21.5" ATI iMac vs current 2.8GHz 17"MBP Matt

[phalewhale]

Hi all, just toying with an idea... I currently have the 17" MBP with 4GB RAM and the 5400rpm 500GB HD. The bureau I have wouldn't fit the previous 24 inch iMac so I decided to go all out for the 17" MBP since I needed the desktop space. The matt screen is also a real bonus. I don't really need the portability but I'm toying with the idea of 'upgrading' to the 21.5" iMac with the 256MB ATI Radeon - since it will fit. My current graphics card is an Nvidia one with 512MB RAM. The biggest reason for this is being able to upgrade to 8GB RAM cheaply...

What are your thought's and opinions on this? Would it be an upgrade or downgrade? I could also get a mac mini if I sell the laptop. The MBP is brand new and I'm hoping to get around £1500 if I decide to put it on eBay since it comes with 3yr apple care and was only purchased in Aug.

EDIT: Sorry! Wasn't really thinking earlier when i wrote this. Probably best in the Buying/Advice section...

 

[Hellhammer]

I wouldn't. If you want it more desktop alike, get external monitor but selling it and buy a new one is loss of money. It's fully working and almost brand new

 

[phalewhale]

I got it cheaper since I get university discount. I know I'll lose some but if it's only £200 I'm prepared - however only if the performance of the desktop class Radeon graphics card is much better than the current one in the 17" MBP. Being able to upgrade to 8GB for an extra £70 from crucial.com is a big bonus for me since I use a few virtual machines at once...

The external monitor is going to have to be pricey to compare with the quality of the LED panel in my MBP... Still mulling this over...