I have both 2017 editions of MacBook and MacBook Pro. I hear people sing the praises of the iMac but not sure if I would even use a desktop. Best Buy has the base edition of the 21 edition on sale for $799 this week so I am considering it. Thanks in advance.
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Is it worth owning an IMac if I have a MacBook and a MacBook Pro?
- Thread starter Jacoblee23
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It is a difficult one to answer.
I have got a late-2012 iMac, a base 2015 MacBook and a late-2012 Mac Mini.
The iMac got easily the most use out of the three, but when it broke down, I decided that I'd try running with just the other two which I have been doing for about 4 months now.
I have just ordered a new 2017 iMac because I found it is just so much easier to have an always-on machine. My Mac Mini is connected to a TV via an AV Receiver which means everything requires firing up each time, and the MacBook is great, but the screen is too small for a main machine.
Ideally I'd have saved 2k+ and the space the iMac takes up, but I have missed not having it.
I have got a late-2012 iMac, a base 2015 MacBook and a late-2012 Mac Mini.
The iMac got easily the most use out of the three, but when it broke down, I decided that I'd try running with just the other two which I have been doing for about 4 months now.
I have just ordered a new 2017 iMac because I found it is just so much easier to have an always-on machine. My Mac Mini is connected to a TV via an AV Receiver which means everything requires firing up each time, and the MacBook is great, but the screen is too small for a main machine.
Ideally I'd have saved 2k+ and the space the iMac takes up, but I have missed not having it.
I have a 2015 and 2016 MBP, 2015 and 2017 iMac 27 (all top spec). I greatly prefer the iMac 27 due to better performance, lower noise and much greater screen area. But then I do video editing. The 21.5" iMac -- it's harder to say, esp. a $799 version. It likely won't be faster than the MBP, esp since you are probably comparing an SSD MBP with a spinning drive in the iMac. While the 21.5" screen is bigger, that by itself would not be enough (for me).
The 27" iMac fits into small areas -- it's not as oversized as the screen size implies. A mid-to-upper-tier iMac 27 is pretty nice, but then it's a lot more than $799.
If you want a nice large display, connecting one to your MBP would yield better performance than the entry level 21.5" iMac. I'm using a 2011 MBP in clamshell mode with a 27" Thunderbolt display. Not quite as fast or as good a display as my wife's 27" 5k, it's better than her old 21.5" iMac.
I used to use MacBook Pros. Eventually I realized that my MacBook Pros were practically glued to my desk, so when it came time to upgrade, I went with an iMac, and bought a MacBook for a portable. The MacBook isn't powerful enough to be my primary computer, but it's more mobile than my old MacBook Pro was.
The advice, as always, depends on your use cases. Two laptops (a MacBook and MacBook Pro) seems redundant; is your MacBook Pro largely stationary? If it is, the iMac might be a consideration. But that's really it; I haven't seen recent benchmarks to say for certain, but the MacBook Pro usually isn't that far behind the iMacs in terms of performance (and a higher-end MacBook Pro can beat a lower-end iMac). If you like the monitor, you can consider getting a high-resolution monitor and plugging it into your MacBook Pro to get about the same effect.
I don't think it makes sense to have all three systems, though. If you get the iMac, get rid of the MacBook Pro (unless you do mobile video editing, or something requiring the portable power). If the MacBook Pro is working fine for you, consider passing on the iMac until your MacBook Pro is in need of replacing.
The advice, as always, depends on your use cases. Two laptops (a MacBook and MacBook Pro) seems redundant; is your MacBook Pro largely stationary? If it is, the iMac might be a consideration. But that's really it; I haven't seen recent benchmarks to say for certain, but the MacBook Pro usually isn't that far behind the iMacs in terms of performance (and a higher-end MacBook Pro can beat a lower-end iMac). If you like the monitor, you can consider getting a high-resolution monitor and plugging it into your MacBook Pro to get about the same effect.
I don't think it makes sense to have all three systems, though. If you get the iMac, get rid of the MacBook Pro (unless you do mobile video editing, or something requiring the portable power). If the MacBook Pro is working fine for you, consider passing on the iMac until your MacBook Pro is in need of replacing.
Personally i would get an external monitor, keyboard and mouse to maximize the ROI on both MacBooks. Adding an iMac to the collection is which does the same job as the MacBooks will just be waste of $$.