Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

danielpicasso

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 21, 2008
64
0
NJ
OK. I am an artist in a wheelchair and work at home most of the time thus have almost no travel and little need for a mbp and ready to get an imac BUT i would like the occasional convenience to use a mbp for plugging into a projector at different places within my studio for my art work, emails in bed/working on my dining room table etc.
SO here is my idea and question: what do you gurus think of getting a 13" mbp and a 21" monitor for desk top usage thus I get the best of both worlds? Will the monitor slow it down? Do you see the imac more powerful than the 13" mbp? OR forget the monitor and get a 15" mbp and live without the larger imac/monitor? BTW I have very simple software needs-web,email,pages etc..... thanks in advance for all your help-thanx
 
Last edited:
Hi! Tricky to say without knowing your studio setup (if your projectors are wireless you might be able to stream to them and use the imac as a base station, then again you'll lose the dinner table option... Hey, you'll know better than anyone what you'll want!

For what its worth though I'm using the 13" plus monitor and its great (it doesn't slow down if you're wondering) and plenty powerful (should easily handle the apps you mention). While probably not as powerful as the imac, will you be using it at the extremes? I went for most of the performance all of the time over having slightly more potential with far narrower usability. Also with this option you'll have a dual screen setup which can be really useful- I definitely appreciate having a big screen for what I'm working on and being able to refer to another easily. (with regard to this the 15" option you mention doesn't seem to be particularly good for either usage scenario you mention). Hey just an opinion (and worth what you paid for it!)
 
Last edited:
You will definitely lose some processing power when using a MBP as opposed to using an iMac. However, with the situation you just described in using the 13" MBP and an external monitor, you will be plenty happy with that set up. Don't worry about the monitor slowing the MBP down at all, as they can drive the new 27" Cinema Displays.
 
I also agree with the 13" + monitor setup. I've got it and I love it. For the needs you described, the MBP would be more than enough for you, and can easily drive an external display. I even use my computer's display and the monitor at the same time, and I see no lag or slowdowns.
 
I'm also a wheelchair user, I personally do not find laptops to be practical for my needs. I personally find moving them around to be difficult. The set up that works best for me is an iMac with a iPad. Though I suspect that a MBA might work too.
 
Hi! Tricky to say without knowing your studio setup (if your projectors are wireless you might be able to stream to them and use the imac as a base station, then again you'll lose the dinner table option... Hey, you'll know better than anyone what you'll want!

For what its worth though I'm using the 13" plus monitor and its great (it doesn't slow down if you're wondering) and plenty powerful (should easily handle the apps you mention). While probably not as powerful as the imac, will you be using it at the extremes? I went for most of the performance all of the time over having slightly more potential with far narrower usability. Also with this option you'll have a dual screen setup which can be really useful- I definitely appreciate having a big screen for what I'm working on and being able to refer to another easily. (with regard to this the 15" option you mention doesn't seem to be particularly good for either usage scenario you mention). Hey just an opinion (and worth what you paid for it!)

Kyffin- Thank you for the response and I spoke with a Apple sls rep today and he made a good suggestion of the 13" and plugging it in to a non Apple monitor to save money and I do not need a 27" to do what I need. Thus creates a second question of "what non Apple monitor is the best"? Like a 21" to view larger images......?
 
I also agree with the 13" + monitor setup. I've got it and I love it. For the needs you described, the MBP would be more than enough for you, and can easily drive an external display. I even use my computer's display and the monitor at the same time, and I see no lag or slowdowns.

Thanks for your insight & your suggestion does make sense....
 
I'm also a wheelchair user, I personally do not find laptops to be practical for my needs. I personally find moving them around to be difficult. The set up that works best for me is an iMac with a iPad. Though I suspect that a MBA might work too.


Looks like we have similar situations although as you may have seen from the other post a mbp + a non apple monitor may be a good fit for my needs. Like you I will not be that mobile but for my art needs it may be a requirment.... btw i push a ti-lite, how about yourself? ciao
 
My Opinion

Hey Welcome,

I just purchased a Mac mini for my brother and he is disabled on the wheel chair. I gotta say that he loves it as it doesn't take much space and he got it connected on his HDTV and using the Apple Magic Trackpad and Apple Wireless keyboard without needing a table is truly a + for him. He uses his mac mostly for making YouTube HD videos and music and some browsing, its truly a pleasure on a HDTV 1080p.

If you like the iMac, i can say that it is a great machine with a beautiful LED display, really sharp and crisp. I gotta say that i would recommend the Macbook Pro just because its more mobile you take anywhere and you can still connect on any display or projector and enjoy your work.


Good Luck on your decision :)
 
Hey Welcome,

I just purchased a Mac mini for my brother and he is disabled on the wheel chair. I gotta say that he loves it as it doesn't take much space and he got it connected on his HDTV and using the Apple Magic Trackpad and Apple Wireless keyboard without needing a table is truly a + for him. He uses his mac mostly for making YouTube HD videos and music and some browsing, its truly a pleasure on a HDTV 1080p.

If you like the iMac, i can say that it is a great machine with a beautiful LED display, really sharp and crisp. I gotta say that i would recommend the Macbook Pro just because its more mobile you take anywhere and you can still connect on any display or projector and enjoy your work.


Good Luck on your decision :)

Sam- Thanks for your insight and good advice. I send good thoughts to you and your brother.... Thanx!
 
iMac and iPad?

did you consider getting and iMac and iPad?
that could work well for your needs.
you would have the iMac at your studio desk, for your work such as pages,
and larger image viewing,
and when at the dinner table, or in bed, like you said
the ipad could be very useful, at least a lot moer comfortable than the macbook pro.
and also emails and internet browsing on iPad is a dream.
could be a cheaper option too as you wont need the external display.
best of luck.

AJ--
 
13" mbp w/monitor or imac

did you consider getting and iMac and iPad?
that could work well for your needs.
you would have the iMac at your studio desk, for your work such as pages,
and larger image viewing,
and when at the dinner table, or in bed, like you said
the ipad could be very useful, at least a lot moer comfortable than the macbook pro.
and also emails and internet browsing on iPad is a dream.
could be a cheaper option too as you wont need the external display.
best of luck.

AJ--

just when i thought i was perplexed and now I am a little more perlexed :--)
Good thought- thanks and i will add this option to the list.
 
Seems like the MBP 13 + monitor or the iMac + iPad are the most versatile solutions. I would pass up a MBP 15 in favor of the other two options. Agree there is no lag running an external monitor with a MBP.

As a primary system, the iMac is going to offer the most performance for the money, so I think it comes down to how much portability to do you want or need and what kind of function and performance compromises are you willing to accept from that portable device.

People slam on the ACD, but they look great and work best of all with MBP. Refurb ACD 24 is as much value as you can get with an Apple monitor IMO, but supply is intermittent and sometimes fleeting. Dell U2311 would be my prime candidate if I were looking for a value-based alternative that was potentially viable for relatively accurate color. Good luck with your shopping!
 
If you don't need portable processing power then the battery life and size of an iPad make it a great portable computer. Plus with vnc software you could use the iPad as a remote interface to your iMac.
 
Currently, I use a 15" MBP as my sole machine, and I'm happy. It's easy enough to manage on my lap when moving around the house (I push a Quickie Ti), and I like the flexibility of being able to use it in bed, at a desk, on the couch, and so on. But people's habits and needs differ, so while I tend to transfer a lot during the day you mightn't be the same. I will say that I used to use a 12" iBook and a 20" white iMac, and I found myself heavily favouring the iBook even though it was the slower machine with the much smaller screen. And that was partly a transfer thing--my desk where the iMac lived was an ideal height for use with my desk chair, but completely wrong for my wheelchair, and the footrest I used when sitting in the desk chair got in my way when using my wheelchair. With my weak arms I also found it difficult to reach out and turn the iMac in order to access ports, or to reach out and hold my arm steady enough to pop in a DVD, especially when I was doing so from wheelchair height. With a laptop the ports and optical drive are right there on the sides.

Is glare likely to be an issue for you? Because an iMac can be a pain in the neck to move around just to avoid inconveniences like that--you have to shut it down before you move it, for one thing. If you go for a laptop, it's much easier to move on a whim, and if you go for the 15" or the 17", you'll have the option of anti-glare screens. You could always get a laptop now and assess after a month or so to see whether you're missing the extra screen real estate of an external monitor.
 
i agree and leaning towards 15" mbp

Currently, I use a 15" MBP as my sole machine, and I'm happy. It's easy enough to manage on my lap when moving around the house (I push a Quickie Ti), and I like the flexibility of being able to use it in bed, at a desk, on the couch, and so on. But people's habits and needs differ, so while I tend to transfer a lot during the day you mightn't be the same. I will say that I used to use a 12" iBook and a 20" white iMac, and I found myself heavily favouring the iBook even though it was the slower machine with the much smaller screen. And that was partly a transfer thing--my desk where the iMac lived was an ideal height for use with my desk chair, but completely wrong for my wheelchair, and the footrest I used when sitting in the desk chair got in my way when using my wheelchair. With my weak arms I also found it difficult to reach out and turn the iMac in order to access ports, or to reach out and hold my arm steady enough to pop in a DVD, especially when I was doing so from wheelchair height. With a laptop the ports and optical drive are right there on the sides.

Is glare likely to be an issue for you? Because an iMac can be a pain in the neck to move around just to avoid inconveniences like that--you have to shut it down before you move it, for one thing. If you go for a laptop, it's much easier to move on a whim, and if you go for the 15" or the 17", you'll have the option of anti-glare screens. You could always get a laptop now and assess after a month or so to see whether you're missing the extra screen real estate of an external monitor.

Gilly- I am leaning (matter of speech but true sometimes) towards your suggestion of a 15" mbp. I can live with the 15" realestate for my art work/general use and not buy a monitor and still be under the cost a 13" plus even a cheaper monitor than an apple. Last to your point- I know I will favor a mbp vs. a iMac for its portability/no glare/easy access. I was also in a starbuks today and saw a 15" and its screen size is OK for my art needs.... thanks for your insight. NOW the big question is when is the right time to buy a mbp. rumors suggestion is to wait based on the amount of time since last release. Being its a big cost to me and I do not need it right now versus wanting it I will wait.
Thanks! be well....
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.