Macbook pro for work station with external monitor?

I shoot weddings and need to run cs2 plus other programs and storage for photos.
I read in Macworld where they recc. the Macbook pro instead of a power mac as a work station using a 24" dell. They said the power mac is overkill.
Do you think I would be happy using it in this way?
I would save a bundle in buying another computer.
I do have an older PC now tower that I use..
I also would have to run windows since there are programs that i run on xp that they don't make for the mac.
Maybe I should just stay with a PC for the workstation?

if you meant compared to a powermac (ie, a G5), then the macbook pro is actually on par or faster than those machines. but if you meant the current mac desktop, the mac pro, then indeed that is a significantly more powerful machine.
be warned though.. adobe cs2 is currently not native for any intel mac, MBP or otherwise. so it's going to run much slower than what you'd expect, and much slower than what the machine is really capable of, due to emulation. this will be resolved with cs3, which should be out before the end of the month.
as for your windows apps that don't exist for the mac. before you jump in with the intention of definitely running windows on the MBP, you should take a look around and see if there are any mac programs that can do what you need to do with those apps, even if they aren't exactly the same. this may not be an option for you, but if it is, it's a nicer way to work than to be forced to use up all the extra disk space and system resources and effort, to have a windows install running as well. that said, if you can use these apps through parallels, it can be a pretty seamless way of accessing those apps when you need to.. but you'll chew into your drive space still.
but in principle, what you want to do is definitely achievable. you won't get the most bleedingly fast system that a mac pro desktop would give you.. but as I said, the current MBPs are right up there with the power of the G5 macs, in many cases faster, so it's definitely desktop class performance even if not in the same league as the mac pro. photoshop will annoy you if you try to run the non native version though.. so make sure you get the intel version (ie cs3) as soon as it comes out. all in all, together with a nice large 2nd monitor (and prob a good external drive too) it'll make for a great working setup.
I'd also get a wireless keyboard and mouse, and a stand to put the MBP on, so it sits at monitor height and you can just work as if it were a desktop machine. that's what I do, and it's great.

Similar Messages

  • Yosemite: Turning off Macbook Pro screen (lid open) with external monitor connected

    Here we go again, this worked pre-Yosemite. Now it seems this trick no longer works. After following these steps again the screen on my Macbook Pro now turns on after logging in and opening the clam shell.
    Anyone figure out/know a way to turn off the screen on the Macbook Pro with external monitors plugged in? (yes, closing the clam shell–but I'm referring to keeping the clam shell open with the display turned off)
    http://gizmodo.com/5938452/a-trick-to-make-using-an-external-monitor-with-your-m acbook-way-better
    To execute in Terminal:
    sudo nvram boot-args="iog=0x0"
    To undo in Terminal:
    sudo nvram -d boot-args
    Once you type it into terminal I believe you need to enter your password. I then restart my machine. Now the TRICK is to either restart your machine with the lid already closed (hit restart then slam the lid!) OR turn the machine on for the first time (then quickly slam the lid!) once you are past the login screen you can open the lid.

    Has anyone experimented with tip 2 (active corners)?  Perhaps it still works.
    http://www.cultofmac.com/176329/turn-off-internal-lcd-display-of-your-macbook-ai r-os-x-tips/
    Κοσμά τι λες; Τα έχεις μπερδέψει. Άλλο συζητάμε εδώ. Το ότι δεν μπορείς πια να δουλεύεις μόνο με την εξωτερική οθόνη (να έχεις σβηστή την ενσωματωμένη οθόνη όταν έχεις συνδεμένη εξωτερική).

  • MacBook Pro won't sleep with external monitor

    Hello,
    have a problem. I'm using external monitor with my MacBook Pro. If I close the lid, I see all windows on external monitor and Yosemite won't sleep. Can you help me please? My external monitor is Samsung 21.5" and I'm connecting it to MacBook Pro via DVI.
    Thank you

    Hey Renecek,
    My first thought was, "Hey, you are using closed-clamshell mode".
    How to use your Mac notebook computer in closed-clamshell (display closed) mode with an external display - Apple Support
    But then I realized, wait, you want it to sleep.
    For that, check out the suggestions in these articles.
    OS X Yosemite: If your Mac won’t go to or stay in sleep
    OS X: When your Mac doesn't sleep or wake - Apple Support
    Take care,
    Nubz

  • Macbook Pro not waking up with external monitor

    I've connected an external display to my MBP. I've been able to work out how to mirror the two.
    But when I try to have the lid closed and then wake up the laptop with my wireless keyboard, the external monitor displays the desktop for a moment then also goes to sleep.
    No matter how much I punch the keyboard nothing happens.
    By the way, when I am running in closed lid mode I have disabled mirror.

    Think I found a solution.
    If I enable System Preferences>Bluetooth>Advanced>Allow Bluetooth Devices to wake this computer...it all seems fine

  • Macbook Pro doesn't wake with external monitor

    I have a mid-2012 MBP that generally runs great.
    I recently bought a new external montior (samsung) and am currently running it with a VGA adapter. 
    When I put the computer to sleep using the command function, it's fine; however, if I shut the clamshell, the whole system will not turn back on (monitors), although it is clear that the harddrive / fans are all active.  The only way I've found to fix it is to do a hard shut down (holding the power button).  This is obviously not acceptable ...
    Anyone have any ideas on how to fix this problem so I can put my computer to sleep normally (closing it) and have it awake when I open the clamshell?

    try taking out the vga connector, don't really have a 100% but it might be something to do with your settings.
    Joseph

  • My 2011 MacBook Pro 13 stopped seeing my external monitor

    My 2011 MacBook Pro 13 stopped seeing my external monitor. It is an Acer led monitor connected via hdmi cable
    Running mountain lion

    Kimapurado
    Have you tried resetting the PRAM? shutdown the machine, hit the power button then hold down the option and command keys with your left hand, while holding them down with your right hand use your pinky to hold the 'P' key and index finger to hold down the 'R' key. hold them down until you hear the 'bong' sound twice then release the keys and let the machine bootup.
    Also try resetting the SMC. Shut the machine down. Hold down the 'shiftctrloption' keys with your left hand, right hand hold down the power button for 10 seconds then release all. Power up the machine as normal.
    Hope this helps. Pls update us and let us know if that helps!
    Jaco

  • Macbook Pro won't boot with external HDD plugged

    I have a weird problem. My late 2008 Macbook Pro won't start with external HDD plugged either FW or USB... The screen stays white until I unplug it and then the Apple logo is there.
    Anyone know any solution for this? Or anyone have the same problem

    yeah I had the exact same issue with one of my 750GB externals too. I just left it for a while (about an hour or so) and it was fine..
    I believe its so slow because the system is indexing the drive, which can be a very slow process if the drive is big, has a complex folder-hierarchy, and/or is fragmented.
    Does the hard-drive appear quite quickly in Finder once OS X has started up? if its slow it may confirm what I've just said.

  • My macbook pro will not detect any external monitors

    My macbook pro will not detect any external monitors, worked 'once' when connect to a TV.
    Have read a lot of web comments, most not very usefull.

    Hi a,
    Check the setting in Sys Prefs > Displays.
    Try a different adapter and/or cable.

  • Apple Macbook Pro w/Retina Blurry w/ External Monitor

    I bought new HP 2311x monitor and connecting it thorugh the DVI to MiniDisplay port adapter. The text on the screen is very blurry. This is only happening with the retina macbook pro. I tried several other laptops and no issue.
    I called apple support and they stated they can not guarentee results with third party products. The resolution to buy a 1,000 apple monitor is not a good answer.
    Is anyone else experiencing this issue? Any Fix?
    If you are, please post to this thread with the model monitor you are using and how it is connect. This needs to be fixed by APPLE!!!!!!!!

    I tried all those things very first, monitor setup (All that did with that is screw up perfect settings on my monitor that worked perfectly with windows machine) and sparsely available display settings on Mac. Anyway, I am still perplexed as to why the thunderbolt port next to charging port suks so bad but not the other port that is away from it?
    Retina settings has nothing to do with external display which is what we are working on. Retina settings are only for the laptop display.
    My extrnal display is recognizing the monitor's native resolution and it sets correct resolution. It is just that Mac has TUNED its graphics for RETINA (non-native) display which does not like to support non-retina normal (native) display. You know how apple works. I'm sure it will work flawlessly with Apple Monitor because they exactly know their defeciencies on laptop so they correct it with Apple product.
    Anyway, all that will do for Apple is defame them more than they will make on selling their monitors!
    Good luck Apple, you will need it, unless you really start addressing issues (First step is acceptance of the issue!)

  • MacBook Pro 13 + LG W2240T - No external monitor display

    Hi all. Have a brand new MacBook Pro 13 and LG W2240T connected with the MiniDisplay-->DVI-D adaptor. When I plug in the adaptor the screen on the Macbook flashes, the LG immediately says "DVI-D Power Save Mode" and then goes black. When I click "Detect Displays" it shows that no external monitor is attached. If I unplug the connector the MacBook display flashes. I think the Macbook is seeing something but it isnt sending a signal to the display. If I unplug the cable from the monitor I get a general "check signal" message floating around the screen. Dont think it is a problem with the screen. I dont want to have to shell out another $30 for a MiniDisplay -->VGA adaptor and use an analogue signal with the beautiful new digital display.
    Any hints or suggestions appreciated.

    I'm having the same trouble. Actually, my Macbook detects the monitor but no signal is reaching it. I am using a DVI-A cable from what I can tell. There appears to be a DVI-D or DVI-2 type cable available as well.
    The connection is as follows:
    Macbook Mini Display Video output to (Mini Display/DVI adaptor) then the DVI-A cable to a DVI/VGA adapptor (sub-D monitor connector) to the external video monitor input. I can see a "No Signal" message when I use a "picture in picture" function on the external monitor screen but get just a black screen with the monitor set to full screen VGA input.
    So do we think the trouble is the type of DVI cable or is there some further Mac secret handshake that I need to prompt the output from the Macbook. The odd thing (to me anyway) is that the Macbook recognizes the monitor by its brand and model number after doing a "Discover Monitors" search. But the signal does not reach the monitor and I don't know if there is anything else I need to do or if it just doesn't work.
    Further info is that I just tried disconnecting the DVI input, which I use as the main video connection to my monitor and I get the stock "arora" screen image from the Macbook but that's not what is currently being viewed on the Macbook screen. So perhaps I can just set the Macbook to "Mirror" the displays and use the DVI connector. The trouble with that is that the DVI connector is occupied on both of my external monitors. I haven't even tried the other monitor yet as it's a plasma TV in another location.
    What do you guys and gals think is the best and most cost effective fix here? I just want to be able to output signal from my Macbook onto the larger displays so that I can work more comfortably.

  • Macbook Pro retina + Samsung LED 24" external monitor

    Hi all, I just bought Macbook Pro 13.3" Retina and im having some troubles.
    When I connect those two via VGA adapter I see some strange artifact effect on external monitor.
    I dont know hot to name that artifact but it is the same thing that you can see when you take your camera or smartphone and try to record old tv screen for example. You will see that parallel lines goes up or down. This effects is easy to notice when you put something with dark background on external monior (like Unity3D Pro IDE with dark skin in my case).
    The interesting things are:
    - when I switch external monitor from VGA adapter connection to HDMI-HDMI then everything works fine with no artifacts.
    - when I'm using VGA adapter and connect Macbook Pro to another external monitor (AOC 24" LCD) then everything works ok aswell.
    - when I take my Samsung LED monitor and connect it to another PC (Windows 8) with VGA everything works great.
    So I belive that this issue is related to all three of them (MacbookPro + Sasmung LED + VGA adapter) and I really dont know who to blame and what to do.
    Dose anyome have an idea how to solve this and what to do?]
    thanks

    Hi luisvf7,
    So it seems you are having issues with your MacBook Pro not displaying properly on your external display. It does sound like a frustrating situation. Let’s see if we can get you up and running.
    I would suggest that you use the steps in this article to troubleshoot the problem -
    Apple computers: Troubleshooting issues with video on internal or external displays
    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1573
    Specifically the section - No video or no signal, image distortion, "snow," or flickering
    Thanks for using Apple Support Communities.
    Best,
    Brett L

  • New Macbook Pro Retina is pixelated on external monitor

    I have recently bought a Macbook Pro Retina Display 13" and when I connect it to my external monitor (Samsung) with a HDMI cable the screen is blurry and pixelated. I have connected my old macbook to this monitor with no problems. I tried adjusting the settings etc and some other tips I found online but nothing has worked. Has anyone else had any luck rectifying this problem?
    It's a massive pain as I the monitor is reasonably new and I need it in order to study comfortably.

    I have an HP 2311x as well. I'm using an HDMI cable and am not having any issues getting the screen to display. I know you said the cable works with a PC but have you tried a different HDMI cable just in case. It might be worth a try. Other than that, I'm not much help.
    The issue I had when plugging this monitor into my MBP retina was that the image was very blurry on the HP 2311x. I almost gave up on using it and was going to just buy a Thunderbolt display but after much research I found a custom firmware update that fixed the underscan/blurriness issue. So be prepared for that if you get the screen to display.
    If I can find that resource, I will post it here.
    Good luck!

  • MacBook Pro will not shutdown with external HD Screen

    I have been working with the same configuration for over a year with no problems. I have an external 20" HD screen that I use with my MacBook Pro (cover of mbp is closed not dual screen use) and an external keyboard and mighty mouse. Ever since upgrading to Leopard, when I select Shutdown from the apple menu the computer goes through the shutdown process and the screen goes dark. When I go to unplug the monitor and keyboard the front light is pulsing on and off like it is in sleep mode and NOT shut down. I open the cover but nothing happens, I try to wake it up but it won't wake up. I can hear the fans running and even after 20 minutes in this mode the bottom feels hot so it is as if the processor is working.... I usually have to open the lid and hold the power button for 5-10 seconds to actually get it to shut down... Anyone else having this problem or know what it could be?

    I have exactly the same problem. Moreover when trying to wake up my Macbook Pro 15 inch (bought end October 2007) running Leopard 10.5.1 after use with an external screen, at work and at home, it wakes up but I often loose keyboard access, both internally and externaly, and both external and internal screens go black. Under these conditions the computer starts heating up and the fans start spinning. The only possible intervention left is to reboot the machine. This has already led to two hard disk crashes and a motherboard being replaced (all within two months), but the issue continues. Now, I noticed the following: when I boot the MacBook Pro by pressing the power switch while it is connected to an external keyboard and screen and I close the lid, it boots normally into one of the user accounts. When I now switch to another user account the external screen presents the additional window without the menu bar (mouse is active) as if the the primary window (with the menu bar) would be presented on the internal screen. However, when I open the lid the internal screen remains black. The new user account is active though since mail messages come in as normal with a beep. When I want to force the Macbook through a sleep and wakeup cycle to activate both screens they stay black and I loose all keyboard and mouse control and I have to reboot. After all this I am afraid to reboot and force a third disk crash. Has anybody experienced the same, or a similar, problem?

  • Broken (black) Macbook Pro screen, Want to use external monitor.

    Long story short I have a Macbook Pro older version like 2007-08. The screen is broken and I cannot seem to get it to hook up to an external monitor. I've tried booting it up and holding cmd + F1, Nothing. I've tried booting it up and shutting the screen and using an external mouse to try and wake up the external monitor, nothing.
    Heres 3 things that I can imagine are going wrong.
    1) My external mouse is garbage and doesn't work.
    2) I need an external mouse and keyboard.
    3) I use to run Windows 7 on the computer as well. So whenever I booted my computer on i would have to hold the option key or it would go directly to windows. When I held the option key it would show 2 hard drives the mac and the windows, then I would have to click the Mac hard drive in order for it to bring me to the Mac login screen.
    I'm thinking I might have to be at the mac login screen in order to do anything?
    But I'm not sure.
    I've been trying to guesss my way around with the track pad to try and click the mac harddrive logo (After holding option) but I can't seem to get it.
    Is there ANY other way to get this to work. I replaced my mac lcd about a year ago and not it is black again for some reason. I took it apart today and tried unplugging anf plugging everything in again but it still doesn't work. So I really want this external monitor to work.
    Guess that wasn't to short of a story!!
    Thanks,
    Anthony

    If an external display doesn't work, its possible your video card is shot or the connector is bad. The Mac Pro's video card is pretty easy to replace. If you have the Apple display I think there are some diagnostic lights that flash when something is wrong with the display itself.
    You are talking about a "headless" Mac (no screen) so a search on that would turn up several options. What you need to do is use another Mac to boot up in Firewire Target Mode as a one-time operation. While in there, set your OS for remote screensharing access in the Sharing prefpanel. You can also enable "Remote Login" if you do command line and that is very useful for headless controlling.

  • Macbook Pro(Mid-2014) Not Detecting External Monitor

    Hi everyone, I'm trying to connect my MBP to an external monitor via HDMI. Since my MBP has an HDMI port built in, I'm not using any adapters between it and the monitor. But nothing is happening when I connect the HDMI cable, my MBP does not seem to detect it. I have tested my monitor with that HDMI cable on a desktop PC, and it all works without any issues there, so I reckon it must be something on the MBP end of the connection. But what could it possibly be? I have looked through forums and read countless threads about external display problems, but have not found any info that could identify the problem. I have tried booting my MBP and/or turning on my monitor before and after connecting the HDMI cable, and there was never even a hint of detection.
    I'm running OS X Yosemite 10.10.1, and the external monitor in question is an HP Pavilion 27Xi in 1080p.

    I have a problem connecting external display (Dell U2311H) to my 13" MacBook Pro (Early 2011).
    I use Tecklink Mini DasplayPort to HDMI adapter (http://www.techlink.uk.com/products/wires_cables/wiresmedia/wiresmedia_media/wir esmedia_mini_displayport_plug_to_hdmi_plug), but since U2311H doesn't have HDMI input, I also use Manhattan DisplayPort to HDMI Adapter (http://www.manhattan-products.com/en-US/products/8101-displayport-adapter).
    And nothing.
    The display is not detected, no picture or even external monitor presence at all.
    I even reset PRAM, and installed 10.8.2 Supplementary update.
    I also plugged and unplugged all I could, with no luck.
    As I can see on Apple discussion, it is a common problem with 2011 MacBook Pro's.
    It seems like the problem is in Thundebolt port, it somehow does not work properly.

Maybe you are looking for