Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

rMB and 5K iMac combo?

Enmanuel

Enmanuel

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 6, 2012
138
54
Boston
I sold my 15 Retina MBP (2.7 i7, 16G Ram) and will receive my rMB (1.2/512) on Monday. I'm thinking of getting a 5K iMac and have a desktop for intense work and thee rMB for portability. With the 15 I always felt like it was too heavy to carry around but definitely feel like I might need more power than the rMB can offer. I'm an architect and sometimes have to do some rending work and drawing on my computer, but not all the time.

Sugestions and opinions?
 
  • Like
Reactions: tbirdparis
I use a 27" iMac as my desktop machine and a rMB the other 90% of the time.

I use iCloud Drive, iCloud Photo Library and NAS to sync everything. To the point where I could format one machine right now and it wouldn't matter - regardless of having TM backups.

I'm waiting until the next 5K iMac before upgrading my existing 27".

The setup works great.
 
I am planning to do precisely that. More or less.. personally am planning on getting the 1.3 rMB since it's only a tiny bit more money than the standard 512GB storage that I want anyway. Have heard enough talk that it gets noticeably better battery life to make it feel like a decent thing to take a punt on. Am still working with a non retina iMac as my main machine, but it's a fully optioned one that has been rock solid. Will definitely replace it with a fully decked 5K when the time comes.

I think this duo is pretty fantastic. Certainly makes me feel way more happy than the thought of owning a Mac Pro, and combined they will more than handle the full range of work and not-work that I do. Go for it!
 
Thinking of the same setup myself- grad student, currently a school-provided Lenovo X201 (I swapped out an SSD in it to keep it serviceable) and a few year old custom built PC at home (Sandy Bridge i7 + GTX 570). However, graduating next month so I'll be turning in the Lenovo. My future employer will provide a new laptop (likely a 4-5lbs T-series Lenovo), but adding a nice ultraportable like the rMB makes some sense especially since I have an iPhone and iPad. Then, I might do a 27" 5k once Skylake rolls around.

I'm not super worried about workload on an ultraportable if I got an iMac eventually. My industry (hardware engineer) requires running CAD tools on server clusters most of the time, so heavy VNC and remote Linux use, nothing too demanding locally. Any local processing needs on the macs would just be for personal use and not work, but the larger the display the better if I need to VNC somewhere. I also use dropbox/icloud/etc. quite extensively, so not worried about keeping things in sync.

Caveat is a 15" or so retina display, instead of the 12", might be useful when actually working while traveling (back home to see family) though either would be a large upgrade my from my current laptop. Hopefully the work-provided Lenovo would suffice in that regard though not super excited about some of the specs they offer. Also, I'd like to upgrade my PC once Oculus is released, so still debating rMB + iMac + PC vs. rMB + rMBP 15" + PC or just rMB + [some USB-C external display + hub in the future] + PC. Don't really want to stock up on too many machines, but on the other hand I use facetime quite extensively so it would be nice to have that in more forms. I have the feeling the PC will be relegated to gaming and maybe as a NAS in a VM (in lieu of a dedicated airport extreme/timecapsule).

Waiting for the back to school sale to start before buying something, so a little more time to decide.
 
Last edited:
Enmanuel said:
I sold my 15 Retina MBP (2.7 i7, 16G Ram) and will receive my rMB (1.2/512) on Monday. I'm thinking of getting a 5K iMac and have a desktop for intense work and thee rMB for portability. With the 15 I always felt like it was too heavy to carry around but definitely feel like I might need more power than the rMB can offer. I'm an architect and sometimes have to do some rending work and drawing on my computer, but not all the time.

Sugestions and opinions?
Click to expand...

This is the combo I have. In fact, I bought the rMB on release weekend, and went from 2012 iMac to the current iMac 5k about the same time.

The iMac 5k is an amazing computer, perfect in every way. The rMB however, is not. It's slow, laggy, and seems 10 years in the past when it comes to performance after using iMac 5k. I love the design and portability, but I swear I feel like I'm using a 5+ year old computer. It's driving me nuts. Little things you don't think you'll notice: boot time takes twice as long as my iMac or Macbook Air, apps bounce a couple times before opening, and webpages load much, MUCH slower than an iMac or Macbook Air.

I'm disappointed and evaluating my options. Don't like the idea of regressing back to an Air with a low-res screen, but not sure I want the "beast" of a macbook pro... lol
 
I think it's a huge exaggeration to say the rMB is like 10 years in the past. Is it slower than the current crop of MBA and rMBPs? Of course. But it feels faster than a 5 year old computer.

Comparing to a current iMac 5K is of course slower. Even a rMBP is going to be slower. It's fine not to like the rMB but some of these comparisons are really over the top.
 
  • Like
Reactions: theSeb
When I upgrade that's the combo i'm going to have. Might even not get an iPad anymore. iMac 5k, rMB for portability and work, iPhone 6+. Great combo OP.
 
Same combo I have. Have managed to share everything between them...just can't get iBooks to share PDF's (I use the iMac to sync with iPhone and iPad, and they share PDF's...but don't see a way to share with the rMB).
 
Gmouse said:
Same combo I have. Have managed to share everything between them...just can't get iBooks to share PDF's (I use the iMac to sync with iPhone and iPad, and they share PDF's...but don't see a way to share with the rMB).
Click to expand...

Agreed. Pdf's and epub's should have the option to be stored in iCloud Drive ideally.
 
Enmanuel said:
I sold my 15 Retina MBP (2.7 i7, 16G Ram) and will receive my rMB (1.2/512) on Monday. I'm thinking of getting a 5K iMac and have a desktop for intense work and thee rMB for portability. With the 15 I always felt like it was too heavy to carry around but definitely feel like I might need more power than the rMB can offer. I'm an architect and sometimes have to do some rending work and drawing on my computer, but not all the time.

Sugestions and opinions?
Click to expand...

I have the 5K iMac and just got the rMB 1.2ghz. Perfect combo. I have an amazing machine at the desk to do the heavy lifting, and a super portable take anywhere machine to do work away from the office. I highly recommend it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Roman2K~ and Enmanuel
andy9l said:
I use a 27" iMac as my desktop machine and a rMB the other 90% of the time.

I use iCloud Drive, iCloud Photo Library and NAS to sync everything. To the point where I could format one machine right now and it wouldn't matter - regardless of having TM backups.

I'm waiting until the next 5K iMac before upgrading my existing 27".

The setup works great.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the feedback, I'm in the process of moving right now so I might have to spend a few months just with the rMB, so might wait till the October or September refresh as well to get the 5K.

pshady said:
I have the 5K iMac and just got the rMB 1.2ghz. Perfect combo. I have an amazing machine at the desk to do the heavy lifting, and a super portable take anywhere machine to do work away from the office. I highly recommend it.
Click to expand...

Good to know, seems like this is going to be thee perfect combo for me, will make due with the rMB for the next 2 or 3 months but I'm sure I'll have no mayor issues.

Thanks to everyone that left some feedback or opinions, great to have real user input on these kind of decisions. Will follow up once I get the rMB and once I finish my move about the 5K.
 
Enmanuel said:
I sold my 15 Retina MBP (2.7 i7, 16G Ram) and will receive my rMB (1.2/512) on Monday. I'm thinking of getting a 5K iMac and have a desktop for intense work and thee rMB for portability. With the 15 I always felt like it was too heavy to carry around but definitely feel like I might need more power than the rMB can offer. I'm an architect and sometimes have to do some rending work and drawing on my computer, but not all the time.

Sugestions and opinions?
Click to expand...

My only suggestion is that you enjoy such a sweet setup! I'd love to have a 5K iMac. For now I'll settle for my rMP and 2011 Mac Mini with beefed up guts.
 
Sounds about perfect. I have a maxed out 2010 iMac which is still going great, especially after putting an SSD in it.

The rMB has been a great replacement for an old MBP (2008!) which really was feeling its age, and was starting to be a pain to take out to meetings, or ever take to work in a coffee shop (I work from home usually).

It might be a couple of years yet, but once the iMac gets replaced with a 5K one, that will be about as good as it gets.

SSD + hi res displays are a fantastic combination.

rMB + 5k iMac are a fantastic combination.
 
Enmanuel said:
Thanks for the feedback, I'm in the process of moving right now so I might have to spend a few months just with the rMB, so might wait till the October or September refresh as well to get the 5K.
Click to expand...

No problem. You're in a scarily similar situation to me, then. I moved literally 2 weeks ago! :eek:

I'm definitely waiting for the next iMac to see if the reliance on thermal throttling is a permanent thing for iMacs, or just a slip-up with this generation. With more and more of Apple's products relying on thermal throttling, I'm starting to assume the former. Either way, not long until we find out.
 
Enmanuel said:
I sold my 15 Retina MBP (2.7 i7, 16G Ram) and will receive my rMB (1.2/512) on Monday. I'm thinking of getting a 5K iMac and have a desktop for intense work and thee rMB for portability. With the 15 I always felt like it was too heavy to carry around but definitely feel like I might need more power than the rMB can offer. I'm an architect and sometimes have to do some rending work and drawing on my computer, but not all the time.

Sugestions and opinions?
Click to expand...
I did exactly the same thing except I have the base model rMB and I love the combination. Add my iPhone 6+ and all is right with the world.
 
Enmanuel said:
I sold my 15 Retina MBP (2.7 i7, 16G Ram) and will receive my rMB (1.2/512) on Monday. I'm thinking of getting a 5K iMac and have a desktop for intense work and thee rMB for portability. With the 15 I always felt like it was too heavy to carry around but definitely feel like I might need more power than the rMB can offer. I'm an architect and sometimes have to do some rending work and drawing on my computer, but not all the time.

Sugestions and opinions?
Click to expand...

I don't mean to be rude at all. But if you're actually seriously considering an iMac 5K + rMB combo (since it's feasible to you), you shouldn't even ask for suggestions. Just do it and bask it in.

And remember that someone like me, who has an iMac 2011 base model (the infamous laptop internals iMac) as a base station, is cursing at your luck and fortunes in almost every living breath.

(This post is meant to be taken light-heartedly)
 
The iMac 5K and rMB is a fantastic combination. The iMac's display is so wonderful I'm kicking myself for not getting it earlier. The rMB is a perfect portable compliment to it.
 
Finally got the rMB ! Mine's the SG, but Gold looks surprisingly good, I liked it much more that I expected. I decided to wait until I move in about 2 months to get the iMac, if there are going to be updates I'd rather wait.
 

Attachments

  • IMG_6631.JPG
    IMG_6631.JPG
    1.2 MB · Views: 275
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back