Famous Mac User Setup: Chris Marshall
Chris Marshall, lives, plays and plays some more in Almerimar, Spain. (Very) occasionally he will venture out and do some work, when he isn’t busy reviewing Mac applications on his blog MyAppleStuff. A keen photographer, avid Harley rider, and full time staff to Moreno his cat, Chris only got his first Mac (G4 17″ PowerBook) in January 2006.
Somewhat older than the current crop of Mac bloggers and podcasters, Chris can be found weekly over at the MacReviewCast podcast trying to make sense of his life!
What does your current Mac setup consist of?
I would have to say that my current, as in ‘day to day’ set up, is a Mac mini 1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo (2GB RAM, 120GB HD) hooked up to a LaCie mini Hard Drive & Hub (300GB). I run a 23″ Cinema Display and access the internet through a 8 Port Gigabit Switch connected to an Airport Extreme.
I am also connected to a TVMax which I absolutely adore for getting my satellite (Sky+) films and programs onto the Mac.
Why have you chosen this machine?
To be honest it sort of chose me! Although I loved the 17″ G4 PowerBook I really wanted a desktop and a large display, and at the same time I wanted to look at the Mac mini as a means of driving my digital media around the apartment.
The initial plan was to have the Mac mini in the lounge and run the PowerBook through the 23″ Display in dual screen mode, and hook up with the Mac mini for media. One way or another that didn’t work out so I sort of got left with the Mac mini.
What other Apple gear do you own?
Too much probably!! My wife has a 20″ iMac that I use most days for one thing or another. We have a second Mac mini connected to the TV in the lounge, and I have just go a new 13″ MacBook for the times that I need to work out of the apartment.
Between us we have 9 iPod’s - 2 first generation Shuffles (1GB), 2 second generation Shuffles (1GB), a first generation Nano (2GB), a first generation Mini (4GB), 2 third generation iPods (10GB & 15GB) and a fifth generation iPod with video (60GB).
I have two Airport Express units hooked up to two different audio networks. Last but not least we have two wireless keyboards and three wireless mighty mice.
What is your next planned upgrade to your workstation?
For the foreseeable future, nothing. Longer term I will look at a Mac Pro and a second 23″ display but for now my focus is on getting the most out of what we have. I am a big fan of distributed workflows so I tend to spread my work and play across all the Macs.
They are all connected via ethernet so we have a pretty quick network. I have a reasonable amount of digital media stored across them (80GB of Music, 100+ movies, 20Gb of photographs) and I am always moving stuff around and viewing it on different Macs.
My next project is to get a flat screen TV for my wife’s room so that she can dual screen with the iMac and have a good quality screen for watching (eyeTVHybrid) the movies etc. As a consequence of that her current TV will come into my study and I will use that for my PS2, DVD’S and as the monitor for the Sony Desktop (as I really don’t use it that much). That way the 17″ Sony display can be connected to the MacBook when necessary to give me a dual screen set up.
What do you think of Chris’s setup?
#1
Dumitru Tira → www.static-13.deviantart.com
Pretty decent setup, but holly cow, 9 iPods?
I like the Macbook/Macbook Pro connected to a 20 oe 23 screen, it might be my future setup :D
#2
Glenn Wolsey → www.glennwolsey.com
It’s quite a collection which I heavily envy ;-) I currently have three iPod’s in my collection.
I thought I’d just quickly let anyone know who noticed the single ad block I’ve inserted on posts just above the comments is temporary. I was playing around with Google Analytics today and logged into my old Adsense account while I was at it, and realized I was $40 away from the $100 pay-out. I thought I’d put an ad block up to see if I could reach the goal :-)
#3
Chris Marshall → chrismarshall.ws
9, well what can I say!!! 4 belong to my wife, is that any better?
Is a 23″ Screen and a MacBook.
#4
Jonathan Buckland → www.funcoder.com
Great setup and I didn’t know about TVMax. I would love to know how Chris hooked uses it to record from his Sky+ box.
#5
Chris Marshall → chrismarshall.ws
@ Jonathan - here is a link to the TVMax article that I wrote originally. It should give you the option to download the document.
Connection wise it is simple really. The TV max can hook up to any output i.e. the TV, or in my case the Sky + box. The only downside of this is that you can only pick up the signal that the Sky+ is receiving. The TVMax will if connected to the TV pick up all the signals on the TV, and allow you to use the remote that comes with the TVMax. As we only watch Sky here in Spain then that isn’t an option so I have gone with the direct connection to the Sky+ output.
Then it is a simple case of USB connection to Mac, which has eyeTV installed and hey presto whatever Sky+ is picking up will now be available on your Mac, even if the TV is off.
Hope that helps - sorry to have taken up so much space Glenn et al
#6
Nick Danforth → nickdanforth.blogspot.com
Beautiful rig! Nice to see someone using the Mini more, and props for the iPods!
:-)
#7
Interview with Glenn Wolsey by MyAppleStuff → myapplestuff.com/interview-with-glenn-wolsey
[...] BUT if you want to take a look at my current set up then Glenn has an ‘interview‘ with me that we did a while [...]
#8
Chris Marshall » Blog Archive » Interview with Glenn Wolsey → sandbox.myapplestuff.com/?p=674
[...] BUT if you want to take a look at my current set up then Glenn has an ‘interview‘ with me that we did a while [...]
#9
Andy → goodonpaper.org
I love that he just *happens* to be reading your site as he paused to take a picture :)
#10
Ed O’Keeffe → www.edsphotoblog.com
Dam Chris has a lovely set up, I love the idea of a wired network for media streaming, seems like he and his wife get the most out of their computers. Although the 23 inch cinema display in the photo above does look much bigger, could pass for a 30 inch one to me, it might be just the photo is distorted slightly…I don’t know
#11
Chris Marshall → chrismarshall.ws
@Andy - research :-)
@ Ed - Cheers. The desk is also very small which also makes it seem bigger. http://myapplestuff.com/why-i-dont-need-an-appletv/ will give you some more info on the network
#12
Linus → mrtay.wordpress.com
wonder how long to setup the whole network system in your home. really nice setup!
#13
Chris Marshall → chrismarshall.ws
Well it is still a work in progress, but it took about a week of planning and getting all the stuff ready, then a day to lay the trunking/conduit and lay the cables.
Now I need to undo some of it to accommodate the new flat screen TV we are goingto hook up to the iMac, and the Sony TV that I will use as the main screen for the SonyDesktop to free up a 17″ screen as a dual screen permanent option for the MacBook.
#14
Matt → www.garycarvolth.com
I have a network similar to yours, I have the MacBook Pro 17′ screen, but I don’t have the video camera… it took me about 2 years to get all of them down.
good blog, i like it
Matt, Editor
Gary Carvolth Voice of the Common Man
http://www.garycarvolth.com
#15
Glenn Wolsey → www.glennwolsey.com
Thanks Matt!
#16
Chris Marshall → chrismarshall.ws
The more I use it the more thankful I am that I set the network up :-)
#17
BobWow, nice setup, but is it just me or does reading the last paragraph make you dizzy?
Maybe I should turn this thing off…
#18
jayp80Nice setup. The 9 ipods seems a little much, but hey if you use them all then why not.