I — like many of you — spend a ton of time in front of a Mac. Probably too much time.
I have two Macs that I bounce between — a 27-inch iMac at home, and a 15-inch MacBook Pro at work, which is usually in clamshell mode, hooked up to a 27-inch LED Cinema Display.
I like keeping these computers as alike as possible. I use an Apple Extended II and a Magic Mouse at home, with the same keyboard and a Magic Trackpad at home. I use the same wallpaper, show generally the same folders on the desktop and arrange the Dock the same way on both computers. Both machines have use the same screen saver, same user name and same password. I use the majority of the same apps at home and at work, and if there’s anything unique that I need, LaunchBar is just a keystroke away.
Keeping two machines this closely setup can be tricky. Often, I take screenshots or copy .plist files to make sure I have settings the same across both Macs.
So why do this? In a word, efficiency.
Having my two machines setup the same means I don’t have to think about where I am before I use a custom shortcut or try to launch an app from the Dock with just the corner of my eye. It means I feel at home, no matter what screen I’m looking at.
Some people may think this is a little extreme. I’m not going to deny that. But it helps me be a better worker, and helps me concentrate on what needs to be done. And that’s what the Mac is all about.
Here’s a larger version of that screenshot.