Macbook Pro + Monitor or new iMac?

Forums › Desktop computing › Macbook Pro + Monitor or new iMac?

Geektastic

16728 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#251522 29-Jun-2019 11:18

I'm continuing my debate with myself as to whether to replace my iMac with a newer one, or to buy a MBP and decent monitor.

Having the laptop would be handy when travelling but of course the better the spec you buy, the more expensive laptops usually are in comparison to a similarly specced desktop.

Has anyone run a MBP set up like this? How did/do you find it compared to a desktop solution?

Affiliate link: Norton 360 antivirus provides enhanced security for your connected devices, a secure VPN for online privacy, Password Manager, Firewall, SafeCam, PC Cloud Backup, Dark Web Monitoring, Parental Control, and more. An all-in-one cybersecurity solution backed by 100% Virus Protection Promise and 60 Day Money Back Guarantee.

gehenna

7353 posts

Uber Geek

Moderator

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2266765 29-Jun-2019 12:23

I ran MBP + Monitor setups for over a decade. It works as you would think. There's not much to it.

Geektastic

16728 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2266816 29-Jun-2019 14:40

I'm always concerned that the laptop wasn't built to work in that way all day every day, for some reason.

cyril7

8735 posts

Uber Geek

ID Verified

Trusted

Subscriber

#2266858 29-Jun-2019 15:11

Geektastic: I'm always concerned that the laptop wasn't built to work in that way all day every day, for some reason.

Hi, in various employment over the past couple of decades I have nearly always had a laptop that I connect to a monitor when in the office, this is still the situation today, (Dell 17" Linux with Dell 27" QHD monitor), but in various roles have included macbook and monitors, there is nothing wrong or of note that will cause this setup to cause issues, its normal, and to be honest one of the best setups you can have.

Cyril

gehenna

7353 posts

Uber Geek

Moderator

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2266861 29-Jun-2019 15:42

Geektastic: I'm always concerned that the laptop wasn't built to work in that way all day every day, for some reason.

That's not a valid concern. It's designed to work in this way, and has innate power management processes to support this sort of use case.

bonkiebonks

378 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2266863 29-Jun-2019 15:46

The only concern I have is the battery - being connected to power full-time.

I'm not sure if it is the cause, but it appears the bottom of my MacBook Pro has developed a slight bulge on the bottom after approx. two years of use as a desktop.

Handle9

7617 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2266951 29-Jun-2019 18:29

gehenna:

Geektastic: I'm always concerned that the laptop wasn't built to work in that way all day every day, for some reason.

That's not a valid concern. It's designed to work in this way, and has innate power management processes to support this sort of use case.

Yip and with USB C docks it is incredibly convenient. One cable for power and peripherals is wonderful - not having USB C isthe one thing that annoys me about my surface.

phrozenpenguin

662 posts

Ultimate Geek

#2266974 29-Jun-2019 19:35

Agreed with others; running a laptop is fine. I've done it since the 12" Powerbook G4 days, and still do it with a MBP.

The other thing to consider could be a hackintosh. For $500 (exc monitors) I built an i7/16gb RAM/512gb SSD machine that is faster than my MBP for most things. And I run dual 1440p monitors and have added a 3TB mechanical drive to it as well. Just some food for thought...

Geektastic

16728 posts

Uber Geek

Trusted

Lifetime subscriber

#2266979 29-Jun-2019 19:57

bonkiebonks: The only concern I have is the battery - being connected to power full-time.

I'm not sure if it is the cause, but it appears the bottom of my MacBook Pro has developed a slight bulge on the bottom after approx. two years of use as a desktop.

That sounds a bit alarming!