I have a rMBP that I'm thinking of selling, since I use it less and less every since I got a Surface Pro. I'm looking at getting something for video editing and general schoolwork. Usually I don't look at Mac desktops as I can usually build one for cheaper, but the 5K iMac is the same price as a 5K monitor, and I have a machine to concentrate on my work rather than be tempted to game lol. What would be the best for my needs?
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iMac 5K or MacBook Pro?
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The screen on the riMac is fantastic. I have been a Windows user for the past 20+ years. Using is since windows 2.x
I gave up on Microsoft after Win8 and just could not bring myself to buy another Win-PC. I could never justify the mac but with this screen I took the leap. I now find it hard to use my old 15" win7 laptop as the screen is just so yuk by comparison. It took a bit to convert over to the Mac way of doing things but the software for the most part is all the same. For web browsing you can't beat crispness of the type. I do photography and having an IPS colour accurate monitor is key.
I'd suggest the i7 and I got the 512SSD on refurb. Do most of my work off a NAS drive anyways but have a 3tb external and it's very fast. I went with the 290x video and can't say I ever felt it to be too slow. Got 16gb ram from Apple and never found a need to upgrade.
I gave up on Microsoft after Win8 and just could not bring myself to buy another Win-PC. I could never justify the mac but with this screen I took the leap. I now find it hard to use my old 15" win7 laptop as the screen is just so yuk by comparison. It took a bit to convert over to the Mac way of doing things but the software for the most part is all the same. For web browsing you can't beat crispness of the type. I do photography and having an IPS colour accurate monitor is key.
I'd suggest the i7 and I got the 512SSD on refurb. Do most of my work off a NAS drive anyways but have a 3tb external and it's very fast. I went with the 290x video and can't say I ever felt it to be too slow. Got 16gb ram from Apple and never found a need to upgrade.
What are the requirements of your video editing? Video editing ranges from editing video from your cell phone to editing an multi million dollar Avengers movie and everything between
I'm starting small, as I'm new, but I hope to make some more CPU intensive rendering in the future.
For your needs, you can stick with the stock high-end retina iMac for now (3.5/8/1TB FD/M290X).
Whilst you may be happy now I suspect given your history with Windows you will become very bored with the iMac. I am thinking of going the other way after owning an iMac for the last 6 years, and a Mini before that.
Trouble is with the latest iMac's they are getting less and less upgradable/tinker-able with. My 2011 iMac is really the last of the iMac's that you could easily mess with. As an ex-PC builder myself having something that just works does not suit my mind.
I have three friends/work colleagues who all went over to Mac's after years of Windows tinkering. All said they would never go back to Windows - all are now back with - WINDOWS.
The Mac's are great if you want something that 'just works'. For many people that is enough, but for many others it's not.