Can't decide on Mac Mini or iMac or Macbook Pro

[AppleDavie]

Hello to all. I'm new here and also to the apple world. I can tell you that i have had about 2 computers. Right now I own a 17 inch HP laptop with an AMD processor. It lags. It does the job, but its starting to lag. Plus I hate windows. Too many updates and it takes forever to update too. No more PC's for me. Plus I have heard friends rave about their macs and how they are so reliable and of course there is the design. I just came to realize that apple products and technology is superior to others. I've seen macbook pros on display at Best Buy and I am impressed with the design. Apple truly does have the most gorgeous computers. When I got my iPhone 4 from Verizon, I loved it. I was in phone heaven. LOL Anyway I just wondered if i could get some advice on what mac i should get. I am a college student and i need a realiable computer. I was thinking of getting of the mac mini because its the cheapest. But i love the iMac design. especially now since they all have quad cores. But then I love the portability of the pro. I don't have a grip of money to spend but i am willing to buy a mac. I see it more as an investment. So if anyone could let me know which is the best option for me I would be much obliged. Thank you all.
Apple rules!

 

[leman]

Well, you can get all three, of course.

If seriously: if you need portability, get a macbook pro, if you don't need portability, get an iMac. MacMini may be cheaper than an iMac, but the iMac comes integrated with all the peripherals and also has far superior performance.

 

[MacHamster68]

you are used to a laptop so i would say get the MacBook Pro if you want to continue to have a portable device , the iMac offers the best value for the money
the mini i would say is a bit overpriced for what you get in comparison to iMac and MacBook Pro and is best suited under the TV in the living room for occassional surfing and emailing and maybe the odd undemanding game (for CPU and GPU)

 

[mackage]

Well, you can get all three, of course.

If seriously: if you need portability, get a macbook pro, if you don't need portability, get an iMac. MacMini may be cheaper than an iMac, but the iMac comes integrated with all the peripherals and also has far superior performance.

Ditto.

 

[Michael383]

In your situation I'd go for an iMac.

 

[kylera]

Are you going to carry it around with you? If yes, get the MBP. But if you want more power for your buck, the iMac is for you. Unless you're only going to type papers and chat on Facebook, the Mini isn't for you.

 

[AppleDavie]

gee thanks everyone. I like the portability of my laptop but i also love the iMac. The design is flawless. I think the iMac is the best. Even the cheapest iMac is a step up from my AMD Turion Dual Core processor. cheap cheap cheap! But I love the Macbook pro. I mean its like a Mercedes compared to my HP laptop. LOL. I think i'll skip the mac mini. Its doesn't offer as much as the iMac or Pro. So now I just need to decide desktop or laptop I guess. I will be using it for school. Its too hard to decide. LOL

 

[MacHamster68]

there is a solution to the dilemma of deciding between desktop and laptop , just get the basic 2.3 ghz i5 13" MacBookPro instead of the 17" i7 version and from the money you saved get a apple cinema display and bluetooth keyboard and mouse and some speakers for at home , then you got best of both worlds

and always remember the resale value , while your hp laptop as good as it might still be is now worth next to nothing a MacBook Pro will still have half its original value , depending how careful you handle it even more after 3 years , so avoid drops and scratches as they decide about hundreds of dollars more or less, so investing in a protective shell pays out

 

[AppleDavie]

hey that is a good idea. And you're right about my laptop. Its worth nothing now. I spent over 1000 on it and its just not that reliable. So I think i will get a macbook pro and maybe get a Cinema display later. The 13 in is way too small for me. I think the 15in is more my style. Cause the 17in is way out of my price range even with the education discount. But If i get the iMac maybe i should go with the Macbook Air when they update it. It's really thin and lite weight right? I like the portability of it. Thank you all for your valueable input. I truly appreciate your time and advice.

 

[Steamrunner]

I'd also suggest a MBP for you - I think you'd make more use of a portable machine than a desktop (if nothing else you can keep it with you so it doesn't get nicked out of your dorm room!), and the current MBPs are pretty powerful.

It's also dead easy to upgrade the HDD in an MBP - not something you can easily do in an iMac (it's possible but not easy). And if, when you finish college, you think an iMac would be better, you'll find no shortage of buyers for your MBP. I'm selling mine for half the price I paid for it three years ago, and that's just for a quick sale - I know I could get more if I advertised it.

Instead of an Apple Display, though, I'd go for a nice Samsung or Dell. The Apple Cinema Displays are very good, but cost about the same as a base iMac - unless you really need the Apple one for some reason I wouldn't bother.

 

[MacHamster68]

i would advice against the MB Air , yes it is light ,and looks cute , but the screen is small too 13" or even only 11"and performance is nothing really to speak of compared with even a white MacBook which offers apart from the ssd the same performance for less moeny , not to mention compared with the MB Pro , its a glorified netbook with a little bit more oompf then a normal netbook really ...far to overpriced for what it offers compare to apples other laptops , and still you cant put it in your pocket so you need a backpack or something like it to move it , so the weight advantage does not really matter

13" MBA,1.86GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 2gb ram ,NVIDIA GeForce 320M,
Height:
0.11-0.68 inch (0.3-1.7 cm)
Width:
12.8 inches (32.5 cm)
Depth:
8.94 inches (22.7 cm)
Weight:
2.9 pounds (1.32 kg)
$1,299.00

13" MBP,2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 ,4GB 1333MHz ,Intel HD Graphics 3000
Height:
0.95 inch (2.41 cm)
Width:
14.35 inches (36.4 cm)
Depth:
9.82 inches (24.9 cm)
Weight:
5.6 pounds (2.54 kg)
$1,199.00

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/3332/benchmarks.png

 

[AppleFan360]

I would recommend getting the MBP as well. Keep in mind though is that you don't have to completely abandon Windows. The MBP also makes an excellent Windows 7 machine. I dual boot between OSX and Window 7 all the time on my MBP. There are still programs out there that only run on Windows so having dual boot capability is a plus. Sometimes I will be in a meeting with my MBP and it freaks people out that I can boot into Windows.

 

[AppleDavie]

thanks. I will probably go with the macbook pro 15 in. The lower end model. Then save up for the 27 Apple cinema display. Thank you all for your input. I was at work all day. Couldn't respond till now. Take care everyone.

 

[clyde2801]

thanks. I will probably go with the macbook pro 15 in. The lower end model. Then save up for the 27 Apple cinema display. Thank you all for your input. I was at work all day. Couldn't respond till now. Take care everyone.

Buy the MBP, but check out some other high end monitors before you plop a grand on the apple display.

 

[johnfkitchen]

thanks. I will probably go with the macbook pro 15 in. The lower end model. Then save up for the 27 Apple cinema display. Thank you all for your input. I was at work all day. Couldn't respond till now. Take care everyone.

Buy it with minimum RAM, and upgrade it yourself when you need to. Same story with the hard disk too, maybe. Check out pricing. But make that if you buy a replacement hard disk, that it is 7,200 RPM. Makes a big speed difference. I tried a 5,400 and it was so slow, I had to buy another.

 

[AppleDavie]

okie dokie.