Great desktop idea

[kikobarbada]

Hello. I have been thinking about a great desktop idea and here it goes. I currently have a 2.16 Macbook hooked up to a 22in Viewsonic monitor. I use the two monitors and I leave iTunes and little stuff on the 13in and the rest on the 22in. I have always wanted to buy a Windows PC so that I can play games without bootcamp or parallels which I personally dislike. I was thinking of closing the Macbook and putting it below my desk and also buying a 400 dollar gaming PC and another exact screen just like I have and use it side-by-side. One running Mac OS and the other Windows XP (VISTA SUCKS).

Great idea or what? Plus it would look wonderful. I am trying to just have the two monitors on my desk and absolutely nothing else. I will be trying to put the macbook plus the 2 hds and other stuff connected to my computer under my desk but if you guys have any tips on hiding cables and hardware, do tell.

Thanks a lot, Kiko.

IDEAS, IDEAS, IDEAS!

 

[NickD]

Sounds like a pretty typical idea, but it'll work well if you plan to game often as well as use your Mac.

 

[kikobarbada]

I normally use my Mac about 2/3 hours a day and games 1 hour a day tops.

 

[DoFoT9]

not a bad idea u have there... could u draw a quick sketch or something?? so i can steal ur idea

 

[nplima]

don't know about your screen, but my HP L2335 has DVI, VGA and SVideo inputs and one button to switch between sources. I used to have my nintendo hooked up with SVideo, the laptop with VGA and the Mini on DVI. When I wanted to play games or extend the laptop screen space all I needed to do was switch the input source on the screen.

 

[kikobarbada]

Image on the desk two 22in viewsonic screens, two wireless keyboards and mouses, and inbetween the screens, in the middle of the desk, iPod dock charging iPod nano. Below the desk, all the cables, plus the Gaming PC, Macbook, 2 250gb drives, 2 500gb drives, and the usb hub connected all to the macbook.

Can you picture it now?

 

[Angrist]

I can picture it .... but where do you get a gaming PC for $400?!?

I just put together a relatively basic HTPC and it ran well over that without discrete graphics or tuners.

 

[kikobarbada]

It's easy if you search a lot on Compusa and Bestbuy stores. I have seen a "AMD Athlon 64 X2 4200+ 2.2GHz Processor, 1GB RAM, 250GB Hard Drive, 16X DVD+/-RW Drive, Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005" for 399.99 dollars. For me it is enough for gamings.

 

[motherduce]

Image on the desk two 22in viewsonic screens, two wireless keyboards and mouses, and inbetween the screens, in the middle of the desk, iPod dock charging iPod nano. Below the desk, all the cables, plus the Gaming PC, Macbook, 2 250gb drives, 2 500gb drives, and the usb hub connected all to the macbook.

Can you picture it now?

Why not one keyboard and mouse with Synergy or another peripheral sharing app?

 

[Angrist]

Ah, I wouldn't have considered anything without discrete graphics, at least 2GB ram, and a X2 5000+ / Conroe as a "gaming" PC. But if a brown bag package meets your needs, then go for it. (Hell, it's cheaper than a PS3)

As far as Synergy or Teleport goes ... I've never had much luck with either of them. A good KVM switch works wonders ... but they're rather expensive for reliable models.

 

[kikobarbada]

I don't think that is the best idea plus it won't workw hen I am playing a game on the PC and surfing and editing stuff on the Mac. I'd rather jsut buy a new laser wireless keyboard+mouse for 100 or an optical one for 50.