iMac, MBA, iPad make a good combination?

[Airforcekid]

I currently have a 2010 MBP C2D 8GB of ram and it's slowing down for day to day tasks (and the hard drive is about to fail) especially handbrake and fps when gaming. I read a lot of PDF files for work and present keynotes slides basic photo video editing etc. When at home I play windows only games as well as work in Linux via parallels 6. I was planning on selling the MBP getting an iPad to read PDFs in iBook and read notes I take in evernote. Get a 1.8ghz 4GB ram MacBook air for notes quick editing showing presentations and some windows and Linux work in virtualization and getting a new iMac for intensive editing handbrake and virtualized gaming (games are strategy somewhat CPU intensive not too graphic intensive). The only thing I can't decide on is what iMac to get is the 27 inch worth it? Is there a big difference between the base and 1499 modol that would be very noticeable for me? I would like to keep these for four years or more but haven't had very good luck with that lately.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I would not buy any computer w/ a C2D chip at this point. Be patient as I'm certain well see a MBA update w/ i3s and TB by June.

Alternatively, Microcenter has the low end 13" MBP (i5) for $999 this month. Replace the HD w/ and SSD and you are in biz. If that is still too heavy for you remove the optical drive. I think someone even makes an SSD bracket for that space so you could rock two SSDs.

 

[trip1ex]

2010 C2D MBP and you say it is slowing down for day to day tasks?

Hogwash.

And if the hard drive is going to fail aren't you under warranty still? They came out 4/10. Maybe you haven't missed the deadline yet.

Worst case it is a good time to put a SSD in that baby.

anyway not seeing the point of getting a MBA, iPad and iMac. And even stranger is making your mind up to get all this stuff, but somehow you don't know which iMac you want or whether a 27" model is "worth" it?

I don't think those 3 devices are "worth" it.

 

[gpat]

I would get a 11" Air after Sandy Bridge refresh, plus a good monitor and a big 2.5" self powered drive. I don't like my data being stored on more than one computer, unless everything is always synced. You will be able to have a great and powerful machine both at home and on the go.

 

[flynz4]

Personally, I think a 27" iMac and an 11" MBA is the perfect combination. I keep all of my "documents" in dropbox, so they are always accessible and syncing wherever I am.

I do not keep any music or video on my MBA. All of that lives on the iMac. I keep a copy of 100% of my music on my iPod which is with me when I travel. I keep a small selection of about 20 or so movies on my iPad for use during trips. I seldom watch more than 1 or 2.

My iMac sits at home, and contains the original copies of 100% of my data. As I create new documents, or make any changes to existing document on the road, they instantly sync back to my home iMac via dropbox. From there, it is double backed up locally (Time Machine) every hour... and to the cloud (Crashplan+) every 15 minutes. Even if I lost all of my computers simultaneously... I could easily recover 100% of my data.

For photos... I run Aperture 3 on both my iMac and my MBA. A3 is specifically designed to allow you to check projects into and out of a library... so it is dead simple to create new projects on the MBA when in the field (or on a family vacation)... and then migrate the project onto the iMAC when I get home. CP+ also keeps my MBA A3 library backed up to the cloud when I am traveling. Hence... it is virtually impossible for me to lose any pictures when in the field.

Personally... I think that an iMac and a MBA is the perfect combination, especially if you use the cloud to keep everything in sync. I completely stopped using my 15" MBP. I haven't turned it on in over a year. My wife inherited my Rev C MBA when I got my 11.6" model last October, and she has not turned on her 15" MBP either. Neither of us want to carry one anymore as we are spoiled by the lighness of the MBA. When the next MBA is released (presumably in the next couple of months)... I'll buy that for myself and my wife will inherit my existing 11.6" MBA. (It's great to have a spouse who is happy with N-1 technology... it allows me to justify upgrading every cycle).

The only significant change that I plan to make is to buy a 2nd iMac. My wife and I currently share the single iMac, which is leading to marital dissatisfaction because we both want to use it (that is a joke). Still, it makes sense for us to each have our own. We both use them too much to share.

Beyond that... the iPad is the perfect device for use during a flight, or for just having handy for quick access during travel. Back in the room at night, we almost always use our MBAs.

/Jim

 

[J&JPolangin]

Why don't you replace the HDD with a SSD in the MBP?

 

[ChristianVirtual]

For me a perfect combo: have an iMac 27" 2.9 as main machine; iTunes library stored on a NAS. That iMac does the main work for XCode and some minor blender work. Also sometimes handbrake. But ripping is bad performance. Attached is a second ACD 24". lots screen pixel.

When I'm traveling or daily comuting I have my little MBA with me. Also run perfect XCode but of course no blender/handbrake.

My Xcode projects gets synced via GIT, there rest is anyway MobileMe and iDisk.
And the iPad for reading the web and kindle books and x-plane. And why tasks at work like notestaking and mind mapping.