Mac Mini versus MacBook Pro in clam shell mode?

Sharing some considerations to seek advice…

I am currently using a 2006 Intel iMac 24" and a Powerbook G4 1,5 17" (1440x900), mainly for photo editing and retouching. The pair did suit me pretty well until a while back.

I made use of the PowerBook when I was on the move, and could synchronize my work between it and the iMac. But now that the G4 has been dropped by most developpers, I am not able to install LightRoom 4 (nor 3) and CS6. Even if it still looks pristine, my trusty G4 will have to retire… The iMac screen is still good, but it is getting so slow to process my large files… I will keep it to run Golive 8 in SL.

I have been looking at the new Mac Mini. It is packed with power, with Fusion Drive, 16 GB of RAM and the USB3 plugs. A Mini and a nice 27" screen would be about the price of a top end MacBook Pro 15". But then, my budget limit will be overrun and I will have to live without the portable solution for some time.

So, I am kind of balancing. Using a book in clam shell mode is something I have not even considered so far. My G4 became really hot when it was put at task. I toasted the original pair of RAM in just weeks despite the noisy fan, but luckily the replacements have held years. Nevertheless, this is definitely not a gear I would have attached to a large screen as my daily workhorse.

I bought a new MacBook Pro (entry model) recently for a friend, and I was surprised to see the speed and no fuss of that piece of gear! Silent, powerfull, really great to copy my large USB3 disks purchased in prospect of that day, in just few hours instead of almost round the clock. Of course, being used to a 17", the 13" screen seemed a little awkward.

Since there is no longer a 17" option in new MacBooks Pro, this will make choices simpler for me.

I was tempted by the 15" Retina, cooled by it's canister concept (I like using tiny screwdrivers to upgrade my gear) and put off by the lack of graphic compatibillity with most non Apple apps.

My choice would go for a 15" i7 2.3 Ghz quad core with 16 Gb of RAM, instead of the quad 2.6, and use the extra money for a 7200 Rpm disk and the high res antireflection screen option. I don't thing I will miss the 1Gb of Vram instead of 500 Mb, since I am not in gaming.

So my main question would be about finding out about the robustness of the MBP in clam shell mode. Is it really designed to support daily usage? I have seen that there are supports that allow placing it vertically, thus improving it's cooling.

Thanks in advance for any feedback!

Paul