Macbook Pro w/Gpu or iMac plus MBA combo, or others?

[ElDogman]

I'm a researcher who has been living off a university loaned ultrabook that I use at home and use for travel. I also have a desktop at my work. Unfortunately I need to return this ultrabook and buy something of my own

Here's the catch. I live in Japan and my room is small and crowded so I'd like something compact. I go out for weeks at a time for conferences, so the above ultrabook has been nice to carry around. Also I do a little bit of gaming here and there. Not as frequent as before, but its been useful to relax. I've been getting by using the ultrabook's integrated graphics, but at the cost of some very low settings.

I've been considering either

1. an iMac plus MBA combo. the iMac has a larger screen and better GPU that makes it more comfortable to play games, be productive, and watch movies. and a low end MBA for the times I need to be mobile and productive and carry something light.
   
   
2. A higher end Macbook Pro (15" with GPU). a one set do-it-all. the compromise is that its neither as light as an MBA, but the screen is not as big as the iMac
   
   
3. Other options/combinations (I'm open to Windows too, I use both, maybe perhaps a chromebook if paired with an iMac)
   

 

[Truefan31]

I think it depends on ur gaming and what you want out of it. The 15" mbp with dgpu will help and you can game in boot camp for better performance. But I'd try to wait to see what the new mbp will look like here soon.

 

[theluggage]

2. A higher end Macbook Pro (15" with GPU). a one set do-it-all. the compromise is that its neither as light as an MBA, but the screen is not as big as the iMac

Given your space situation, how about getting a MBP plus a large display for gaming and watching videos/TV? Not going to take up much more room than an iMac + Air

The problem with the iMac is that you can't plug anything else into it - so if you later wanted a game console, blu-ray player or a set-top-box you'd need to get another big screen.

Does your work involve anything that needs quad core or a discrete GPU? Otherwise, you're paying a big premium for gaming...

But I'd try to wait to see what the new mbp will look like here soon.

Seconded, although there's no guarantee that new MacBooks will be launched at WWDC in June, Apple need to do something about the MBP range sooner rather than later.

 

[ElDogman]

Given your space situation, how about getting a MBP plus a large display for gaming and watching videos/TV? Not going to take up much more room than an iMac + Air

The problem with the iMac is that you can't plug anything else into it - so if you later wanted a game console, blu-ray player or a set-top-box you'd need to get another big screen.

Does your work involve anything that needs quad core or a discrete GPU? Otherwise, you're paying a big premium for gaming...



Seconded, although there's no guarantee that new MacBooks will be launched at WWDC in June, Apple need to do something about the MBP range sooner rather than later.

can you recommend me any good displays?
in the mid-term I was thinking of a PS4 or a Nintendo NX

 

[Truefan31]

Given your space situation, how about getting a MBP plus a large display for gaming and watching videos/TV? Not going to take up much more room than an iMac + Air

The problem with the iMac is that you can't plug anything else into it - so if you later wanted a game console, blu-ray player or a set-top-box you'd need to get another big screen.

Does your work involve anything that needs quad core or a discrete GPU? Otherwise, you're paying a big premium for gaming...



Seconded, although there's no guarantee that new MacBooks will be launched at WWDC in June, Apple need to do something about the MBP range sooner rather than later.

Good suggestion with the monitor. More flexibility.

I think the 15"mbp w/discrete gpu should last a while though, especially if the new ones come soon. Bump in cpu, gpu upgrade, hopefully a tb3 port or two.