How many use MBP as a desktop, main computer?

[looman9635]

13" macbook pro for my main and only computer. i do lots of word processing, music listening and webs surfing. also do light photoshop work. don't need much power so i have the base 2.26 version. although this is my third day of owning it it it perfect so far.

 

[DaReaper]

I've been using a laptop as a main computer for years now, since i can take it anywhere i go. just switched over to macs this year 😀

 

[Freewayjim]

I use my 15" MBP and 24" ACD for everything. I'll probably get a new 17" MBP when they come out and continue working the same way, I like having everything in one place and with me all the time.

 

[SecretAsianMan]

I'm a software development consultant. My job is 100% travel. Having a "main" machine that is difficult to move does not make sense.

 

[lukester]

I use my 15" MBP and 24" ACD for everything. I'll probably get a new 17" MBP when they come out and continue working the same way, I like having everything in one place and with me all the time.

I have been obsessing with the idea of buying an Imac because I need a good screen for photo editing but am not sure about it.
So I am going to stick with my original plan to buy a good monitor and get the new quad MBP next year to run it.

I need to mobile and prefer to maintain just one computer...

 

[coast1ja]

I picked up a Logitech Alto Cordless. This stand makes my 15" MBP much more useable at my desk... just add my bluetooth mouse and I'm all set! I used to get a sore neck and back from hunching over it all day, but now I can type for hours and not feel any discomfort.

Please note that the link is just to show you what it is... I got it for $20 shipped from buy.com!

 

[justit]

I use my 13" MBP as my main computer. However I connect it to 2 external monitors (23" Dell Pro Series, and Samsung 22") so I have a triple monitor setup with it 😀 I love it! In the future I might consider getting a Mac Mini when my MBP starts to show its age!

Was considering doing the same. Pics?

 

[justit]

What!😱 Having used a Mac Pro for the past 3 years, I can't imagine using a laptop as a main computer. And I do know what I'm talking about -- I have two MBPs in the house, in addition to a PC laptop, so stop hatin'. C'mon, let's not kid ourselves about a laptop being a desktop computer. Just spend a day on a MP and you'll never go back to a laptop for anything but web browsing on the toilet.

I just sold my 08 MP as always trying to sync laptop and desktop file systems was getting tiring. I know what you mean, I absolutely miss my MP 🙁 but I discovered it was because of the 'always connected' factor, not just the speed. So I now I also have an older whitebook that I use as an 'always connected' machine that I can retrieve from my MBP.

 

[DarwinOSX]

I do. I can't imagine spending $1800 on a computer to not use it all of the time. I sold my Power PC Mac mini after I got it because I barely used it.
If this tablet is as good and affordable as some rumors are saying, that will probably be a "secondary" computer.

Plenty of people do. Depends on your income and needs.

 

[DarwinOSX]

I don't think I'd go back to a desktop UNLESS it was a macbook pro. The Imac is ultimately a laptop on the guts(in my eyes. I dont want to start a war on this, its just how I personally feel). I feel the macbook pro is powerful enough to handle anything I throw at it.

I would have agreed with you on this prior to the new i5 and i7 iMacs that use a desktop proc.

 

[DarwinOSX]

A USB graphics card? Does such a thing even exist?? I cannot possibly think of a more useless and idiotic invention.

He's more likely using dual-link DVI to run two separate monitors.

USB graphics have been around for awhile and work quite well except for gaming.

One example
http://www.displaylink.com/displaylink_hardware.html

 

[DarwinOSX]

What!😱 Having used a Mac Pro for the past 3 years, I can't imagine using a laptop as a main computer. And I do know what I'm talking about -- I have two MBPs in the house, in addition to a PC laptop, so stop hatin'. C'mon, let's not kid ourselves about a laptop being a desktop computer. Just spend a day on a MP and you'll never go back to a laptop for anything but web browsing on the toilet.

Don't be silly. Check benchmarks on typical tasks and you will find your Mac Pro is not any faster than a MBP on most of them. Games and video will be faster but everyday tasks will not.

 

[Jaro65]

I use the 17" MBP as my main computer. All files that I actively use are on an iDisk, which is how I synch the files with the 15" MBP that gets used in a living room while watching TV etc. The 17" has a 24" monitor attached to it and it is always run in a dual-screen mode, which is perfect for having iTunes run on my MBP screen and using the 24" monitor as a main work screen. Obviously, when I need more workspace, I simply drag whatever I need to over to the MBP screen. The funny thing is, I like the touchpad on my MBP so much that I use that instead of a mouse, while also using Apple's wired keyboard. The MBP is angled so that its touchpad is just to the right of my keyboard. I so wish Apple released a standalone touchpad for the users who prefer that over a mouse.

The dual screen mode also works great with Lightroom, which automatically recognizes and utilizes both screen.

My wife presented me with a dilemma, when she gave me an iMac for Christmas. It was an i5 model, and after thinking about it for a couple of days, it was sent back to Apple unopened. I told her that I would really prefer an i7 version, but the truth is that the current setup works for me quite well and I simply love my MBP. That 27" screen on an iMac looks really great though. Decisions, decisions....

 

[akadmon]

Don't be silly. Check benchmarks on typical tasks and you will find your Mac Pro is not any faster than a MBP on most of them. Games and video will be faster but everyday tasks will not.

Really? I've got two more processors, 3 times the RAM and 3 more fast internal drives than your MBP. Try doing anything processor/disk intensive on a MBP with 10-20 other programs running, then get back to me. I do this all the time, because that's just how I like to work. I'm not one of those people who quit a program as soon as they're done doing something in it, only to restart it a minute later (I see people doing this all the time). For this reason, a MBP simply will not do as my main computer.

 

[piixel]

This is my setup as of now, still tryna fix it up and organize it a bit. MBP connected to my 32" Toshiba TV with a Rocketfish bluetooth keyboard (has both windows and mac command icons) a Logitech bluetooth mouse (soon Magic Mouse)