I am search for the ultimate consultant office on the go setup. Basically I need a mobile dual monitoring solution that is luggable, as I keep moving from one client location to another. My current research did not produce any convincing luggable monitors. I stumbled over ScreenRecycler thanks to my co-worker Hugo, who loves geek toys just as muchas I do. Now this got me thinking of the following setup:

MacBook Pro + Modbook

The idea being that I could use the Macbook Pro as my main development machine and the tablet as an external second screen. Since I do not need a keyboard a Modbook seemed like the obvious choice instead. At the same time the Modbook could serve as a server machine for the main Macbook Pro laptop. So the tablet cpu would also not sit idle. VNC/SSH could be used to log into the Modbook from the Macbook Pro.

Now the last piece that I would like to be bale to reuse is the tablet functionality on the Modbook. It would be awesome if I could leverage the digitizer pen on the tablet even when using ScreenRecycler. That would truly be the ultimate setup.

I could run off to a meeting with just the Modbook of course. Or if I go to a developer meeting I could just lug the Macbook Pro along. Still need to find a nice solution for keeping my data in sync, but most important data is synced via server solutions - like IMAP and SVN anyways already. I am sure the Mac world has something snazzy for this already. And finally I have the full setup for the more stationary setup.

Call me crazy, but this would be the ultimate setup for any consultant. A luxury of course, but the ultimate productivity setup! Anyways I send a single mail to the makers of the ModBook and ScreenRecycler to alert them of the obvious need of tight integration ;)

perhaps you can use synergy2 to command the two machines from one keyboard + trackpad
http://synergy2.sourceforge.net/

Sounds like a possible solution indeed. The guys from ScreenRecycler also pointed me towards Synergy. They also mentioned Teleport.

I use teleport to connect a mac mini to my PowerBook when I'm at home and it runs really well. +1

Axiotron has also replied to me:

This is a very compelling idea if this thing works as well as it seems
to in their video! We're now very curious whether the pen will still
work if the ModBook is being controlled by ScreenRecycler. I'll let
you know after we give it a try.

For syncing Axiotron pointed me at The Missing Sync.

I will update this entry once I get any infos!

Note: I never owned a Mac, but the warranty on my Thinkpad is running out this summer. So I am planning on switching ..

This is like way too nifty, wonder how much it costs

Looks like the right way 2 go. How does your N95 play in here? How many networks will you have, how do you switch from internal to external net when switching from MBP to MB usage?

Also, I was wondering, as the tablet idea is just sort of a nice to have, wouldn't it be easier to ask the axiotron guys to build you one or two durable (mobile) cinema displays in the size of your MBP? Crumpler will probably be happy to provide a bag with 2 or 3 slots in the standard 17'' size...

--
Seb.

PS: Just to make the point I'm always making with multiple devices: Would be nice to have ONE power supply. :)

Just for completeness I should mention the URL to teleport.

I should also mention that Syngery and ScreenRecycler both seem to work with a PC as well. So since my employer usually hands out Dell's, this might be a solution to reuse the Dell without having to touch the keyboard on it all too often :)