two. But honestly, I believe in a "less is more" philosophy when it comes to computers and gadgets; the people with two MacBook Airs and an iMac and an iPhone and two iPod touches are juggling way more physical tech than is easily managed. "Work" computers, I can understand; if I'm an iPhone dev, I don't want to be testing out the app I'm coding on my personal iPod touch in which case a work-provided iPhone is completely fine by me.
Incidentally, given that I've worked as an ACMT and know all the dirt on repairing, servicing, and just knowing the guts of each and every currently shipping Mac, I can safely say that the MacBook Pro is probably the only sensible machine out of the currently shipping five Mac product lines (the Mac Pro is almost an exception to the rule, but not by too much when you consider the value of Hackintoshing). Incidentally, any PC you build is the only sensible Windows-based PC money can buy.
Anyway, those are my two (very large) cents. Best of luck.
respectabilia,
I have four Apple products I currently use: 2007 MB, 2010 13" MBP, 2011 13" MBP, 64GB iPod Touch 4. For a while I retired my 2007 MB because the battery died and I was using the 2010 MBP for everything. I use my iPod for music, dictionary, and I sometimes try to snag open WiFi when I am out, so I usually keep it in my bag to check email or maps if I get lucky.
I had the option of getting the 2011 MBP for a considerable discount this year. I didn't need it and I didn't really want it but I figured I could at least buy it and sell my 2010 MBP and totally break even.
I figured for now I would keep both MBPs because: 1, they have the same parts and I can use the 2010 to do repairs if it ever comes to it; 2, I take my MBP into sketchy situations where I am never sure it is going to come out unharmed, or come out at all. I'd rather have the 2010 MBP for taking risks and the 2011 MBP for feeling secure. I'm still not sure this method is cost effective.
As I have only been running both MBPs for about two weeks now, I am very exhausted trying to utilize them both fully. I don't need two. One or the other is simply a backup to me, and I don't really have the space, uses, or the monies to keep both.
My MB was useless to me for about a year. It has case issues and the battery won't charge. I was going to give it to a friend but I didn't want to give up my precious old school MagSafe charger, or part with the new kind. In trying to use and sync two MBPs at once and with having small SSDs providing little space, I put my MB on my network with my external Firewire storage attached. It isn't very fast with FW400 or over WiFi, but I finally have easy access to all my files without being tethered to external drives.
Since you are looking for ways to balance and utilize all your devices, this way seems to work. You would use your future iMac to share your iTunes library, your documents, to facilitate your backup, etc.. My MBPs are both set up like a MBA: small SSD, no optical, no significant storage. File/library sharing over WiFi is a must. Sync your iPad and iPhone here. I do manual syncing with my iPod and this makes it easier to sync across multiple docking stations, so if you are traveling or away from home you can use your MBA.
I have a couple external Firewire drives. One is bus powered and it is my portable work drive for editing on the road. I use my iPod as my portable music drive. I wish there was wireless syncing and wireless library sharing from my iPod to my MBPs, since I share from my iPod to my lightweight notebooks.
I'd like to get an iPhone because relying on WiFi with the iPod is unreliable. I'd maybe make do with a 32 GB model. I wouldn't want to keep my iPod. I don't like having an armful of devices. Sometimes it just takes up too much space in my bags or is too heavy.
I'd also like to retire the MB again and use the 2010 MBP for file sharing but I am worried about killing the battery this way or wearing down the hardware. I need my batteries to be in top condition because I do Firewire based field recording where I record 3 hour sessions completely off battery.
My line of work is photography and art. Audio recording is my hobby. I have Firewire audio interfaces and a pricey Epson tabloid scanner, along with my cameras, lenses, and microphones. I sometimes carry my external drives -- a RAID 1 array to protect my data, and I use a Magic Mouse for editing. I travel with everything in flight cases. One thing about gear is to manage it well and keep it concise and tidy or it gets in the way of production -- one reason to own only the amount of devices you need.
I know I've been smearing the Apple Thunderbolt display all day, but getting one seems right for what you already have. It is going to far out live an iMac. Apple displays easily last up to 8 years. You can increase the price gap between the display and the iMac by going refurb or clearance. Also, Apple stuff is great, but there are other professional level displays out there that might save you a couple hundred in your currency.
I think those people that have every Apple device under the sun really love having toys and aren't too concerned with efficiency and money.
The Early 2011 13" MacBook Pro and the Mid 2010 13" MacBook Pro do NOT use the same parts internally. The similarity you are probably thinking of is between the Mid 2010 13" MacBook Pro and the Mid 2009 13" MacBook Pro in which a bulk of the difference is torx versus phillips for screws. While most of the structure and shape of things like the logic board are similar, you can't interchange a lot of parts (like the display, or the AirPort card things, for instance). Mind you, I've seen both machines naked and have up-to-date copies of the service manuals for both machines which list part numbers at the end. Just a friendly warning before you break one or both machines. Also, if you're not a gamer, you should definitely sell the Mid 2010 model. If you are, you should definitely sell the Early 2011 model. Jus' sayin...
