With the latest Mac notebooks becoming increasingly powerful in the every-day and business world, they’ve even come to the point where they are the Macs leading all others when it comes to sales. And why not? They’ve evolved to the point where anyone (but the most power-hungry professionals) can safely say they’re more than enough. But when it comes to a setup, one might prefer to have a separate and fully equipped work area for when they’re not on-the-go. Here is a basic guide for when considering such a setup.
Rise above everything. Get one of the many notebook stands available on the market. A favorite amongst most Mac notebook users is the Griffin iCurve Elevator — featuring style and functionality in one package. This way, you’ll be able to use the notebook’s screen more comfortably at eye level.
Efficient input. All Macs now feature built-in wireless, so the logical step would be to get the appropriate stuff. And mostly because if you get that notebook stand, this is a must. The Apple wireless keyboard and Mighty Mouse are up to the job — but if you want top-notch equipment, you might want to checkout Logitech’s MX Revolution mouse and diNovo Edge keyboard. The latter does not offer total Mac support, but it’s still worth it.
Bigger workspace. Just as a bigger and classier work desk wouldn’t hurt, I’m referring to the available screen space. The top-notch MacBook Pro has a 17-inch screen, and even so, it may not be enough for some people (we’re spoiled by that 24-inch iMac) — then why not add a second display? Some displays that have been getting a lot of attention lately are those from Dell — featuring better technologies at lower prices than Apple’s own Cinema Displays. Although, many tend to agree they’re not as beautiful as Apple’s.
Bigger storage. Since the only notable disadvantage a notebook has over a desktop is the hard drive’s capacity, this would be another must for a desktop replacement. There is a large variety of USB and FireWire drives available for anyone to choose, but whatever your options might be, just be sure to check for it to be Mac-compatible, and that it has a capacity of at least 250GB (otherwise the point of having an extra HD is lost).
USB hub. If you really use your Mac a lot, you probably have a lot of USB devices. Even if a notebook were to have enough ports for all of them, it’s much easier to connect just one port for the hub instead of each one from all the devices. If you get one, the only rules to be applied would be to check that it has its own power source (otherwise, not all devices might work properly from a single port’s power) and that it has enough ports for your peripheral needs.
These are some great tips that desktop-replacing Mac users have been employing to great success — currently being the setup I use, too. I hope that it may help the overall work efficiency for some of you. And if you have an extra tip, it’s welcome at the comments below.
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[tags]Apple,Mac,Hardware,Notebooks[/tags]
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