Here's my situation. I currently have a 1st gen MacBook (black) that I purchased when I graduated high school back in 2006. I've been using it ever since, and now that it's starting to show its age, I'm looking to upgrade. The last few months I've been going back and forth on whether or not I want a 13" MBP, a 15" MBP, or a 21.5" iMac. I'm majoring in Geography and next semester I'm taking Cartography and Illustrator is the software we will be using for projects. The main reasons why I'm considering an iMac over a MBP are as follows:
1. My MacBook hardly ever leaves my desk. 95 percent of the time, it's at home on my desk because the battery doesn't last long enough to get anything done. Even when I am at home, I never use it around my house because one of my roommates has a dog that constantly knocks things over and I wouldn't want to get water, beer, or whatever kind of beverage is sitting in my living room to spill over my computer. When I do leave to go back home, it's only for 2 or 3 days at a time, and even then I usually end up using either my Mom or my Dad's iMac anyway.
2. While on campus, if I need access to a computer, I'm never more than 2 minutes away from one. The cartography lab uses Mac Pros with 24 ACDs, the library has 4 levels of computers on them, we have a dedicated computer lab that uses both Dells with Vista as well as 24" iMacs. I also have a 32 gig iPod touch that I use regularly on the campus Wi-Fi if I'm not by a computer and I need to look something up. I've even got Wi-Fi at work that my iPod can connect to as well.
3. The iMac's display is in a league of its own. Despite how crisp the MBP displays are, they don't even come close to the iMac's. Editing in Garageband and Logic on the new iMac vs my 13" MacBook is a night and day difference. Not only that, the height at which the iMac sits on my desk is perfect (my roommate got one about 2 weeks ago and I got a chance to test it out). I'm constantly leaning over to look at anything and type on my MacBook, and after an extended period of time it starts to strain my eyes.
Even though Intel is going to release new processors in 2 weeks, I don't think that would really matter to me since I don't really use a lot of apps that would use everything that the new processors have to offer anyway. What I'm getting at here is this: Has anyone switched from a MacBook to an iMac and not regretted it?
1. My MacBook hardly ever leaves my desk. 95 percent of the time, it's at home on my desk because the battery doesn't last long enough to get anything done. Even when I am at home, I never use it around my house because one of my roommates has a dog that constantly knocks things over and I wouldn't want to get water, beer, or whatever kind of beverage is sitting in my living room to spill over my computer. When I do leave to go back home, it's only for 2 or 3 days at a time, and even then I usually end up using either my Mom or my Dad's iMac anyway.
2. While on campus, if I need access to a computer, I'm never more than 2 minutes away from one. The cartography lab uses Mac Pros with 24 ACDs, the library has 4 levels of computers on them, we have a dedicated computer lab that uses both Dells with Vista as well as 24" iMacs. I also have a 32 gig iPod touch that I use regularly on the campus Wi-Fi if I'm not by a computer and I need to look something up. I've even got Wi-Fi at work that my iPod can connect to as well.
3. The iMac's display is in a league of its own. Despite how crisp the MBP displays are, they don't even come close to the iMac's. Editing in Garageband and Logic on the new iMac vs my 13" MacBook is a night and day difference. Not only that, the height at which the iMac sits on my desk is perfect (my roommate got one about 2 weeks ago and I got a chance to test it out). I'm constantly leaning over to look at anything and type on my MacBook, and after an extended period of time it starts to strain my eyes.
Even though Intel is going to release new processors in 2 weeks, I don't think that would really matter to me since I don't really use a lot of apps that would use everything that the new processors have to offer anyway. What I'm getting at here is this: Has anyone switched from a MacBook to an iMac and not regretted it?