When the laptop is the only computer

Hardware
23

I actually prefer using just a MacBook Pro in the overwhelming majority of situations.

I also connect all of my peripherals through my OWC dock and have a single USB-C cable to connect/disconnect depending on whether I want to work at my desk or elsewhere.

There are certainly pros and cons, however for my workflow/budget I find this approach makes the most sense.

It is less hassle not having to keep two systems in sync, updated, backed up, etc, etc. My work in Lightroom Classic is more straightforward since I don’t have to sync my catalogs (I know I could keep the catalog on my external, but I keep it on the internal SSD which is faster). Also, some software requires additional license purchases to run on multiple machines so I avoid that problem as well.

The biggest con (for me) is not having a system to use in the event my MBP should need repair work. I have always thought the iMac was a very nice machine and in a world where money was no object, I would probably buy one (who am I kidding? If money is no object, give me a loaded Mac Pro). However I think if I am ever confronted with being without my MBP for a short period, I will probably add a Mac Mini that I can connect to my desktop setup.

One other case I would have for a second Mac would be if I can ever convince my wife to migrate from Windows I will buy her whichever laptop she wants!

There are times when I see how fast certain files render on some desktop Macs and I am really tempted to upgrade…but this is mostly for household/hobby/semi-professional work! Since it’s not really a paid gig it makes it a bit hard to justify getting too carried away! (He says smiling, as he is opening the box that just arrived with his brand new AirPods Max!)

Edit: Seeing some of these other posts with images of older computers sent me to the archives to dig out an image of my first computer! Obviously this was NOT an earlier laptop, however after a few years of using this I never wanted to be tied to a desk again! LONG LIVE THE LAPTOPS!

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24

First computer I used? One of these bad boys.

First computer I bought with my own money? Well, it wasn’t a laptop, but it was powered by an ARM chip, just like my latest.

25

While I have a PC for some heavy lifting and a MacMini as a server, my main machine is a laptop for ~20 years.

  • I only back up the laptop
  • All the important content is on it, so wherever I take it, my data is with me
  • PCs/iMacs are not mobile
  • add an external monitor+keyboard and you have “a PC”
  • a dock makes it easy and seamless
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26

I agree, I’ve never seen the need for a desktop unless one has significant computing power needs that a laptop cannot handle. With a nice external keyboard, great monitor, and hub and you have the best of a desktop and mobile device. Based on what I’ve been reading, the M1 Macs make this even truer.

I will add that having a cellular iPad can be very helpful if one loses Wifi/Internet access. This happens a few times at the office and when it does, work comes to a stand still for some of my colleagues who only have a desktop or laptop computer. I, however, can keep working on my iPad.

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27

That’s why I have a PC under the desk. But it’s just for heavy lifting, absolutely no need to really care about it. Just the essential software, no backups, no 100 tools, no endless configuration. It’s just a brick that delivers computing power.

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28

I’d tried the laptop only in the past but ran in to issues - I think perhaps it was down to the dock that I was using, but it would never automatically connect, so I would have to unplug the MacBook and then reconnect. My work Windows laptop at the time performed better but ran in to issues scaling (fuzzy windows) unless you restarted it (a known issue).

29

Until the M1 Macs this has been the main appeal of a desktop for me. Second is the screen. The power and screen real estate (and quality!) of an iMac far exceeded any laptop I could buy for the same money, and that’s a key point here. Until very recently, I only ever had one computer. That has oscillated between desktop and laptop, but the luxury of having two is a recent thing for me.

I’m not “a gamer” but I do massively enjoy flight simulators. It took a very expensive laptop to do a decent job at that (before M1). It was easy to fall back on the choice of an “average” iMac that has a fantastic screen and enough power to fly, versus a more expensive laptop, plus a decent screen, plus a dock.

That’s why the M1 MacBook Pro got me back to laptops — it has the power. But… I still need a decent screen (I’m using a decidedly average, and failing, 4K screen currently) and have once again bought a dock.

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30

I was in a very similar situation.

In my case, I had a late-2013 27" iMac that I was getting ready to replace, but it made the decision for me last month and bought the farm. Unrecoverable hard drive failure. Fortunately, I use Backblaze and other cloud services, so no worries around data loss, but my dilemma was that I was holding out to get an M1 iMac, which I expect Apple plans to release this year. I would’ve also considered a MBP, but if I’m going to spring for one of those, I’d go for a 16" screen, which aren’t available yet.

I decided to go ahead and buy an M1 Mac mini (16 GB, 1 TB). My rationale was that, although in pre-pandemic times I was a frequent traveler and will likely be again in the future, I have a separate Windows laptop I use for work, and I also have an iPad Pro for portability. For a home machine, a desktop will suffice fine. Also, I just upgraded to a 38" widescreen Dell monitor, which, while not as crisp as the 5K iMac screen, is still pretty darn good and has plenty of screen real estate.

I just received the Mac mini this week and I have to say, I’m IMPRESSED. I was wondering if it would be noticeable coming from the late-2013 iMac (especially since I had that loaded up with 64GB RAM and the mini only supports the built in 16GB) and, boy, is it ever. Everything is faster, across the board. This thing screams. And I’ve yet to hear the fan.

My plan was to potentially use the mini as an interim device in order to dip my toe into the M1 water, then get one of the new iMac’s when they come out, but this may actually suffice as my permanent (for now) solution.

By the way, I can’t say enough good things about Backblaze. Rather than download files, I decided to just order the hard drive and they shipped it right out via FedEx and I received in a couple of days. That said, I realized once I had the drive, I already had pretty much everything I needed already. All of my music and photos are already in the cloud, and I’m using the iCloud Drive for my documents and desktop folders, so there wasn’t a whole lot else I needed. Other files (mainly video and photo archives) are on my NAS. It was pretty amazing to log into a new machine with my iCloud credentials and see all my stuff just appear.

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31

Another advantage of using a notebook as your main computer: Easier to tuck under your arm and skedaddle if you have to evacuate your home. An additional layer of data protection, on top of a good backup regime.

If we need to vamoose, the MacBook Pro will be the first inanimate occupant of the house I bring to safety.

32

I used to try and do everything on a laptop, but that was back in the days before cloud syncing services like Dropbox, iCloud etc, after which using multiple machines became pretty transparent and painless.

iMacs give you better screens, more USB ports, give you a lot more processing power for your buck, and most importantly, of course, put your camera at a much better height for your video calls. :slight_smile: Mine have also had upgradeable RAM - not sure if that’s still the case with the current ones… but I’ve certainly taken advantage of that!

iMacs have also had exceedingly long useful lives in our family. And you don’t have to worry about whether you’re damaging the battery by leaving it plugged in all the time.

Don’t get me wrong: I love my MacBook Pro, too – I’m using it to type this. It’s a 7-year old retina 15" and has served me very well. I wouldn’t be without one. But I’m using it because I’m at my breakfast table and haven’t gone upstairs to my office yet. I wouldn’t want to depend on it every day when the iMac gives me so much more, and when shifting between them is so painless.

If I could only have one machine, or I was really space-constrained then yes, it would be the laptop. But I’m fortunate, and I’d rather have an older iMac and an older laptop than a newer MacBook Pro on its own…

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33

On the other hand: the external monitor on my laptop beats the iMac (for me). So, I have a portable machine and a great screen.

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34

I’ve recently sold my desktop, instead replacing it with a 16" MacBook + eGPU. This was so that I can have a spare laptop in case I have problems with my primary and because it is faster than my iMac (from 2017) was. I also have a M1 for work and everyday use.

I was torn between keeping the iMac or the 16", but the 16" + a desktop class Vega 56 was in the end much better performance. I’m also more confident doing this now as MacOS maintains the charge at 80% if you leave a laptop plugged in for a long time, preventing the battery problems that occurred before. I have it hooked up to a 4K monitor and a decent webcam. However, I still feel I need a machine to do back-ups and to act as a server for films and Hazel rules, separate from my traveling / everyday device.

35

I would have agreed with you 10 years ago, but with the rise of Smartphones and Tablets has caused a divide. Lots of people buy Laptops as standard, but there are still a hard core of people who either need a desktop, or want a desktop.

I’ve used an ipad since the first gen, and it quickly took a lot of my personal daily use from my MacBook, but I now have a MacBook Pro which runs my Plex library (Music, TV and Films) and Hosts the definitive Apple Photos library. I backup these things from there also using backblaze.

A laptop would be useful but it doesn’t hold enough storage (currently at about 5TB) and if you leave a MacBook plugged in all of the time, the battery is damaged and swells.

I’d dearly love a halfway house between a Mac Mini and a Mac Pro for a reasonable (for apple) price which would allow me to put 4 drives in it, but doesn’t require massive horsepower or memory. I’ve contemplated a NAS, but that wouldn’t work for photos.

36

Why not?

The ones I am currently working on are on the SSD, the archive (rarely accessed) on the NAS. But viewable through proxies.

37

Sorry, let me be clearer, a NAS on it’s own wouldn’t work for Apple Photos.

38

I was unaware of that. So, I don’t need to be concerned anymore about how often and how long to keep my MBP plugged in or unplugged?

39

I’m confused. :slight_smile: This is contrary to what @Rob_Polding says above.

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40

This is what happens now to prevent battery damage while plugged in…

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It only started after leaving the laptop plugged in for a while, I’m not sure when it started though.

41

Interesting; that has not shown up on my MBP because I have been dutifully “rotating” plugged/unplugged to care for the battery. Seems like that is no longer necessary. :slight_smile:

Thanks!

42

I had not read that. It should definitely reduce the chance of damaging your battery. But even the process of maintaining the battery consumes part of its 1000 maximum cycle count.

I’ve always tried to avoid charging my iphone and ipad past 90%, but there is only so much we can do.

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