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Bought 2 Apple Computers - bad decision?

DreamscapeRuins

DreamscapeRuins

macrumors member
Original poster
Jul 6, 2011
67
0
Inside your mind
So, short version of my story:
I bought a new 21.5" iMac last Friday. It shipped today and its WONDERFUL. I've been wanting an iMac for about a year now, so... on a whim, I decided I needed it.

Upon buying it, I gave my MacBook (13", bought in late '07 early '08ish) to my Mom. She's never touched a Mac before, and I thought she'd enjoy it since she's a fan of her iPad/iPhone. I've been using my HP Notebook for a few days now. (Which is fine, I suppose. PC's just bug me.)

I had a plan to buy a MacBook Pro first, since I wanted to upgrade from my MB, pay it off by January, and then buy the iMac. But I reversed it and got the iMac first. Last night, I impulsively decided that I'll need the MBP before January - for classes that start in August. So, I bought it - on an impulse. Because Apple makes me an impulsive shopper. (Do I have a problem? Yes. Yes I do. :rolleyes: )

At first, I didn't think BML would accept the charge, and I'm still not sure it did - since its not showing on my account. But I just got the confirmation shipment email from Apple for the MBP - so, I suppose it was?

Either way, I financed them through BML, and I'm 110% sure I'll have them both paid off by January, if not sooner. I spent 2-3 hours last night working and figuring out my finances. So, I'm not worried about that at all.

However, I'm a little overwhelmed. It was enough to spend 1k on an iMac in one night. And now I've successfully spent 2k on 2 computers in less than 1 week. Am I the only one who has done this? Bad idea?

Thank god I found a job last month.
 
DreamscapeRuins said:
So, short version of my story:
I bought a new 21.5" iMac last Friday. It shipped today and its WONDERFUL. I've been wanting an iMac for about a year now, so... on a whim, I decided I needed it.

Upon buying it, I gave my MacBook (13", bought in late '07 early '08ish) to my Mom. She's never touched a Mac before, and I thought she'd enjoy it since she's a fan of her iPad/iPhone. I've been using my HP Notebook for a few days now. (Which is fine, I suppose. PC's just bug me.)

I had a plan to buy a MacBook Pro first, since I wanted to upgrade from my MB, pay it off by January, and then buy the iMac. But I reversed it and got the iMac first. Last night, I impulsively decided that I'll need the MBP before January - for classes that start in August. So, I bought it - on an impulse. Because Apple makes me an impulsive shopper. (Do I have a problem? Yes. Yes I do. :rolleyes: )

At first, I didn't think BML would accept the charge, and I'm still not sure it did - since its not showing on my account. But I just got the confirmation shipment email from Apple for the MBP - so, I suppose it was?

Either way, I financed them through BML, and I'm 110% sure I'll have them both paid off by January, if not sooner. I spent 2-3 hours last night working and figuring out my finances. So, I'm not worried about that at all.

However, I'm a little overwhelmed. It was enough to spend 1k on an iMac in one night. And now I've successfully spent 2k on 2 computers in less than 1 week. Am I the only one who has done this? Bad idea?

Thank god I found a job last month.
Click to expand...

If you are getting the MacBook Pro, do you have a need for an iMac? I'd probably keep the Pro and use the thousand that you save on books.
 
DreamscapeRuins said:
So, short version of my story:
I bought a new 21.5" iMac last Friday. It shipped today and its WONDERFUL. I've been wanting an iMac for about a year now, so... on a whim, I decided I needed it.

Upon buying it, I gave my MacBook (13", bought in late '07 early '08ish) to my Mom. She's never touched a Mac before, and I thought she'd enjoy it since she's a fan of her iPad/iPhone. I've been using my HP Notebook for a few days now. (Which is fine, I suppose. PC's just bug me.)

I had a plan to buy a MacBook Pro first, since I wanted to upgrade from my MB, pay it off by January, and then buy the iMac. But I reversed it and got the iMac first. Last night, I impulsively decided that I'll need the MBP before January - for classes that start in August. So, I bought it - on an impulse. Because Apple makes me an impulsive shopper. (Do I have a problem? Yes. Yes I do. :rolleyes: )

At first, I didn't think BML would accept the charge, and I'm still not sure it did - since its not showing on my account. But I just got the confirmation shipment email from Apple for the MBP - so, I suppose it was?

Either way, I financed them through BML, and I'm 110% sure I'll have them both paid off by January, if not sooner. I spent 2-3 hours last night working and figuring out my finances. So, I'm not worried about that at all.

However, I'm a little overwhelmed. It was enough to spend 1k on an iMac in one night. And now I've successfully spent 2k on 2 computers in less than 1 week. Am I the only one who has done this? Bad idea?

Thank god I found a job last month.
Click to expand...

Not a bad decision at all if you use them. People always make fun of me for the computers I buy and the fact that I pay for software but as someone who works in IT and is a indie game developer who eventually wants to get a job in the visual effects industry and is learning lots of high end software I know that my purchases are justified.
 
chrono1081 said:
Not a bad decision at all if you use them. People always make fun of me for the computers I buy and the fact that I pay for software but as someone who works in IT and is a indie game developer who eventually wants to get a job in the visual effects industry and is learning lots of high end software I know that my purchases are justified.
Click to expand...

Exactly! I'm in school for IT, with a concentration on Web Development and a minor in Video Editing. So, I feel as if the purchases are justified. Or, I think they're justified enough. Its just a lot to take in, I guess.

Kendo said:
If you are getting the MacBook Pro, do you have a need for an iMac? I'd probably keep the Pro and use the thousand that you save on books.
Click to expand...

I'll have a need for the iMac, yes. Especially with the video editing aspect. It may sound stupid, but most of the schoolwork that I do from home gets done on a desktop. I've been using a crappy '04 Dell Desktop for years and it sounds like its about to explode. It was a hand-me-down from my parents. But I get work done better on a desktop than I do a laptop, for some reason.

The MBP, I planned to use just like I did my old MB. Take it to school for notes, studying in the library, or when I'm on the go. The MBP would also be used more for leisure and less for business/school, where as the iMac would be the opposite. My MacBook Memory ran low with all of the stuff I have stored on there. I had to move most, if not all of it, to second HD to free up some space. So, this way I have two computers. I can organize more? I did, however, need something portable to take with me to class. And while the iMac is awesome and only has one cord, I dont think I can squeeze it in my bookbag and drag it to class :p

The HP I was talking about was a small purchase about a year ago. I think it only cost me around 400 bucks, if that. I got it for two reasons. One - one of my classes required us to use a software that ran on Windows 7. And two - I needed to be up to date with PC products, since this is my major. I figured I should be experienced in both Mac and PC, and not just swing one way and forget about the other.

And I factored in the cost of books last night with the financing. So, even with spending 800+ bucks on pointless textbooks, I can still afford these two.
 
DreamscapeRuins said:
I'll have a need for the iMac, yes. Especially with the video editing aspect. It may sound stupid, but most of the schoolwork that I do from home gets done on a desktop. I've been using a crappy '04 Dell Desktop for years and it sounds like its about to explode. It was a hand-me-down from my parents. But I get work done better on a desktop than I do a laptop, for some reason.
Click to expand...

Hard drives and RAM are cheap, so you could easily bump those up in your MBP. I have a 256GB SSD I'm installing in my 17" MBP and a 1TB HDD replacing its optical drive.

Based on your quote above, if you need a "desktop" environment for psychological reasons over technical ones, try this:
Hengedock: http://hengedocks.com/
Monitor: http://outlet.us.dell.com/ARBOnline...d=222806&c=us&cs=22&l=en&MODEL_DESC=ALL&s=dfh
Magic Mouse/Bluetooth Keyboard. That'll save you a good $700 off your iMac, potentially give you even more screen real-estate, and allow you to use the extra cash to upgrade your MBP with bigger HDD space, RAM, etc.

That's just a thought. I use two Apple computers myself, and I love them. But if you're feeling buyer's remorse, this might be a helpful way to get what you want amd save a few hundred dollars.
 
First... nothing wrong with what you done if you need them. Look at it this way, I spent $6000 on a Mac II with a 8 bit color card in 1987 because I thought if I was going to go anywhere in the company I worked for, I needed it. (I worked for the largest DTP software maker at the time). Well, it paid off. Having the Mac at home made it so I could do much more and get my career off the ground. Best $6000K ever spent.

But... with that said, I think you underestimate the power of a bumped up MacBook Pro and a nice monitor and other peripherals. When plugged in, it's like a desktop machine and may have been enough for you vs two lessor powered machines.

Either way... don't fret over it... make it worth it and enjoy it! There are worse things you can spend your money on.
:D
 
Right Tool's

DreamscapeRuins said:
Exactly! I'm in school for IT, with a concentration on Web Development and a minor in Video Editing. So, I feel as if the purchases are justified. Or, I think they're justified enough. Its just a lot to take in, I guess.




I'll have a need for the iMac, yes. Especially with the video editing aspect. It may sound stupid, but most of the schoolwork that I do from home gets done on a desktop. I've been using a crappy '04 Dell Desktop for years and it sounds like its about to explode. It was a hand-me-down from my parents. But I get work done better on a desktop than I do a laptop, for some reason.

The MBP, I planned to use just like I did my old MB. Take it to school for notes, studying in the library, or when I'm on the go. The MBP would also be used more for leisure and less for business/school, where as the iMac would be the opposite. My MacBook Memory ran low with all of the stuff I have stored on there. I had to move most, if not all of it, to second HD to free up some space. So, this way I have two computers. I can organize more? I did, however, need something portable to take with me to class. And while the iMac is awesome and only has one cord, I dont think I can squeeze it in my bookbag and drag it to class :p

The HP I was talking about was a small purchase about a year ago. I think it only cost me around 400 bucks, if that. I got it for two reasons. One - one of my classes required us to use a software that ran on Windows 7. And two - I needed to be up to date with PC products, since this is my major. I figured I should be experienced in both Mac and PC, and not just swing one way and forget about the other.

And I factored in the cost of books last night with the financing. So, even with spending 800+ bucks on pointless textbooks, I can still afford these two.
Click to expand...
You have to have good tools if you expect to do a good job!
 
I personally would take back the Macbook Pro and go with iMac and Macbook Air. From what you are using, sounds like it would be completely fine. Macbook air for taking notes, taking to library, carrying around with books, and iMac for everything advanced.
 
If spending 2K on computers in a short space of time was a crime, how would any of us own Mac Pros (especially ones like mine with nice pretty Cinema Displays attached).... If you use them go for it (I know it can work, its worked for me....)
 
Ok, only you can know if this was a bad decision is you.

But since you asked, my opinion is that it's always a bad decision to buy things on credit that are not essentials. Buying two computers on credit does indeed seem like a bad decision.
 
I never gave thought to getting the MBP and an external screen. That would have been a good idea! Oh well, though. I'll put good use to both, I suppose.

VeganHipster said:
I personally would take back the Macbook Pro and go with iMac and Macbook Air. From what you are using, sounds like it would be completely fine. Macbook air for taking notes, taking to library, carrying around with books, and iMac for everything advanced.
Click to expand...

I considered the MBA, for the cheaper price tag. But I admit I've never been a huge fan of it.

Thanks for your input, everyone. I dont think I'll be returning either one - since our nearest Apple Store is 2.5 hours away.
 
s15119 said:
Ok, only you can know if this was a bad decision is you.

But since you asked, my opinion is that it's always a bad decision to buy things on credit that are not essentials. Buying two computers on credit does indeed seem like a bad decision.
Click to expand...

This. Especially a student. Since you said you'll be paying them off. Have any student loans? Sure you don't just freely swipe your credit card for that Chipotle or fifth of whisky? What next? Then even if you do work during the school year, you probably don't make enough for daily expenses + useless $2k in debt.

I mean I just graduated college with 0 credit card debt (that has slightly changed due to my month between graduation and work and a hospital bill) and I make decent change, and even I can't quite justify exploiting the B2School deal and replacing my 4+ year old MacBook. I know I can pay it off in a couple months max, but can't really confirm to myself that it's worth it.

Just think of 5-10% student loan interest rate or 15-25+% credit card interest compounded yearly for 'x' thousands of debt you have/will have.
 
malman89 said:
This. Especially a student. Since you said you'll be paying them off. Have any student loans? Sure you don't just freely swipe your credit card for that Chipotle or fifth of whisky? What next? Then even if you do work during the school year, you probably don't make enough for daily expenses + useless $2k in debt.

I mean I just graduated college with 0 credit card debt (that has slightly changed due to my month between graduation and work and a hospital bill) and I make decent change, and even I can't quite justify exploiting the B2School deal and replacing my 4+ year old MacBook. I know I can pay it off in a couple months max, but can't really confirm to myself that it's worth it.

Just think of 5-10% student loan interest rate or 15-25+% credit card interest compounded yearly for 'x' thousands of debt you have/will have.
Click to expand...

Yes, I have student loans. But I wont be due to pay them back for 3.5+ years, at least. As for freely swiping my credit cards - the only time I actually use my CREDIT cards freely is in emergencies. I used more a few months ago when I was unemployed, but I generally dont just freely swipe it. I'm not swamped in Credit Card debt.

When I crunched the numbers, I figured in daily expenses - Gas, food, random small purchases here and there. I didn't plan to pay them off and be broke for a good few months - I'll still have money to fall back on. (This also factors in a "bonus" I'll be getting in November - long story.) The two computers wont be collecting interest - as its "No Interest for the first 6 months", and I'll have them paid off before that time frame.

Its not the money I was worried about - more of the guilt of making a big purchase, so... I was just asking for others input, I suppose.
 
You're in trouble. . .

DreamscapeRuins said:
When I crunched the numbers, I figured in daily expenses - Gas, food, random small purchases here and there. I didn't plan to pay them off and be broke for a good few months - I'll still have money to fall back on. (This also factors in a "bonus" I'll be getting in November - long story.) The two computers wont be collecting interest - as its "No Interest for the first 6 months", and I'll have them paid off before that time frame.

Its not the money I was worried about - more of the guilt of making a big purchase, so... I was just asking for others input, I suppose.
Click to expand...

Since you asked:
1) Borrowing money to buy something that doesn't make money is idiotic. Yes, I know everyone does it. I don't. Get debt free. Save up for a car rather than finance it. Get ahead of the curve or you'll spend your entire life in debt.
2) You will need to save for retirement. Too far away? You will need to save for a period of unemployment, or disability, or for raising your children.
 
Having multiple macs is fine. I just hate getting them the same year because if you alternate years then you can always justify updating one.
 
ebolamonkey3 said:
I really think you should've just bought a 15" MBP and an external monitor.
Click to expand...

A 15" MBP and an external monitor are definitely NOT as good as a 15" MBP and an iMac. First of all, connecting the monitor with the MBP every time when they are used is very inconvenient. Secondly, using the keyboard and the trackpad on the MBP is not as comfortable as using those that come with the iMac.

If OP can afford these two machines and they are of value to OP's work and fun, then buying both of them is justified. Even though I now have a Mac Pro at work and an MBA on the go, I think I need a Mac Mini at home so that I can just sit in front of the Mac Mini and do whatever I want to do without connecting any cables. I am now waiting for the update of Mac Mini.
 
DreamscapeRuins said:
I never gave thought to getting the MBP and an external screen. That would have been a good idea! Oh well, though. I'll put good use to both, I suppose.



I considered the MBA, for the cheaper price tag. But I admit I've never been a huge fan of it.

Thanks for your input, everyone. I dont think I'll be returning either one - since our nearest Apple Store is 2.5 hours away.
Click to expand...

Alrighty then! Enjoy your Macs, I am truly jealous since I will never have a reason for owning an iMac and a Macbook Pro (besides greed >:D ).
 
FrankHahn said:
A 15" MBP and an external monitor are definitely NOT as good as a 15" MBP and an iMac. First of all, connecting the monitor with the MBP every time when they are used is very inconvenient. Secondly, using the keyboard and the trackpad on the MBP is not as comfortable as using those that come with the iMac.
Click to expand...

Agreed. But the compromise is spending $200 for a 23" monitor and maybe $50 for an external keyboard and mouse as opposed to $1200 for an iMac.
 
just wanted to chime in regarding a laptop for video editing. i've been using a 2008 15" mbp for my job doing motion graphics and video editing, and while of course faster systems are going to perform renders faster (final outputs often gets slaved out to a mac pro at work), the macbook pro is quite competent for hd video editing. i just pulled the trigger on a 2011 mbp for a productivity boost, and i fully expect it to handle whatever i throw at it for the next couple years :) i also shlep the thing daily between home and work, and really don't find connecting an external monitor and keyboard that big of a deal!

that said, if you're going the route you did, i'd have gone even further. ;) i connect to a 21" external at work and it barely feels bigger than the laptop screen. but those 27" monsters are a sight to behold. if i craved a distinct desktop experience i'd want that huge monitor. and given that a cinema display for your laptop would already be 2/3rds the price of a 27" imac, it starts looking like not such a bad idea to just get the whole package. hopefully at least you went for the 2.7ghz model, as the difference between the top spec'd mbp and the base imac will only be getting you an extra 0.2ghz.

anyway, just playin devil's advocate here, enjoy your systems :)
 
These are both 2011 machines right?

You made a great decision. All you need is a thunderbolt cable and the iMac is your monitor for MBP with a few key strokes. You can do processor intensive stuff on the iMac while you use its monitor with the MBP.

Don't feel bad about spending money. It is not as if you wasted it on bad hookers and drugs.
 
PatrickCocoa said:
Since you asked:
1) Borrowing money to buy something that doesn't make money is idiotic. Yes, I know everyone does it.
Click to expand...

He did say he's in college studying IT. If he gets a job in the field of computers, they'll help him make money. At least he'll be able to offer Mac and Windows support simultaneously.
 
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