MacBook/MacBook Pro As a Desktop

Do any of you use your macbook or macbook pro laptop as your primary desktop computer?

How do you find using your macbook at home as a tower, is it better, not as good or just the same as using a normal computer tower?

Do you plug any peripherals into your macbook when you are at home at your desk such as speakers, keyboards, monitors etc?

Im thinking of using my macbook or getting a macbook pro as a replacment for my main home desktop computer.

I do that

I do exactly that!

I used a PC for a bazillion years, built and repaired them, and then one day after using a powerbook for a few years in a studio I worked in I flipped and bought the first MacBook Pro (not THE first one, but the first run of them)

1.8Ghz, upgraded now to 2Gb ram (max) orig 80Gb drive, OSX 10.4.11

and I use it as a desktop. I allways have a 22" Samsung synchmaster plugged into it, a set of bookshelf speakers, a keyboard, mouse, DVD DL re-writer, printer, iPod and Graphics tablet (all through a meaty USB hub).

It's such a clean simple set up, because when I want to go anywhere, I unplug ONE usb plug, the Dvi Connector and Speaker cable and I'm away

One thing I seriuosly suggest, if you will also be using the portability of the Laptop (ie: bringing it places too) get a good case for it, and myabe one of those spec see-thru cases you hear about. I dropped mine 3 weeks ago in it's case and had to fit a new optical drive. plus it dented the case

I'd like to point out it's the first time I dropped it in 2 years of a lot of out and about use.

I also have a little mat and piece of wood for it to sit on when it is being used as a desk top.

When I get home I could email you a picture for you to see my set up?

Hope this helps,

Mel

I do as well. I also have a 22" Samsung plugged into it, running dual screens. I also am running optical out to the surround sound system, a USB hub with a mouse, 2 external drives, my ipod, and my Blackberry plugged in.

It works just fine, just like a normal tower. No complaints here!

thanks for your replies, they were great. I like the idea of having a laptop as the main system as you can just unplug it and away you go!

Melmation, if you could send me a few pics that would be great

lifeafter, when you say you run duell screens do you mean you use 1 external display and the monitor built into your macbook pro?

Is it possible to have two external monitors plugged in to one macbook instead of only being able to connect to one and having to use the laptops screen?

The one thing I will miss is the ability to span accross two multiple screens and If i can only attatch one monitor to my laptop then i wont be able to do this as the macbooks screen is not realy any comparison to my 2 19"s

tobywuk said:

lifeafter, when you say you run duell screens do you mean you use 1 external display and the monitor built into your macbook pro?

Is it possible to have two external monitors plugged in to one macbook instead of only being able to connect to one and having to use the laptops screen?

The one thing I will miss is the ability to span accross two multiple screens and If i can only attatch one monitor to my laptop then i wont be able to do this as the macbooks screen is not realy any comparison to my 2 19"s

Click to expand...

No, you cannot run 2 external screens. I run with the MBP's screen and my external.

Ditto!

I thought I would miss the chance to span accross 2 big screens, but to be honest, the 15" and the 22" is plenty for me.

I dump Real Player (for internet radio) msn Messenger, Skype and so forth onto the laptop screen and use the big one for the 'real' work.

Lifeafter, the Samsungs are good aren't they? I got mine after much humming and haa-ing but to be honest, for the price, the picture quality is rather good.

I'll post a picture when I get back to Bristol as I'm in London right now, but will be back on friday. (Working on g5's in a studio - laptops at home after my drop)

Mel

melmation said:

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Lifeafter, the Samsungs are good aren't they? I got mine after much humming and haa-ing but to be honest, for the price, the picture quality is rather good.
..........

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I do all of my Photography work on it, it is a great screen with excellent color and contrast. I put all of the tools and pallets and such on the little screen and use the larger one just for the picture that I am working on.

Remember I have a macbook which has a smaller screen than the macbook pro.

Im buying a USB 7 port hub at the moment so i can plug all my stuff in with one single cable.

I also have one macbook that is my primary system.

At home I run it through a 22" view sonic monitor, in a dual set up mode. I use a 7 port usb hub, in that i have two external hard drives, iphone, ipod, printer, card reader, and a keyboard hooked up to it.

At the office. have it connected to a 17" proview monitor with a dead pixel (it was free so i am not complaining), and a five port hub with and external hard drive, iphone charger, and printer.

If you are going to go the route of having laptop instead of a desktop i would recommend that you have a cooling station or elevator to help with heat dissipation.

my mac book pro 15 is my main computer now i use sennhiser px-100
headphones for comfort and sound .using airport extreme for whole house
and airport express to high fi also have wireless printing. completely spoiled
to laptop and wireless,use a 320gb lacie external hardrive for occasional backup and docking with 30g i-pod.thinking about i-phone and apple tv next.

I'm using my MBP as a desktop computer when I'm at home. I have a 24" external monitor, 2 usb hubs, an external DVD burner, and 3 external hard drives. I use a notebook cooler to keep the MBP cool when I'm at home. The only time I'm using the MBP as a notebook is when I'm at school.

tobywuk said:

Do any of you use your macbook or macbook pro laptop as your primary desktop computer?

How do you find using your macbook at home as a tower, is it better, not as good or just the same as using a normal computer tower?

Do you plug any peripherals into your macbook when you are at home at your desk such as speakers, keyboards, monitors etc?

Im thinking of using my macbook or getting a macbook pro as a replacment for my main home desktop computer.

Click to expand...

Yes, I use my MacBook as a desktop. I like it better than a desktop. I have a small apartment and having no tower dominating the room is great. I can take my MB downstairs to surf and work.

At the desk, I plug in an external HD, a 17" monitor, and speakers (and until I have time to figure out my network printer, my printer is plugged in too when I need to print something).

EDIT: oh yeah, sanity's post reminded me I've got my MacBook up on a PodiumPad by roadtools to make everything more ergonomic and temperature-controlled.

i guess ill join the crowd and tell you im using my good ol macbook as a desktop too

i have a logitech s530 keyboard and mouse, ipod, external hard drive and a printer going through a 4 port usb hub. i have a firewire external harddrive, a jbl speakers, and a 22in sceptre lcd
i sometimes run dual monitor when using photoshop but most of the time 22inches is good enough for the stuff i do
i basically only use the notebook as a notebook when i have class or going to the library...

it does seem like the way to go as you do all your work on your main setup at home, then when you want to go somewhere you can just unplug and walk off with it all in your bag.

I have just unplugged my main system and I am using this style of setup with my macbook to test it out for a while. so far so good and its great having the use of spaces which my main desktop (windows) did not have.

I've pretty much always had one powerful desktop and then a laptop for college and when I need a portable.
My main PC died many months ago and I just couldn't be bothered with the hassle of fixing it again.
I ditched the PC and now I just use my MB. I game on my PS3 so there is no need for a super powerful machine. My Macbook has held up well, it gets taken to college five days a week and I also take it with me when I go to Birmingham to do some shoots.

I as well use my Macbook as a desktop most of the time. I take it to class every once in a while but it hasn't been unplugged for probably a week now. I have a 19" monitor, USB hub with mouse, printer, and external HD plugged in and then a set of speakers. The set-up works fantastic for me, no complaints at all.

17" MacBookPro is my desktop.....and I have 2 USB HDD's that I plug in. One for Time Machine and the other for photos, music, etc. It works fine for me.

I'm happy to hear that many seem to use their MacBook as extensively as I do. My PC is getting slower and slower and I don't really have the funds nor the will to invest time and money towards upgrading a 5 year old machine. I got myself a MacBook this summer and it's become my main computer in the last couple of month. My only worry was worried that using it as a desktop might shorten its "life span"...

I currently have the problem of my HDD being formated in NTFS for my old system and im not yet 100% set of using my macbook as my primary system although it seems the best thing to do. I guess i still have something inside me saying dont 100% switch to mac but i guess i will just have to let windows go.

I also now have a spare 19" monitor that i need to find a use for. its currently just hooked up to my xbox but it seems a bit of a waist.

My macbook is my desktop, it does everything a tower does and more: I can pick it up and go, I normally have my speakers and hubs plugged in and I just get up unplug a few things and take it to school do all my work and finish it all off at home + plus the schools use PC's so by the time they load up am already finished lol