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Buy a Macbook or iMac ! help

B

baboo2

macrumors member
Original poster
Aug 27, 2005
90
0
Toronto
This is my situation, I sold my 1.2ghz ibook and will sell my Windows desktop. I will have a total of $1100usd cash after doing so.
I also have a 2005fpw Dell monitor which i can sell for $440usd easily.

A mac mini does no good as I do want to install Windows xp and play games like CS source. Thus should I get a 20inch iMac or macbook pro OR the upcoming macbook

Ideally I would like to get a Macbook or Macbook pro and connect it with my Dell 20inch + Mx 5000 BT keyboard/mouse... but
Is it possible to turn on the laptop and leave the laptop screen off when connected to my dell monitor?


I am a student who plays games not a lot but enough and on a so so budget, will spend if needed. Any advice is appreicated, thanks in advance :)
 
If something portable is something you want go for MBP, if it will never leave the desk go for a Imac, you get so much more power for you money.
 
Well, I highly doubt the new intel MacBooks won't have integrated graphics, so you'd better count those out too. Looks like it's between a MacBook Pro or iMac...aka do you need portability or not.
 
Well i am a student , and I do need a laptop every now a then, thus yes Macbook Pro would be good

But does anyone know if I can turn the laptop screen off while I have the Dell external monitor on thus it can function like a desktop. I believe my old ibook could not do that, the laptop screen had to be on
 
Since you're a student, I'd get a MacBook Pro for the portability. And the Edu discount saves you a little bit as well. One of those Kensington locks would be a good investment, too. :)

And you can have the laptop screen off and just work off of the external monitor. I do it with mine sometimes. But with MacBook Pro/Powerbooks you have the spanning feature for extra space on the screen.
 
I belive you can keep the MBP closed and still run a 2nd monitor off it. You´ll need a seperate keyboard though
 
does anyone have a powerbook or macbook pro and can confirm that the laptop screen can be off while it is plugged into the external monitor?
 
baboo2 said:
does anyone have a powerbook or macbook pro and can confirm that the laptop screen can be off while it is plugged into the external monitor?
Click to expand...
doesnt work with my freends macbook, a was at his place the other day tying to fix it
 
Democrat622 said:
doesnt work with my freends macbook, a was at his place the other day tying to fix it
Click to expand...
You have to:

1. Connect the external monitor, keyboard and mouse.
2. Close the lid on the MBP
3. If you open the lid again the screen will be off.

or you can just turn the brightness all the way down.
 
skubish said:
You have to:

1. Connect the external monitor, keyboard and mouse.
2. Close the lid on the MBP
3. If you open the lid again the screen will be off.

or you can just turn the brightness all the way down.
Click to expand...

4. It has to be pluged in. It won't work, if the MBP runs on battery. At least my PB doesn't do so.
 
Well being that the specs are very similar on the MacBookPro and the iMac, the MBP looks really expensive, as you're paying mostly for portability. However, if you are a student and will be taking this thing to classes or whatever with you, I guess portability is neccessary. And a MacBook shouldn't be an option, as said, because it will probably have integrated graphics, like the Mac Mini. The edu. discount will probably help you with the MBP purchase.
 
Looking at your budget, I'd have to recommend the iMac over the MacBookPro.

The basic 17" WS iMac education is $1199.
Add in 2 GB of 3rd party RAM for a few hundred more and you're already at around $1400, but you have a great system, faster processing, way more storage with a standard 7200RPM HD.

If this is already pushing the financial limits, then you're not going to be able to afford a properly configured MBP.

You might consider waiting for the smaller laptops.
 
FFTT said:
You might consider waiting for the smaller laptops.
Click to expand...

But he wants to play games, and the smaller laptops are said to be following the Mac Mini footsteps. That means Integrated Intel Graphics.
 
Just to throw my 2 cents: I own an iMac 20", and although it's a great computer, it does feel like portable technology. The iMac's entire internals are based on mobile technology, from the CPU to the graphics card to the RAM (even their size, 200PINS, is not standard desktop size, which is 240PIN). The big differences are ofcourse the screen size and faster+bigger harddrive.

So basically, you buy a relatively expensive desktop computer with mobile performance. I think if someone would benchmark the iMac against a good desktop PC, with its faster bus, power hogging CPU desktop class GPU, and a hacked OS X, the performance will be much faster. Ofcourse it'll be alot noisier too :). And uglier.

On the macbook pro side, however, the performance will be the best in its class for mobile computing. I doubt you'll be able to find a 15.4" laptop that would match the MBP's performance with OSX or even Windows.

If I could do it all over again, i'd probably take the laptop. And BTW, I highly doubt you'd be able to sell your 2005FPW for 400$. A new one from Dell with the right coupons easily reach 394$. The MBP with that screen will be a great combination.

Oded S.
 
It all depends on your budget, if you are a student go for the portability of the MBP. Rev D's are out now so it should be pretty safe. If you wont be traveling alot though and cna handle a set down computer at your desk, go for the iMac. But I have to say i love my MBP for the portibility. I thought i could use a iMac because it was cheaper, but i wouldnt give anything for the portablility of the MBP. Light, easy to carry, but more $$$
 
I´m getting an iMac because I want the big screen. I also considered the MBP, but the cost was too high (and I already have an ibook for portabillity)
I would get the iMac, unless you really need portabillity
 
For most average users' needs, the iMac/iBook combo still gives you a better deal for your money.

As long as you have a good primary workstation, the iBook is fine for notes,
online stuff, transfering files, itunes and even some heavier work, without blowing $2600+ and worrying about damage from the realities of portable life.
 
The difference though with you yoak, was that you had an iBook previously. baboo has no other machine. Therefore, the portability factor might be higher.
 
"why is this such a big deal anyway? im confused..." , it is a big deal because I would sell my desktop and use the mackbook or macbook pro to replace it. Do you think the macbook would you the close-lid functoin ? The ibook doesnt so it would be a tough call...wait it out?
 
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