15" MacBook Pro, or 27" iMac and Dell Mini 10v?

[bsamcash]

Hey fellow Apple geeks.

I'm a long time leecher (since about 05), but this is my first time starting a thread. I don't usually ask for buying advice.

Like it says in my signature, I have the low end, current gen MacBook Pro; I bought it to finally replace my aging plastic MacBook and G4 tower. But I'm not finding it to fill my needs completely; besides from the 13 inch mirror try to focus through, the resolution and lack of dedicated card are hindering everything aside from taking notes in class.

So, I'm pretty set on selling this thing, but what I need the advice on is my replacement. I was initially considering the mid range 15 inch with the matte finish, but after the new iMacs came out, now I'm thinking of waiting another month or so to save up the extra cash and getting the 27 inch quad core and a Dell Mini 10v and putting Snow Leopard on it for class notes. The only problem with that is the rumored lack of Atom support in 10.6.2, but if that's the case, I'll just downgrade to Leopard, it's supposed to run faster anyway.

Which do you guys think is the more practical, a 15 inch discrete matte MacBook Pro, or a Dell hackinbook and 27 inch iMac? Thanks for the advice and thoughts.

 

[thegoldenmackid]

How much and what work do you do mobile, if it's just notes then the iMac might be best, I have a 17" MacBook Pro and Dell Mini 9, the Mini basically just sits ontop of my subwoofer.

 

[bsamcash]

How much and what work do you do mobile, if it's just notes then the iMac might be best, I have a 17" MacBook Pro and Dell Mini 9, the Mini basically just sits ontop of my subwoofer.

Yeah, that's basically all it would be for, notes and light browsing. It does bug me to not have more power with me while mobile, but that would be well made up for with the power when I get back home.

 

[Kat King123]

i think its a good idea to go with the dell mini and the 27inch imac. do you really wanna be hauling around a big 15inch laptop to your classes? i have 13inch macbook and that feels big enough to carry around from class to class. plus think about the 27inch beauty that will be waiting for you when you get home

 

[bsamcash]

Still unsure.

Thanks for the replies guys.

I don't know, I'm trying to figure out if the new iMac is more about want than need. Haha.

 

[tofagerl]

Keep in mind that rumors say that Apple will end support for the Atom chip in 10.6.2, so you'd have to keep the 10v at 10.6.1 forever.

 

[Bbusyb]

It really depends on whether you need the Power when you are out. While The iMac is tempting, I would probably not get it personally as even when I'm in the house, I like to work in different places, and as such don't like to to be tied to a desk.

If your ok to wait till you get back to your desk to do anything more intensive then a little light browsing and make a few notes then do go for the iMac option. Do keep in mind that as you'll be hackintoshing the Dell Mini, there is no guarantee that you'll be able to keep it updated, especilly with the 10.6.2 update coming up. If you're comfortable to keep to keep up with the Cat and Mouse Game, and no support from apple, its a viable path.

Going for a More Powerful Macbook Pro 15" or 17" on the other hand will give you a lot more power, especially with a better graphics card and powerful process. You'll have both power and some amount of portability, though not as much as with your 13".

In the end its a matter of choice, and working style. I travel a lot and need a reasonable amount of power with me, so I usually look for a balance between Power and Mobility. A Desktop bound system is not a choice for me.

 

[lonefrontranger]

thanks for posting this

Thank you for posting this thread, I, too, am watching this with interest as I am in a similar boat.

I have a nearly 4 year old first-gen Core 2 15" Macbook Pro that has served its life well and is starting to show it's age just a little (now takes a fair bit of heat and drama to open batches of Aperture files, etc...). I am considering the following paths: 1) sell the MBP tho I potentially won't get much for it or 2) use it as a media server instead of shelling out for a mac Mini and 3) getting the new top spec i7 27" iMac and ultimately 4) down the road in six to 12 months getting either a new 13" MBP or the much-ballyhooed tablet (depending on spec) for a more portable option.

In my case, my boyfriend has an all Apple household, and he just bought a new 15" MBP a month ago and already has a nice 22" LCD display. We are both interested in the 27" iMac as a combo HD display/2nd TV set and desktop workhorse for photo / video editing, maybe dual boot to Win7 for some engineering 3D modelling for him, and so on. Since I'll be living with him shortly I don't much see the need for us to have a pair of MBPs (anymore) -- he just sold his first-gen 15" MBP to make way for the new one.

 

[uberamd]

How much and what work do you do mobile, if it's just notes then the iMac might be best, I have a 17" MacBook Pro and Dell Mini 9, the Mini basically just sits ontop of my subwoofer.

I have a similar setup. I actually have a 2009 Mac Mini that sits around doing nothing, a new 17" MacBook Pro that I use all the time, and a Dell Mini 9 that sits around doing nothing.

My point is this: getting a 17" MacBook Pro is the best of both worlds. It is powerful and has a large, amazing screen while at the same time being portable and having outstanding 8 hour battery life (in my experiences, I really do get 7:30-8 hrs battery).

 

[bsamcash]

Some great points made.

Well, maybe I'll just go with the matte MacBook Pro. The new iMac is more about want than need at the moment, and I guess I can always save up for want. I also have a decent 22 inch monitor I could always use if I need, though the resolution is much lower - only 720p.

Plus, I'll be moving on to grad school soon and I don't want to look like a dork carrying around a Dell Mini 9. Haha.

But gah! Those 27 inch quads are so sexy!!!

 

[uberamd]

Well, maybe I'll just go with the matte MacBook Pro. The new iMac is more about want than need at the moment, and I guess I can always save up for want. I also have a decent 22 inch monitor I could always use if I need, though the resolution is much lower - only 720p.

Plus, I'll be moving on to grad school soon and I don't want to look like a dork carrying around a Dell Mini 9. Haha.

But gah! Those 27 inch quads are so sexy!!!

Yeah they are. As I walk around my college campus I find myself chuckling at people who use netbooks like the Mini 9. They are all hunched over, faces practically pressed up against the screen, squinting to read the text. An ergonomic nightmare.

 

[Scepticalscribe]

It really depends on whether you need the Power when you are out. While The iMac is tempting, I would probably not get it personally as even when I'm in the house, I like to work in different places, and as such don't like to to be tied to a desk.

If your ok to wait till you get back to your desk to do anything more intensive then a little light browsing and make a few notes then do go for the iMac option. Do keep in mind that as you'll be hackintoshing the Dell Mini, there is no guarantee that you'll be able to keep it updated, especilly with the 10.6.2 update coming up. If you're comfortable to keep to keep up with the Cat and Mouse Game, and no support from apple, its a viable path.

Going for a More Powerful Macbook Pro 15" or 17" on the other hand will give you a lot more power, especially with a better graphics card and powerful process. You'll have both power and some amount of portability, though not as much as with your 13".

In the end its a matter of choice, and working style. I travel a lot and need a reasonable amount of power with me, so I usually look for a balance between Power and Mobility. A Desktop bound system is not a choice for me.

I agree completely. Personally, I love the idea of portability - even if, on occasion, portability is simply moving from room to room rather than from country to country. As I travel a lot, portability is a must. To my mind, the more powerful MBP offers the best trade-off between power, performance and portability, and that is what I'd recommend in your situation. I have the 15" MBP and it is easily the best computer I have ever had.

Cheers and good luck

 

[feflower]

I have to agree the number of people here. I had a MacPro for 4 years and just got a 13" Macbook Pro. Now all I want to use is the laptop. I needed it for its portability and for my graduate school (presentations, writing papers away from home, etc).

The MacPro was sort of a mis-purchase as I just wanted to buy the most powerful thing out there.

I think more and more people are going to start using their laptop as their only computer. Some people complain about the weight of the Macbook Pro; I almost got a netbook, but I'm very glad I didn't. Their is a certain pride pulling out my Mac...

Once I get my degree in about 5 years, I'm going to treat myself to a new Macbook Pro and a 30" monitor (hopefully Apple's). The combination will allow you to have portability away from home and a nice big workspace when you need it.

I think this will be the way of the future.