iMac to 15" MacBook Pro?

[virginblue4]

So I've had an 27" iMac since 2013 (fully specced). However, now I'm at university, I really need a more portable Mac. Also, when I get home I don't want to sit at my desk, so my iMac really isn't getting as much use as it should be.

Over the last couple of weeks I've been considering purchasing a new 15" MacBook Pro (I'll wait for the next upgrade, whether that's at WWDC or not until later in the year).

I'd like to know about the performance differences I'll see from a fully specced 2012 27" iMac compared to a fully specced current 15" MacBook Pro (obviously we don't know the specs for the new upcoming model).

Also, anyone else moved from an iMac down to a MacBook?

 

[ninja2000]

I own a 2014 MacBook Pro 15 with 750m and a base 27" iMac retina. I love and use both so I can subjectively answer your question.

Coming from the iMac to the mbp you will not notice a drop in performance unless you heavily game or encode video a lot. The mbp is just as snappy and can also casually game or encode video just a little slower.

The benefits are the portability, being able to work on the sofa/bed/kitchen/uni etc is invaluable. The main disadvantage is the lack of screen real estate. It all depends on what you are going to be using it for.

 

[virginblue4]

I own a 2014 MacBook Pro 15 with 750m and a base 27" iMac retina. I love and use both so I can subjectively answer your question.

Coming from the iMac to the mbp you will not notice a drop in performance unless you heavily game or encode video a lot. The mbp is just as snappy and can also casually game or encode video just a little slower.

The benefits are the portability, being able to work on the sofa/bed/kitchen/uni etc is invaluable. The main disadvantage is the lack of screen real estate. It all depends on what you are going to be using it for.

Thank you for the response.

I won't be doing any video encoding and only very occasional gaming (The Sims 4). Will mostly be using it for Word, Excel, PowerPoint, web browsing and a little bit of photoshop.

 

[GrindedDown]

Oh man if that is really the case then you are going to be plenty fine with a 15 macbook pro. In fact, pretty much any retina macbook from the last few years that you buy is going to do you justice.

There are people on this forum that are running two dell 4K monitors and the rMBP screen natively while encoding video and having multiple apps open. The biggest complaint I am seeing is not that the machine is lagging, but rather that it is getting too hot.

If that is all you really foresee yourself doing with your rMBP, do yourself and your wallet a favor and get a baseline 15 rMBP if thats what you decide to go with.

 

[virginblue4]

Oh man if that is really the case then you are going to be plenty fine with a 15 macbook pro. In fact, pretty much any retina macbook from the last few years that you buy is going to do you justice.



There are people on this forum that are running two dell 4K monitors and the rMBP screen natively while encoding video and having multiple apps open. The biggest complaint I am seeing is not that the machine is lagging, but rather that it is getting too hot.



If that is all you really foresee yourself doing with your rMBP, do yourself and your wallet a favor and get a baseline 15 rMBP if thats what you decide to go with.

Thanks for your response. I understand your point, however in my head I have this urge to get the best and to 'future proof' a little bit.

I will be keeping this machine for at least 5-7 years so wouldn't it be best to get the best I can afford? Or is it really just a waste?

 

[GrindedDown]

Thanks for your response. I understand your point, however in my head I have this urge to get the best and to 'future proof' a little bit.

I will be keeping this machine for at least 5-7 years so wouldn't it be best to get the best I can afford? Or is it really just a waste?

No I wouldn't necessarily call it a waste at all it all sorta depends on what you think you might end up using the thing for as well.

I actually just did the same thing and stretched my budget to get the best I could afford within reason. I am studying computer science, programming, and I do a good deal of graphic design work and play the occasional game. I will be working with video in some limited capacity in the future as well. Right now, the computer I have may be a small overkill, but I will be putting it to use more and more as time goes on.

Truth be told, despite what I have said, when it comes to a computers and buyers like you and I, I do tend to agree that it is worth spending a little more on something that you know you are going to use for years to come. The computer is an investment and since the rMBPs are extremely bad for upgradability, I would say that yes it is worth spending the extra bit of money now. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.

The reason I said that you would be fine going with a lower powered machine though is because you haven't really listed any possible reasons as to why you might need anything more than a macbook air. If you suspect that may change in the future, then by all means. Just something to consider is all.

 

[virginblue4]

No I wouldn't necessarily call it a waste at all it all sorta depends on what you think you might end up using the thing for as well.



I actually just did the same thing and stretched my budget to get the best I could afford within reason. I am studying computer science, programming, and I do a good deal of graphic design work and play the occasional game. I will be working with video in some limited capacity in the future as well. Right now, the computer I have may be a small overkill, but I will be putting it to use more and more as time goes on.



Truth be told, despite what I have said, when it comes to a computers and buyers like you and I, I do tend to agree that it is worth spending a little more on something that you know you are going to use for years to come. The computer is an investment and since the rMBPs are extremely bad for upgradability, I would say that yes it is worth spending the extra bit of money now. Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.



The reason I said that you would be fine going with a lower powered machine though is because you haven't really listed any possible reasons as to why you might need anything more than a macbook air. If you suspect that may change in the future, then by all means. Just something to consider is all.

Yes, I am tending to agree with many of your points. I'll certainly consider not going for the highest end model. I really appreciate your response.

Out of interest, which model do you have? (Not sure if it's listed in your signature at all, but I'm using tapatalk so can't see).

 

[GrindedDown]

Yes, I am tending to agree with many of your points. I'll certainly consider not going for the highest end model. I really appreciate your response.

Out of interest, which model do you have? (Not sure if it's listed in your signature at all, but I'm using tapatalk so can't see).

I picked up the mid 2014 15" rMBP with 2.5gHZ/512GB/16GB/750m processor in almost brand new condition (less than 30 battery cycles) and in mint physical condition for $1700. The seller also properly transfer the remaining Applecare on the machine which is good until december of this year. Got if for 1750. I was going to wait what the new machines may be like and probably buy a refurb from the Apple store, but it was way to good of a deal for me to pass up on. I do have to say that after June 8th (WWDC keynote), if they have released a new model, you should be able to pick up a very good deal on something similar. If your inclined, I would try craigslist and maybe haggle with people who is wanting to sell ASAP in order to upgrade. That would be the time you get the deal of the century. Do your research though first so you know what to look for, what to avoid, what check for on machine(run diagnostics, check for firmware password) and to make sure someone isn't pulling a fast one on you (big hint: if it doesn't come with a charger, its stolen 99% of the time).

If it is within your budget, then why the hell not go for it! This is the model I was considering anyways. The convenience of having 512gb of storage and not having to rely on external storage (though I still kinda do) was a big selling point to me over the baseline model. The benefit of having the dGPU, while not entirely necessary for me, was something I thought I may want.

If you would, go into more detail as to what you want out of a computer, what you are currently using it for, and what you might foresee yourself using it for?