Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

penlandc

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 1, 2015
4
0
So my wife gave me fhs go ahead to buy a new computer and I am torn. I love my MBP but I use a 27 iMac at work. So I either want the new 15 in MBPR with an aftermarket monitor or the new iMac 27. My current MacBook is only 5 years old, but very slow. I do a lot of graphic art stuff but want to get into video editing. I am a musician as well! I like to be mobile!!
 
So my wife gave me fhs go ahead to buy a new computer and I am torn. I love my MBP but I use a 27 iMac at work. So I either want the new 15 in MBPR with an aftermarket monitor or the new iMac 27. My current MacBook is only 5 years old, but very slow. I do a lot of graphic art stuff but want to get into video editing. I am a musician as well! I like to be mobile!!

Watch those exclamation marks, you could poke someones eyes out... :)

Do you like to be mobile, or do you need to be mobile? That's a pretty important difference, because if you put a similar amount of money into the computers, the iMac will be more powerful. Could you, for example, upgrade to an SSD in the MacBook to prolong its life a bit? In that case, you can keep that machine for when you need to be mobile, and use the iMac when you're at home.
 
Watch those exclamation marks, you could poke someones eyes out... :)

Do you like to be mobile, or do you need to be mobile? That's a pretty important difference, because if you put a similar amount of money into the computers, the iMac will be more powerful. Could you, for example, upgrade to an SSD in the MacBook to prolong its life a bit? In that case, you can keep that machine for when you need to be mobile, and use the iMac when you're at home.

I could always step-up to an SSD and memory. I was planning on buying memory for the iMac, so I that case I guess I have my mind made up! What about fusion? How do those work?
 
get the rMBP

If I were you I'd get the rMBP. For my first Mac, I bought an iMac 21.5" late 2012 and I LOVED IT, however I hated not being portable, as I went over to friend's houses all the time to play video games, and was then forced to deal with my old Windows "craptop". I'm not sure how much traveling around you currently do, but if you enjoy making your music with friends or you go on vacation a lot, I would spring for the $2499 rMBP 15". And hey, nobody ever said anything was wrong with a 27" iMac and a cheap refurbished Air!

PS, video editing is one of my absolute FAVORITE things to do, send me a message back if you want some tips getting into it :)
 
If I were you I'd get the rMBP. For my first Mac, I bought an iMac 21.5" late 2012 and I LOVED IT, however I hated not being portable, as I went over to friend's houses all the time to play video games, and was then forced to deal with my old Windows "craptop". I'm not sure how much traveling around you currently do, but if you enjoy making your music with friends or you go on vacation a lot, I would spring for the $2499 rMBP 15". And hey, nobody ever said anything was wrong with a 27" iMac and a cheap refurbished Air!

PS, video editing is one of my absolute FAVORITE things to do, send me a message back if you want some tips getting into it :)

Not a huge gamer....but I love the size of the 27 iMac. I can always upgrade my MacBook, and get the iMac. I have more of a work load coming through with graphic design, but mobile is still possible with upgrading my MacBook
 
Not a huge gamer....but I love the size of the 27 iMac. I can always upgrade my MacBook, and get the iMac. I have more of a work load coming through with graphic design, but mobile is still possible with upgrading my MacBook

if you do graphic design PRIMARILY, then get the iMac 27". It's a bigger workspace which is important to some programs. And like I said, iMac and refurbished Air = great idea :)
 
5 years is...

So my wife gave me fhs go ahead to buy a new computer and I am torn. I love my MBP but I use a 27 iMac at work. So I either want the new 15 in MBPR with an aftermarket monitor or the new iMac 27. My current MacBook is only 5 years old, but very slow. I do a lot of graphic art stuff but want to get into video editing. I am a musician as well! I like to be mobile!!

....an age in computer terms.

If you can get a good deal on the base rMBP 15 inch go for it, but the one with the dGPU has become a bad buy for older graphics tech.

Be warned the 15 inch hasn't been updated this year yet like the 13 inch so I'd only buy at a significant discount from apples prices.
 
I have a similar post here https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1861588/

This is not an easy situation. Myself I only rarely "need" to be portable, but it sure is nice to be able to take the PC to the couch. Also if you are going from a 2 machine to a 1 machine set-up, the rMBP can be stationary or mobile, the iMac is just stationary.

Ive been considering this situation for about 2-3 months and I am still undecided.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.