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MBP as a desktop

coday182

coday182

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 26, 2006
237
0
Jamestown, IN
Well I am getting a MBP. Don't know when but I know I have atleast 3000 saved up. I'm just waiting because I want it to still be newer when I get to college (I am starting my senior year of highschool). Plus I want to wait as long as possible for upgrades and/or price drops. Anyways... it is going to be the only computer I have in college. Even if I could get a desktop computer, I wouldnt see the point of having two, although I would consider getting a desk, bigger display, mouse, and keyboard for my MBP for when I'm at our house on campus. So anyways, how would a 15 inch mbp with 2.16 Ghz, 2Gb ram, 100 GB hard drive function as a desktop computer? I know that usually laptops aren't as powerful as desktops so most people only use laptops for on the go purposes.
 
Laptops serve perfectly well as desktops these days. You will see plenty of your peers come into college with just a laptop.
 
Congrats on your future purchase. I use my MBP as a desktop replacement. It's plenty powerful and as a bonus, I can take it on the road.
 
If you are just going into your senior year of high school maybe you should hold off on buying a college computer.

Just think if you would have bought a powerbook a year ago today. You would be well behind the curve of current notebook computers. I was in your same position when I graduated high school and held off for a year to get my powerbook and with the help of an external hard drive and some ram it has lasted me over 3 years and is still kicking.

If I were you and had access to a monitor I would pick up a mac mini for this year and then when you go to school and buy a mac book pro you could just just that keyboard mouse and monitor, and then use the mac mini as a media center more or less.

With the new intel chipsets that are coming off I would highly advise you to at least wait until after the WWDC and if not then just wait till apple updates before you do anything.
 
I use my 17" MBP with a 23" ACD as a full desktop replacement. It's my main machine. Among the really nice things about the Mac I found was that I can nominate the ACD as the main monitor. This can be an extraordinarily tortuous process on Windows (especially maintaining window positions, etc) laptops so I was quietly over the moon about this capability.

If you're considering serious desktop-bound use I'd suggest a second monitor definitely - if not an Apple monitor, then something like a Dell. Then I'd suggest a Griffin iCurve to raise the laptop, and a proper (i.e. non-Apple :p ) keyboard and mouse. This way you'll have the best of both worlds. A laptop when you need, a dual-monitor desktop otherwise.
 
My MacBook is now my main machine. I live having freedom from ym desk-I'm in my garden room right now :D.
 
I'm off to uni in a month or so and I'm planning on buying a MBP 17" as a desktop replacement. Then again...anything will beat this pentium 4...plus it'll be my first mac :D
 
Oh I'd definitely have my MBP as a replacement desktop. As a senior in high school, I'd say wait until college. Or at least until your accepted at one since you can use your acceptance letter as a form of proof to take advantage of the student discount. Once you go to college, you'll find out that having a laptop is very convenient when your roommate's gf comes over :rolleyes: or when you have to meet up with people for a study session.
 
I use my MBP as my main computer as well, and it was difficult switching from a desktop to a laptop as your primary, but once you are comfortable with it, its great.


Sesshi said:
Among the really nice things about the Mac I found was that I can nominate the ACD as the main monitor.
Click to expand...
How does one do this? I've got my monitor already connected but I've been wondering how to make it the main display as opposed to the extended without mirror. Basically I want the dock/bar on the second display...
 
fenixx said:
I use my MBP as my main computer as well, and it was difficult switching from a desktop to a laptop as your primary, but once you are comfortable with it, its great.



How does one do this? I've got my monitor already connected but I've been wondering how to make it the main display as opposed to the extended without mirror. Basically I want the dock/bar on the second display...
Click to expand...

Under System Preferences, select Displays, go to Arrangement, and move the white bar over to your other display.
 
marissaaa said:
Under System Preferences, select Displays, go to Arrangement, and move the white bar over to your other display.
Click to expand...

Geez, so simple yet I never figured it out.
Thank you so much.
 
My advice.

Nice enough plan.
But what I think would be better would be to get a macbook, not a macbook pro. Then get a 20" wide Dell monitor with bluetooth mouse and keyboard and an iCurve as suggested above. And a radtech neo case, of course.
Voila, the best of both notebook and desktop worlds.
Much better battery life, much greater portability (my MBP is quite heavy after a while), and when back at the desk powering through the work you've got all the screen room you could want.
And buy the macbook, at least, as soon as the core 2 duo hits the shops. Sooner the better.
 
I use my macbook as my desktop. Have it connected to an external lcd. When I'm off to class just unhook it and voila!!!
 
same as all of the above, it's certainly a powerful enough machine to cover desktop duties, and even gaming duties... (if you desire a break from work)

I use mine for photography, general internet, development, administration, and more....

my desk has a plethora of accessories sitting on it, an external 17" tft, USB 8-in-1 card reader, ext firewire/usb DL dvd burner, multi function printer, a mouse, etc....

put the machine down, plug everything in... "powerhouse".
 
My Macbook (not pro) is hooked up to external 19'' LCD, keyboard, and mouse. (generic dell keyboard and microsoft wireless notebook mouse) , External hard drive, exteral 5.1 speakers (used a 4 way splitter and just sent the same signal to each speakers) headphones, all-in-one printer, Card Reader. It works wonderfully as my 'new desktop computer' and a MBP will work even better. I originally had planned to take my desktop PC (which i've built and upgraded and loved since 8th grade) to college As well as my macbook, and use the pc for most things and my macbook just for school work. Well after I got my macbook that all changed, I'm leaving my PC at home because I realized that I can do everything+ on my mac that i could on the pc.

But you should definitly WAIT until just before you go to college to get your laptop. Keep in mind, it's supposed to last you 4 years! Which means that it will suck in 2011. So the later you buy the longer it's still cool. I can only IMAGINE what the macbooks will be like in 2010 when I'm still carrying my Rev A from class to class!
 
Donz0r said:
But you should definitly WAIT until just before you go to college to get your laptop. Keep in mind, it's supposed to last you 4 years! Which means that it will suck in 2011. So the later you buy the longer it's still cool. I can only IMAGINE what the macbooks will be like in 2010 when I'm still carrying my Rev A from class to class!
Click to expand...
I know what you mean. But this will be my first mac and I want one soooo bad.
 
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