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is getting an IMac and Macbook too much?

G

gloryofgreece

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 6, 2008
46
0
seattle
I feel kinda guilty indulge my desire to get apple products.

Just recently bought a macbook, I am already thinking about getting an imac...do you that is too much for a college student?

By anyone got the shuffle? How is that?
-Rob
 
Don't buy an iMac just to have one. Save your money. Besides, the Macbook is probably fine for your needs right now. The fact is that you can't use both computers at once. Unless you have four hands and two heads..... :apple:
 
ArmyKnight12 said:
Don't buy an iMac just to have one. Save your money. Besides, the Macbook is probably fine for your needs right now. The fact is that you can't use both computers at once. Unless you have four hands and two heads..... :apple:
Click to expand...

Agreed. The macbook makes a great solo computer. Don't over extend yourself. Save it, you will thank yourself later!
 
I'm in college and have both! But I didn't get them at the same time. I got my Macbook 2 years ago and just recently got my iMac. Now I keep my iMac in my apartment and take my Macbook to class, when I travel, and when I go home. Works out well.

So my advice is, don't get them back to back. Space yourself so you can save you some money!
 
ArmyKnight12 said:
Don't buy an iMac just to have one. Save your money. Besides, the Macbook is probably fine for your needs right now. The fact is that you can't use both computers at once. Unless you have four hands and two heads..... :apple:
Click to expand...

What he said. I'd generally advise against having more than one computer at a time anyway, unless you need multiple ones for job-related reasons. Two weeks later, once the sheen of a new computer wears off, you'd just be a thousand dollars lighter and find yourself spending 80-90% of your time on one of the two computers.
 
I almost did get an ibook and an imac 3 years ago. It made more sense then as the ibook had a G4 processor and the imac had the much better G5. I had to wait a few months to afford the imac and in that time I found out I could get by using just my ibook.
So I waited untill I really needed a new Mac and got the 24 C2D when it came out. Very happy I waited to get the imac.
I use that for editing now, and I still use my ibook daily (writing on it right now) for easy tasks and web surfing, music etc.
The only thing I did was getting a new battery last summer
 
I can see your dilemma, i am in university and i bought a macbook a month after it released and i was thinking about getting an imac now. But its true, you really cant use them both at once, and if you have two comps then you have to worry about making sure your all in sync (if you have an assignment on the imac and forgot and thought it was on the macbook, its a pain) .

What i did was i bought a nice 19inch widescreen display, and an apple bluetooth keyboard and mouse for my desk, when i come home i set down my macbook and plug it in to the external and it goes right to spanning dual screen mode, and its beautiful!

I really love it, cause it lets me have so much more screen space, and i get the comfort of a desktop at home with the external gear, and i upgraded to a 250gb HDD so i have everything i need with me all the time (and more on external HDDs).

It can feel like an imac with all the bluetooth gear, and it works great, and i really didnt NEED an imac, it would just be a really nice thing.. i think i would only buy one now if they give a big upgrade...


My vote is but a new monitor, a Mini-DVI to DVI and a bluetooth keyboard and mouse (or a wired set) and enjoy both worlds at a fraction of the price! (until you can no longer resist!)
 
I'd say it would be a pretty good combo. I got a MBP over the summer, and will be adding a mac pro to my collection. True, you probably won't use them both at once (though you could with something like Synergy). My plan is that will will serve very different purposes. I will use the mac pro for power at home, but then will always have my MBP at school with me.
 
MST said:
I agree with netdog; the two make a great combination, and I wouldn't have it any other way!
Click to expand...

Ditto. I got mine when each had a new revision so a few months apart. Both give me optimal flexibility. I use the MacBook to type up essays and give presentations, VMWare as well as general couch/on the go computing whilst the iMac handles mutimedia i.e. HD videos, photos, Podcasts, iPhone/iPod syncing, backups and all other heavy duty stuff.

My advice is if you can afford it...go for it but if you'd be stretching yourself then wait it out...the iMac is due for a revision soon anyways might be smart to save up money and wait till then
 
Personally, I would just go with the suggestion of a Montior, Bluetooth Keyboard and Bluetooth Mouse for your Macbook as the Macbook and iMac have almost identical components.
 
Go for it

gloryofgreece said:
I feel kinda guilty indulge my desire to get apple products.

Just recently bought a macbook, I am already thinking about getting an imac...do you that is too much for a college student?

By anyone got the shuffle? How is that?
-Rob
Click to expand...

I have a G5 with a 23 inch Apple cinema display and a 15 inch MBP and I'm now trying to find a good reason (or even a bad one) to buy a MacBook Air. Personally, I think you should buy as many Apple products as possible. Borrow some money. Get a second job.
 
Yeah the only thing the iMac really has that you can't get for your Macbook is the gpu.

Otherwise you can get a bigger monitor, bigger hard drive (internal or external,) full-size keyboard and a mouse for the Macbook.

Maybe the MacBook Pro with its slightly better specs would do the trick for you too (instead of MB/iMac combo.)
 
thanks guys, I think I am gonna wait for awhile. I think i just felt i have to shell out for apple products.....:eek: but in the end i dont realy need it.
 
I was in a similar position. I wanted a portable, but i wanted to have a big screen and a good GPU. I went with the MacBook Pro and an external Monitor. It is cheaper and you only have to worry about having one system, which means no lost files.
 
Yeah, I am saving for a Macbook and the only thing that has me worried is the screen size. I have a 17" monitor for the computer I am using right now and I don't know if I will get used to the 13.3" of the Macbook. I hope so, because I can't afford a MBP or another monitor.
 
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ItTakesII said:
Yeah, I am saving for a Macbook and the only thing that has me worried is the screen size. I have a 17" monitor for the computer I am using right now and I don't know if I will get used to the 13.3" of the Macbook. I hope so, because I can't afford a MBP or another monitor.
Click to expand...

What resolution is the 17" screen your using now? Chances are the MacBooks 13.3" probably matches that res!
 
aaronw1986 said:
I'd say it would be a pretty good combo. I got a MBP over the summer, and will be adding a mac pro to my collection.
Click to expand...

See, that's different. You said you were going to use the Mac Pro for power. This isn't the same situation because while the iMac is more powerful than the MacBook, the difference is slight. An iMac doesn't really obliterate the MacBook, whereas a Mac Pro would.

MacBook + 20"/23" external screen = winning combo. If you're truly desperate to use an external keyboard, then use your MB in clamshell mode, plug in a keyboard and mouse, and you have yourself a desktop. You could also use your MacBook LCD and external LCD in a dual monitor set-up. That's when I do when I have 2 or 3 PDFs open, and I'm trying to write up a research paper.
 
I'm thinking about getting an iMac soon (also have a MacBook Pro), the plan being when I'm at Uni, I can keep the majority of my data at home on the iMac, and kinda use it as a personal 'server', and only keep vital things with me at Uni in case my external HDD or the laptop or whatever gets nicked.

I'd access everything with Back To My Mac...
 
vendettabass said:
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What resolution is the 17" screen your using now? Chances are the MacBooks 13.3" probably matches that res!
Click to expand...
1280 x 1024 pixels
 
Star Destroyer said:
What i did was i bought a nice 19inch widescreen display, and an apple bluetooth keyboard and mouse for my desk, when i come home i set down my macbook and plug it in to the external and it goes right to spanning dual screen mode, and its beautiful!
...
My vote is but a new monitor, a Mini-DVI to DVI and a bluetooth keyboard and mouse (or a wired set) and enjoy both worlds at a fraction of the price! (until you can no longer resist!)
Click to expand...

aross99 said:
Why not get an external monitor and keyboard for your Macbook instead?
Click to expand...

gazfocus said:
Personally, I would just go with the suggestion of a Montior, Bluetooth Keyboard and Bluetooth Mouse for your Macbook as the Macbook and iMac have almost identical components.
Click to expand...

I'm with Star, ross and gaz. You would have the option of two displays (counting the one on the laptop) at home or if the monitor was decent sized you could run the MacBook closed, off to the side and out of the way.

ItTakesII said:
1280 x 1024 pixels
Click to expand...

No problem using that resolution with the MacBook.
 
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