Hello everyone. This is probably one my first posts here although i've been a member for a little while.
Let me begin by explaining my current setup:
At home my wife and I share an iMac 2Ghz C2D with 1GB ram.
She uses it only for email, browsing, and light photo editing (she is an analog photographer that only recently started digital) I'm on it right now..
I also have a 1Ghz powerbook g4 that has only the upper 2/3rds of the screen working, (i have to launch everything from the finder, dock is unviewable) that I usually only use to watch stuff on VLC via my TV in the living room. This becomes less and less frequent as the laptop gets older and file sizes of the things I download get bigger (cant play 720p for example)
At my studio I have a 4x2.66Ghz Mac Pro with 4GB ram and 2 decent monitors (3rd party) for it.
I _USED_ to have a mbp 13" baseline model from last june till it was stolen in october. Since then I've adapted to having no laptop, but I do miss the portability for doing light work (FCP, ableton) and checking email outside of the house or studio, watching tv and movies on airplanes and train rides, djing mp3s at parties, and using it as a midi/audio interface for my music setup outside of the studio.
----
And now these new laptops come out. I really liked the size of the 13" mbp; after having only a desktop for a while (the g4's problems prompted the Mac Pro purchase) it was refreshing to have something small that was fast enough for what I needed it for. screw SD slots but other than that it was a good deal for me.
Now I'm at a different place than I was last summer though; my Mac Pro only has 4 months of AppleCare left and its bordering on being the same speed as the current i5's if I understand correctly. The Mac Pro is a solid machine and I imagine it'll last longer but I DID just have to take it in for a new video card last month. Things are getting older.
I still want portability, but I also don't want to end up with less overall computing power. (i.e. if the Mac Pro dies and I'm left with only a 13" mbp I'm SOL) The kind of things I do now for work can't be stepped back.
So there are lots of options I'm open to: the new iMacs, waiting for the new Mac Pro refresh (inevitable..), the new macbook pros, and yes, even the iPad.
I'm really interested in some opinions, i'll need to make a trade off one way or another, either in computing power, money spent, or the waiting game. I just want to know what others would do that do similar things with their computers.
iPad: for its battery life, portability and compatibility with most of my needs (i.e. its obviously made to surf the web and check email and light work, no video editing but fast enough for mp3 djing, possibly other things that apps have not been made for yet [FCP control surface anyone?!]), cheapest!
Macbook Pro 13": for its portability, battery life, ability to use for real work outside of studio, cheapish.
Macbook Pro 15": still kinda portable for me, still decent battery life, faster and possibly future proofing the demise of my Mac Pro. not cheapish
iMac: same power as my old Mac Pro, not as robust, not portable, but the money saved can be spent on things to serve other needs (portability by buying an iPad to compliment it.
Wait for Mac Pro: wait. still no portability in meantime. Probably will be broke after purchase and will have to sell old Mac Pro (which maybe isnt hard) and get 2 iPads, one for the lady...
thoughts? thanks in advance, hopefully this will be troll free
best
jth
Let me begin by explaining my current setup:
At home my wife and I share an iMac 2Ghz C2D with 1GB ram.
She uses it only for email, browsing, and light photo editing (she is an analog photographer that only recently started digital) I'm on it right now..
I also have a 1Ghz powerbook g4 that has only the upper 2/3rds of the screen working, (i have to launch everything from the finder, dock is unviewable) that I usually only use to watch stuff on VLC via my TV in the living room. This becomes less and less frequent as the laptop gets older and file sizes of the things I download get bigger (cant play 720p for example)
At my studio I have a 4x2.66Ghz Mac Pro with 4GB ram and 2 decent monitors (3rd party) for it.
I _USED_ to have a mbp 13" baseline model from last june till it was stolen in october. Since then I've adapted to having no laptop, but I do miss the portability for doing light work (FCP, ableton) and checking email outside of the house or studio, watching tv and movies on airplanes and train rides, djing mp3s at parties, and using it as a midi/audio interface for my music setup outside of the studio.
----
And now these new laptops come out. I really liked the size of the 13" mbp; after having only a desktop for a while (the g4's problems prompted the Mac Pro purchase) it was refreshing to have something small that was fast enough for what I needed it for. screw SD slots but other than that it was a good deal for me.
Now I'm at a different place than I was last summer though; my Mac Pro only has 4 months of AppleCare left and its bordering on being the same speed as the current i5's if I understand correctly. The Mac Pro is a solid machine and I imagine it'll last longer but I DID just have to take it in for a new video card last month. Things are getting older.
I still want portability, but I also don't want to end up with less overall computing power. (i.e. if the Mac Pro dies and I'm left with only a 13" mbp I'm SOL) The kind of things I do now for work can't be stepped back.
So there are lots of options I'm open to: the new iMacs, waiting for the new Mac Pro refresh (inevitable..), the new macbook pros, and yes, even the iPad.
I'm really interested in some opinions, i'll need to make a trade off one way or another, either in computing power, money spent, or the waiting game. I just want to know what others would do that do similar things with their computers.
iPad: for its battery life, portability and compatibility with most of my needs (i.e. its obviously made to surf the web and check email and light work, no video editing but fast enough for mp3 djing, possibly other things that apps have not been made for yet [FCP control surface anyone?!]), cheapest!
Macbook Pro 13": for its portability, battery life, ability to use for real work outside of studio, cheapish.
Macbook Pro 15": still kinda portable for me, still decent battery life, faster and possibly future proofing the demise of my Mac Pro. not cheapish
iMac: same power as my old Mac Pro, not as robust, not portable, but the money saved can be spent on things to serve other needs (portability by buying an iPad to compliment it.
Wait for Mac Pro: wait. still no portability in meantime. Probably will be broke after purchase and will have to sell old Mac Pro (which maybe isnt hard) and get 2 iPads, one for the lady...
thoughts? thanks in advance, hopefully this will be troll free
best
jth