Using MacBook Pro and a new iMac

Hi Ted,

Yes, this can be done. However, I would recommend against it. It's always better to have a single primary machine. The MacBook Pro is by far powerful enough to do everything the iMac can do. In fact, depending on your setup, the MacBook Pro may actually be MORE powerful than the iMac.

If you're looking for a bigger screen to use, I would recommend you get an Apple Cinema Display instead and simply hook it up to your MBP. That's the setup I use and it works perfectly. Then you never have to worry about not having the same version of the file on both machines, or forgetting to transfer your presentation to your laptop before you left home, etc.

The bottom line: The MacBook Pro is MORE than powerful enough to be your primary and only computer. Paired with a 23 or 30" display, it's the best of both worlds.

Given that I've been using a desktop and a Mac notebook since 1992, I have to respectfully disagree with bdkjones because for some people two computers really is necessary. Yes, there's software that will let you keep the two computers synced but there are a few caveats.

1) don't try to sync mail. Use IMAP which keeps your mail on the server instead of downloading it to your computer.

2) don't try to sync iTunes or iPhoto. As much as possible, make one of your computers the base for your music and photos. Copy a subset of your music and photo files to the other computer and import them into iTunes and iPhoto there.

3) don't try to sync the OS or software. Perform individual installations of each

4) take a look at ChronoSync and give it a test drive. There are other programs and I've tried many over the years, this is the one I like the best. Of course, YMMV so hit macupdate.com and search on sync to find lots of other programs. Test them too. Nearly all of them offer full functioning time limited trials. Use this software to keep specific folders in your Home folder synced but don't attempt syncing your entire home. Leave out Music, Movies, for example Library. Also, you might want to sync your Pictures folder but leave out the iPhoto library.

5) .Mac has one feature that keeps me paying my fee each year - sync services. This will keep your bookmarks, address book, and iCal synced. MarkSpace also makes a program that does this but I wasn't impressed with version 1.

Owning two computers does require a bit of discipline. If you have a proposal you wrote on the MacBook you don't want to start some editing on the iMac and do some more editing on the MacBook the next day if you haven't synced. This is the route to madness. For me, the MacBook has one set of specific tasks and my desktop another. I create copy on the MacBook and rarely write on my desktop. I do photo editing and graphic work on my desktop and rarely on my notebook. The only work I do with InDesign on my MacBook is last minute editing. This discipline keeps me from duplicating work.

BTW, my wife has recently developed a different solution. She has an 8 GB flash disk and she saves her files to it. At the end of the day at work she syncs the flash drive to her hard drive of her desktop and at home does the same thing with her notebook. So she actually uses the flash drive as her drive and her computer hard drives as backups.

I recently went through this same sort of dilemma. I was using my iMac at home and a PC laptop on the road. Using the networking thing between PC and Mac and having 2 computers just got too tiresome. I had a considerable internal debate on how to proceed and I opted for a new MB. I upgraded to 4GB RAM, bought a full size keyboard and mouse which I attached to a USB hub. I attached a monitor and a 500GB Time Machine external HDD. I now have 1 computer that does it all. I am confident in my data with Time Machine, and if the MB ever goes down I can use migration assistant to pull all my data into a new user on the iMac. Either way I'm covered.

I am going to sell my PC laptop on ebay and hope I get something for it. It's only 6 months old, but I felt that compelled to make the change.

My other choice was the MBP, but I couldn't justify the cost difference. My work does not use graphic intense applications and I don't play many graphics intense games.

I have been using my new set up for about 2 weeks and I will tell you that I am extremely pleased with my decision.

Good luck!

Hi Ted,

If you're looking to get the iMac as just a backup in case your laptop fails, there's no need to keep everything synced. Get a large external hard disk, use it with Time Machine on your MacBook Pro, and then if your laptop ever fails you simply take the external disk, hook it up to the iMac, and continue working from the external drive until your laptop is repaired.

There's no reason to keep both computers synced if you're going to use one of them only in the event that the other fails.

I think you're taking a good precaution, having an extra machine on hand so you don't lose time on clients' work. Why not set up an iMac as the family computer? That way, you have it in case you ever need it but the machine also gets good use in the meantime.