Hi guys, long time lurker, very rare poster.
I recently on a whim decided to sell my 15" MacBook Pro which I was using at my desk hooked up to a 32" display. I was fed up of disconnecting all my peripherals any time I wanted to go anywhere with it, and then reconnecting everything. Also, I'm one of those people that just likes to change it up quite often. I've now bought a MacBook Air, which will be my portable machine. My plan was to run a Mac Mini as a file server that I can access on my Air, but also use as my main machine. However I've been looking at 2nd hand iMacs and wondering if it's worth the extra cash? What confuses me is they seem to have lower spec for more money (i5 vs. i7).
I will be using it for almost everything, Photoshop, InDesign, Logic, Final Cut, the works. Final Cut less than the rest but still as a hobby now and again. Mainly Logic and Photoshop really.
TL;DR - I need a powerful machine to possibly run as a file server.
Option 1: Mac Mini 2012 2.3GHz i7, 4GB RAM (Upgraded to 16GB from Crucial)
Option 2: iMac 21.5" Mid 2011, 2.5 or 2.7 Quad i5, 12+ GB RAM (Whatever comes in it plus whatever I can afford from Crucial)
I have £700 left over after buying the Macbook Air. I'd rather not spend much more but if it's worth it I can wait a couple of months to stretch further. I don't need the computer immediately but would like it sooner than later. Also if I get the Mini I will probably get a secondary monitor later, but it's not that important right away.
Sorry for all the writing, thanks if you can help!
I recently on a whim decided to sell my 15" MacBook Pro which I was using at my desk hooked up to a 32" display. I was fed up of disconnecting all my peripherals any time I wanted to go anywhere with it, and then reconnecting everything. Also, I'm one of those people that just likes to change it up quite often. I've now bought a MacBook Air, which will be my portable machine. My plan was to run a Mac Mini as a file server that I can access on my Air, but also use as my main machine. However I've been looking at 2nd hand iMacs and wondering if it's worth the extra cash? What confuses me is they seem to have lower spec for more money (i5 vs. i7).
I will be using it for almost everything, Photoshop, InDesign, Logic, Final Cut, the works. Final Cut less than the rest but still as a hobby now and again. Mainly Logic and Photoshop really.
TL;DR - I need a powerful machine to possibly run as a file server.
Option 1: Mac Mini 2012 2.3GHz i7, 4GB RAM (Upgraded to 16GB from Crucial)
Option 2: iMac 21.5" Mid 2011, 2.5 or 2.7 Quad i5, 12+ GB RAM (Whatever comes in it plus whatever I can afford from Crucial)
I have £700 left over after buying the Macbook Air. I'd rather not spend much more but if it's worth it I can wait a couple of months to stretch further. I don't need the computer immediately but would like it sooner than later. Also if I get the Mini I will probably get a secondary monitor later, but it's not that important right away.
Sorry for all the writing, thanks if you can help!
