I've always had a desktop and a laptop, and they were always PC, until my last laptop, 2 years ago-- an Intel Macbook that I thought I'd use mostly for presentations and travel. Naturally I fell in love with it and with all things Mac, and I'm finally ready to shift entirely to Mac. It's time when I'd normally update my desktop, but I'm wondering about maybe moving to just one computer, a laptop, which I'd attach in my office to an external display (I already use a 20" ACD in the office, also about 2 years old).
But my current laptop isn't going to be able to be the main machine without some modification-- the hard drive (120GB) is too small if I move everything on the office machine to it. I could upgrade the hard drive and run with this laptop for a few more years, I think. That's cheap, but I don't _have_ to let money be the only guide (new research grant will fund new equipment pretty generously). My needs: lots of writing, presentations, some web work, image acquisition and organization but not much manipulation, bibliographies, surfing... (I use Office, Dreamweaver, Fireworks occasionally, Acorn, EndNote, the usual browsers and iLife stuff).
So here are my specific questions:
-do you use just one machine this way?
-do you use a laptop as your main machine?
-are there likely to be heat issues if the laptop is closed but acting as the CPU in the office set-up?
-will my MacBook (Intel Core Duo 2.16, 2GB RAM, GMA 950 graphics) be able to run my 20" ACD properly?
-would you get a wired or a wireless keyboard? (I already use a wireless Mighty Mouse for the laptop)
I could in fact afford to buy 2 new machines, say a Mini for the office and a new laptop, now or later (it would still be a MB, not MBP, because I really like the small size). Or I could buy a new MB now... I was thinking, though, that it might make the most sense to wait for Snow Leopard before getting all new hardware, but I'd hate to, say, melt my current MB by asking it to do something it's not really cut out for. Any advice most welcome!
But my current laptop isn't going to be able to be the main machine without some modification-- the hard drive (120GB) is too small if I move everything on the office machine to it. I could upgrade the hard drive and run with this laptop for a few more years, I think. That's cheap, but I don't _have_ to let money be the only guide (new research grant will fund new equipment pretty generously). My needs: lots of writing, presentations, some web work, image acquisition and organization but not much manipulation, bibliographies, surfing... (I use Office, Dreamweaver, Fireworks occasionally, Acorn, EndNote, the usual browsers and iLife stuff).
So here are my specific questions:
-do you use just one machine this way?
-do you use a laptop as your main machine?
-are there likely to be heat issues if the laptop is closed but acting as the CPU in the office set-up?
-will my MacBook (Intel Core Duo 2.16, 2GB RAM, GMA 950 graphics) be able to run my 20" ACD properly?
-would you get a wired or a wireless keyboard? (I already use a wireless Mighty Mouse for the laptop)
I could in fact afford to buy 2 new machines, say a Mini for the office and a new laptop, now or later (it would still be a MB, not MBP, because I really like the small size). Or I could buy a new MB now... I was thinking, though, that it might make the most sense to wait for Snow Leopard before getting all new hardware, but I'd hate to, say, melt my current MB by asking it to do something it's not really cut out for. Any advice most welcome!