MBP VS iMac/MBA combo

[hipwr]

Hey guys, I'm trying to decide on which option would be best for my situation.

Info: I'm going to be doing a lot of video editing with Final Cut, Music edits with Logic Pro, CSS and Photoshop, and of course the college basics - Office programs, HD videos etc.

Option 1: 2011 MBP 15" Hi-Res, intel i7 2.0GHz, AMD 6490, 4GB Ram, 500GB HDD.
Price:approx $1900

Option 2: 2011 iMac 21.5" 2.5GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, AMD 6750, 4GB Ram, 500GB HDD.
+
2011 MBA 11" Base model, 1.6GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, 2GB Ram, 64GB SSD

Price: approx $2000

What do you guys think? Option #1 is a great all round portable work station.
Option #2 is extra portable with the MBA for college etc, then an iMac as a home base workstation for CPU intensive programs.

Thanks in advance

 

[stonyc]

For your stated needs, iMac+MBA.

 

[eninety]

i had a similar setup
27" imac i5 + 13" macbook pro for awhile... while not as portable as the mba, the 13"mbp is still pretty easy to tote around... but it got pretty cumbersome sharing and syncing files between the two.

I was a comp sci major and compiling and managing lots of code files was a hassle. drop box was a savior but still annoying. with upcoming icloud it might be easier.

In terms of performance i dont think youd notice between the 3. you'd notice the large screen of the imac, the portability of the mba... and the in between for the mbp

I ended up just getting a 2011 i7 mbp 15" AG and selling the 13" and giving the imac to my mother.... much easier...

 

[cdcastillo]

Before knowing about "Folder Sync" (available in the Mac app store and from www.destek.co.uk) I would have voted for the MBP maxed out, because it really was a pain in the a$$ to keep 2 different computers in sync.

However, now that I've had a few weeks using that app, I can envision using it to flawlessly (and more important: painlessly) keep 2 or more computers in sync.

So now, I suggest you to go for option 2.

Or, if you really don't need to do any heavy lifting while mobile, I would suggest to get an iMac and pair it with an iPad for taking notes and keep in touch when not in front of your mac.