Multiple Computers?

I noticed that many of you have at least two computers? How come? I like to buy a top of the line laptop that can handle my needs and hook it up to a monitor/keyboard and mouse.

Ok, ok, I don't actually have my macbook yet but when I do - I'll have 2 computers - one for ultra sexy mobile computing and the other so I can continue to use (dare I say it) Windows and Linux.

I guess there would be nothing I'll be able to do with my 2 machines that you can't do with a powerful notebook - but for me - the main thing I want from a notebook is portability - therefore I want a powerful notebook but I want a light notebook with the best possible battery life - I don't think the top end MBP can offer what I'm looking for in terms of portability even if it does make up for it in terms of power.

My Windows machine doesn't get moved, it can be packed with big heavy HDDs and powerful graphics card so that I can do more demanding tasks (like playing games...) at home.

Personal preference I guess.

I take it you have sexy MBP with all the extras then?

Dave

I have a MBP, and I am considering either a mini or an imac soon. I use my mbp around the house, work and whatever else. I want the other to act as an always on sever, to back up files and be a work horse.

I got an iMac when the G5's were first released and then a Macbook when they were released. My iMac has 4 external hard drives plugged in, a TV tuner, and is where I do my work when I am in my dorm room. I love having the macbook because I go to the library or science center and can work on everything there. When I come home for break I didn't need to disconnect everything and pack up the iMac, I just had to throw my Macbook into the bag.

I happen to have 4. One PC laptop and desktop and an Imac and a MBP. At the moment with my cable DSL (limits on multiple connections) set up none of them are working to my needs.

I use multiple machines for the reliability factor. As well as the fact that some platforms aren't compatible (give me utorrent, torrentharvester and tvuplayer and i can quit Windows forever). I already have Windows and OS X so i dont see the need to pollute one system with another running emulators and what not. I wouldn't run OS X on Windows (although from what I understand it is possible) and likewise why would i bother running Windows on a Mac? The desktops I have obviously always stay at home and what laptop I take with me depends upon what I expect to do and where I plan on going.

My MBP isn't going to come with me next month on an extended world wide trip because it might get broken or stolen. If my old Acer gets stomped on or stolen, who cares? My MBP on the other hand would accompany me to NYC.

So in answer to the question of why do i have more than one? Well it is easy i like running whatever OS I have 100% natively without partitions and nonsense and I like having back ups for what I currently own, my Wintel desktop is basically just a glorified storage tank.

I just had the thought while writing this of getting a PC that has linux (budget level machine so not a Mac). With Vista coming out laptops are going for very cheap. What would anybody here recommend for specs to run linux? I probably won't use it much so I was thinking maybe 512 RAM would be enough? I can get a laptop here thats pretty decent with not too small a hard drive for like $250 so I would appreciate any input about running Linux.

Ryan

@ryanwarsaw

I ran various linux distros on a HP laptop until I got rid of it a few months back the spec:

HP Pavilion
Intel Celeron 2.6Ghz, 512Mb RAM – (32Mb shared with Graphics)
ATI Mobility Radeon Graphics (Max 64Mb Shared)
ALI Sound, 30Gb HDD, DVD/CDrw, Internal Modem, Internal MacPhyter network card, BENQ AWL100 PCMCIA 11Mb Wireless Card

It worked perfectly well with every distro I tried (Ubuntu and SuSE probably being the best on that machine) Obviously as with most/all systems more RAM = better performance and that is very true of Linux as well. I don't imagine a system of that spec would go for much now. Infact I would guess that you'd get a better CPU with most budget systems now (That celeron was rubbish at folding but fine for most things I wanted to do).

I use my G4 Cube for playing music in iTunes/iPod syncing, photo and video storage, IM, light web browsing and a few other general light tasks.

I use my G4 PowerBook as a main machine where I do heavier work, main web browsing, office tasks/college work, photo editing etc.

Well let's see. I've got a Mac Pro Quad 2.66Ghz, which I use for all my graphic design/publication work. My MacBook could handle it and does when I'm on the road, but I have dual 19" LG's hooked to my Mac Pro which makes any design work much easier and way more fun. My MacBook is fast but it's no where near the speed of my Mac Pro, plus my Mac Pro has a 250Gig HD in it whereas my MacBook only has an 80Gig, so it gives me more space.

If I had to list reasons why I have two computers (really I own 6 computers) it would be:

Mac Pro
It's faster
Stationary (External Hard Drives, 3 Scanners, 2 printers and a nice speaker system)
Dual Monitors

You can hook all this to a MacBook, but the time it would take to unhook and rehook everything up on a daily basis would just drive anyone mad. So I just sync the two of them once they connect to the network and anything I do on one will show up on the other, so I just charge my MacBook and when I need to run grab it and go. Everything is there and I don't need to hookup or unhook anything when I need to run.

I bought my MBP specifically so it would do everything I need. It's big and powerful enough to act as a desktop replacement. But it's thin and light enough -- compared to my 2+" thick, 11# Dell XPS "notebook" -- to travel easily.

I can run necessary Windows work applications in Parallels. I can play games with BootCamp. I can watch movies or listen to music with FrontRow. I can do photo editing and work (Word, Excel, Powerpoint, etc.) in Mac OS X. I can browse the web and read email in OS X with greater safety and security without the need for a dozen anti-spam, anti-virus, anti-spyware, anti-malware, anti-whatever programs running in the background.

When I'm at home, I can plug in a keyboard, mouse, my 24" widescreen monitor, my big FireWire external HDD, and work with a system that is bette than the "average" desktop being sold today.

All on one computer.

Now, having said that, I see a Mac Pro in my future.

I got a Macbook Pro, got rid of all of my crappy Windows machines, and never looked back!

RNDdave said:

Ok, ok, I don't actually have my macbook yet but when I do - I'll have 2 computers - one for ultra sexy mobile computing and the other so I can continue to use (dare I say it) Windows and Linux.

I guess there would be nothing I'll be able to do with my 2 machines that you can't do with a powerful notebook - but for me - the main thing I want from a notebook is portability - therefore I want a powerful notebook but I want a light notebook with the best possible battery life - I don't think the top end MBP can offer what I'm looking for in terms of portability even if it does make up for it in terms of power.

My Windows machine doesn't get moved, it can be packed with big heavy HDDs and powerful graphics card so that I can do more demanding tasks (like playing games...) at home.

Personal preference I guess.

I take it you have sexy MBP with all the extras then?

Dave

Click to expand...

Actually right now I have the top of the line 12" Dell Laptop. In the spring I will be getting a MacBook with some extra RAM. I plan on using either Parallels or BootCamp and then getting rid of my Dell. I love the MacOS but needed a PC for work reasons. Now that BootCamp is out I will be going Mac. I hear bad things about the upcoming Windows Vista.

JRV said:

I noticed that many of you have at least two computers? How come? I like to buy a top of the line laptop that can handle my needs and hook it up to a monitor/keyboard and mouse.

Click to expand...

I used a top of the line MacBook Pro in this manner for some time. I got tired of it. The MacBook Pro isn't as portable as I'd like, doesn't have the battery life I'd like, and is a bit too fragile.

On the flip side, it runs too hot to comfortably type on, when plugged in at home, and has a limited screen size.

So...I bought a MacBook Black laptop for portable computing, and am picking up a 24" iMac for doing things at home.

Lastly, many of us have programs running 24/7, which we couldn't otherwise do if we were always taking our laptops with us (torrents in my case).

I have 2 computers. 1 is a 17 inch Macbook Pro, and the other is a dual 23 inch screen set up on a Quad G5.

There are very different uses for both computers. My macbook pro is my computer that I use the most often I use it for regular work, and some very light video editing. I also use it for 3D studio max, because it requires windows and I don't need anything really powerful as I am just learning it.

The quad is more a work computer. I use it as a workstation for heavy video editing and special effects, and compositing. I also use it as a music server since I need all the music on that computer for various reasons so I always have iTunes open so I can listen to it from any computer in my house (but mainly my MBP) there area a lot of other reasons why I have 2 comptuers, but I am in English right now so maybe I will edit this post after class.

Why do people have multiple Tv's
multiple cars
stereo's

et cetera, either they have a need for it, or they couldnt sell the old stuff, or more then 1 person around

or for people like the above, you have to do something intense, it is nice to have another computer to use that wont be slowed down to a crawl.

I don't have 2 computers. I have ... wait (*counts*) ... 8. I had 9 but gave one away yesterday. It's more the fact that I'm a horder than absolute need, but 5 of them do get used often.

I'm such a nerd.

cazabam said:

I don't have 2 computers. I have ... wait (*counts*) ... 8. I had 9 but gave one away yesterday. It's more the fact that I'm a horder than absolute need, but 5 of them do get used often.

I'm such a nerd.

Click to expand...

The power company must love you

i only typically use one at any given time. though i almost always have had more than one at once.

now i use my macbook exclusively.
i have three others in my house though.
my wife uses my old 15" HP laptop.
my dead 17" HP laptop sits in a closet.
a virus infested and relatively useless compaq ipaq desktop i took from my parents for some reason has been sitting in my house unused for years. i should probably just format it with an old copy of windows 2k and bring that puppy to a pawn shop or goodwill.

i may, if i get tired of not being able to play decent games on the macbook upgrade to a mbp, but i wouldn't keep both, or i'd hand the macbook down to my wife and we'd sell the 15" laptop.

You got me....I have 3 at home and more at work. Home is my fun place where I have 2 Intel PC's and the E mac I was just given. Soon it will be 1 laptop PC and an I mac with the lot. It was a short honey moon but I am totally in love with macs now....the teenage daughter can keep my intel PC's and I'll have the intel Mac.