When the going gets tough …

When the going gets tough … the tough go shopping!

Took a little trip down Portland way this past weekend. It was a Valentine’s getaway. Little did I know I’d be coming home with a new computer and display. Up until this point my Al SiO2 iMac and my old school MacBook Pro 15″ G4 were doing the trick.

Then there was that fateful trip to the Portland Apple store that Saturday. I laid my eyes on the new Apple 24″ LCD display, connected oh so nicely to a new uni-body MacBook Pro. I was in love … or at least certainly in lust.

Apple has finally made it too easy to connect this beautiful 24″ display to to its new line of uni-body MacBooks and MacBook Pros. In an instant I saw my future. It entailed selling my old 24″ iMac & my trusty MacBook Pro, in order to make way for this magnificent new combo. I was hooked. I must have it. I must have it now! To my credit, I waited an entire day before making the purchase. I was doing my duty as an American citizen to help stimulate the sagging economy. Yeah! That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

Now that I’ve had the 15 x 24 combo … I’m liking it so much. I like having two displays. This is an awesome way to get a 15″ pallet display, and a 24″ working display. Yes it takes up a little more desk space … but in the long run it’s worth it. I also don’t have to sync two computers. When I go to a client … I have everything I need on this one computer. Oh … and did I mention it’s even faster than my old 2.4 Ghz 24″ iMac? Now all I need to do is replace the 350 GB 5200 RPM HD currently in the MacBook Pro with a new Segate 500 GB 7200 RPM HD and it will be even zippier. Woo hoo!

The downside … if any … is no FireWire 400 on the new uni-body MacBook line. The MacBooks only have USB 2. No FireWire at all. The MacBook Pro had only 0ne FireWire 800 port. Onthat count I’m lucky. All the external storage I have I bought with multi-interface ability, including FireWire 800. But my trusty LaCie DVD burner, will go by the way of the Dodo. It only has FireWire 400 capability. Yes there are adapters to be had to use it on a FireWire 800 bus. But once a single FireWire 400 device is connected to an 800 chain, the entire chain is slowed to 400 speeds. Drat!

Like every technology advance there will be those who wax nostalgic and or rant about how Apple is forcing them into a place the user is not ready to go. From my point of view … oh well. Don’t buy it. But at some point you’ll have to give up your OS 6 running Mac of yore. Or not. That’s the beauty of being a Mac user. Macintosh computers tend to last (almost) forever. And we are such a vocal and loyal bunch that sometimes we don’t want to give up what we have known and loved in our pasts.

Not me baby! I’ve always been bleeding edge. Ouch! I’m always a dive in head first and see how long I need to tread the digital waters. It’s how I learn. It’s part of how I keep up. I need to go through some of those growing pains. I need to experience what my clients might go through, so they don’t have to. It’s part of being a consultant. I bleed so you don’t need to.

As of this moment though … I’m in love with my new gear. As always I’ll keep you informed as I find new things to rant or rave about. Right now … I have some new external hard drives I need to look at. Mmm … technology.

Category: Apple / Apple LED Cinema Display / Hardware Update / iMac / MacBook Pro / Macintosh