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Do I need another Mac?

M

Mr Ski 73

macrumors regular
Original poster
Dec 11, 2007
237
0
Hi

I have 2 Mac's, I want to move my Mac Mini to my lounge where it will be a HTPC, the problem is that I also use this Mac for my work in my study.

I also have a 2.2 MBP with 4GB of Ram which I use as a portable device around the house for programmes such as ilife, Photoshop, gaming and general surfing.

My problem is this - I can set my MBP up in my study as a desktop computer, this will mean buying a keyboard, mouse and a new monitor as mine is past its best and is only 17". I was looking at a 23" ACD. Option 2 is to buy either a 20" or 24" iMac and continue to use my MBP as is.

Cost wise the iMac is more expensive but I do want maximum functionality in the future.

Any opinions welcome.

Thanks
 
(Here in Ireland) A friend of mine has had his 23" ACD replaced by Apple three times in the past few months!!! There appears to be a faulty batch. ... :mad:
 
That doesnt sound good, point taken thanks for that. I had heard a rumour about updates in Jan as well.

I have just looked at the refurbs and they are at £999 for a 24" 2.4 which isnt bad. Looking at a 23" ACD at £600 plus keyboard and mighty mouse you are close to £700 and for £300 I have another complete Mac
 
And to you.

As an aside what is your view of using a laptop as a desktop computer?
 
Seeing as your primary work is on a mac mini, I don't see the difference in productivity and speed. Neither can I imagine cost being a problem, seeing as you only need to buy a keyboard and a mouse. You could stretch it and buy an elevator and use the MBP as primary monitor I suppose.

My point is that having 3 macs of where two of them will be work machines, it will come down to synchronizing cluttery. :)
 
I use a laptop as my main (i.e. desktop) computer, but it's a 17" MBP, which helps. Even then, I'm still thinking of buying another desktop machine as well... (and I already have a couple of older Macs that are used as servers).

Overall, I have to say "Yes, I need another Mac". One can never have too many IMHO :D
 
Jiddick ExRex said:
Seeing as your primary work is on a mac mini, I don't see the difference in productivity and speed. Neither can I imagine cost being a problem, seeing as you only need to buy a keyboard and a mouse. You could stretch it and buy an elevator and use the MBP as primary monitor I suppose.

My point is that having 3 macs of where two of them will be work machines, it will come down to synchronizing cluttery. :)
Click to expand...

What you have just said is exactly what the internal credit committee has said:rolleyes: I have an elevator already for this purpose.

I do want a new screen my 17" Sony has seen better days and it is just the best way of sorting the problem- ACD or iMac. I think I can get the screen sanctioned its just a question of what is best value for money and what will offer more flexibility :D
 
tersono said:
I use a laptop as my main (i.e. desktop) computer, but it's a 17" MBP, which helps. Even then, I'm still thinking of buying another desktop machine as well... (and I already have a couple of older Macs that are used as servers).

Overall, I have to say "Yes, I need another Mac". One can never have too many IMHO :D
Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply, do you use an external screen?
 
I would have told you to go the cheaper route, but then I've only owned one computer at a time; you've already got two. My advice would be to get an older white imac - it'll still be an upgrade from the mac mini.
 
Buying an iMac, even a refurb, seems a ludicrous idea to me.

Looking at a 23" ACD at £600 plus keyboard and mighty mouse you are close to £700 and for £300 I have another complete Mac
Click to expand...
That is some of the poorest reasoning I have ever seen. There is absolutely no reason that you need to spend such a ridiculous amount of money on a monitor. You can get larger monitors (I'm thinking 24") with more connections for half the price. Add a reasonable priced keyboard & mouse & you're total would be £350.
 
lost eden said:
Buying an iMac, even a refurb, seems a ludicrous idea to me.


That is some of the poorest reasoning I have ever seen. There is absolutely no reason that you need to spend such a ridiculous amount of money on a monitor. You can get larger monitors (I'm thinking 24") with more connections for half the price. Add a reasonable priced keyboard & mouse & you're total would be £350.
Click to expand...

I take it your not a big fan of ACD's
 
lost eden said:
Buying an iMac, even a refurb, seems a ludicrous idea to me.


That is some of the poorest reasoning I have ever seen. There is absolutely no reason that you need to spend such a ridiculous amount of money on a monitor. You can get larger monitors (I'm thinking 24") with more connections for half the price. Add a reasonable priced keyboard & mouse & you're total would be £350.
Click to expand...

ACDs rule though. End of.
 
Only drawback is keeping your stuff organized on each computer, especially the two you work on.

For instance right now I have my mac mini as a htpc, powermac and cube upstairs, then my macbook which I use the most. Cube isn't used that much, but the other three are in a constant state of use.

The easiest way I have found to keep things organized is with the airdisk through my airport extreme. All computers easily connect to it, so its easy to use as a place to import/export files.

Good luck.
 
Mr Ski 73 said:
I take it your not a big fan of ACD's
Click to expand...
I'm not a fan of seeing people waste their money. ACDs have their market. You are not it.

Whilst it is true that the IPS panels in ACDs do produce better pictures than the TN panels in monitors from other manufacturers, the fact stands that the difference between an ACD's IPS panel & a good TN panel (such as those found in Dell Ultrasharps, NEC MultiSyncs, LG Flatrons, etc.) is so minor that even a CAD/graphic design/photography expert would have to take a long hard look to tell the difference. For an average user who does not need the absolute pinnacle in image quality due to profession, paying twice as much for a monitor is just plain stupid.

Taking a look at the 23" ACD on Apple's site, it seems to be rather lacking in other areas, mainly due to the fact that the range is now so outdated. A contrast ration of 700:1 is fairly poor when compared with the 3000:1 available from other manufacturers' offerings. Response time of 16ms is dreadful when compared to the 5ms or 2ms of other monitors on the market. It also sports only a single DVI socket, whereas other offerings will sport DVI as well as VGA & maybe S-Video/composite video, with HDMI appearing on more & more monitors these days.
 
I agree with Lost Eden. You're better off getting a nice flat panel from Dell or another third-party. The quality and bang-for-the-buck out there now is MUCH better than what ACDs provide currently.

It gives you the most options further down the road - if you still want to get an iMac later, you can use it as a second display. Or, if Mac Minis get a revamp, you can get a new one and still use this new monitor.
 
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