One Mac or two?

You’re out with a group of geeks. Maybe it’s SXSW, maybe it’s at a bar after Refresh, maybe it’s a few people out enjoying a baseball game on a beautiful spring day. Okay, that’s going a bit too far, I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen geeks out enjoying a sporting event that isn’t bowling. But you’re out, and you’re talking about something blasé like domestic politics or the Israeli and Palestinian conflict, but inevitably the subject turns to Apple. You start discussing MacBook Pro specs, the new MacBook Air or Cinema display screen sizes. White whine and Stuff White People Like would be so proud. Eventually this discussing leads to that sticky area, no not PCs vs. Macs, no, it’s should you have one Mac or two?

It’s been going on for a long time—people discussing their current setups. Some are enjoying an iMac and a MacBook. Some stick with a Mac Pro and now the Air, and others love the simplicity of their one computer setup of MacBook Pro throw in a Cinema display if you’ve got the extra cash. The combinations seem pretty endless, but what I’ve learned from these conversations is: there really is no “correct configuration”, but that’s never stopped a serious Mac nerd from debating it.

Over the past year and a half or so, I’ve been happy with the configuration I have: a MacBook at work, an iMac at home. I like having the solid “base machine” and the laptop is great for work and allows me to travel lightly. Then, a few months back, work bought me a beautiful 24” iMac, so I took my MacBook home, using it and my iMac there with the beautiful beast sitting on my desk at work.

The setup works just fine, but after a few months of being not quite synced up, I realize three Macs are just way too many, and after some internal debate, I’m selling the MacBook and iMac, in favor of MacBook Pro at home.

I’ve pretty much made up my mind, but I’m curious what configurations everyone else out there is running and why? What’s your setup and why do you love it?