15" rMBP vs 27"iMac

[goosin']

Hi everyone! Long time viewer but first time poster.

Pretty soon it'll be time for me to get a new computer to replace my Windows laptop. However, I can't decide which of these to get:

-----OPTION 1-----
27-inch iMac
-3.5 GHz Quad-core i7
-32GB RAM
-3TB Fusion Drive
-NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M 4GB GDDR5

iPad Air 2
-128 GB
-Space Grey


-----OPTION 2-----
15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display
-2.8 GHz Quad-core i7
-16GB RAM
-1TB SSD
-NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M with 2GB GDDR5

Apple Thunderbolt Display (when it gets updated)




Both these options cost about the same. I just can't decide if an iPad can replace a laptop when not at my desk and if having a Thunderbolt Display connected to a rMBP at my desk is a good idea. Thanks in advance for any input or advice.

 

[cruisin]

For small amounts of word processing, a tablet is fine. Adding a keyboard is a personal preference. For other tasks it really depends on what you do.

Personally I would get the 11 inch air over the 128 GB iPad. Then you will have a desktop and a laptop. For a little bit more cash, you get a more powerful machine and more battery life.

The iPad has touch and is lighter, but it will never do what a laptop can. There are devices like the Surface Pro which add touch and pen support to a laptop, but the battery life is about 5 hours.

 

[mad3inch1na]

Hi everyone! Long time viewer but first time poster.

Pretty soon it'll be time for me to get a new computer to replace my Windows laptop. However, I can't decide which of these to get:

-----OPTION 1-----
27-inch iMac
-3.5 GHz Quad-core i7
-32GB RAM
-3TB Fusion Drive
-NVIDIA GeForce GTX 780M 4GB GDDR5

iPad Air 2
-128 GB
-Space Grey


-----OPTION 2-----
15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display
-2.8 GHz Quad-core i7
-16GB RAM
-1TB SSD
-NVIDIA GeForce GT 750M with 2GB GDDR5

Apple Thunderbolt Display (when it gets updated)




Both these options cost about the same. I just can't decide if an iPad can replace a laptop when not at my desk and if having a Thunderbolt Display connected to a rMBP at my desk is a good idea. Thanks in advance for any input or advice.

If you get the iMac, I would get it with 8GB of RAM and upgrade it yourself. It takes a minute to pop in the RAM, and it will save you $200-$300. I would also just get a baseline MBA instead of an iPad. It is much more powerful and will actually cost less. The iPad isn't a great productivity device. If you are just using the iPad as an entertainment device then go ahead and get it, but the 128GB model is overpriced.

You didn't really mention what you will be using the computer for, so it is hard to give you advice.

Matt

 

[goosin']

If you get the iMac, I would get it with 8GB of RAM and upgrade it yourself. It takes a minute to pop in the RAM, and it will save you $200-$300. I would also just get a baseline MBA instead of an iPad. It is much more powerful and will actually cost less. The iPad isn't a great productivity device. If you are just using the iPad as an entertainment device then go ahead and get it, but the 128GB model is overpriced.

You didn't really mention what you will be using the computer for, so it is hard to give you advice.

Matt

Thanks for the tip on the RAM, will definitely do that!

The main computer would be used for Photoshop, Illustrator, Xcode, and lots of other RAM-intensive programs which is why I'm trying to get a much as I can.

The iPad/other Mac would be used mostly for entertainment. Games, Netflix, iTunes, etc. If I used it for any work at all it'd be simple word documents, nothing too bad. Whatever I get will come with me wherever I go, which is why I was thinking of getting the iPad. I also want to be able to just lay down and relax in bed with it, do you think the MBA will be good for doing that?

 

[mad3inch1na]

Thanks for the tip on the RAM, will definitely do that!

The main computer would be used for Photoshop, Illustrator, Xcode, and lots of other RAM-intensive programs which is why I'm trying to get a much as I can.

The iPad/other Mac would be used mostly for entertainment. Games, Netflix, iTunes, etc. If I used it for any work at all it'd be simple word documents, nothing too bad. Whatever I get will come with me wherever I go, which is why I was thinking of getting the iPad. I also want to be able to just lay down and relax in bed with it, do you think the MBA will be good for doing that?

I have a 13" MBA and an iPad Air + Apple keyboard, and the iPad is really terrible for word processing. The copy/paste is poorly implemented, and the lack of a cursor is a real headache. Before I purchased the MBA, I did most of my word processing on my desktop. I really enjoy the iPad as an entertainment device, but the MBA screen is personally the only negative. I like the MBA better for versatility of entertainment. I can watch hulu for free, and while I don't play games much, there are some steam/flash games that I do like to play every once and a while. I may just be stuck in the past, but I really enjoy the UI of OS X more than I do iOS. Personal opinion, but I think it is much more navigable.

Matt