Hel

Buy whatever you want to. Your question is so simple you could have answered it yourself.

 

I think you should buy them all. Then give them to me.

 

Ask your parents.

 

MacBook Air. Don't live in the past.

 

Mac Pro 12-core with 92 GB RAM will give you a fairly good computer for the next months.

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I would get two.

 

Then give them both to me.

 

And you give one to me, and sell the other to the OP, which in turn needs to buy another second MP, which s/he then has to give to you and the cycle continues, until you have enough MPs to outperform the 2012 MBAs.

 

Nah, I want them both. Which means the OP needs to buy three, give one to you, and two to me: other than that, the plan's solid.

 

Since you said you need it to be portable, I would go for a mac mini. It's so small, you can take it anywhere you want to go.

 

I don't think he mentioned portability.

 

Yeah, I was just gonna say: did I miss something...?!

 

Regardless, it's a good point. The mac mini fits great in my backpack.

 

Faced with a similar dilemma (iMac? Mini? Air? each has great unique benefits) I'm opting for...

iMac + iPad.

A notebook is an attempt to cram as much desktop capability into a tolerable portable form factor. But is that the solution you want? What particular uses is that portability for? (YMMV...)

For me, portable means anywhere anytime access to email, basic web browsing, some lightweight applications, and a large but far from complete collection of my photos, music & videos. I don't need everything everywhere ... but access thereto is desirable. User interface need not be optimal, but need be everywhere.

Flip side, I need somewhere to stash multiple terabytes of complete collections, a real keyboard for prolonged hardcore text input (code, writings), a kick-butt processor for fast processing of big content, and a screen more like a wall than a window.

A notebook means compromising those, cutting back until it all fits (hence the much-desired Air).

But the iPad gives all the portability, and the iMac all the power (don't need to go into Mac Pro territory). So with iOS 5 & iCloud providing access to bulk content all the time, and with Splashtop or some such remote-desktop app for when access to desktop capabilities is paramount, I get the best of both worlds: all the convenience of a tablet plus all the power & capacity of a desktop.

 

To decide, simply identify all your application "minimum" needs. If an application recommends minimum i3, then buy next model up. For example, machine with i5 processor. If application needs mimum 20 GBs HDD, then use average 40 GB HDD for that specific application. If all your applications and DATA files (movies, pictures, email, etc. etc.) need "combined" is minimum 320 Megs, then buy 500 GB HDD instead. If wondering, I always buy the next size up after raw calculations. Thus, allowing expected future growth in its CPU & HDDs as well.

Do you need portability? Personally, I love "portability" for average home user usage. re: File/Print/Email/video streaming. For average NO Games playing need, the i5 platform does great. More then enough CPU power for the typical home user. And, I put games on a proper gaming machine - like XBox 360 device - connected to my large screen LCD TV.

Do you need portability and large screen, simply buy a MacBook Pro with external 24" high res monitor. Connect via special order DVI cable. And, connect external keyboard, external mouse and external printer to USB powered hub. Simply plug the MacBook Pro laptop into DVI cable and into the USB hub, and "away you go". One has a nice large screen in a fixed postion desktop desk. Yet, still allow one to "uplug" the laptop and go full wireless - in a full "portable" mode. Like using a laptop on one's lap while watching TV commercials. BTW: I'm writting this post from my laptop - while wating for TV commerical to finsih. (giant smile).

MacAir or MacBook Pro ??? Compare each system's specs / features and compare against your application needs as well. MacAir is a very light weight and fast machine (because it uses non-moving storage). But it lacks mass amount of internal storage. MacBook Pro is more CPU power (with its larger i5 / i7 chips) and it has more internal storage. But, its heavier weight. And, likes more battery power - compared to MacAir. Thus, pros / cons with each.

In the end, only you can decide what the best tool is - for your needs / wants. If portable / fast is your thing, then MacAir it. If portable with more power / more storage is your thing, then MacBook Pro it. If fixed postion desktop (with NO portability) is your thing, then iMac it.

Hope this helps...

 

Portable or not?
It is a simple question you could have answered yourself.
Then get the MBP because it is way faster and will last longer and you can put your own SSD in it.

 

The laptops get really hot as well. Upwards of 70-80ºC playing games. Because you are PLAYING GAMES. The GPU's are not ballsy enough for high demand titles at full bore. They get really hot and maxed out. Cool gaming requires a large case still even in PC land.