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Does anyone use Two Laptops?
- Thread starter je1ani
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I have 3 laptops and 1 desktop. And I use them in rounds... some months one, other months the other... It is plainly, a mess. Either separate very well what you want to do with each, so you do not duplicate files, or keep the one you want. Just my experience.
I wouldn't recommend it. I've run multiple laptops before, and it's very hard to keep them organized. Invariably, you end up spending 90% of your time on one, and ignoring the other. It's a waste. I eventually got tired of switching back and forth and simply gave my 17" to my sister. Now I've ordered a Macbook, and when it gets here, I'm going to sell my iBook for the same reason. Efficiency drops by 80% when you go from using one computer to two, just due to the syncing issues that arise.
i'm forced to, given Apple's service - part of my macbook pro top case broke, rendering the keyboard useless; the parts are on backorder until January 7 2008. I can't go without a computer for that long, because I use it for work.
Why would you buy a second macbook pro?
I'd say sell the iMac and buy an external screen. It's what I used to do, until I sold my external screen lol
But I'll definitely buy one sooner or later
I'd say sell the iMac and buy an external screen. It's what I used to do, until I sold my external screen lol
But I'll definitely buy one sooner or later
I use two: 17" MacBook Pro and a black MacBook. The MBP gets the most use by far, because it's my "work" machine: all of my teaching stuff (prof) as well as Web design and hobbyist graphics/photo/video work. The MB gets used for surfing in bed (more comfortable on lap) or outside by the swimming pool, and it's also the one I take with me for personal travel because it's so much easier to deal with at airports and on planes.
Not to hijack the thread or anything, but is there software that will keep your user files sync'd between 2 machines?
If you don't have a specific reason to use 2 laptops then I think having one desktop and one laptop is much better. Like another poster above said, you'll likely be using one most of the time.
Background info: I have a MBP and a Windows laptop for school (Thinkpad T61 REQUIRED, no other computers, let alone boot-camp). At times I wish one of them were a desktop... but NEED my MBP and the windows computer needs to be a laptop so....
that said the only reason I see in having 2 laptops is if one is Windows and the other is a Mac. But if it's 2 macs or 2 windows then I don't see the point
Background info: I have a MBP and a Windows laptop for school (Thinkpad T61 REQUIRED, no other computers, let alone boot-camp). At times I wish one of them were a desktop... but NEED my MBP and the windows computer needs to be a laptop so....
that said the only reason I see in having 2 laptops is if one is Windows and the other is a Mac. But if it's 2 macs or 2 windows then I don't see the point
I grew up around Mac's my entire life, my dad owned a Mac rental business in the Northeast. I switched to PC's when i had to buy my own computer in college because PC's seemed more organize with the (start menu feature).
I switched Back to mac because of boot camp, if i am only going to own one computer, I want it to be able to run pretty much any program I need. final cut pro or avid.
I love my MB. much easier to use. havn't even loaded boot camp yet, had it for two weeks now.
I switched Back to mac because of boot camp, if i am only going to own one computer, I want it to be able to run pretty much any program I need. final cut pro or avid.
I love my MB. much easier to use. havn't even loaded boot camp yet, had it for two weeks now.
If you do for some reason have multiple laptops(I have two) and/or a tower..
Link them all up (various ways) so that you can be on one and have HD access and the cpu power of them all.. (example: render farm)
My second laptop (older one) is pretty much my new MBP's slave.
Link them all up (various ways) so that you can be on one and have HD access and the cpu power of them all.. (example: render farm)
My second laptop (older one) is pretty much my new MBP's slave.
I have a spare in case my main one goes down and needs to go in for repairs. It's been off for about 6 mos. now (crossing fingers).
It's an Hp 17" w/ XP that's emulating Tiger. It'd fool most people into thinking it's an Apple computer but, after all, it's still windoze. I'm afraid to even turn it on because it'll be something like an hour getting updates before I can even use it.
The syncing of files problem drove me nuts for a while until I abandoned the HP as a spare.
It's an Hp 17" w/ XP that's emulating Tiger. It'd fool most people into thinking it's an Apple computer but, after all, it's still windoze. I'm afraid to even turn it on because it'll be something like an hour getting updates before I can even use it.
The syncing of files problem drove me nuts for a while until I abandoned the HP as a spare.
what possible advantage could there be to having 2 MBP and an external display over 1 MPB and 1 imac? I mean, really, I've thought about it, and I can't think of any possible way in which that could be preferable.
I mean let's see: slower, smaller HD, more wires and connections, louder, less durable, more expensive...
So I'm going to say no, absolutely don't.
I mean let's see: slower, smaller HD, more wires and connections, louder, less durable, more expensive...
So I'm going to say no, absolutely don't.
why not just sell both computers get a 2.4 MBP and external display and just have one computer for everything?
he already has a 2.2ghz...not worth the money at all...unless you're going to go 17"....
I have two: a MBP and a Thinkpad X61 tablet. If the MB came in a tablet version I'd consider that but I'd still end up with two laptops, because tablets are always underpowered so I'd want the bigger laptop for the power and larger screen.
Syncing files can be a hassle, but mostly just to set up correctly, and on the upside, it ensures you have recent backups. I have a separate partition on the MBP with all my data files. I run Vista on Fusion on the MBP, with the second partition as a shared network drive, so my data files are visible (and read/writable) to BOTH Leopard AND Windows on Fusion at the same time. Meanwhile, on the X61 tablet I have a program called ViceVersa Pro that together with a second program called VVEngine keep the second partition on the MBP and a second data partition on the X61 synced whenever they are both booted up and on the home network. This includes my Windows Desktop and various program data files (Firefox preferences and bookmarks and so on) so I have the identical desktops and essentially identical Windows machines on both the X61 and as Vista on Fusion on MBP, with simultaneous access to my data files in Leopard as well.
It's a pretty seamless setup, though the syncing is not 100% perfect. When either host or guest comes online, the syncing occurs automatically, and thereafter at regular intervals. It would be nice if the sync was constant (with every file change) but I haven't figured out how to do that (though I can perform a manual sync whenever I want, at the touch of a button). Vista can do this natively, but I looked into it and decided Vista's network sync feature wasn't a good solution for other reasons.
At some point I will set it up so that the two partitions are kept in sync whenever both machines are on and connected to the internet, but for the time being the sync only happens when I'm at home (or somewhere else if I happen to have both laptops with me and connected to the same network) - which is not too bad.
Syncing files can be a hassle, but mostly just to set up correctly, and on the upside, it ensures you have recent backups. I have a separate partition on the MBP with all my data files. I run Vista on Fusion on the MBP, with the second partition as a shared network drive, so my data files are visible (and read/writable) to BOTH Leopard AND Windows on Fusion at the same time. Meanwhile, on the X61 tablet I have a program called ViceVersa Pro that together with a second program called VVEngine keep the second partition on the MBP and a second data partition on the X61 synced whenever they are both booted up and on the home network. This includes my Windows Desktop and various program data files (Firefox preferences and bookmarks and so on) so I have the identical desktops and essentially identical Windows machines on both the X61 and as Vista on Fusion on MBP, with simultaneous access to my data files in Leopard as well.
It's a pretty seamless setup, though the syncing is not 100% perfect. When either host or guest comes online, the syncing occurs automatically, and thereafter at regular intervals. It would be nice if the sync was constant (with every file change) but I haven't figured out how to do that (though I can perform a manual sync whenever I want, at the touch of a button). Vista can do this natively, but I looked into it and decided Vista's network sync feature wasn't a good solution for other reasons.
At some point I will set it up so that the two partitions are kept in sync whenever both machines are on and connected to the internet, but for the time being the sync only happens when I'm at home (or somewhere else if I happen to have both laptops with me and connected to the same network) - which is not too bad.
Well, my Macbook has come, and, as I predicted, my iBook is closed in the corner. The next time I open it will be when I'm showing it to whoever comes to buy it. Got no use for it anymore. I think part of it is that having two laptops just seems wasteful to me, in addition to being horridly inefficient. Sort of like having two cars, or two beds. I guess I'm just a one-laptop kind of guy.
I have 3 a MBP 2.4, MB 2.2 and a dell m1210. I mostly use my MB and my Dell. I might sell my MBP and get the new ultra portable if its out in Jan.