2010 MBP 17" + 2012 mini or just rMBP 15"?

I need some buying advice for my one-man graphic design business. I work mostly with InDesign to lay out a monthly magazine, and use Photoshop and Lightroom for photo editing along with some occasional Illustrator. I need more RAM (16GB) mainly, and quad core processing power would be very welcome.

I currently have a 2010 17" MacBook Pro. It's a dual core 2.6Ghz i7 with 8GB of 1067 Mhz RAM. I've swapped out the SuperDrive for a 120GB OCZ Agility 3 SSD, and it also still has the stock 500GB 7200 RPM drive. Running 10.8.2. So it's a decent machine, by no means slow for most tasks. I run it plugged in on my desk 95% of the time, connected to 23" Cinema Display, external drives, keyboard, mouse, speakers, etc.

I'd like to get a new machine. My dilemma is whether to grab a refurb quad core 2012 mini for $679 and install my own SSD and 16GB of RAM, and use that as my main work machine and keep my 2010 MBP as a backup/travel machine, or sell my MBP and invest in a 15" Retina MBP.

I think when it comes down to it, just shelling out for a mini vs. selling my current machine and putting that money toward the purchase of a rMBP will work out to be around the same amount of cash outlay.

I've always used the "laptop as a desktop" solution, mainly so I can just unplug and go at a moment's notice and not have to worry about keeping two machines updated, in sync, etc. I'm not sure if that's an ideal solution or if I'd be better off with two machines.

Just wondering if anyone else has been down this road, or what your advice would be in this situation. Thanks!

400 views and no input? Looking for some feedback, my friends!

Thanks for the input, everyone! I'm not concerned about getting inside the rMBP; I'd order it as I needed it. I would be upgrading the mini myself.

The main performance difference is the dedicated gfx card as stated. The only application I use that uses the gfx card is Photoshop. I don't think InDesign or Illustrator rely on the card at all. I could be wrong. For working on large InDesign files, RAM is my primary concern and processor speed would be second.

I guess the true deciding factor will be if I want to have two machines or one. Is having two a nice luxury, or does it just create extra hassle when it comes to keeping two machines in sync?

righteye said:

Personally i would have two machines, is a good backup strategy for a start. If you are taking you laptop away from the desk then there is the risk of it getting stolen,lost or damaged, i find it reassuring to know that if the worst happened i can carry on as normal when i get home and although insured who knows how long before that gets sorted out and thats if they do not find a way out.
This is by no means my only form of backup, i have many others but to be without a machine would be a real PITA.

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Very good point. I've always had a mini as my backup, but recently sold the backup for some additional cash toward the purchase of a new machine. The only time I used it was when my main machine crashed one time. It sat on my desk unused for four years. I have several redundant backups that run automatically each day, so I'm covered there. I think my plan now would be to go to the nearest Best Buy or Apple Store and grab a mini off the shelf and boot from my external clone as an emergency backup (if I go with the rMBP).