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

13" MBPro+Monitor vs. 24" Imac

F

Fastdrum

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Aug 13, 2009
3
0
I will use the computer mainly for DTP. Mainly Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign. Usually it'll be all of them simultaneously, in addition to browsing the web, emailing, and Itunes. No games or motion. On the higher end I may be using 200MB large PSD's, but usually on the 20MB end of things, and I like working in InDesign with high quality display performance, whenever I can.

I'm split between the 2.53Ghz 13" MacBook Pro (NVIDIA GeForce 9400M graphics) and a good high-end screen and the 3.06Ghz 24" Imac (NVIDIA GeForce GT 120 256MB). They both work out at around the same price. Plus with the MBPro I have the added portablity, which can come in handy every now and then.

Do you think I'd feel a big difference in performance between the two given the processors and graphics cards relative to the kind of work I describe above?

Thanks.
 
For one, the 3.06ghz 24" iMac comes with either the NVIDIA GeForce GT 130 512MB, or the ATI Radeon HD 4850 512MB, both dedicated.

VS

the 9400M integrated graphics of the 13"MBP.

If you need the portability of it, I'd go with the MBP + external. Otherwise, the iMacs dedicated graphics and 500mhz boost will be better for you. There is no reason not to go with the iMac if you don't have a need to take your machine with you. Sure everything will work on the MBP just fine, but it will work better and faster on the iMac.

I always ask this question: are you in college?
(My point being... you will want a laptop. Period.)
 
Thanks for the reply,

If I go with the MBPro I can also get a better screen than the Imac (smaller, but better like a refurbished LCD2090UXI) and it works out more or less at the same price.

Not in college. I freelance. I rarely need my own laptop for freelancing, but it's happened and it's a plus being ready for those gigs.

Do you think I'd suffer with the MBPro with my kind of usage?
 
Like I said, everything will run fine (better than average, even) with the MBP. But it will run better on the iMac than the MBP.

And aside from the glass screen, the iMac uses the same H-IPS panel as the ACD, just without the LED backlight I believe. I could totally be wrong about that though. But it's not a bad panel by any means, and not a TN or PVA panel.
 
Go with the mb pro - in the future, like a year or so, you could upgrade to a SSD and make it even more wicked.
 
I'm in the same boat. Currently have a 2.8GHz 24" imac and considering going to a 13 inch MBP (2.26) but upgrading to a SSD drive and getting the Cinema LED display for working at home.

I also freelance and rarely actually need a laptop. However, I think the upgrade to an SSD, despite the loss of storage space will compensate, performance wise, for the speed difference of the iMac. Plus I can take the MBP about if I need to.

The iMac's are beautiful machines though. You can't go wrong with either really...
 
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