HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
These kinds of questions are generally narrow viewpoint questions... lacking perspective. They remind me of the frequent use of "99% don't want..." when the survey pool is much more likely to be only the person writing it or maybe that person plus a few friends... neither of which tends to be enough to make up a fraction of 1% of all users, but presented like that super-narrow take should apply to everyone.
People use all kinds of products in all kinds of ways other than the seemingly main/intended way. Maybe it's just how they like to do things? Maybe their unique particulars affect HOW they can use something? Maybe it's economics? Maybe it's the way they learned to do something and never think to question it? Maybe simply because they can? The reasoning/rationale list could be endless.
Perspective: Why does someone choose iPhone mini instead of iPhone MAX? The latter has so much more screen space and it's so much easier for "me" to do everything an iPhone can do on that bigger screen vs. trying to do it on that much-too-tiny one.
Counter-Perspective: Why does someone choose that too-big, too-heavy, much-more-expensive iPhone MAX when the smaller, much-more-pocketable, lighter mini can do pretty-much-everything the big one can do?
Counter-Perspective 2: Why does anyone choose the tiniest or that huge one at each extreme when the one "I" chose in the middle is obviously the Goldilocks, "just right" size/weight/price?
Which of the three is right? Answer: they ALL are towards 100% right from their own perspective. The other perspective(s) is obviously wrong because "my" way is THE way that "I" judge works best for "me." Of course, if you could step inside the other guys/gals thoughts, they can passionately argue- and BELIEVE- the exact same thing... just as fully as you do.
Moral of the story: to each his own. Why people use a laptop in clamshell is their business... and they probably have very good reasoning to them for doing so. Why don't they see it someone else's way? Because they are their own person. They can "think different." Their needs/wants/environment/economics/use case may simply make it make sense to them.
I recall at launch of MBpro with M1 PRO & MAX, there seemed to be quite a big group- myself included- ready to buy the also-rumored Mac Mini with PRO & MAX options. That latter group really wanted a new desktop Mac and the existing M1 Mini was not quite enough for them for whatever reason(s). When Apple didn't fill that want, some of them purchased a thin, light alternative "Mini" that happens to also come with a screen, camera, battery, keyboard and trackpad "forced" into the purchase. That got them their desired, more powerful "desktop" machine ASAP vs. having to wait longer for that Mac Mini, which still hasn't actually shown up (unless you count the "Fat" Mini that I chose to buy myself after waiting many more months after the MBpro launches).
Maybe some of the clamshell users would rather have the MBpro tech "guts" sans the screen, battery, camera, keyboard and mouse in a Mini with PRO or MAX? Unfortunately, no such option until Studio... and Studio pricing does offer some easy consumer rationale to choose a MBpro instead, so that it can double as desktop (guts) AND laptop as ONE purchase.
I'm aware of some people who make a desktop Mini their mobile computer, carting it back and forth between home and work to use in ways that a MBpro would handle as well. Why do that they do that? Bigger screens at each end? Full-sized keyboards with separate number keys? They just WANT to use it that way?
I'm aware of some people who use iMacs- even the old 27"- like that, carrying it where they go. Why do they do that instead of going with a much more portable MB? They must have their reasons.
While I personally also have an aging MBpro, it has occurred to me that the Studio Ultra could basically be a cubic "bowling ball" that could be pretty "mobile" itself... if wherever else I wanted to work could supply a monitor. For example, screen setup at work and home and perhaps Studio makes for the better "mobile" for my purposes anyway. Would anyone do such a crazy thing? There actually ARE already bags sized to be a laptop-like carry bag for Studio.
The point here is that every user has their own wants & needs from their hardware. Some use that makes complete sense to any one of us may be towards the opposite from their perspective... and vice versa. Who is more right? They BOTH are equally right from their own perspective.
Lastly- directly to the thread question- I would wild guess that many who use a MBpro in clamshell probably do NOT do that 100% of the time... that they do- in fact- sometimes take it out with them (such as when traveling) and use it as a pure laptop. In my own usage over many years, I've done exactly that: clamshell most of the time when I needed to lean on the tech guts in a laptop for whatever reason, but pure laptop when "on the road." But that's just me. There very well may be people who NEVER use one as a traditional laptop and there are probably many/most(?) who ALWAYS use it as a traditional laptop (only). If the second screen option works for some, some likely use it that way. If not, they don't.
People use all kinds of products in all kinds of ways other than the seemingly main/intended way. Maybe it's just how they like to do things? Maybe their unique particulars affect HOW they can use something? Maybe it's economics? Maybe it's the way they learned to do something and never think to question it? Maybe simply because they can? The reasoning/rationale list could be endless.
Perspective: Why does someone choose iPhone mini instead of iPhone MAX? The latter has so much more screen space and it's so much easier for "me" to do everything an iPhone can do on that bigger screen vs. trying to do it on that much-too-tiny one.
Counter-Perspective: Why does someone choose that too-big, too-heavy, much-more-expensive iPhone MAX when the smaller, much-more-pocketable, lighter mini can do pretty-much-everything the big one can do?
Counter-Perspective 2: Why does anyone choose the tiniest or that huge one at each extreme when the one "I" chose in the middle is obviously the Goldilocks, "just right" size/weight/price?
Which of the three is right? Answer: they ALL are towards 100% right from their own perspective. The other perspective(s) is obviously wrong because "my" way is THE way that "I" judge works best for "me." Of course, if you could step inside the other guys/gals thoughts, they can passionately argue- and BELIEVE- the exact same thing... just as fully as you do.
Moral of the story: to each his own. Why people use a laptop in clamshell is their business... and they probably have very good reasoning to them for doing so. Why don't they see it someone else's way? Because they are their own person. They can "think different." Their needs/wants/environment/economics/use case may simply make it make sense to them.
I recall at launch of MBpro with M1 PRO & MAX, there seemed to be quite a big group- myself included- ready to buy the also-rumored Mac Mini with PRO & MAX options. That latter group really wanted a new desktop Mac and the existing M1 Mini was not quite enough for them for whatever reason(s). When Apple didn't fill that want, some of them purchased a thin, light alternative "Mini" that happens to also come with a screen, camera, battery, keyboard and trackpad "forced" into the purchase. That got them their desired, more powerful "desktop" machine ASAP vs. having to wait longer for that Mac Mini, which still hasn't actually shown up (unless you count the "Fat" Mini that I chose to buy myself after waiting many more months after the MBpro launches).
Maybe some of the clamshell users would rather have the MBpro tech "guts" sans the screen, battery, camera, keyboard and mouse in a Mini with PRO or MAX? Unfortunately, no such option until Studio... and Studio pricing does offer some easy consumer rationale to choose a MBpro instead, so that it can double as desktop (guts) AND laptop as ONE purchase.
I'm aware of some people who make a desktop Mini their mobile computer, carting it back and forth between home and work to use in ways that a MBpro would handle as well. Why do that they do that? Bigger screens at each end? Full-sized keyboards with separate number keys? They just WANT to use it that way?
I'm aware of some people who use iMacs- even the old 27"- like that, carrying it where they go. Why do they do that instead of going with a much more portable MB? They must have their reasons.
While I personally also have an aging MBpro, it has occurred to me that the Studio Ultra could basically be a cubic "bowling ball" that could be pretty "mobile" itself... if wherever else I wanted to work could supply a monitor. For example, screen setup at work and home and perhaps Studio makes for the better "mobile" for my purposes anyway. Would anyone do such a crazy thing? There actually ARE already bags sized to be a laptop-like carry bag for Studio.
The point here is that every user has their own wants & needs from their hardware. Some use that makes complete sense to any one of us may be towards the opposite from their perspective... and vice versa. Who is more right? They BOTH are equally right from their own perspective.
Lastly- directly to the thread question- I would wild guess that many who use a MBpro in clamshell probably do NOT do that 100% of the time... that they do- in fact- sometimes take it out with them (such as when traveling) and use it as a pure laptop. In my own usage over many years, I've done exactly that: clamshell most of the time when I needed to lean on the tech guts in a laptop for whatever reason, but pure laptop when "on the road." But that's just me. There very well may be people who NEVER use one as a traditional laptop and there are probably many/most(?) who ALWAYS use it as a traditional laptop (only). If the second screen option works for some, some likely use it that way. If not, they don't.
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