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One Mac or two ? What's ideal, the debate continues ...
- Thread starter entatlrg
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I've found using two (or more) computers for working on the same tasks, keeping them all in sync, bookmarks, things saved to desktop etc is too much of a hassle.
I have more than one computer but I use them for separate tasks ...
MacBook Pro with 24" ACD
Storage, Server, Downloads, heavy lifting tasks.
15" MBP with 24" ACD
All my work projects are done on this machine, then everyone is in one place whether I'm at my desk hooked up to my ACD, or on the go, meetings, couch at home etc.
MacBook Air
Strictly a Netbook, for surfing, replying to emails, writing etc, but I store nothing on it ...
That's the answer for me, keep it separate, keep it simple....
Anyone else do the same or are all your computers networked together.
I have more than one computer but I use them for separate tasks ...
MacBook Pro with 24" ACD
Storage, Server, Downloads, heavy lifting tasks.
15" MBP with 24" ACD
All my work projects are done on this machine, then everyone is in one place whether I'm at my desk hooked up to my ACD, or on the go, meetings, couch at home etc.
MacBook Air
Strictly a Netbook, for surfing, replying to emails, writing etc, but I store nothing on it ...
That's the answer for me, keep it separate, keep it simple....
Anyone else do the same or are all your computers networked together.
Keeping it simple is ideal and that's the case for most things with me. But there's a two things I can't keep separate: application preferences/bookmarks/etc (MobileMe syncs this for me), iTunes music (need it all on both computers--WinLiveSync does this for me).
Otherwise you're right--maintain each computer for doing its separate tasks and 2+ computers is always the way to go. You'll get bogged down trying to make sure each computer can do all the same things..
I use dropbox to sync files between my desktop (in windows), other desktop (linux), and the macbook pro.
The more computers you have, the worse it is. Before I got in gear with the synchronization (when I had two different laptops) there would be so many "crap, I need this file and its on the other computer" moments. It's a little more bearable now because I rarely use the windows desktop for anything other than iTunes and as a media PC on my HDTV at school, and the linux machine is just for the rare occasions when I need it. I use the macbook pro for all my work -- when I go home I plug into a USB hub, my spare power adapter, and my monitor. The usb connects to a printer, external HDD, and a usb adapter for another monitor...that way I have two dell 22's to do my programming work on.
The more computers you have, the worse it is. Before I got in gear with the synchronization (when I had two different laptops) there would be so many "crap, I need this file and its on the other computer" moments. It's a little more bearable now because I rarely use the windows desktop for anything other than iTunes and as a media PC on my HDTV at school, and the linux machine is just for the rare occasions when I need it. I use the macbook pro for all my work -- when I go home I plug into a USB hub, my spare power adapter, and my monitor. The usb connects to a printer, external HDD, and a usb adapter for another monitor...that way I have two dell 22's to do my programming work on.
Good points, thanks.
Where I ran into trouble was I had two 24" ACD's hooked up to my Mac Pro but I was doing most of my work on my 15" MBP ... then when I was at my desk I'd do work on my Mac Pro grabbing files from my MBP wirelessly or hoping everything was sync'd right.
That wasn't really the problem, more so it's just easier to work from one computer then everything is familiar and easy to find, no hunting for files, photo's on other computers or hard drives etc ETC
Now I have my Mac Pro with one ACD connected used for downloads, server, back up.
My 15" MBP is my main machine, I do all my work, leisure surfing, everything with it. To make my 15" MBP a desktop I plug in my other ACD with attached usb hub and I'm all set.
As usual it turns out simpler is better
I've tried everything I can think of.For my MacBook Air it's great but since I bought it, it's almost been the 'stick on the spokes' so to speak. I liked it so much I wanted to make it my main computer but soon realized it's too under powered to be my main computer, I like/need the SD, DVD, more ports etc.
I was doing 60% of my work on the Air and 30% on the 15", and 10% on the Mac Pro to make it more confusing, lol.
The Air interfered with my system more than anything ... yes, it's so light you can easily take it anywhere but for me when I did that I'd be missing a file from my MBP, miss the screen real estate at times and juggling two computers...
Solution was 'simplify', now my 15" MBP does it all, I only occasionally use the Air for checking emails on the couch but prefer to do that on the 15" MBP as well.
I now take my 15" MBP with me everywhere, I'm only going office to car, car to home, along with meetings, cafe's, hotels ... no long distance carrying and I always appreciate the screen real estate.
The only other thing I could of considered was going with the 13" MBP but I figured the 15" is only a pound heavier and going from carrying a MacBook Air carrying either the 15" or 13" felt about the same.
So did I come to a good conclusion for my set up do you think?
Maybe Shambo was right !! ... the 15" MacBook Pro BAD BOY ... is the only way to go
Since I posted this I've gotten a second computer, a Mac mini to go along with my MacBook, and for my needs this is ideal. It's great always having the mini available to get some work done in a quiet place, or to encode my DVD collection while I'm out. It's surprisingly quiet and powerful too - I love my MacBook, but it was definitely not meant to be a desktop replacement, as the fans were constantly going at full speed and the entire setup was so noisy. The mini's fans haven't gone over 3000 RPM yet no matter what I'm doing. Plus, as someone mentioned before, it's great just being able to grab the laptop on your way out without having to dismount things and unplug a million cables. However, I can definitely see how two computers would be too much of a hassle for people with large files to keep in sync. Since the only files that I need to access on both computers for work are small (really just Pages documents), Mobile me takes care of this nicely. I have syncing turned on on both computers so whenever a change is made on one, it updates on the other, which is great.
Now with iTunes home sharing it's really easy to copy to the MacBook what I need, too, especially since you can pick and choose (all my TV shows and movies stay on the mini). Only issue is syncing iPhoto, as I'd like to have all my pictures on both computers, but I'm looking into a few syncing solutions for that. Once that's taken care of everything will be all set.
boston04and07
Congrat's on the mini to go along with you MB.
I think that's a good way to go, as recommended by others previously in this thread ... using 'one' man laptop for all your tasks and having the mini as back up, media, downloader .. 'always on system' ... much simpler, easier and more fun to manage than a Mac Pro, 15" MacBook Pro and MacBook Air ... Now, I use the 15" for 90% of my tasks...
Congrat's on the mini to go along with you MB.
I think that's a good way to go, as recommended by others previously in this thread ... using 'one' man laptop for all your tasks and having the mini as back up, media, downloader .. 'always on system' ... much simpler, easier and more fun to manage than a Mac Pro, 15" MacBook Pro and MacBook Air ...
Now, I use the 15" for 90% of my tasks...
One Mac Pro desktop (with ATi video card and itching for the Mac-compatible 5870 to come out because I found a possible flaw with the 4870 and I know the 5870 runs rings around the nvidia GTX285...)
and a Macbook pro (mid-2009, 17" model I've nicknamed "Heaven".)
and a Macbook pro (mid-2009, 17" model I've nicknamed "Heaven".)
boston04and07
Congrat's on the mini to go along with you MB.
I think that's a good way to go, as recommended by others previously in this thread ... using 'one' man laptop for all your tasks and having the mini as back up, media, downloader .. 'always on system' ... much simpler, easier and more fun to manage than a Mac Pro, 15" MacBook Pro and MacBook Air ...
Thanks dude!
Yeah, I'm lovin it. The mini's been ripping and encoding my DVD collection, keeping them all on a 2TB external. I don't care what they say, the mini's great at that stuff - just perfect. As far as file organization goes, I haven't had a problem...I have Mobile me so if I need something on one mac that's not on the other, it's easy enough to get with Back to my Mac. I think a service like that is kind of a necessity with 2 computers. Ive been messing around with Chrono sync for my photo library, as that's the only thing I've yet to sync that I want to sync, and it seems like it'll work once I have the time to set it up... Not gonna lie though, I'm kind of jealous of your Macbook Air! Now that I've got a dedicated machine for media and the more heavy-duty stuff, something small like the Air might be my next laptop. Although I do love my white Macbook, can't see myself parting from it for a while!
that is my setup as well, except iMac: Workhorse and MBP: Mobile
works perfectly for me
I'm a two machine household as well.
As shown in my sig:
iMac Server + Drobo: Workhorse
Macbook Air: Mobile
Although I've been itching to replace one or the other recently, the iMac runs a Mobility HD2600 and the Air is well. An Air. When I need heavy duty graphics doing like playing the occasional video game both systems choke. I was thinking of either a newer iMac (budget doesn't stretch far enough for a Mac Pro) to replace the iMac or a 13" or 15" Macbook Pro (or even a tablet mac) to replace the air *which is falling apart, literally. : )
As shown in my sig:
iMac Server + Drobo: Workhorse
Macbook Air: Mobile
Although I've been itching to replace one or the other recently, the iMac runs a Mobility HD2600 and the Air is well. An Air. When I need heavy duty graphics doing like playing the occasional video game both systems choke. I was thinking of either a newer iMac (budget doesn't stretch far enough for a Mac Pro) to replace the iMac or a 13" or 15" Macbook Pro (or even a tablet mac
) to replace the air *which is falling apart, literally. : )Since coming over from the PC world in Jan '08, I've always just had a primary desktop computer tower. I really don't need to be able to take my computer with me wherever I go - I just prefer a desktop powerhouse system with plenty of internal hard drives and processing power. (Exactly why I purchased a Mac Pro over what may have been an adequate iMac.)
The only time I've ever needed to bring my system with me was for Katrina in '05, and that's a pretty extreme circumstance.
My iPhone lets me access my Mac when I'm out and around if I really need to (via LogMeIn), and otherwise serves as adequate internet access wherever I am
I have the same setup, MacPro, all drive bays filled(about to put two more HDD's in an optical bay), and I love not having to deal with externals mess or slow transfer rates. iPhone for basic net access on the go, and a work laptop does the job(but i tend to leave it at work).
A Macbook air would be a luxury but totally unnessesary, easily kept in sync with MobileMe, I might consider it when the specs improve.
Mac Pro, 17" MBP, several FW800 enclosures, NAS RAID, and Chronosynch. Sometimes I have to work on an Alphaserver, also on the network, and a PC, also on the network. I have two work sites, thousands of miles apart. I work at one site about 2/3 of the year, and the rest at the other. Each site has a gigabit network.
When I leave the Mac Pro site, I just copy everything I'll need onto the 2 TB drive in the MP, synch documents/mail/misc things between the MP and MBP (at gigabit speed), and take off with the MBP and the 2 TB drive (bare) in my carry-on.
At the other end, I drag out a 24" HP monitor, an Apple chiclet keyboard, and the mouse I left behind there, pop the bare drive into one of the FW800 cases, and I'm good.
I have IMAP email accounts, so that's usually no problem.
This year I decided on a 27" iMac for the second site, but the first one had the dreaded yellow and the replacement has been indefinitely delayed. In the meantime I'm OK with the MBP and externals.
I do my TM backups onto another FW800 drive. I leave that drive here (just as I left my TM backup at the other place) because if I need it, I can get somebody to ship it to me. What I do isn't so time-critical that if I needed a TM backup that wasn't to hand, I'd be in trouble. It would only be annoying.
If I end up with a decent iMac, then on the next trip here I'll bring only the bare drive. If the second one's bad, I'll cancel and order a new one next year.
I've had multiple computer setups for more than 20 years, and am used to it. It does take some getting used to. I have gone off without stuff I need, but that's been a very rare event.
When I leave the Mac Pro site, I just copy everything I'll need onto the 2 TB drive in the MP, synch documents/mail/misc things between the MP and MBP (at gigabit speed), and take off with the MBP and the 2 TB drive (bare) in my carry-on.
At the other end, I drag out a 24" HP monitor, an Apple chiclet keyboard, and the mouse I left behind there, pop the bare drive into one of the FW800 cases, and I'm good.
I have IMAP email accounts, so that's usually no problem.
This year I decided on a 27" iMac for the second site, but the first one had the dreaded yellow and the replacement has been indefinitely delayed. In the meantime I'm OK with the MBP and externals.
I do my TM backups onto another FW800 drive. I leave that drive here (just as I left my TM backup at the other place) because if I need it, I can get somebody to ship it to me. What I do isn't so time-critical that if I needed a TM backup that wasn't to hand, I'd be in trouble. It would only be annoying.
If I end up with a decent iMac, then on the next trip here I'll bring only the bare drive. If the second one's bad, I'll cancel and order a new one next year.
I've had multiple computer setups for more than 20 years, and am used to it. It does take some getting used to. I have gone off without stuff I need, but that's been a very rare event.
I'm a two machine household as well.
As shown in my sig:
iMac Server + Drobo: Workhorse
Macbook Air: Mobile
Although I've been itching to replace one or the other recently, the iMac runs a Mobility HD2600 and the Air is well. An Air. When I need heavy duty graphics doing like playing the occasional video game both systems choke. I was thinking of either a newer iMac (budget doesn't stretch far enough for a Mac Pro) to replace the iMac or a 13" or 15" Macbook Pro (or even a tablet mac
Looks like you went to a new 15" MBP from your MacBook Air.
How are you liking it so far, size/weight difference, bigger screen etc.?
I'm another one debating the choice between one mac or two (I currently have a Windows tower).
I have spent quite alot of time over the past few weeks looking at the setups galleries on these forums and following various threads and while alot of people seem to be using the Macbook Pro + External Display setup, like boston04and07, I don't feel I could work with that setup.
The constant plugging in/unplugging of monitor/peripherals/etc would really frustrate me and although that would seem the most cost effective solution, I think I would be much happier with a dedicated desktop and laptop solution.
I've not currently given any thought to syncing files because my decision's not made about whether to switch to Mac's yet but this thread is very useful for info on that
I have spent quite alot of time over the past few weeks looking at the setups galleries on these forums and following various threads and while alot of people seem to be using the Macbook Pro + External Display setup, like boston04and07, I don't feel I could work with that setup.
The constant plugging in/unplugging of monitor/peripherals/etc would really frustrate me and although that would seem the most cost effective solution, I think I would be much happier with a dedicated desktop and laptop solution.
I've not currently given any thought to syncing files because my decision's not made about whether to switch to Mac's yet but this thread is very useful for info on that
I have 3 main macs
I am a Graphic designer and Photographer. I have a 2008 8x2.8ghz Mac Pro which is used as my main work horse, it has 4tb of drives and 10gb of ram. I use this primarily because of its speed and storage, plus it really works through my 500mb panoramas and 3d rendering. I also love it because of the dual screen capability, using lightroom and 2 screens really improves workflow!
I also have a unibody macbook 2.4ghz with 2gb of ram and 500gb hdd, This is great when im out on a shoot as i can download all the images as i go, meaning I dont worry as much about loosing cards and i can check out the results as i go, then i sync my libraries when i get back to the studio.
I also have a PowerMac G4 dual 1.25ghz with 1.02tbs of drives and 2gb of ram. My old agency was upgrading their hardware so i got one of these for free and because i love the old mac designs i couldn't say no! The other reason for this is before my move to mac (about 5 years ago) i used to build my own pcs so i had 3x300gb IDE drives and some quick dvd burners and 4gbs of 5200 ddr400 ram and all of this was going to waste in an old pc and i hate using pcs so it just didn't get used. So i got the G4 and kitted it out with all its old parts! mirroring 2x300gb Seagate's and mirroring my other 300gb with the other 120gb drive that it came with. Basically recycling the old parts! thats what I love about the G4! although I couldnt use it as my main machine it is still powerful and very expandable! 4 hdd bays! and i have it running leopard and very well! although tiger runs better.
Although i know that raid 0 isnt very clever for backup it means i can move over large data and back it up as a 3rd backup of my mac pro. I have it connected via ethernet with file sharing enabled. The amount of time i have this thing booted probably 15 hrs a month for back up purpose, it means the drives arnt spinning and is fairly safe as a backup.
And obviously for safer backup I have a raid aray that makes complete back ups of my pro every week! But if we are talking about how many macs i own well i have the pro, a macbook, an iMac for the family, PowerMac G4, eMac (another freebe from my old agency) and an apple tv.
I do love owning Macs!
I am a Graphic designer and Photographer. I have a 2008 8x2.8ghz Mac Pro which is used as my main work horse, it has 4tb of drives and 10gb of ram. I use this primarily because of its speed and storage, plus it really works through my 500mb panoramas and 3d rendering. I also love it because of the dual screen capability, using lightroom and 2 screens really improves workflow!
I also have a unibody macbook 2.4ghz with 2gb of ram and 500gb hdd, This is great when im out on a shoot as i can download all the images as i go, meaning I dont worry as much about loosing cards and i can check out the results as i go, then i sync my libraries when i get back to the studio.
I also have a PowerMac G4 dual 1.25ghz with 1.02tbs of drives and 2gb of ram. My old agency was upgrading their hardware so i got one of these for free and because i love the old mac designs i couldn't say no! The other reason for this is before my move to mac (about 5 years ago) i used to build my own pcs so i had 3x300gb IDE drives and some quick dvd burners and 4gbs of 5200 ddr400 ram and all of this was going to waste in an old pc and i hate using pcs so it just didn't get used. So i got the G4 and kitted it out with all its old parts! mirroring 2x300gb Seagate's and mirroring my other 300gb with the other 120gb drive that it came with. Basically recycling the old parts! thats what I love about the G4! although I couldnt use it as my main machine it is still powerful and very expandable! 4 hdd bays! and i have it running leopard and very well! although tiger runs better.
Although i know that raid 0 isnt very clever for backup it means i can move over large data and back it up as a 3rd backup of my mac pro. I have it connected via ethernet with file sharing enabled. The amount of time i have this thing booted probably 15 hrs a month for back up purpose, it means the drives arnt spinning and is fairly safe as a backup.
And obviously for safer backup I have a raid aray that makes complete back ups of my pro every week! But if we are talking about how many macs i own well i have the pro, a macbook, an iMac for the family, PowerMac G4, eMac (another freebe from my old agency) and an apple tv.
I do love owning Macs!
The Henge Dock definitely makes the idea of single computing a lot more attractive/hassle free. I think that a new MBP 15"/17" is well powerful enough these days too.
The biggest thing that still puts me off though is storage; I don't want to rely on a network. Until there is a dual drive setup in a portable I just can't do it.
The biggest thing that still puts me off though is storage; I don't want to rely on a network. Until there is a dual drive setup in a portable I just can't do it.
What's you preference, to work from one computer, or two?
I'll often read in forums that it's best to work from ONE computer, this way all your data is in one place easy to organize you can use an external display etc ... If you're away from a desk at all and using one computer you'd have to use a notebook.
Others prefer TWO computers, a permanent desktop and a notebook, a set up like that can be had for cheap or you can go all out and buy a top the line iMac or MacPro and an Air for a notebook I guess. But you'll have data, shortcuts, preferences like at different settings so it's a little more work to keep in sync..
If you had the choice what would your ideal set up be? A 15" macbook pro, or a combination of a macbook and desktop, (or pc?< bad word I know
Interested to hear comments/opinions.
Thanks.
A lot depends on your data set. I have an iMac in the office and a MacBook Air for when I'm out on the road.
I use iDisk on both machines to sync all my business work and data (about 15Gb at the moment), and occassionly LogMeIn to get remote access, if I've forgotten to sync any data.
This combo works great, I even use MobileMe to sync my photo's that I need for work on between two machines. This solution also enables me to access files on my iPhone and hopefully on my iPad too.
I'll be interested to see if the iPad replaces some of my use of the MacBook Air, though I use MS Office for Mac a lot, so probably not for a while.
2 macs for me! i use the mac mini for music creation (Protools, Logic, Reason, and Ableton) n front row (movies, DVD's etc.. I then use my MBP to do safari n suchlike, MSN if needed. I have also started using it for some music stuff, but due to the fact that the drivers for SL (provided by Digi, n Yamaha) are rubbish i cant do anything really serious with it yet!!
When i was at uni i used to be able to rely on my mates router which was supplying the internet, so could sit on my bed with itunes open on my MBP, n front row on my mac mini listen to music from my bed n use screen sharing to control it. Which was kinda cool.
Living at home though, my internet is pile of faeces, Im hoping that i can get a router soon, n then replicate such an idea while living at home One can dream.
I use 2 separate time machines to keep everything in check, if i want to watch movies on the go, i use my ethernet cable to transfer stuff to my MBP. I have a 1TB ext HDD on my mac mini which i use to store everything, n i have a back up of my documents folder from my MBP there, for safe keeping just in case sommat goes awry
PTP
i use the mac mini for music creation (Protools, Logic, Reason, and Ableton) n front row (movies, DVD's etc.. I then use my MBP to do safari n suchlike, MSN if needed. I have also started using it for some music stuff, but due to the fact that the drivers for SL (provided by Digi, n Yamaha) are rubbish i cant do anything really serious with it yet!! When i was at uni i used to be able to rely on my mates router which was supplying the internet, so could sit on my bed with itunes open on my MBP, n front row on my mac mini listen to music from my bed n use screen sharing to control it. Which was kinda cool.
Living at home though, my internet is pile of faeces, Im hoping that i can get a router soon, n then replicate such an idea while living at home
One can dream.I use 2 separate time machines to keep everything in check, if i want to watch movies on the go, i use my ethernet cable to transfer stuff to my MBP. I have a 1TB ext HDD on my mac mini which i use to store everything, n i have a back up of my documents folder from my MBP there, for safe keeping just in case sommat goes awry
PTP
I've been reading this thread with interest. Right now I have one Mac - a 2006 Macbook. I am thinking of switching to an iMac and a cheap netbook.
The Macbook has been great for me -- a little TOO great. I've mentioned in another thread that I can sometimes spend a little too much time futzing around on the computer, as opposed to getting outside or reading a book or something like that!
A 21.5 iMac would probably last me for quite a long time; I had a purple iMac G3/400 for seven years. And I would be less inclined to spend hours on an iMac surfing aimlessly, because I wouldn't want to sit at a desk that long. It would also provide the power and the speed I need for some of the programs I use. My Macbook can handle it for now but I can tell it's straining. The fans going all the time start to bug me.
At the same time time, I need a lighter computer to take with me on the occasional business trip. There's no need for this computer to be synced to my home computer; in fact, it's better that its not, so that if it gets damaged, lost, or stolen, I'm not losing tons of personal information. Dropbox would be a perfectly adequte sync solution for me.
My Macbook could serve this purpose, but, it's too heavy. Yes, I know this makes me sound like a weakling, but really, it's a drag for me to be lugging it around an airport along with all the other stuff I carry. That's why I've tentatively ruled out a Macbook/display solution.
A Macbook Air would be awesome, but I can't afford it.
A iPad would be awesomer, but it doesn't have the functionality I need. (And that's okay; it's not really intended for serious content creation.)
Does this make sense? Are there ideas I haven't thought of? Since there's no rush, right now I'm sort of waiting to see if there are any updates to the 21.5 iMac in the near-to-middle future. And, does anyone have any recommendations for netbooks? I know nothing about buying a Windows PC, and all of them seem to have some drawbacks. But maybe that's a good thing; if it's uncomfortable to use for long periods of time, maybe I'll get out of the habit of couch-surfing for hours!
The Macbook has been great for me -- a little TOO great. I've mentioned in another thread that I can sometimes spend a little too much time futzing around on the computer, as opposed to getting outside or reading a book or something like that!
A 21.5 iMac would probably last me for quite a long time; I had a purple iMac G3/400 for seven years. And I would be less inclined to spend hours on an iMac surfing aimlessly, because I wouldn't want to sit at a desk that long. It would also provide the power and the speed I need for some of the programs I use. My Macbook can handle it for now but I can tell it's straining. The fans going all the time start to bug me.
At the same time time, I need a lighter computer to take with me on the occasional business trip. There's no need for this computer to be synced to my home computer; in fact, it's better that its not, so that if it gets damaged, lost, or stolen, I'm not losing tons of personal information. Dropbox would be a perfectly adequte sync solution for me.
My Macbook could serve this purpose, but, it's too heavy. Yes, I know this makes me sound like a weakling, but really, it's a drag for me to be lugging it around an airport along with all the other stuff I carry. That's why I've tentatively ruled out a Macbook/display solution.
A Macbook Air would be awesome, but I can't afford it.
A iPad would be awesomer, but it doesn't have the functionality I need. (And that's okay; it's not really intended for serious content creation.)
Does this make sense? Are there ideas I haven't thought of? Since there's no rush, right now I'm sort of waiting to see if there are any updates to the 21.5 iMac in the near-to-middle future. And, does anyone have any recommendations for netbooks? I know nothing about buying a Windows PC, and all of them seem to have some drawbacks. But maybe that's a good thing; if it's uncomfortable to use for long periods of time, maybe I'll get out of the habit of couch-surfing for hours!
I haven't had a desktop in years. About 4 years ago I went laptop only and never looked back. I've thought about getting a desktop again for when I'm working at home, but the hassle of syncing multiple 20GB+ VMs across computers is just too much of a PITA. For now I'll stay with a single laptop, although I may get a HTPC/Media Server sometime soon.
*EDIT*
I should add I'm a .Net/Database/Web architect/developer by day (hence the Win7 VMs) and a iPhone app developer by night.
*EDIT*
I should add I'm a .Net/Database/Web architect/developer by day (hence the Win7 VMs) and a iPhone app developer by night.
I'm another one debating the choice between one mac or two (I currently have a Windows tower).
I have spent quite alot of time over the past few weeks looking at the setups galleries on these forums and following various threads and while alot of people seem to be using the Macbook Pro + External Display setup, like boston04and07, I don't feel I could work with that setup.
The constant plugging in/unplugging of monitor/peripherals/etc would really frustrate me and although that would seem the most cost effective solution, I think I would be much happier with a dedicated desktop and laptop solution.
I've not currently given any thought to syncing files because my decision's not made about whether to switch to Mac's yet but this thread is very useful for info on that
Actually it's not a hassle to plug and unplug your notebook. Check out my signature of what I have. I used the Mac Mini as my main desktop and MBP as a portable to school, starbucks, and around the house. I also have MobileMe that syncs everything. Also for itunes media, I just transfer everything from my Mac Mini to MBP since I used it as my main media stuff holder. Reason I do this is because both computers have same size hard drive. Then nearly a year of having two computers and even though I had mobileme, I felt I was neglecting my MBP because I would be using the mini most of the time. I also felt I wasted a little money by having two computers for myself, in my situation. Everyone's situation is different. For me, I'm a graduate nurse practitioner student who doesn't work with graphics work or finance/business. I would only need one computer to do my work and health care research (which I use my 24" ACD for larger screen real estate when I'm at home). Again, depending on your purpose, it's going to be different. For a college student, I realized that you could just get a good MBP and accessories such as an external display like the 24" ACD refurbished, instead of spending money a desktop. My higher end mac mini was almost $900+ with applecare. I could've used that money for other things. Fortunately, I finally gave my Mini to my mom whose PC laptop crashed and it was very old from the 90s. Luckily we still have peripherals such as a LCD monitor when we use to own PCs and hooked all that up to the mini and it works fine for her. However, she also wants a laptop like me so I am going to buy a new 13" MBP base model as it will fit my needs since I have a display. I am also going to sell my mini to my friend for $850
as it has applecare till December 2012 (we'll all be gone by then).So my point in my detailed story is, buy one computer, get an external display like the 24" ACD, get TWO external hard drives for extra backup. They're relatively inexpensive now days. Get at least a 1TB external HD for desktop and at least 500gb portable laptop external HD. So in case your notebook fails, you'll have backup for all your files, applications, media, etc. Also, invest in mobileme to keep all your important documents in there as well. I have all these and they assure me that I won't lose anything (hopefully)
.unless you are a relation of Steve Jobs i would recommend seeing a Psyche or perhaps learning to invest your millions of pounds/dollars that you must have to own 10 Macs
I'm currently rocking 2 Macs, a baseline iMac 27" and a baseline MacBook Pro 13".
The iMac is my main computer while the MacBook Pro is for when I need a computer on the go. When I'm out of the house, I'm usually just using the internet and watching DVDs. Maybe occasionally typing up a document. So I keep the MacBook Pro pretty naked and don't bother syncing it. Rarely do I need files from my iMac, and if I do, I just transfer them over with a USB drive as I need them.
It's a hefty investment at first, but since I'm only using the MacBook Pro for very light mobile computing, I'm hoping it will last at least 5 years before it needs an upgrade, hardware failures aside.
The iMac is my main computer while the MacBook Pro is for when I need a computer on the go. When I'm out of the house, I'm usually just using the internet and watching DVDs. Maybe occasionally typing up a document. So I keep the MacBook Pro pretty naked and don't bother syncing it. Rarely do I need files from my iMac, and if I do, I just transfer them over with a USB drive as I need them.
It's a hefty investment at first, but since I'm only using the MacBook Pro for very light mobile computing, I'm hoping it will last at least 5 years before it needs an upgrade, hardware failures aside.
Right now, I have three Macs:
MacPro - for the heavy lifting
MacBook Pro 13" - for the casual stuff
MacMini Server - to keep everything centralized and in sync (media, important files, backups, network directories, email, computer configuration, etc)
Makes it easier for the AppleTV and iPad to just wirelessly connect to the server for anything that I may need.
Hickman
MacPro - for the heavy lifting
MacBook Pro 13" - for the casual stuff
MacMini Server - to keep everything centralized and in sync (media, important files, backups, network directories, email, computer configuration, etc)
Makes it easier for the AppleTV and iPad to just wirelessly connect to the server for anything that I may need.
Hickman