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First Mac, which one?

I

Infinikev

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 26, 2012
16
0
So im getting a mac this august, i get the choice of which one but the budget is 2000....so a mac pros outta the question. I go to a high school which centered around self directed learning so ill be spending a lot of time on my mac. I might game a little, ie minecraft. and do a bit of encoding/rendering. I don't know whether to get the macbook pro, imac, or mac mini. I have a notebook (acer aspire one 722 amd dual core c-50 1 ghz. 2 gb ram and some amd graphics) and a custom built pc (intel pentium D dual core 2.8 ghz. 4 gb ram. Nvidia geforce 7200GS. Asrock something mother board). As you can see their not that fats, hence why i use my dads computer....ive managed to over clock my pc but both are on their way out, I'm already am buying a screen replacement for my notebook and need a new power supply for my desktop. Im looking for something to use in replacement for one of these....with the criteria of being able to use i works, and lightly game (ill be using boot-camp for that prob). I'm going to customize the mac after (like custom build it before its shipped) and i also get 100-200 discount.

Can you give me an explanation for which one is best and what i should update on it. Sorry this is long but thanks for your feedback.
 
Get the Macbook Pro Retina Display or wait for the iMac that should be coming in 2013 sometime with Retina Display and maybe a bigger size SSD 512 GB and should have USB 3.0/2.0 capability, and any other possible rumors.
 
Infinikev said:
So im getting a mac this august, i get the choice of which one but the budget is 2000....so a mac pros outta the question. I go to a high school which centered around self directed learning so ill be spending a lot of time on my mac. I might game a little, ie minecraft. and do a bit of encoding/rendering. I don't know whether to get the macbook pro, imac, or mac mini. I have a notebook (acer aspire one 722 amd dual core c-50 1 ghz. 2 gb ram and some amd graphics) and a custom built pc (intel pentium D dual core 2.8 ghz. 4 gb ram. Nvidia geforce 7200GS. Asrock something mother board). As you can see their not that fats, hence why i use my dads computer....ive managed to over clock my pc but both are on their way out, I'm already am buying a screen replacement for my notebook and need a new power supply for my desktop. Im looking for something to use in replacement for one of these....with the criteria of being able to use i works, and lightly game (ill be using boot-camp for that prob). I'm going to customize the mac after (like custom build it before its shipped) and i also get 100-200 discount.

Can you give me an explanation for which one is best and what i should update on it. Sorry this is long but thanks for your feedback.
Click to expand...

You're going to get hammered for asking a question that's been asked thousands of times on this forum. I might as well start the process and tell you A. Use the search function or B. Use your best judgement and pull the trigger like a big boy.
 
If you can hold out for a month like myself (same situation as you) until next month for the new iMac with better specs and hopefully new design:cool:.

For rendering After effects, Photoshop, Illustrator you definitely want to opt for the higher end graphics card which is at this a moment on the iMac a 2GB Amd radeon mobile card. Although the macbooks are nice and fast (Retina models) with the upgraded pixel count your graphics card performance is pretty much halved and gaming would be a horror.
Due to games max resolutions generally being about 1200x1920 this would have to upscale the games to fit fullscreen lowering both performance and looks.

I can wait the question is can you? If not go ahead you probably won't regret much if you buy now. If you get the maxed out high end 27" iMac you can be sure it will still be a top contender with the new refresh models.
 
Infinikev said:
when is the new imac coming out?
Click to expand...

That's the $64,000 question.

Prevailing opinion is that it will be simultaneous with the release of OS X Mountain Lion, which is on an unknown date in July. If last year is a firm indicator, it will be July 25th this year.

But, none of us know. We're all here checking analyst write-ups, component availability, retailer stock, and so forth to form our own opinion. Apple won't tell us until the day it's out.
 
iMac will be out of the question, since you are paying top-dollar for year-old hardware. you mention that you like to do a bit of gaming, so a mac mini will be out of the question with integrated graphics. a 13" macbook pro could be a possibility, as graphics are now 60% faster for integrated graphics. or maybe a low-end 15" with aftermarket RAM...

ask yourself this: have you even considered a macbook air? you seem to need something portable obviously so save the bulk in your bag for something else and get a macbook air.
 
macmastersam said:
iMac will be out of the question, since you are paying top-dollar for year-old hardware. you mention that you like to do a bit of gaming, so a mac mini will be out of the question with integrated graphics. a 13" macbook pro could be a possibility, as graphics are now 60% faster for integrated graphics. or maybe a low-end 15" with aftermarket RAM...

ask yourself this: have you even considered a macbook air? you seem to need something portable obviously so save the bulk in your bag for something else and get a macbook air.
Click to expand...

The MBA also has integrated graphics and should be ruled out if gaming is a concern.
 
I'm shying away from the macbook air becuz its sorta like my ipad 3rd gen. I really don't need anything lightweight...i want some what power. for me its either the new imac or macbook pro im going to make my final decision either august (birthday) or back to school
 
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