Buying MBA and iMac overkill?

[lulgle]

Hello everyone,

wanted to get the help of the community here. I am looking to replace and very tired and well used 15" mbp. I was thinking of getting a base 13" mba for portability and a 27" (to be able to up the ram) new iMac. Wondering if this might be overkill on what I would need.

I mainly work as a graphic designer, and I know that both machines would work well with what I need. I really wanted a desktop to be able to have that home media server working since all my movie and music collection plays well with itunes/apple tv. Had a mac mini but just couldn't get past the "after market" monitor (guess im a sucker for aesthetics )

With that laid out, my question is would a base mba be enough with the imac or would it benefit me to up the ram (since i cant do it after)? Would this type of set up be overkill? I appreciate everyones help. Thanks.

 

[NewbieCanada]

What will the MBA be used for?

 

[lulgle]

mostly graphics work, presentations to clients. I would think I would also use the desktop when i need the screen size but i've survived 10 yrs on a laptop so... im used to being on the small screen.

 

[alexlovesmacs]

15" rMBP

 

[schopaia]

Having used only a 13" MBA for the last year - often for freelance graphics work - I can say that it would be really nice to have a 23-24" monitor for working at home. The imac would def. be overkill unless you want to get into some really intensive 3d or video editing.

 

[jjhoekstra]

Why not get a 13 MBA with as much SSD and RAM as you can afford, a thunderbolt display and an external thunderbolt HD? That way you have all you need and you can keep your whole working environment on one computer. No more syncing.

 

[MacPat333]

Tha's exactly the same combination that I am now going for.

I have placed the order for a MBA 13" with 128GB SSD and 8GB RAM, which will help me over the next 6 months or so and once the new iMac has doen the first update cycle (little teething problems sorted out of the new model) I will get the 27" i7 iMac with 32GB RAM (self upgraded), the 2GB graphics card and the Fusion Drive.

Can't wait for my MBA to arrive (1-4 weeks delivery time) here.

cheers

 

[J&JPolangin]

...crazy, I'd get one or the other now and then wait one or two generations to see if you still need/want the item you don't get now...

Do you have a greater need for power or portability right at this time?

 

[MacPat333]

Me personally, I need to upgrade my current Netbook and therefore I am going with the MBA and increase from my 10" to the 13" MBA.

And the iMac will be the main machine that will be used for video and picture editing around next summer.

The MBA will get me through the next 9 months until next summer.

After that the MBA will become my travel laptop and I will let my wife make use of it, or I gonna use it in the living room when my wife will be sleepng in the bedroom where the iMac will be standing.

 

[torana355]

I have an iMac teamed with a 13" MBA and love the combo, i also have a Nexus 7. I find i use the MBA much more then the iMac, its such a great little machine.