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For a while now I have been debating the notion of going from a two Apple Macintosh set-up to just the one. Let me explain this notion and provide some context.
Studio
I work from home with a studio upstairs that has a MacPro running two 24″ Dells. This is my work space and where most of my tinkering is done.
Mobile
I also have a oldish 17″ MacBook Pro that I used to use more than I do now for working on bits and things else where in the house.
Sometimes I would just like to sit in a comfy sofa and doodle crap in Illustrator: this can make a big difference if you are putting in a long day.
Switching out of studio mode to living room mode, yet still working, can break up the day quite nicely.
The Issue
The one frustration I have is the syncing of the two Macintosh’s with my work, files and what not. With the advent of DropBox things are so much easier as I have all my work files on DropBox, but the problems come with keeping applications, my font collection/sets the same and other fiddly things.
It’s now got to the point where I am reluctant to sit down on comfy sofa as my laptop just doesn’t have the stuff on it I need to be productive. Sure I could do another major sync, but the problem will no doubt creep up on me again.
But it’s not just the managing of two different Macintosh’s as my 17″ is pretty long in the tooth now: the fan is on it’s way out, the keyboard has had a number of accidents and replaced key and other ailments that make using it not so productive or fun to use in any way.
What to do
For about a year have thought long and hard about how to simplify my set-up whilst still retaining productivity, flexibility and ease of use.
One of the thoughts has been to get a new MacBook Pro as a direct replacement for both my laptop and desktop. This means I can plug-in in my studio then plug-out when I want to take work in a different room with the knowledge I have everything I need at hand, and no worries about file/app syncing etc.
If I have to meet a client I can take the laptop and know this still has everything I need whilst giving me ultimate flexibility to be super productive.
Some Requirements
I am used to working on two 24″ Dell monitors: one is my work screen whilst the other one has email, Skype, Twitter and other time sucking crap. I even turn off this second display if I need to really focus on work and not get distracted.
I like this way of working and gives me two distinct compartments, so the new simplified set-up would ideally need to work with a two monitor set-up.
I love the MacBook Air, but as it doesn’t work with two monitors so this could be a problem, but the new MacBook Pro’s do worth with two external monitors which is great. I also like that it has HDMI for when I want to do some lazy browsing on my big screen TV whilst sinking into my sofa
Another option on the table: if I want the extreme portability of a MacBook Air one could look at the 27″ Cinema display. My concern with this: I have been used to two monitors for such a long time that I wonder if one 27″ would do the job of two 24″ monitors?
Then there is this: using MacBook Pro as the secondary screen alongside either the 24″ Dell, or 27″ Cinema as and when I win the lottery. Assuming the Pro’s screen will share the same desktop with the other external? Could be that the 15″ screen will work for email, Skype, Twitter and crap?
Leaning Towards
Right now I am leaning towards a 15″ MacBook Pro (non Retina) with Thunderbolt adapter to hook up my two Dell monitors—assuming this can be done with the adapters—then when finances allow possibly look to get one 27″ display.
My permanent set-up in my studio would be: two monitors, wireless keyboard and mouse, and my various external hard drives for my back-ups and file archives, laptop power lead and speakers.
When I come to work in the studio the MacBook Pro will either be there from night before, or it will be in my hands ready to plug-in and place on my desk.
This will give me one great computer for work wherever I happen to be without having to juggle two different computers. I love the idea of this simplicity as it also improves efficiency, productivity as well as allowing me freedom to work where ever. Longer term it sounds like a more cost effective solution as well.
If you have any ideas or have a set-up that you feel I might benefit from then please do leave a few words below via comments. Especially interested to see if I have missed out on any possible combinations.
My Wooden Desk
Since this post I have had a number of people ask me about my wooden desk. You can find out all about it right here: My Gorgeous New Wooden Studio Desk Top
Related Posts
- → Part 2 Of Simplifying My Apple Macintosh Studio Set-Up
- → Apple iPhone vs driPhone Brand Trademark
- → Apple Macintosh Icon Prints By Susan Kare: The Original Apple Icon Designer
@imjustcreative The new Zerply newsletter: http://t.co/jL6emLwC
@imjustcreative You said in your post about thunderbolt adapters. if your monitors are mini-display port already then they’re compatible.
@imjustcreative why wouldn’t you use your laptop as a second display?
@imjustcreative going through the same thoughts as you, have a crazy amount of files synced over Dropbox for now, iMac and 13” MacBook
Hey Graham, I’ve gone through very much the same process from imacs, macbooks and external screens and now finally I’ve gone back to a macpro with external screens and 1 extra for day to day reading or twitter feeds that I keep in portrait mode which is rather handy for ebay and things like that.On switching back to the macpro I decided that ive had more of a work life I ditched all the laptops and now use an android slate and ipads for sofa browsing and down time and its something to use read on the way to client meetings. 6pm the computer shuts down in the same way I would walk out of an office and go hom for tea :)
@panda_doodle I do try to keep work time as work time, but sometimes I do like to take work downstairs during the day when it’s a nice day and I can open the patio doors. :)
Go with the laptop and second monitor setup. I use it at home and it works well for me. But when setting down and using the second monitor I do prefer to be using a separate mouse and keyboard and the bigger monitor as my main screen and the laptop as a secondary screen. It was too awkward using the laptop and its keyboard and trackpad as the main computer when setting there with the second monitor.
@jrt341 Then there is this thought: using MacBook Pro as the secondary screen alongside either the 24″ Dell, or 27″ Cinema as and when I win the lottery. Assuming the Pro’s screen will share the same desktop with the other external? Could be that the 15″ screen will work for email, Skype, Twitter and crap?
@grahamsmith @jrt341 Yes thats what i do, main screen is external 24 inch samsung, and mac book pro screen is secondary.
@imjustcreative Have used the MacBook Pro plugged into a screen set up for years. Has worked for me. Hate the new shiny screens though.
@imjustcreative I am actually thinking about switching from MBP + 24″ to iMac + external screen + MB Air 13″.
I am currently considering the switch from MacBook Pro + external screen to iMac + external screen + Macbook Air 13″ and syncing data via Google Drive or Dropbox or something similar. Reason is simple – the new Air is powerful enough to handle my daily design work and it’s super slick and light to carry in a bag while travelling somewhere. On the other hand, 13″ (or even 15″) with external screen doesn’t work that well for me.
Believing my desktop Mac was about to die I picked up a MacBook Pro with the intention of pairing it with a monitor and making that my primary setup. I came to many of the same conclusions you did Graham. Well, the desktop is still alive and I still haven’t made the transition. I’m struggling with the monitor. Apple’s Thunderbolt display has incredible functionality but I still hate their glossy screens. I even chose the anti-glare option for my MBP. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be much competition for Apple’s display with Thunderbolt tech.
I’ve also been dealing with the same issue — I think a lot of designers are. I currently run a Mac Pro tower (my main work station) with 3, 24″ displays. Seems the more monitors I have, the more productive I am. I also have a 15″ Mac Pro laptop and when I switch to the laptop, I feel handcuffed with only having one display and the issue of having everything synced.
One solution I’ve found for keeping things synced is DropBox. I not only use it for files I’m currently working on but for app as well. For example, I use FontAgent Pro. And in the app preferences, I set the default folder to an “APPS” folder I created in DropBox. That way, any changes or additions are reflected on both computers. I also set other apps preferences like Photoshop and Illustrator plugins to use the APPS folder.
For the apps themselves, when possible, I’ve been switching to purchasing/updating apps via the App Store. Doesn’t solve syncing all the apps, but helps.
My biggest issue with switching to a laptop as my core workstation is simply storage. As a laptop, space is limited. And I have to be careful about the files I’m sharing with DropBox because it might max out the laptop drive. On the other hand, the Mac Pro tower can hold 4+ HD’s and are easy enough to upgrade to larger drives when needed. Yes, I could use a potable external HD with the laptop for other files, but then it doesn’t get backed up. Right now, the tower gets auto backed up to an external, I have Time Machine running on the laptop, and then use a Drobo for archiving. If Apple could find a way to increase storage on the laptops, I’d be a happy camper.
@kristofcreative I don’t seem to suffer with storage concerns as I have always relied mostly on external storage solutions. So for me it would be no problem having a bunch of externals hooked up to my main desk which mostly deal with archives and other less frequent back-ups.
The work I do is mostly low file size stuff, so DropBox is actually my main Document folder for all logo work etc. Obviously comes down to the type of graphics work you do, and if that is a lot of Photoshop stuff then I’m sure a laptop would pose challenges with storage.
Actually this sounds like an ideal solutions and I may do the same thing with my Asus 8GB Photoshop machine instead of building the 16GB Rig I was saving for (at least for now since this solution would be cheaper for the interm), and just hold off on that while new technology comes up and drives my cost for hardware down further.The reason i don’t do Mac’s is I like building the machine myself, or customizing it to suit me, both in terms of hardware and software. I also find its infinitely cheaper and that I have the skills to make my Windows User Experience equal to or better than my Mac with little effort on my part. Also for as long as I’ve been using Adobe and both PC and Mac there has never been a performance difference that couldn’t be handled or accounted for by me as a user.
I tried working with a laptop attached to a screen a while and the most annoying thing was the clutter (cable and the chunky docking station). I know it sounds pathetic but my work area and setup has to sit and feel just so. Are there decent docks for Macbook Pros as a sideline? Unfortunately the new iMac didn’t rear its head which was going to be an instant buy it now.
Syncing my files (assets, fonts and WAMP) with Dropbox to my MacBook Air works perfectly for me (for the first time ever). Its the first laptop that felt right when working from a chair/ sofa or outside. Currently running a 24″ HP2475W and a ViewsonicVP950b (19″). The Viewsonic is awesome as when you turn it portrait (another use panda_doodle :) ) its exactly 1024px wide which is great for web design/ dev.
I’d probably say buy a fully automated baby RAID NAS and tuck it away for centralised storage. I like the “disconnect” of 2 separate machines. Even if I am working on my laptop it still feels less like shop hours!
Tom the thoroughly unreasonable home worker.
I have been fighting this same dilemma for a while. I think a lot of designers go through it. Right now I have a 15″ Macbook Pro (2011) hooked to an LG 27″ LED display at my desk. I have all my millions of USB accessories hooked into a usb hub and the hub sites under my laptop stand. This way I only have to plug the USB hub into the laptop to have all my devices connected. I have the Griffin Macbook Stand to prop my laptop up so it is more eye-level with the huge 27″ monitor. I like this set up for the most part, except when the fans start going off on my macbook. The 27″ monitor can sometimes stress the graphics card (i’m blaming adobe CS5 here) when lots of graphics programs are running at once.
Aside from that I don’t mind. I use the 27″ for just about everything, and I will put twitter, pandora, itunes, and other non-productive windows on the laptop screen. The idea behind this setup is that I pretty much have a desktop when I need it, but I could take my laptop anywhere, whenever needed.
Here is what I have found. I don’t tend to use my laptop as a laptop anymore. It has become my desktop. I used to use my laptop in a portable fashion all the time, but now there are so many things plugged into it, I just don’t find myself wanting to take it off its stand and unplug everything. I have found that I use my iPad for all portable projects. Now, I have become soley dependent on my iPad to handle my mobile needs, and my laptop has become a desktop. It hasn’t moved off its stand in months.
I have a Macbook Pro hooked up to the mac 27″ screen and it is fantastic. I highly recommend it. It gives you the large screen/workspace of a desktop and saves your eyes! I have a stand for my Macbook so I still have maximum desk space underneath the computer. I use my Macbook screen for email, twitter or maybe a movie if I’m illustrating and I find that it works fine. The Macbook is really easy to unplug and take with you, and the design of the screen such as the display port cord, power source, USB ports, better speakers etc are definitely worth the money.
Personally I have a 15″ Mac book pro which I love for portability and like you say, being able to tinker away any time anywhere. I also have a studio set-up with just one monitor. I would ideally have two though. I find it is perfect. The Mac book is such a great workhorse I find. I use it mostly for web design and a bit of print plus DJing running Serato. It never skips a beat and happily plugs into my studio or on the couch.
@imjustcreative I want to get rid of my iMac and run a display off my MBP. Switching back & forth on comps has been inefficient & annoying.
@imjustcreative MacBook Air + 27″ Thunderbolt works a dream.
http://t.co/Xde0nw5r
@joelfreeborn do you use the Air screen at all when connected to the 27″
@imjustcreative I have Mail open fullscreen on the Air – very handy!
@joelfreeborn so whats your set-up again?
@imjustcreative Mid-2011 13″ Air (4GB Ram, 1.8Ghz i7) + 27″ Thunderbolt display – picture:
http://t.co/Xde0nw5r
@joelfreeborn oh ahhhh… that looks just perfect. So how do you find the power of the Air for work, multiple open apps, browser tabs etc
@joelfreeborn Although I don’t do much heavy Photoshop work I do tend to like lots of apps, windows, tabs open…
@joelfreeborn Question: Is that Air desktop shared with the 27″ or is it running it’s own desktop meaning you have to use the Air’s keyboard
@imjustcreative Air is fine for performance and they’ve just made it even better with the new release. I do a lot of Photoshop work no probs
@imjustcreative Yep shared and using one bluetooth keyboard. Thunderolt display is a docking station. Check out the spec cause its awesome.
@joelfreeborn What do you use for storage, back-ups and archives etc?
@joelfreeborn Yours is closest to the set-up I am gunning for. It’s more about deciding between MacBook Pro or the Air at the mo
@imjustcreative Storage i use this: http://t.co/3ZRb2LT3
@imjustcreative Good stuff. Worth noting that MacBook Air and Pro both have same 1440×900 resolution (unless upgrading Pro to antiglare)
@joelfreeborn SO do you not get to use the 2560×1440 of the 27″ on the Air?
@imjustcreative Yes you get to use the full 2560 x 1440 on the Thunderbolt Display, Macbook Air will show 1440×900.
@joelfreeborn Oh sweet. Thank you for your help. Certainly helped me make a choice…
@imjustcreative Cool…glad I could help.
I have been struggling with the same thing, it is time for an upgrade, but I am not sure what direction to go. I may also go the laptop + external display route. If so, I think that this is a great way to utilize the laptop display.
http://www.amazon.com/Rain-Design-10032-mStand-Laptop/dp/B000OOYECC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1339693481&sr=8-1
Maintain dropped a nice tip on Facebook about putting a laptop display to sleep if you’re using an external display. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=434597526560738&set=a.311750395512119.72007.225501557470337&type=1
I figured out that you can set the laptop whether mac or PC to use 2 external monitors without an additional graphics card, but you you need a USB/DVI/VGA adapter, basically sacrificing a USB port to become a video port, and then you no longer are using the laptop as a monitor. With a USB hub and a wireless keyboard and wacom tablet and mouse, you would be good to go.