Let me tell you a bit about my lifestyle as I see it for the next 5 years.
Until Spring '09 I will be in school. Now I do go home but usually for a 24hr period, nothing major. I have an iPod Touch so when I go home I can use my wireless to check e-mail, surf MacRumors, etc.
Since Dec. 31st 2004 I have had my PowerBook G4, 1.5GHz, 1GB RAM, 80gb HDD. It is now out of APP and I am starting to look for a new mac within the next 6-12mo.
I have loved having a laptop for about the first 2 or 3 years. Now I find that I am using it more and more as a desktop [I have a Belkin iCurve for it] and it is just a little extra thing that I could take it places with me.
I run the FCP 4 suite of programs, Final Cut, LiveType, Soundtrack, Motion, DVD Studio Pro all OKay, and I frequently use Photoshop, InDesign, et. al. So I need a "Pro" computer since integrated graphics will not cut it.
Now that we have extabolished that I need to run all of those programs, the only other stipulation is that I would prefer to have an external monitor. AKA not an all-in-one. But this is not a requirement.
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SO... my choices are a 20in iMac 2.4GHz C2D, 2gb RAM, and baseline everything else OR a Mac Pro stock except for MAYBE a different graphics card [that question next...] Its about a $1,000 difference to not have an integrated GLOSSY monitor [i hate gloss] and the possibility of like 4TB of internal storage that I will never need.
My question with the Mac Pro is what the difference is between the bottom 3 graphics cards. From the one I highlighted down. I might want to run dual monitors at some point but thats it. I mean I could run dual with my PB.
I still get SOME portability with an iMac, but compromise my goal of not having an integrated screen. But I doubt ill ever need the power of a Mac Pro to justify an extra grand.
Until Spring '09 I will be in school. Now I do go home but usually for a 24hr period, nothing major. I have an iPod Touch so when I go home I can use my wireless to check e-mail, surf MacRumors, etc.
Since Dec. 31st 2004 I have had my PowerBook G4, 1.5GHz, 1GB RAM, 80gb HDD. It is now out of APP and I am starting to look for a new mac within the next 6-12mo.
I have loved having a laptop for about the first 2 or 3 years. Now I find that I am using it more and more as a desktop [I have a Belkin iCurve for it] and it is just a little extra thing that I could take it places with me.
I run the FCP 4 suite of programs, Final Cut, LiveType, Soundtrack, Motion, DVD Studio Pro all OKay, and I frequently use Photoshop, InDesign, et. al. So I need a "Pro" computer since integrated graphics will not cut it.
Now that we have extabolished that I need to run all of those programs, the only other stipulation is that I would prefer to have an external monitor. AKA not an all-in-one. But this is not a requirement.
----
SO... my choices are a 20in iMac 2.4GHz C2D, 2gb RAM, and baseline everything else OR a Mac Pro stock except for MAYBE a different graphics card [that question next...] Its about a $1,000 difference to not have an integrated GLOSSY monitor [i hate gloss] and the possibility of like 4TB of internal storage that I will never need.
My question with the Mac Pro is what the difference is between the bottom 3 graphics cards. From the one I highlighted down. I might want to run dual monitors at some point but thats it. I mean I could run dual with my PB.
I still get SOME portability with an iMac, but compromise my goal of not having an integrated screen. But I doubt ill ever need the power of a Mac Pro to justify an extra grand.
