purchasing soon, imac or mbp

[lkoz]

Hi there, I currently own an ibook g4, with an external display and hd. It all got me thru some recent intensive audio/video schooling. But, I'm now wanting to earn some money doing the things I learned in school. I'm a video editor on FC and I also do web design (dreamweaver) and voice over work (sound track), motion graphics (after effects) and some graphics work (photoshop). Money *is* an issue, but I also don't want to waste it in buying something I'll quickly outgrow. Productivity is of course important as well.......however, I'm new, a beginner in the industry and need to purchase smart.

I'd like to use two displays. I like the idea that an imac (20") will give me nice screen real estate, along with my existing 19", for spanning......but I'm not so sure the imac will be powerful enough. If I get the mbp, I could sell my ibook, and the difference would be of that possibly for the imac's lower price. My main desires are screen size, and power. If I get a mbp, it would probably be the middle one, the 15"....but, will I be happy with the screen size? 5"s to me seems like a lot.

I guess if I knew how often I'd need the portability, in this line of work, it'd be an easier decision to make. And also, is an editor on an imac taken seriously? I feel a little lost.

Thanks for any advice!

Lisa

 

[iToaster]

Despite the fact that an iMac is not a "pro" product, it can pack a fair deal of power. I just got my MBP, and it's awesome. The MBP has a slightly faster processor than the iMac (you really won't notice the difference) and it was just updated, while the iMacs are somewhat older. Depending on if you need a portable, you will be well equipped with either, but if you want more raw power, go with the MBP (which can also handle 4 Gbs of RAM instead of 3). The iMacs and MBPs are almost the same really, they've got (had) pretty much the same specs... the choice is really up to you, but I recommend the MBP for overall awesome factor.