[Leica] Apple MacBook

[henningw at archiphoto.com (Henning Wulff)]

I've been a Mac user since early 1984. On and off I've had to use 
DOS/Windows machines and still use emulation for the odd program, but 
if I can I use Macs.

My main machine now is a 17" Macbook Pro loaded up, and usually I use 
multiple monitors wherever I'm working, and have now also bought an 
iPad and use it like:
http://tinyurl.com/2dvlq23. It works extremely well. If I don't want 
to carry the MBPro with me, I can leave it at the office or home and 
access it from my iPad with a remote desktop application, so I can 
run my CAD software remotely over my iPad. Good enough for field use.

My wife has a MBPro 13", as does my son. He also has a 27" iMac. I 
also have an old G5 Mac at home, but it is seeing less use and I will 
probably get rid of it shortly. The architectural office through 
which I do most of my work is also all Mac and uses iMacs and MacBook 
Pros throughout, except for our server which is a  Mac tower. All the 
people who reguarly work out of the office or at home use MBPros, 
including the partners. Some use additional screens but some do not.

My father-in-law got a MacBook Air 11" from one of his daughters, and 
while he had little interest in it (he's 94) I got to use it while 
visiting. It seems excellent and very snappy for almost everything 
due to the solid state drive. I'm planning on replacing the optical 
drive in my 17" machine with a solid state drive as startup and 
applications drive.

In any case, I would suggest a MacBook Air. An external optical drive 
isn't much for occasional use, and the size of the internal flash 
drive should be dependant on what her field of study should be.

Additionally, a couple of portable 2-1/2" drives should be part of 
the setup. One to use as a Time Machine backup, the other for all the 
extraneous data that would otherwise start clogging up her machine. 
These drives are available for well under $100. I usually carry one 
Time Machine drive and one for recent photos with me for my MacBook 
Pro, but she would reasonably leave those and the optical back where 
she lives.




At 12:06 PM -0500 5/30/11, Jim Nichols wrote:
>Thanks a lot, Bob.  Folks sure do like them!
>
>Jim Nichols
>Tullahoma, TN USA
>----- Original Message ----- From: "Bob Shaw" <rsphotoimages at comcast.net>
>To: "Leica Users Group" <lug at leica-users.org>
>Sent: Monday, May 30, 2011 11:10 AM
>Subject: Re: [Leica] Apple MacBook
>
>
>>  Hey, Jim:
>>
>>  Pretty much what Charlie said.
>>
>>  In our landscape business, we have iMac in the office, a 13"MBP 
>>for me (bigger laptops too big for cab of pickup truck), which 
>>really rocks, an iPhone 3G and 4.
>>
>>  It's all backed up on an Apple Time Capsule.
>>
>>  My MBP was factory refurbished from Apple and has not let me down 
>>for a second.  Faster the internet connection, the more my MBP 
>>likes it.  Never any performance issues.
>>
>>  Cheers, Bob
>>
>>
>>  Bob Shaw
>>  rsphotoimages at comcast.net
>>
>>
>>  On May 29, 2011, at 2:07 AM, Charlie Chan wrote:
>>
>>>  Jim,
>>>
>>>  What course is your Grand daughter doing? Will she have to carry 
>>>it over considerable distances or time?
>>>
>>>  We have 4 MBPs/MBs in our household as my kids have them for high 
>>>school as well. My oldest will be starting university in the fall; 
>>>he currently uses an older white plastic bodied MacBook. He is 
>>>going to be studying Maths hopefully at Cambridge (and he's a real 
>>>Mac geek). He's going to be getting a MacBook Air (13 inch 128GB 
>>>Solid State Drive 4GB RAM). It's substantially lighter and with 
>>>the SSD Hard Drive, it's as quick as a top of the line 17 inch 
>>>MacBook Pro. Downsides are its relative lack of connectivity and 
>>>no disc drive. But my son isn't bothered by that. Most of his work 
>>>creates only small files and so he stores all of his stuff on a 
>>>'Cloud' ie in online storage. He doesn't do loads of photos or 
>>>video and so Hard Drive capacity is not an issue for him. It would 
>>>be for your Granddaughter if her course is heavily graphics 
>>>orientated.
>>>
>>>  That's a different compromise. If you don't like the MacBook Air, 
>>>then definitely the base 13 inch Mac Book Pro is the one to go for 
>>>(that's what the rest of my family have).
>>>
>>>  Best wishes,
>>>
>>>  Charlie Chan
>>>  Cheltenham, UK
>>>
>>>  topoxforddoc at btinternet.com
>>>  www.cancer-surgeon.co.uk
>>>  www.charlie-chan.co.uk
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>  On 29 May 2011, at 04:50, Jim Nichols wrote:
>>>
>>>>  I know there are a lot of Apple users out there.  I am "Apple 
>>>>MacBook ignorant".
>>>>
>>>>  My granddaughter wants an Apple MacBook for college.  I have 
>>>>looked up the specs, and a couple of options for added memory and 
>>>>a larger HD.
>>>>
>>>>  Are there any basic shortcomings or traps that I can run into 
>>>>with the MacBook?  Anything to avoid?
>>>>
>>>>  Thanks in advance for any advice you can provide.
>>>>
>>>>  Jim Nichols
>>>>  Tullahoma, TN USA
>>>>
>>>>  _______________________________________________
>>>>  Leica Users Group.
>>>>  See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>>
>>>
>>>  _______________________________________________
>>>  Leica Users Group.
>>>  See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>
>>
>>  _______________________________________________
>>  Leica Users Group.
>>  See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information
>>
>>
>
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>Leica Users Group.
>See http://leica-users.org/mailman/listinfo/lug for more information

-- 

       Henning J. Wulff
  Wulff Photography & Design
mailto:henningw at archiphoto.com
   http://www.archiphoto.com