new 15"mbp or air+ imac

[dontcallmyname]

Okay so my 13" macbook pro died yesterday And i now find myself with no computer. I had it for 4.5 years and used it pretty heavily. It died a slow and painful death. The battery was fried a long time ago and made it a little useless for taking to uni. I'm in my fourth year and want to be able to take notes on my laptop in class and to be able to take it everywhere. I have an iPad but as a law student, it isn't practical. While I tried to take my old laptop everywhere, it was difficult at times and i suspect a 15" would be worse. I don't want another 13"mbp.
I wouldn't want an air as my only computer. I'd have to rely way too much on hard drives and I have too many as it is.
I do a bit of photography and graphic design so the mbp appeals, but its too bulky to tote to uni. I know it is now much slimmer but it is still 15".
Is buying an imac and an air silly? If I did, I would use the laptop at uni/work etc exclusively, then work from the imac at home. I thought it was a stupid idea of my mother until I did the maths and realised it could equal or even be cheaper than the new mbp. If i were to do this, I suspect both machines would take less of a beating and work better for longer. my old laptop struggled for the last 2.5 years of its life because i abused it lol. I have at least 2:5 years of study left, possibly longer.

I can also get an air now but have to wait for mbp.

Is this a stupid idea? And should I wait for new Imacs to come out?

Thanks

 

[J&JPolangin]

...21.5" iMac and an 11" MBA would be a great combo IMHOP (the 11" MBA on next year's refresh is on my list to replace my HP DM4 in my signature as I decided to keep my 13.3" whitebook in my signature) and give the newer HP to a family member who needs the win7 for his work/school environment with out having to pay for a win OS.

 

[tradman]

I'm in the same boat as you. Currently have a 15" Macbook pro from Nov 2008. It's ready for the bin.
I also do a lot of photography and have been wanting the bigger screen size of late.
I figured it would be just as cheap and practical for my needs to get a new 27" Imac for all the heavy duty work and storage and to complement that with a macbook air for day to day browsing and travel.
Love the look of the new Macbook pro but I'd need to also buy a Thunderbolt screen which added to the cost of the 512gb/2.6ghz version of the macbook pro would push it to over 4200 euro approx which is around 5250 dollars. I know I'd get a well speced Imac and air for a lot less.
I'd agree with your logic dontcallmyname as it suits your needs. If it suits your needs, it's the right choice for you.

 

[dontcallmyname]

thanks guys. i'm so surprised at how cheap it works out, all things considered. plus it means i can go buy a laptop now instead of having to get my name on a stupid waiting list.

now the only thing to worry about is me inevitably breaking it. haha

 

[tradman]

I like the look of this case for the air. I have a few feriends who have complained about their airs getting scratched etc. Probably more to do with the way they handle them Something like this would help matters I'd say.
http://www.moshimonde.com/product/iglaze-air-13-black.aspx

 

[mattwallace24]

I originally started with a 13" MBA (2011) maxed out and loved it. I paired it with a 24" display when I was at home.

However, I soon fell in love with the 27" iMac's every time I visited the Apple store and picked one up last year.

I still use both considerably. I use the iMac as my primary machine to store and process my photographs. I like having the lightweight MBA when I don't want to sit at my desk at home or when traveling on the road.

Between the App Store, iCloud, and Steam, almost everything is shared between my devices seamlessly.

I think this setup is the way to go. I got really excited about the new rMBP's, but would miss the ultra-light weight and size of the MBA.

 

[dontcallmyname]

Oh that makes me feel so much better! I have a 24 inch monitor I've used with ny mbp for years so I'm planning to use that with my air until i get an imac, which will hopefully be a new one

 

[HardRain]

Decisions, decisions... I was in this same predicament around this time last year. I had a Macbook Pro at the time but found myself running into some performance issues from time to time. So I decided to sell it and buy the 27" iMac. Also the screen size was appealing!

The dilemma I faced regarded my need for the portability of a laptop. The new Airs were just about to come out so I decided to give one a go. I was pleasantly surprised at the zippiness they posses, sure some bigger tasks show certain limitations, but for general use, they're great, and with the latest ones even better.

So now I have the iMac at home and the Air for on the go and they both seem to compliment one another really well.

If you grab the Air now, you will be surprised at the power it possesses and could keep you going for a few months until the quite likely iMac updates arrive. Hopefully sooner rather than later.