Macbook Pro or iMac

[KoiDragon]

I am the proud owner of a December 2006 Macbook Core2Duo 2GHz with 2GB 667MHz DDR2 SDRAM. I am going to buy a new Mac soon, since I have the opportunity to present this my laptop to my sister.

I am using the computer at least 10 hours every day, 4 hours making music with Logic, 2 hours playing Football Manager, 2 hours with Internet and 2 hours for watching films, listening music and so on...

What I need is something really powerful in terms of calculation and ram (for Logic and Football Manager) and with a decent graphic card (comparable to a ATI 6870).

I was thinking about getting an iMac when it will update, but I am often relocating (once in a year, by plane) so I think that maybe for me it would be better to get a Macbook Pro with 17".

Would I lose a lot in terms of performance\price ratio?

Is it a good idea to buy next week (if it will be out) a new Macbook Pro 17" with Snow Leopard when this summer will be available new iMac and Lion?

Thank you in advance for your kind suggestions!

 

[torbjoern]

If all the rumors come true, you will be better off with a MBP 17" than an iMac.

 

[Hellhammer]

Wait for the MBP update and then decide. Don't expect a GPU close to ATI 6870 though.

 

[T-bag]

What it really comes down to is if you're a laptop or a desktop person. If you need portability at any point the mbp 17 is a no brainer though. It may be more ideal to buy an iMac, to get a more power on a bigger screen. But I learned the hard way that I can't have a desktop as my main machine. Not because I need portability, but simply because I hate being locked to my desk when I want to use my mac. Just got completed the return and refund prosess (btw a painless process with apple - great service), and am now waiting for the new mbp models. Hopefully they'll be as powerful as the rumors say. I'm really tired of doing everything on a low res 13" macbook.

Good luck deciding!

 

[blue22]

portability vs. overall value/strength of system

Between the iMac and MacBook Pro, the iMac is the more powerful system between the two as it provides much more overall value by being 1/3 less expensive, has more expandability options (16GB max of potential RAM compared to 8GB max for MBP, for example) and features a stronger dedicated graphic chip.

But if you really need portability (and by this I mean you actually need to take your computer with you on-the-go several times a week on average to get work done for an actual job) then get the 17" MBP as the sound quality is generally better than on the 15" model, and you''ll have more screen space (1920x1200 resolution) to play with to manage your application windows in. Just know that you literally pay more for this portable system luxury versus having a stronger overall system, albiet stationary, for a comparable price.

 

[KoiDragon]

Is it possible to carry a MBP 17" as hand luggage on the plane? Sorry if it sounds a dumb question but it is really important for me, the thing I love of my MB 13" is the portability, but my eyes would love a 17" screen...

 

[DarkVinda]

I had the same decision 13" MBPro or a 21" Imac i must admit the imac has more specs but i cant take the mac to work with me

i opted for the 13" for portability and also it does what i want and im gonna get a hengedock and a nice sized screen 21 or 23".

maybe look down that route and then decide what would suit your requirements...

Vinda

Is it possible to carry a MBP 17" as hand luggage on the plane? Sorry if it sounds a dumb question but it is really important for me, the thing I love of my MB 13" is the portability, but my eyes would love a 17" screen...

 

[jlc1978]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 4_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/532.9 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0.5 Mobile/8B117 Safari/6531.22.7)

Is it possible to carry a MBP 17" as hand luggage on the plane? Sorry if it sounds a dumb question but it is really important for me, the thing I love of my MB 13" is the portability, but my eyes would love a 17" screen...

Yes

 

[Nein01]

Is it possible to carry a MBP 17" as hand luggage on the plane? Sorry if it sounds a dumb question but it is really important for me, the thing I love of my MB 13" is the portability, but my eyes would love a 17" screen...

Absolutely you can. Go for the 17" MBP when the refresh happens. I also make music in logic and do video editing, animation and some online gaming too and I'll be ordering my new 17" this Thursday. I've had my desktop for 7 years now and can barely stand it anymore. I can't take it anywhere, and with laptop technology being what it is these days what's the point in having a huge machine anymore? (unless you're rendering the next pixar film in your bedroom)

 

[AFPoster]

Is it possible to carry a MBP 17" as hand luggage on the plane? Sorry if it sounds a dumb question but it is really important for me, the thing I love of my MB 13" is the portability, but my eyes would love a 17" screen...

Yes, and to be honest if I were you I'd go with the 15". It's not as big as a 17 but it's not as small as a 13. You don't have heavy weight, its more portable than a 17 and you have more power than the 13. Just my opinion. I travel a ton, and I do heavy work than you on my MacBook and I am going with the 15" but I also have a 55"3dtv if I want to see a bigger screen.

 

[Sodner]

Man the 17" MBP is really NOT what I would call a portable. The thing is pretty darn big and heavy. The previous recommendation to consider a maxed out 15" could be the best of both worlds.

 

[KoiDragon]

Since I own already an Apple keyboard, a monitor and a mouse, I thought...what if I buy the Mini? It would give me the same performances of the iMac and its size would be perfect to put it in my hand luggage when I need to relocate...

As laptop I can keep my Macbook and keep the iMac at home, what do you think about it?

 

[mdgm]

The Mac Mini is nowhere near as powerful as the iMac. If performance is your primary concern then don't get a Mini. Hopefully the Mini will get a massive performance boost from the next refresh, but the iMac will still be faster.

The Mac Mini's a great machine and I believe it's more versatile in how it can be used than the iMac (can put Mini under TV and use as HTPC for example). I also don't like buying desktops built into a screen (personal preference).

 

[DarwinOSX]

Huh? Why? Do you also think the iMac won't be updated? It's due.
As to the OP, I had a 27 inch iMac for a year. Just sold it. My aging eyes could never get used to the very high res screen and i was constantly enlarging fonts on everything I read. My main brain is now a 13" Ultimate Air which has replaced both my iMac and my iPad and aI was a big iPad user. When I need a larger display I connect it to a very nice NEC monitor. For what you want to do a 15" MacBook Pro with an external display would be very nice and handle anything you could throw at it while still being mobile when you need it.

If all the rumors come true, you will be better off with a MBP 17" than an iMac.

 

[whyzdom]

Duh.. easy answer..


GET BOTH!

 

[KoiDragon]

I'm thinking about purchasing the new Macbook Pro...

MODEL: 15"

My doubts are:

- 2,2 GHz or 2,3 GHz, there are tests to compare the performance of the two processors?

- how good is the AMD Radeon HD 6750M?

- I'm thinking about getting it with 4GB RAM and then buy the 8GB afterwards, is it easy to sell the 2x2GB memory?

- the 128GB SSD for 100€ sounds like a decent deal, is it worth? how much it affects the performance?

- is it so crappy the glossy display?