Having a hard time deciding between iMac or MBP

[rockyroad55]

I'm a student and I'm having a hard time choosing between the base 21.5" or base MBP 13. My issue is the portability part. I'll be a commuter student next year and wouldn't mind coming home to a powerhouse and not having a laptop on me (some fears of getting it stolen). Or I could get a MBP and just carry it around, ehh.

I'm stuck between the two. Powerhouse all-in-one or MBP portable. I would like to play Battlefield 3 this summer via bootcamp, but that isn't a large concern. Are there any students or past students here that have gone through what I am going through now?

[eawmp1]

By your sig you have an Air Ultimate, an iPad, and an iPhone?!? Why, as a student, do you NEED another machine??

Sell the Air and iPad, and get a MBP.

[trip1ex]

Build yourself a gaming pc for home.

[jtw11195]

I know how you feel...I have a 21.5 inch iMac and i love the eff out of it. I do miss having the portability, but the iMac has a bigger hard drive and faster processor, so it really depends on what specs you want. And you can't beat the freakishly large screen

[Noisemaker]

Although I'm not a student, I can give a bit of input on this, as I was in a similar position about a year ago.

I do a lot of work on the go. It's not every day, but I do occasionally need to work from elsewhere. Because of that, I went with a 13" MBP. Now, the MacBook Pro has been fantastic. However, the space on the hard drive is limited, which has been its downfall for me.

I decided now to get an iMac (I went with a 27"), as I wanted a main computer to do all of my work on (development, graphic design with photoshop, web design).

Now, I didn't want to give up mobility. Sometimes you need to be able to work on the go, no matter what you do. Because of that, I have an iPad 2 and iPhone. The pair make it easy for me to do just about anything I need to when I'm out. The iPhone gets the most use, for email and other light tasks, and the iPad is used for the intermediate tasks.

My iMac arrives tomorrow, and I anticipate the setup to work brilliantly for my needs.

The short of it: Get an iMac if there's even a chance you'd use more space and power, along with a mobile device of some sort for when you need it.

[Noisemaker]

Originally Posted by eawmp1

By your sig you have an Air Ultimate, an iPad, and an iPhone?!? Why, as a student, do you NEED another machine??

Sell the Air and iPad, and get a MBP.

I missed that, and I'm fairly perceptive...



With that in mind, forget the recommendation in my last post. Add an iMac if you need it, and be happy.

[rockyroad55]

Originally Posted by eawmp1

By your sig you have an Air Ultimate, an iPad, and an iPhone?!? Why, as a student, do you NEED another machine??

Sell the Air and iPad, and get a MBP.

Sorry, I have to update that. Gave my brother my Air to replace his aging MacBook. iPad is more of a family device between me and my brother and the little ones so it never really factors into anything.

[rockyroad55]

Originally Posted by Noisemaker

I missed that, and I'm fairly perceptive...



With that in mind, forget the recommendation in my last post. Add an iMac if you need it, and be happy.

Your previous recommendation was good! Don't worry about it. It's just that you are correct. What if I do need to do something on the go? My other concern is that since I'm on campus anyway, I'll head to a computer lab for whatever and my iPhone is completely useless underground in a subway haha.