2.4 GHz Macbook vs. 2.66 GHz iMac

[sief]

Looking for my first Mac, and have narrowed it down to these two. I have a Compaq laptop from about 2003 now and it is just outdated and I am needing to update. I am however, having a difficult time of deciding between these two computers. I love being able to lay in my bed with a computer or lay on the couch and surf the internet, however the power of the 2.66 GHz iMac is remarkable and I am thinking, for the cheaper price, it is the better buy. Ideally, I would like to buy a Macbook with comparable specs as the 2.66 GHz iMac and have a ACD and wireless keyboard/mouse to go with it, but unfortunately I do not have the resouces to justify that much expense on a computer.

Help!

 

[Pika]

If you need portability much more then power... I think you just answered your own question.

You should consider the 17" Unibody MacBook Pro 2.66GHz and forget the ACD and wireless keyboard/mouse.

 

[miles01110]

I'd just get the Macbook, upgrade the RAM, and buy a cheaper external monitor if you want/need the extra screen space.

 

[Tumbleweed666]

I love being able to lay in my bed with a computer or lay on the couch and surf the internet

Isn't it obvious what you should get? And realistically, I doubt you would see any difference in performance between 2.4 and 2.66? Whats that, about 10%? So an app might go 10% faster IF all other factors like network speed, memory or disk access don't get in the way which they almost certainly will in real life.
Think about it, you are surfing the internet on your couch, whats the main determinant of a page loading? Is it your wireless link? Your broadband link? Your DNS server? The remote web site? Or your PC's CPU ?

 

[Gregintosh]

The 24" iMac should be more than enough for you, and a great computer at that. Yeah, you can't surf on your couch with it, but having a 24" vs. 13" screen will give you a much better experience.

My advice, go with the 24" iMac and get a very comfortable computer chair!

 

[ditzy]

Only you really know your priorities, my priority would be the extra power. For others it would be the portability. For me getting a macbook as a primary computer would be a frustration. For others I'm sure the opposite is true. Decide what is really important to you and make your choice.

 

[Pika]

Personally if your willing to carry, an iMac can be just as portable for you, its just all depends on how you set your couch or bed.

 

[rupnok]

So I don't know if this helps - but I found myself using my MacBook less and less when I bought (and hacked) a MSI Wind to run OS X (super simple to do - just make sure to own a copy of Leopard to skirt legality issues).

I ended up using my MacBook at my desk more and more for "power processes" like music management and video editing - but hated the small screen. I finally decided to give my mom my MacBook, and upgraded to a refurb 24" iMac 2.8ghz ($1200).

I am incredibly happy with the screen and speed of the iMac (maxed out the ram to 4GB, looking to do HDD next). I do all my heavy lifting (music management, video editing, etc.) on the iMac, and all my light stuff (web, email, chat) on the MacBookNano (my rechristened name for the Wind).

You can pick up a Dell Mini 9 (Mydellmini.com for instructrions on how to convert it into a MacBookNano) for $200 some days (be on the look out), get yourself a great portable netbook - something you can use to read in bed - and still have the bad@$$ness of the iMac.

I hope you consider this route - PM me and I'm happy to chat more...

 

[sief]

Thanks everyone, great advice in this thread.