iMac vs Mac pro

[Aroot]

Hi there i am a graphic design student looking to upgrade my current macbook and i am after some advice!! At the moment ive got a 2GHz macbook with 2Gb of ram but i find that the screen is too small and that it struggles with some of the more technical work i do now (i mainly use CS3). As i do most of my work at home i was looking to upgrade to a new mac desktop, but I am torn between a top end imac or low end mac pro.

I'm going to be doing my course for another 3 year so I wont something that will last (or i can upgrade) The imac is a lot cheaper but I am worried i'm gonna end up updating again in a year or so. I dont mind paying the extra for a mac pro setup but i don't know if it will be wasted on me! Any advice would be great! thanks.

 

[mattbray]

Tough decision

If money really isn't an option I would go with the Mac Pro.

I have the 1st gen Aluminum 20" 2.4GHZ and I'm considering selling it and trading up to a Mac Pro when/if they finally include Bluray. Even just doing a Handbrake video encode I max out both cores. I'm not big into graphics work but I do handle large video files.

I think a Mac Pro with a ~23" HD Display would be the perfect set up (not an Apple Cinema Display because they are exorbitantly priced). Spring for the 512MB video card and enjoy

 

[teflon]

The mac pro is far more expandable and future proof, and it'll last beyond your school years. If you're serious about graphics, then the glossy screen of the iMac may not be ideal for your needs. Check out the refurb store. You can get a 2.66 quad for $2000.

 

[Mac In School]

I had the same question when I bought my first Mac. I also do a lot of graphic design, and some video work.

I ended up buying the Mac Pro, and regretting it. I did it up pretty big, and spent $4,000. For the same price, I could have bought an iMac and a MacBook Pro.

I already had a 24" monitor, so I felt I'd be wasting my money on an iMac. Also, I had a PC mentality, where I figured I had to buy the biggest, baddest machine I could possibly afford, or I'd be craving a new one in 6 months.

In hindsight, I should have bought a MBP instead.