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branharrison6

macrumors member
Original poster
Mar 22, 2007
78
0
Does anyone ever have a feeling that everything is too close and crowded when using their macbooks? Like they need more space to get at all the windows or have more displayed? I am going to go from a 17" dell to a 13" macbook and fear that I will feel overcrowded. I know it will take adjusting but is it bad for most?
 
Yea, it's getting slightly annoying. 1280x800 is too small, but i didn't want to pay the extra $1000 to get the MBP just for a bigger screen.

Let's wait for the 15" MacBook, shall we?
 
Have a look at something called VirtueDesktop. It's like Spaces so you can have multiple "desktops" for different things if you feel cluttered.
 
Yeah, I have figured out that I need more screen space. I do wish there was a way to allow the MB to be ran at a higher resolution but I doubt it is possible (or if it was it would look poor). 10.5 will get my money just because of Spaces, and unfortunately Apple will get a lot of my money when it is time to buy a new laptop. :(
 
I was in a situation like yours. I was on a 17" CRT and then switched to a 13.3" Macbook. It will take some getting used to, but if you're anything like me, it won't take that long. It isn't anything I even think about anymore. Getting to be good friends with Exposé has certainly helped quite a bit. :cool:
 
Honestly? I find the screen size fine. I can happily have Camino, MSN, iTunes, Word and Mail all open. Just hit F9 whenever you want to get to a different window if it gets really cluttered.

If you don't want to be hitting F9 all of the time, then you can always set Expose (I think thats the one) to a hot corner.
 
Honestly? I find the screen size fine. I can happily have Camino, MSN, iTunes, Word and Mail all open. Just hit F9 whenever you want to get to a different window if it gets really cluttered.

Pfft if you want to save space using msn, use Adium. It's tabs make it the ultimate space saver compared with msn.
 
Pfft if you want to save space using msn, use Adium. It's tabs make it the ultimate space saver compared with msn.

But like I said, I don't need to save space, I find the 13" screen enough for my needs. Granted it's a bit small when working in Logic, but I have an external monitor for that.

I've tried Adium before, but didn't adopt it full time because MSN does everything I need.
 
Well, i went from a 17" CRT (eMac) and a 12" laptop to the 17"MBP.

I'm not sure i could ever go smaller on the screen size - i can barely stand to use the eMac for the few minutes to set up stuff for the kids. The 12" ibook - YIKES.

BUT, use the tools you have to get your space just so - it will take some adjusting on your part. Go in with the attd that you CAN make it work for you though, that will help greatly!
 
I find the MacBook screens a little crowded as well, but I use a MacBook Pro. The 1440 x 900 resolution is a perfect compromise between screen size and DPI.

And BTW, MacBook Pros are not just 'MacBooks with bigger screens', there's a HECK of a lot more technology in MacBook Pros...
 
And BTW, MacBook Pros are not just 'MacBooks with bigger screens', there's a HECK of a lot more technology in MacBook Pros...

Not really. There's a light sensor, keyboard backlight, and a dedicated graphics card. Beyond that, their architectures are nearly identical. I wouldn't call that a heck of a lot more technology.

I do find the MacBook cramped, and Virtue Desktops is the only thing that makes it bearable for the time being. I'm excited about getting my new MacBook Pro (for free!) from my company when I start my new job in a couple weeks. The MacBook will be going to my fiance.
 
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