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Windows switcher needs some advice

D

DrHockey

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Nov 6, 2008
21
0
So I'm ready to take the plunge switching from Windows to Mac - I was an Apple user throughout the 80's & 90's (I even interned at Apple when I was a grad student) but I've been off the reservation ever since. Very excited about this change but I'm a bit unsure on what to purchase.

I wouldn't call myself a power user - I play games but mostly Blizzard titles which all run under OSX. Besides the standard web stuff, email etc., I do some photo editing and will probably do a bit of video encoding as well.

I live in an NYC apartment, so I want to conserve space. Therefore, I'm thinking that either an iMac 24" (4GB ram) or MacBook Pro 15" is the way to go. I think for my purposes either of them would be more than enough - the MacBok offers me portability (even though I'm not sure I need it) and I have a desktop LCD that I could jack into (although it's an older screen and probably doesn't do it justice). I think the iMac is a little more powerful in the graphics department and definitely cuts down on the desktop clutter & wires.

Any thoughts on which way to go? Should be fine either way but this newbie could use a little guidance.
 
MBP would be my recommendation; fast, powerful, portable (does not take up too much space), great performance, and an excellent screen. I have one and find it excellent.

Cheers and good luck
 
Either option would be fine, it's purely whether you want a big screen or to sit in the lounge. Personally I have just bought a MBP 15" and it's more than equal to the average user's needs.
 
While the iMac would be the better bet if you needed it for anything specifically intensive, I think a portable is always superior.

You never know when you might need to move the computer or use it elsewhere, and if it's acting as your only machine, a portable is vastly superior.

Now if you have specific needs that can't be met by the portable, or if you have a notebook you use otherwise, then you should go with the iMac. Otherwise, go with the notebook.
 
The iMac screen is huge, going to cost you less than the MBP, and you don't have to worry about charging it all the time if it is always going to be in the same place. Plus, you don't have to worry as much about heat or other problems. It will also take up less space than the MBP plus monitor along with being faster with the 3.5" rather than 2.5" HDD. It will also have larger HDD capacity.
 
Arent laptops generally inferior for gaming
They get hot easily, this slows down the gpu, and the fans are noisy as heck trying to cool it down
Running it on an external monitor isnt much better because you are asking it to deliver a higher res
 
Smacky said:
Arent laptops generally inferior for gaming
They get hot easily, this slows down the gpu, and the fans are noisy as heck trying to cool it down
Running it on an external monitor isnt much better because you are asking it to deliver a higher res
Click to expand...

Depending on what the OP meant by "Blizzard" titles, I think mbps can handle them quite well.

iMacs themselves use the same chips and sleek enclosures, so it's doubtful that they would perform better than a mbp.

Then again, if the OP plays games more than he realizes now, he will notice a difference, whereas if he doesn't play very often, he likely will not. This is one of those judgments only he/she can make.
 
I always like to have a notebook because I like to use it around the house and in bed. I also travel quite a bit. However, if you're a strictly computing in front of a desk person, then I would go with an iMac rather than a mbp.
 
Don't want clutter? Probably want to sit on the couch sometimes and surf the web when watching the tube? Perhaps a long vacation will entice you to take the MBP with you? It's nice, it's portable' and best of all it's CLUTTER FREE.

The MacBook Pro for a clutter free life.

My advice with a grain of salt.
 
The MacBook Pro for a clutter free life.
Click to expand...

id actually disagree
im not saying the mbp is super clutterfull but the imac has a smaller footprint

from going from the imac to the GBP, i found that the imac gives me WAY more deskspace and if i want to use the keyboard, i can keep it near me while keeping the monitor at eyelevel
 
sukanas said:
id actually disagree
im not saying the mbp is super clutterfull but the imac has a smaller footprint

from going from the imac to the GBP, i found that the imac gives me WAY more deskspace and if i want to use the keyboard, i can keep it near me while keeping the monitor at eyelevel
Click to expand...

I agree. If I did not need portability, I would have gotten an iMac instead of a MacBook. I am currently using my MacBook with an LCD monitor, a keyboard and a mouse. An iMac would have given me way more space on my desk, while keeping the screen at eye-level.

I strongly suggest that people who are going to work for long hours on a laptop to consider a monitor to prevent repetitive stress injury which tend to hit you after a few years of heavy computer usage.
 
move or sit

My good friend used to have an ibook and at first he used it as you would use any portable but by the 2nd year of ownership it turned into a 12 inch desktop.. I am a pro portable person granted my macbook nows travels with me a tad less because I have an iPhone but none the-less I still take it out with me almost 75% of the time on my dat to day adventures. I could never have a desk top as my only computer I am too mobile and I love my old 15 powerbook screen as I think you would on a macbook pro. I know some people that have purchased a laptop and then figured out they used<brought with> way more then they ever would have thought and vice versa, so if you are 100% that you will never need to take it with you then get the imac but if there is any doubt get the portable.
 
If you want portability with a certain degree of power: MacBook.
If you want portability with raw power: MacBook Pro.
If you aren't mobile, and need a 20"+ screen: iMac.
If you want the most powerful desktop ever made: Mac Pro.
 
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