People who ask that tend to want the Macbook already. Your wording 'short-term' and 'portable' suggests you want the Macbook.
If your Cinema display is 23" or more, forget the Macbook. Even at 1680 x 1050, integrated graphics lag a bit. The dock jitters every time it appears. You get used to it but it's annoying.
I would wait until the new Macbooks come out though. I have a hunch they'll be coming with dedicated chips. I also think there will be a whole new pricing structure. I really don't see there being a Macbook and Macbook Pro any more, just a 13", 15" and 17" Macbook.
13" = £699
15" = £999 <- same price for the MBA
17" = £1299
All with an 8600M GT. An update can't be far away because the QX9300 quad was due to be released yesterday and this is low enough powered to go into Apple's laptops. The price means it will go in the higher end models (probably just the 17"), which will justify the cost.
People who ask that tend to want the Macbook already. Your wording 'short-term' and 'portable' suggests you want the Macbook.
Thanks for your reply.
I'm a full-on Apple user. I currently have two Mac Pros, one with 8GB and one with 16GB. Both have a 1TB RAID-0 array. The theory is that I have one at home and one in my workplace. I certainly have no complaints about their performance, but I am getting a little sick of trying to synchronise data between the pair, and MobileMe & Back To My Mac are a complete fiasco. The files I need always seem to be on the other machine. D'oh!
The fact that a notebook would allow me to have ALL of my data with me ALL of the time, is very appealing. I have two 23" Cinema Displays already, so I could set up a 'desktop head' at both locations and simply plug in the notebook.
I don't necessarily want a MacBook ? I just don't want to pay the extra for a MacBook Pro if it doesn't provide any tangible benefits, given my particular CS3 workflow. I take on-board your point about the issues with the MacBook and external displays...
I'm a full-on Apple user. I currently have two Mac Pros, one with 8GB and one with 16GB. Both have a 1TB RAID-0 array. The theory is that I have one at home and one in my workplace. I certainly have no complaints about their performance, but I am getting a little sick of trying to synchronise data between the pair, and MobileMe & Back To My Mac are a complete fiasco. The files I need always seem to be on the other machine. D'oh!
The fact that a notebook would allow me to have ALL of my data with me ALL of the time, is very appealing. I have two 23" Cinema Displays already, so I could set up a 'desktop head' at both locations and simply plug in the notebook.
I don't necessarily want a MacBook ? I just don't want to pay the extra for a MacBook Pro if it doesn't provide any tangible benefits, given my particular CS3 workflow. I take on-board your point about the issues with the MacBook and external displays...
Sounds like you need a nice portable HDD instead of a laptop. Am I missing something?
Sounds like you need a nice portable HDD instead of a laptop. Am I missing something?
I was just going to say that. That's how I sync data between work and home. Adding a 3rd computer would make things more difficult to sync up. I even keep my itunes library on my drive so that I have the same collection at home and work and I don't have to resync that. I don't use any sync software either, just manual copying does the job.
If you have massive files to copy, Lacie has an external mobile RAID-0 drive. It's a bit expensive though:
I was just going to say that. That's how I sync data between work and home. Adding a 3rd computer would make things more difficult to sync up. I even keep my itunes library on my drive so that I have the same collection at home and work and I don't have to resync that. I don't use any sync software either, just manual copying does the job.
If you have massive files to copy, Lacie has an external mobile RAID-0 drive. It's a bit expensive though:
I'm a full-on Apple user. I currently have two Mac Pros, one with 8GB and one with 16GB. Both have a 1TB RAID-0 array. The theory is that I have one at home and one in my workplace. I certainly have no complaints about their performance, but I am getting a little sick of trying to synchronise data between the pair, and MobileMe & Back To My Mac are a complete fiasco. The files I need always seem to be on the other machine. D'oh!
The fact that a notebook would allow me to have ALL of my data with me ALL of the time, is very appealing. I have two 23" Cinema Displays already, so I could set up a 'desktop head' at both locations and simply plug in the notebook.
I don't necessarily want a MacBook ? I just don't want to pay the extra for a MacBook Pro if it doesn't provide any tangible benefits, given my particular CS3 workflow. I take on-board your point about the issues with the MacBook and external displays...
Then all you need is another SATA II hard drive. They will swap between one MacPro and the other with the greatest of ease.
Comments
If your Cinema display is 23" or more, forget the Macbook. Even at 1680 x 1050, integrated graphics lag a bit. The dock jitters every time it appears. You get used to it but it's annoying.
I would wait until the new Macbooks come out though. I have a hunch they'll be coming with dedicated chips. I also think there will be a whole new pricing structure. I really don't see there being a Macbook and Macbook Pro any more, just a 13", 15" and 17" Macbook.
13" = £699
15" = £999 <- same price for the MBA
17" = £1299
All with an 8600M GT. An update can't be far away because the QX9300 quad was due to be released yesterday and this is low enough powered to go into Apple's laptops. The price means it will go in the higher end models (probably just the 17"), which will justify the cost.
Thanks for your reply.
I'm a full-on Apple user. I currently have two Mac Pros, one with 8GB and one with 16GB. Both have a 1TB RAID-0 array. The theory is that I have one at home and one in my workplace. I certainly have no complaints about their performance, but I am getting a little sick of trying to synchronise data between the pair, and MobileMe & Back To My Mac are a complete fiasco. The files I need always seem to be on the other machine. D'oh!
The fact that a notebook would allow me to have ALL of my data with me ALL of the time, is very appealing. I have two 23" Cinema Displays already, so I could set up a 'desktop head' at both locations and simply plug in the notebook.
I don't necessarily want a MacBook ? I just don't want to pay the extra for a MacBook Pro if it doesn't provide any tangible benefits, given my particular CS3 workflow. I take on-board your point about the issues with the MacBook and external displays...
Thanks for your reply.
I'm a full-on Apple user. I currently have two Mac Pros, one with 8GB and one with 16GB. Both have a 1TB RAID-0 array. The theory is that I have one at home and one in my workplace. I certainly have no complaints about their performance, but I am getting a little sick of trying to synchronise data between the pair, and MobileMe & Back To My Mac are a complete fiasco. The files I need always seem to be on the other machine. D'oh!
The fact that a notebook would allow me to have ALL of my data with me ALL of the time, is very appealing. I have two 23" Cinema Displays already, so I could set up a 'desktop head' at both locations and simply plug in the notebook.
I don't necessarily want a MacBook ? I just don't want to pay the extra for a MacBook Pro if it doesn't provide any tangible benefits, given my particular CS3 workflow. I take on-board your point about the issues with the MacBook and external displays...
Sounds like you need a nice portable HDD instead of a laptop. Am I missing something?
Sounds like you need a nice portable HDD instead of a laptop. Am I missing something?
I was just going to say that. That's how I sync data between work and home. Adding a 3rd computer would make things more difficult to sync up. I even keep my itunes library on my drive so that I have the same collection at home and work and I don't have to resync that. I don't use any sync software either, just manual copying does the job.
If you have massive files to copy, Lacie has an external mobile RAID-0 drive. It's a bit expensive though:
http://www.lacie.com/uk/products/product.htm?pid=11038
The firewire ones should be good enough:
http://www.lacie.com/uk/products/product.htm?pid=10978
I was just going to say that. That's how I sync data between work and home. Adding a 3rd computer would make things more difficult to sync up. I even keep my itunes library on my drive so that I have the same collection at home and work and I don't have to resync that. I don't use any sync software either, just manual copying does the job.
If you have massive files to copy, Lacie has an external mobile RAID-0 drive. It's a bit expensive though:
http://www.lacie.com/uk/products/product.htm?pid=11038
The firewire ones should be good enough:
http://www.lacie.com/uk/products/product.htm?pid=10978
Those Lacie drives look verrry niiice.
Thanks for your reply.
I'm a full-on Apple user. I currently have two Mac Pros, one with 8GB and one with 16GB. Both have a 1TB RAID-0 array. The theory is that I have one at home and one in my workplace. I certainly have no complaints about their performance, but I am getting a little sick of trying to synchronise data between the pair, and MobileMe & Back To My Mac are a complete fiasco. The files I need always seem to be on the other machine. D'oh!
The fact that a notebook would allow me to have ALL of my data with me ALL of the time, is very appealing. I have two 23" Cinema Displays already, so I could set up a 'desktop head' at both locations and simply plug in the notebook.
I don't necessarily want a MacBook ? I just don't want to pay the extra for a MacBook Pro if it doesn't provide any tangible benefits, given my particular CS3 workflow. I take on-board your point about the issues with the MacBook and external displays...
Then all you need is another SATA II hard drive. They will swap between one MacPro and the other with the greatest of ease.