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If you didn't need mobility, would you still get a MacBook?
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I love large screens, and DAT 5k iMac! @.@ Wowzers.
If portability wasn't a factor for me (I'm a freelance designer and I do a crapload of travelling) then I would definitely snap up an iMac over the MacBook Pro. Haven't thought about going back to Windows, the OS just seems so buggy after being with OSX for almost 6 years now.
Perhaps when I have kids, I'll buy a desktop again (and put it in the living room for all to use) but for now it's MacBook Pro all the way!
If portability wasn't a factor for me (I'm a freelance designer and I do a crapload of travelling) then I would definitely snap up an iMac over the MacBook Pro. Haven't thought about going back to Windows, the OS just seems so buggy after being with OSX for almost 6 years now.
Perhaps when I have kids, I'll buy a desktop again (and put it in the living room for all to use) but for now it's MacBook Pro all the way!
Can confirm. Generally when someone says the MacBook Pro with Retina display is overpriced, they're comparing it to a laptop with a much lower resolution TN panel, much lower battery life and much lower build quality.
I don't really need mobility..
I have one due to space saving reasons but hell do i want that 5K iMac.
I have one due to space saving reasons but hell do i want that 5K iMac.
I find myself gaming more and more on 3DS and wiiU systems, so PC gaming is not much of an issue to me. Not a graphics whore either.
My macbook is the best computer I have ever used.
Last time I seriously used a mac was in elementary school where we had either OS 9 on ibooks or the VERY early OS X on emacs and early imacs with the swivel screens. There were some PowerMac G3s still in use my freshman year of high school and they were awful.
Mavericks and Yosemite are insanely fast and work so well. The quality is just top notch and until I run into an issue, I think I am now one of those "apple fanboys."
I would consider getting an imac for the better screen space(15.4in is so small) but I'd rather keep the portability even for around the house(living room, kitchen, gaming room etc) and just plug into a monitor when at a desk.
My macbook is the best computer I have ever used.
Last time I seriously used a mac was in elementary school where we had either OS 9 on ibooks or the VERY early OS X on emacs and early imacs with the swivel screens. There were some PowerMac G3s still in use my freshman year of high school and they were awful.
Mavericks and Yosemite are insanely fast and work so well. The quality is just top notch and until I run into an issue, I think I am now one of those "apple fanboys."
I would consider getting an imac for the better screen space(15.4in is so small) but I'd rather keep the portability even for around the house(living room, kitchen, gaming room etc) and just plug into a monitor when at a desk.
This. I enjoy browsing on the couch and in bed too. Had a desktop tower for three years now, a laptop combines the best of both worlds, IMO. I have it hooked up to a 27" monitor when I'm at the desk, and with an extra keyboard and mouse it's got that desktop feel.
A laptop is a desktop with benefits, IMO. Laptops are no longer the underpowered secondary machines they once were and make viable desktop setups.
Macbook Pro Cap's & Lim's
I am a PC builder (Itunes sucks and big one on a PC) with an Iphone 5s and a new Ipad Air 2 (a real rocket!!!). I am thinking hard about acquiring an OSX-based device just for the heck of it. I compared the new iMAC 5K and the rMBP with as close to compatible spec's as possible. The rMBP is way overpriced just for portability. The prices between the two are pretty close....sorry...I will get the Imac and wait for a 12" Ipad for portability......
I am a PC builder (Itunes sucks and big one on a PC) with an Iphone 5s and a new Ipad Air 2 (a real rocket!!!). I am thinking hard about acquiring an OSX-based device just for the heck of it. I compared the new iMAC 5K and the rMBP with as close to compatible spec's as possible. The rMBP is way overpriced just for portability. The prices between the two are pretty close....sorry...I will get the Imac and wait for a 12" Ipad for portability......
That was not my point. My point is I can always build a cheaper PC. It may not match spec-wise, but the option is there to build it, and then upgrade it as I go. It's about what fits into my budget ... Not what is the best "deal" with all else spec-wise being equal. You simply saw something in what I wrote that was just not there at all.
That's not what I was saying at all. If it was I would have actually said that ... Like so: "No, Apple stuff is way overpriced. I can just build an equally-spec'd system for lots less."
That is not what I said at all. I said I can build a PC for cheaper. I never said anything about such a PC being equal spec-wise. So, please stop putting words in or inferring things that simply were not stated.
At any rate, I did not reply to get into that age-old debate with anybody. Nobody is going to "talk me into" doing what they would do, so just let it rest, alright?
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Pretty much. No wonder people are starting to buy more Macs...
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Why the aggressive tone? I wasn't trying to put words in your mouth either
I abandoned desktop computers as my primary computer over 20 years ago, in favor of notebooks. Even if I don't need mobility in traveling to different locations, I find the in-house mobility useful quite often. Also, I like the fact that it would be easy to take my entire computer with me quickly in the event of some natural disaster, such as a fire or flood. In addition, I like the fact that on the few occasions there have been temporary interruptions in electrical power, my MBP keeps running on battery power, rather than abruptly shutting down. With a notebook, you have the option of mobility, whether you use it or not. With a desktop, you don't.
I also abandoned workstations years ago. Even when I am doing heavy rendering of av stuff, or working with VMs, I do it on a laptop. The question for me is what would I have if I didn't like the current line of Macbooks. That's easy, use my Lenovo X series.
Yeah, the battery is a double edged sword. I've been in the middle of intense work and had a few second power surge that would have crashed everything, but my Macbook Pro keeps running.
I've always thought it'b be a good idea to have a very small battery in a desktop to power it for a minute or two to protect from sudden outages and give the user a chance to save any immediate work.
I've always thought it'b be a good idea to have a very small battery in a desktop to power it for a minute or two to protect from sudden outages and give the user a chance to save any immediate work.
A docking station is an ideal and flexible setup:
- a good IPS monitor with a bunch of USB and video ports
- mouse
- keyboard
- external HDD for media or backup
- good bluetooth speakers
- power surge for all the power cables
And boom, you're set. Plug your laptop in if you want to use it like a desktop. Unplug it if you want to be mobile. I like this modular approach because you can also upgrade your monitor without getting rid of an entire computer inside of it. Or you could upgrade the computer without getting rid of the monitor. Much more cost efficient either way!
- a good IPS monitor with a bunch of USB and video ports
- mouse
- keyboard
- external HDD for media or backup
- good bluetooth speakers
- power surge for all the power cables
And boom, you're set. Plug your laptop in if you want to use it like a desktop. Unplug it if you want to be mobile. I like this modular approach because you can also upgrade your monitor without getting rid of an entire computer inside of it. Or you could upgrade the computer without getting rid of the monitor. Much more cost efficient either way!
Been there done that and at the end I got an iMac (now also with Retina) and got rid of my rMBP. I am tired of thinking about the battery health and cycles, trying to think what kind of software should run in the background, so that battery isn't affected, etc..I was also missing the big 27" screen of an iMac (and yes, someone could connect a laptop to an external monitor but that requires repositioning windows, or even resizing them...)
I am more of a desktop guy and I don't use laptops as much. Currently I only use my iPhone 6 when commuting, but I am thinking of getting an iPhone 6 Plus or an iPad Air, just because of the bigger screen...
I am more of a desktop guy and I don't use laptops as much. Currently I only use my iPhone 6 when commuting, but I am thinking of getting an iPhone 6 Plus or an iPad Air, just because of the bigger screen...
Which docking station are you using? I'm interested in this too for my rMBP. I've had a good docking for a work Thinkpad and it really was ideal.
On my side, yes, but just because the price is excellent. Let me explain:
Here in Germany we have the MediaMarkt / Saturn group. There we can buy the following:
-Base iMac 27: ~1600
-iMac 27 with 1TB Fusion drive or 256GB SSD: 2000
-Base Macbook Pro 15: ~1800
If I go to apple they cost 1800, 2000 and 2000. Exactly the same machine, factory sealed and so on.
That means that, for me, the Macbook Pro 15 has the best value: it's a quad core, has 16 GB or RAM and a 256 GB ultrafast SSD. Going for the 1TB fusion drive iMac would cost me 200 than the macbook and 400 more than the base iMac (!!!!): I'm not gonna pay 400 extra for the 1TB fusion drive.. ever, and for the 256GB it's also quite a lot.
I can add a 500 monitor and would have portability, more ram, super fast storage and a big screen. Of couse, I'm Ok with "just" 256GB storage and the macbook pro 15 is already more than fast enough to me. Yeah, it would cost a bit more than SSD iMac, but I think it's worth it.
Here in Germany we have the MediaMarkt / Saturn group. There we can buy the following:
-Base iMac 27: ~1600
-iMac 27 with 1TB Fusion drive or 256GB SSD: 2000
-Base Macbook Pro 15: ~1800
If I go to apple they cost 1800, 2000 and 2000. Exactly the same machine, factory sealed and so on.
That means that, for me, the Macbook Pro 15 has the best value: it's a quad core, has 16 GB or RAM and a 256 GB ultrafast SSD. Going for the 1TB fusion drive iMac would cost me 200 than the macbook and 400 more than the base iMac (!!!!): I'm not gonna pay 400 extra for the 1TB fusion drive.. ever, and for the 256GB it's also quite a lot.
I can add a 500 monitor and would have portability, more ram, super fast storage and a big screen. Of couse, I'm Ok with "just" 256GB storage and the macbook pro 15 is already more than fast enough to me. Yeah, it would cost a bit more than SSD iMac, but I think it's worth it.
I use an Asus PA248Q. It's a 24" 1920x1200 monitor. Though you may want to consider a 27" with a higher resolution if you want to go bigger.
- 4 USB 3.0 ports
- HDMI
- Displayport
- DVI
Only thing with it is I have to use DVI to HDMI (or mini DP). If it's a direct HDMI to HDMI, the rMBP will think its a TV and the screen looks all funky and pixelly. Not sure about DP to mini DP.
I bought my laptop because I'm able to be in bed and on the computer at the same time. Sitting on a computer chair for long periods of time is uncomfortable, especially when I have to do schoolwork for college, etc. I bought my rMBP 15" so that I could be in the comfort of my own bed and still have the opportunity to get work done. It's the best purchase I've ever made.
Whether on the sofa, in bed, or taking a dump, my 15" rMBP is always with me.
It's like an organ I need to survive.
It's like an organ I need to survive.
If my job provided me a laptop in which I should work on it, then I wouldn't buy a Macbook.
In my case I have the option of using my own computer at work, or use their desktops - which are pretty updated but have slow HDDs - so I prefer my Macbook since its SSD storage turns my work more comfortable.
In my case I have the option of using my own computer at work, or use their desktops - which are pretty updated but have slow HDDs - so I prefer my Macbook since its SSD storage turns my work more comfortable.
I have a Macbook 13'' and a Macbook pro 13'' as well...love they are so easy to carry around compared to any of my PC laptops I have ever owned...
Sure I like my Hackintosh a lot and it's a lot of fun upgrading it, but when it comes down to portability, battery life (writing this after a 9 hour the walking dead marathon on a single charge) and choosing a single computer I would choose my X220 anytime. It simply has the best keyboard, the best trackpoint, a thinklight etc. and if I need ports I can simply dock it up. My Desktop has been gathering a LOT of dust lately after getting my X220 and is only used for serious work.
