I have an 11" Air that is kind of old, but I take it with me every day and use it to take notes at work or if I set myself up in a coffee shop and want to check out email or browse the Internet. The problem is when I want to do work, word process, or edit photos. Then I guess frustrated with the 11" screen and the Air's capacity to hold all the photos I want to work with. I thought about getting the 27" iMac with a SSD and then I'd be able to really sit and enjoy photo editing, which I only do as a hobby. When I went to order I saw that putting in all that I wanted and getting apple care, the iMac would cost abut $2500, without upgrading RAM which I could do after purchase. I then realized I would also need to buy a desk and make space in my apartment for having this large, but gorgeous machine so I went back to thinking about a laptop, more specifically the rMBP. How is photo editing on both of these machines? Can you compare to the iMac 27"? Thanks so much!
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rMBP vs. iMac 27"
- Thread starter kkaufy
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Here's the list of advantages for the iMac and MBP.
27" iMac
Faster processor
Better GPU
More ports
Upgradeable Ram
Larger display
5k display
MBP:
Portable
This is summed up very nicely. The only reason to go with the MacBook Pro over the iMac is a need/ want for portability. The iMac is superior in all other aspects.
Naturally the desktop crushes the Laptop in every respect...until you need to work on a plane/train/boat. But it's not like the 15" MBP does have power; it's a fairly solid machine to say the least.
If you see my sad post on MPB keyboard failures, you'll know why I forced Apple to allow a trade back for the iMac 5K 27 and a MB Air. No more MBP until I know the keyboards are ready for prime time.
R.
If you see my sad post on MPB keyboard failures, you'll know why I forced Apple to allow a trade back for the iMac 5K 27 and a MB Air. No more MBP until I know the keyboards are ready for prime time.
R.
While I fully agree, portability can sometimes be the difference between being hunched over a desk or lounging on the sofa with your MBP on your lap while your iMac pouts in the background.
You're only seeing the problem there http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/201...wp-woman-brings-desktop-computer-first-class/
27" iMac is a super powerful desktop computer, desktops are always a lot more powerful than laptops. The MBP is also a very powerful laptop, but still not as powerful as an iMac.
If your job requires travel then the MBP is usually the best plan. If you're sat in a stationary position all day then you may as well get the iMac. The MBP does offer the advantage of even occasionally being able to transport more easily, but it can't compete on power terms.
Having said that, the rMB you mentioned is among the least powerful laptops Apple do, but should still be more than capable for your needs.
So just work out your needs. Do you need a portable? Get a laptop, if it's portable over everything else get a rMB, if you don't need super portable then the MBP. Don't need portable? Get a desktop, if it's power over everything else grab a 'Mac Pro', if not get the iMac. That's pretty much the entire line other than the Air which occupies an odd gap at the moment, think of that as more of a cheap student computer.
A laptop is compromise for the sake of portability. Often this can be with pretty severe restrictions in the such as lack of upgrades, small screens, poor keyboards, etc.
I personally only use my laptops when I need to be mobile, and even then find the limitations tough to take. For casually consumption I find tablets a much better device than a laptop.
I personally only use my laptops when I need to be mobile, and even then find the limitations tough to take. For casually consumption I find tablets a much better device than a laptop.
There's no Apple laptop that can compare to the 27" 5k iMac insofar as "screen real estate" is concerned. The iMac wins. Hands down. Miles ahead.
If your MacBook is still serviceable for outings, get the iMac and have BOTH of them.
There's NOTHING like having both a nice desktop AND a laptop from which to choose.
If you compromise a bit on the iMac (get the midrange model, 8gb RAM, and either a 256 or 512gb SSD), you can pocket some money that can -- in another year or two -- go to replacing the MacBook Air with a MacBook Pro.
If your MacBook is still serviceable for outings, get the iMac and have BOTH of them.
There's NOTHING like having both a nice desktop AND a laptop from which to choose.
If you compromise a bit on the iMac (get the midrange model, 8gb RAM, and either a 256 or 512gb SSD), you can pocket some money that can -- in another year or two -- go to replacing the MacBook Air with a MacBook Pro.
I’d love to own both if I could, and I recognize that the iMac is going to be much more powerful (and also that screen!), but I do love the portability of a laptop and the versatility should I want to plug into, say, a 5K screen someday - while also maintaining some decent power, unlike the old days of laptops
What about price? You mentioned the $2,500 for the iMac you’d need, but you didn’t mention what a similarly spec’d rMBP would cost.
Nicely put. Price is also a factor, as the iMac line is generally a better value for what one gets.
Excellent point! $2500 for an iMac gets you a Radeon Pro 580 and desktop-class i7 for goodness sake... the same $2500 doesn't even get you the high-end stock option for the MacBook Pro.
iMac (especially now) is a way better value. No comparison in terms of the computing power you get with the iMac for the same money.
Value is slightly the wrong way of thinking of it. Desktops will always be cheaper than notebooks due to the technical limitations placed upon notebooks requiring greater R&D; things such as power restrictions, heat dissipation, and weight. So you can't really say a desktop is better value because it's cheaper, as they're different machines for different purposes. As I said earlier if you need a laptop then you really can't get a desktop, if you can make do with a desktop you can obviously acquire one cheaper or better specifications.