kdcny
2011-01-15, 16:09
So, my wife and I are looking into different options for upgrading our computers, and I thought I'd solicit advice here for the best combination of devices. We've each got a 5+ year old PC laptop, both of which are dying slow deaths. We've also got an iMac G4 in our living room that we use as a picture frame, streaming music, very light web browsing (it's not capable of much more), and sometimes editing a Numbers document (FYI - iWork '09 on an 800MHz G4? Painful.)
The reason we've been able to cope with such antiquity is that we've also both got MacBooks (one Early 2009 model, one Mid 2009 model) from our employers that we use most of the time since the PC's are so terrible, and I've got an original Motorola Droid (hopefully a CDMA iPhone 5 in June/July). We're doing pretty well using our work computers for some personal things, but it's getting pretty frustrating going back to our incredibly slow PC's for accessing old files, doing personal projects that take up a lot of hard drive space, etc.
Basically, I'm unsure of what would be the best mix - do we get one computer to share between us? How has that worked for others out there? Do we go with a laptop or desktop? Since we'll still have access to our work computers for the foreseeable future, how important is it to have something for each of us? But, maybe two machines is better? I'd really prefer to have FireWire to connect to some external drives or a DV camera, so I'd rather not just get a new MacBook to share... but... I dunno. I'm just unsure of which route to go. Here's the different options I'm mulling over:
we buy a 21.5" iMac*, and maybe an iPad 2 when they come out.
we buy a Mac Mini and attempt a retrofit into the iMac G4 body (I've read through all sorts of different threads/blogs about it and it seems possible, albeit pretty difficult. I've got an electronics-minded friend that could probably help me with the wiring, I think), and maybe an iPad 2 when they come out.
we buy a Mac Mini and 3rd-party monitor (I've only got a CRT lying around), and maybe an iPad 2 when they come out.
my wife purchases her MacBook from her employer at a reduced cost and I get a new MacBook Pro. And maybe an iPad 2 as well.
we buy two MacBooks. And maybe an iPad 2 as well.
Can you tell I'm kind of pining for an iPad? ;) I like reading in the morning with my cup of coffee, and the MacBook is all right for that, but I feel like an iPad would be even better. I'd rather not get Macbooks *and* an iPad, as that seems superfluous, so I'm leaning more for a shared desktop and then an iPad. But, maybe we'd really miss the power of mobility? We enjoy having our MacBooks now for that, and even though my phone gives us internet access everywhere, it doesn't provide us with all the benefits of having a portable, full computer. Do people out there with desktops miss having a laptop when they're on the road, or does an iPhone/iPad combination mitigate that?
Any input, advice, or stories about your own experience you could share that would help me come to a conclusion?
*(Funny story: during a visit to an Apple Store over the holidays, my wife mistook the 21.5" iMac for the 27" one and declared it was far too large, so a 27" iMac is certainly out of the question. Apparently, even the 21.5" iMac is pushing it. I can't remember the word she used to describe the 27" when she saw it, but it indicated a size larger than "gargantuan"... obscene? gross? I don't remember, but it was similar.)
The reason we've been able to cope with such antiquity is that we've also both got MacBooks (one Early 2009 model, one Mid 2009 model) from our employers that we use most of the time since the PC's are so terrible, and I've got an original Motorola Droid (hopefully a CDMA iPhone 5 in June/July). We're doing pretty well using our work computers for some personal things, but it's getting pretty frustrating going back to our incredibly slow PC's for accessing old files, doing personal projects that take up a lot of hard drive space, etc.
Basically, I'm unsure of what would be the best mix - do we get one computer to share between us? How has that worked for others out there? Do we go with a laptop or desktop? Since we'll still have access to our work computers for the foreseeable future, how important is it to have something for each of us? But, maybe two machines is better? I'd really prefer to have FireWire to connect to some external drives or a DV camera, so I'd rather not just get a new MacBook to share... but... I dunno. I'm just unsure of which route to go. Here's the different options I'm mulling over:
we buy a 21.5" iMac*, and maybe an iPad 2 when they come out.
we buy a Mac Mini and attempt a retrofit into the iMac G4 body (I've read through all sorts of different threads/blogs about it and it seems possible, albeit pretty difficult. I've got an electronics-minded friend that could probably help me with the wiring, I think), and maybe an iPad 2 when they come out.
we buy a Mac Mini and 3rd-party monitor (I've only got a CRT lying around), and maybe an iPad 2 when they come out.
my wife purchases her MacBook from her employer at a reduced cost and I get a new MacBook Pro. And maybe an iPad 2 as well.
we buy two MacBooks. And maybe an iPad 2 as well.
Can you tell I'm kind of pining for an iPad? ;) I like reading in the morning with my cup of coffee, and the MacBook is all right for that, but I feel like an iPad would be even better. I'd rather not get Macbooks *and* an iPad, as that seems superfluous, so I'm leaning more for a shared desktop and then an iPad. But, maybe we'd really miss the power of mobility? We enjoy having our MacBooks now for that, and even though my phone gives us internet access everywhere, it doesn't provide us with all the benefits of having a portable, full computer. Do people out there with desktops miss having a laptop when they're on the road, or does an iPhone/iPad combination mitigate that?
Any input, advice, or stories about your own experience you could share that would help me come to a conclusion?
*(Funny story: during a visit to an Apple Store over the holidays, my wife mistook the 21.5" iMac for the 27" one and declared it was far too large, so a 27" iMac is certainly out of the question. Apparently, even the 21.5" iMac is pushing it. I can't remember the word she used to describe the 27" when she saw it, but it indicated a size larger than "gargantuan"... obscene? gross? I don't remember, but it was similar.)