Re: 12v system
Reply #11 –
"I love the screen size and speed of the desktop. Obviously, it's more cumbersome than a laptop, especially in an RV, and has the power consumption drawback, but it's big part of my enjoyment in life..."
I understand, Matt, because my usage is similar to yours. But I've learned that it's possible to have your cake and eat it too. :-) Read on...
My computer has always been used heavily for photo processing and graphic design. In my first ten years of full-time RVing I used desktop iMacs, starting with a 20" model in 2005 and working up to a 27-incher. I don't have to tell you that a large screen is tremendously useful for that kind of work, especially when combined with a Wacom tablet. Early on I tried using a 17" laptop, but the screen just wasn't big enough--and worse, the color and contrast changed every time I moved my head or tilted the screen, making serious photo work impossible. I went back to the big iMacs.
But as Larry noted, big screens use big power. One of the main reasons I've ended up with 600 watts of solar panels and 500 amp-hours of batteries is that I had to have them to support my computer use. My need for a big screen cost me several thousands of dollars in upgrades.
Meanwhile, Jan Forseth and James Hager--two friends of mine who are professional wildlife photographers and travel full-time--had gone a different route. They use 15" MacBook Pro laptops for routine tasks such as emailing and web surfing, but connect the laptops to 27" Apple Thunderbolt displays when processing photos. This lets them get away with minimal power usage most of the time, and only turn on the power-hungry big screen when it's really needed.
About a year ago I decided to try a similar approach. I replaced my 27" iMac with a 13.3" MacBook Pro plus a 27" Apple Thunderbolt display. Like my friends, I use the laptop most of the time, but plug in the big screen when I need it. (I use an ArcBook stand to hold the MacBook in "clamshell mode," and use a standard USB keyboard and mouse.)
My power usage has gone down considerably with this setup. After decades of large-screen use, I was skeptical about using a small laptop screen for most of my work (such as this post), but I was surprised at how quickly I got used to it. When I need a big screen, the 27" Thunderbolt display supplies power to the MacBook, and also acts as a USB and Thunderbolt dock, so I leave my full-sized keyboard, scanner, printer and other peripherals plugged into the big monitor.
You get the idea: I use the laptop much of the time, minimizing drain on my batteries, but when I need the big screen, I switch on the inverter and I’m in business. As a bonus, I can carry the MacBook into the kitchen and use it at the dinette, or in the rear lounge while sitting at my Lagun table, or take it to a Starbucks and use their Wi-Fi to download software updates. I couldn't do that with my iMacs!
Something like this might work for you. Just a thought...
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Topic: 12v system (Read 270 times)
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