I have a white 20' imac and 42' pioneer plasma, but I want a seperate system for the bedroom. I will be using this system primarily for playing movies. In order of cost (from cheapest to expensive), the options I can think of are:
Option 1:
Mini Mac plus display- The ACDs look great but very expensive (still). I saw in other threads people recommending Samsung 22". This is a more troublesome set up b/c need keyboard, mouse, speakers
Option 2:
Basic 12" macbook plus display- same as Option 1, but gives portability if I want use a laptop.
Option 3:
15" or 17" MBP and watch movies off the MBP screen. Simpler than Option 1 and Option 2, but much more expensive. Of course, the screen will be smaller.
Unless someone tells me otherwise, Option 3 seems to be a lot of money for what I intend to do with it, so....
1) as between Option 1 and 2, is the extra $ for Option 2 worth it?
2) what displays would you recommend around the 20-24" range?
3) what software do I need to make Option 1 and Option 2 more user friendly as a media centre?
4) for option 2, which macbook would suit my purpose? Harddrive space is less of a problem as I could buy an external drive or I delete movies over time. This question is really about performance as a media centre plus laptop for surfing, email and some photo editing
(Btw, I live in Tokyo- apple gear are not cheaper here. You can buy stock through online stores for 10-20% cheaper than the apple store (from ipods to ACDs), but they don't seem to be official sellers- so buyer beware)
Option 1:
Mini Mac plus display- The ACDs look great but very expensive (still). I saw in other threads people recommending Samsung 22". This is a more troublesome set up b/c need keyboard, mouse, speakers
Option 2:
Basic 12" macbook plus display- same as Option 1, but gives portability if I want use a laptop.
Option 3:
15" or 17" MBP and watch movies off the MBP screen. Simpler than Option 1 and Option 2, but much more expensive. Of course, the screen will be smaller.
Unless someone tells me otherwise, Option 3 seems to be a lot of money for what I intend to do with it, so....
1) as between Option 1 and 2, is the extra $ for Option 2 worth it?
2) what displays would you recommend around the 20-24" range?
3) what software do I need to make Option 1 and Option 2 more user friendly as a media centre?
4) for option 2, which macbook would suit my purpose? Harddrive space is less of a problem as I could buy an external drive or I delete movies over time. This question is really about performance as a media centre plus laptop for surfing, email and some photo editing
(Btw, I live in Tokyo- apple gear are not cheaper here. You can buy stock through online stores for 10-20% cheaper than the apple store (from ipods to ACDs), but they don't seem to be official sellers- so buyer beware)
