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iMac or MBP?

yoak

yoak

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Oct 4, 2004
1,689
213
Oslo, Norway
So it looks like I´ll have enough cash for a new Mac soon and here is my dilemma:

I have an ibook and my idea has always been to compliment it with a 20" iMac. Let my wife use the ibook most of the time as it suits her needs just fine, and I´ll use it when I´m travelling.

I will use my new Mac for mostly light stuff, but every so often I use FCP to do my showreel etc (Never "big" projects) and I´ll need to make DVD copies.
I thought I would be ok with my ibook for FCP, but the 12" screen is just too painfull to do editing on.

I think the iMac will be great due to the big screen, and I have portabillity with our iBook.

What I would like to know is this:
Can anyone think of reasons to get the MBP over the iMac, will I need the ExpressCard/34 slot for anything?

PS I don´t have a second monitor and don´t plan on getting one just yet
 
Yea, iBook+iMac seems nice combo.

Or you can get a big external display, install the screen-spanning hack on the iBook and hook it to this screen when at home :)

Up to you...
 
yoak said:
I thought I would be ok with my ibook for FCP, but the 12" screen is just too painfull to do editing on.
Click to expand...
Yeah after I upgraded to my MBP from my old iBook, this is what I noticed the most. I never want to go back to 1024 X 768. The display on my MBP is more than enough for video editing and everything else I'll ever need, at least in my opinion it is. But whenever I visit the film editing labs at my school I'm always in awe at how much of a difference it really is to have a huge screen. It's nice, but not so much so that I'd want to give up the portable power I get with the MBP or deal with a small screen ever again.

As far as that ExpressCard slot, I don't think anyone really has too much of a use for it yet, other than adding on extra firewire and the like. I believe most applications for ExpressCard are Windows-only at this early stage. Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

So, my advice would be to go into an Apple Store and spend time playing with both of them. See if the tradeoff is worth the portability, it was for me.

Regardless, whichever way you go, you will be a lot happier, trust me. (You might have trouble switching back to that iBook when you need to go portable though.)
 
I'd go for the MacBook pro...

I think you'll find if you did get the iMac you'd find it very difficult to go back to the small screen again to do any editing on at all. I can't even use sibelius properly on it, and you don't necessarily need tonnes of screen-estate for that!

With the MacBook Pro you'll have all the screen estate you'll need (plus a nice package if you want to add an external display at a later date, and have it look nice - wheas an imac and external...Meh) you'll certainly have all the power you'll need, and to boot you have both the portability and power in one package.

You could in fact wait for the 17" - maybe worth a consideration as a true desktop replacement?
 
Thanks for the input guys.

I don´t intend to do editing on the ibook at all, so going from the iMac to the ibook shouldn´t be too much of a problem.
I´m tempted by all that screen estate

I agree with Maxiseller that the MBP with an external is better looking than the iMac with a second monitor.

Decisions, decisions...
 
Or, you COULD do what I did and put yourself in the hole and just get both an iMac AND a MacBook Pro.

Probably not the smartest financial decision, but I needed/wanted the desktop for home work and portability for going to class and working around campus.

If you really dont need the horsepower, wait until the April 1st-ish time frame and see if they redo the iBooks. The reason I went with the MBP was because I couldn't STAND the sights of the iBook. I respect them since the're Apple :)p ), but I just don't think they look that great at all. Asthetically, the MBP kicks every laptop (Mac and PC) out of the water.
 
Both are not happening (unfortunatly) as I have other things to spend my money on as well.
I do agree that the MBP is way better looking than the ibook.
Which one do you prefer working on KevAllen83, iMac or the MBP?
I will wait for April 1st anyhow, but I won´t get another iBook
 
Well, you're situation sounds in a way similar to mine. You need a bigger screen for editing space. I have a 12" iBook as well. Now, let's think about this. If you get the MBP, it will be pretty much the same specs as the iMac would be processor-wise. But with the MBP, you get 15.4" screen vs. the would-be 20" screen on the iMac. The MBP is also more expensive because of portability. So why pay the extra cash for the portability when you already have it with your iBook? Therefore, just spend less money for a machine that would be of the same power AND a bigger screen. I think the iMac has an incredible value for what you get and what you're paying. I am going to be purchasing an Intel 17" iMac in the future (this coming summer/early fall) and I can not think of a better partner to compliment my iBook. :)

Good luck with your purchase and let us know what you decide!
 
Caitlyn, I think you´re right.
With a MBP I will spend more money for the same computer (with a smaler screen) as the iMac.
The portability I don´t need, as I can use my iBook. All I need a computer for while travelling is mail etc.

My only worry is if I need ExpressCard port for anything in the future, as the iMac dosen´t have it
 
True Caitlyn.
What I´m thinking of is connectivity, with so much going on with HD cameras and recording media.

As the new Prosumer Panasonic camera (HVX200) uses P2 cards to record on, maybe something to off load them directly to your laptop might come out and you would need the card slot for that. (I´m just guessing here)
 
Well if you base your decisions on what "might" happen or what "could" happen you will never buy anything. I learned that when I was waiting for my iBook and my iPod. You gotta go with now.

However, if an Express Card becomes that popular, maybe they "could" make an external connector. Similar to an external floppy drive? Know what I mean?

Oh, and do you have one of those Prosumer Panasonic cameras?
 
If anyone comes up with anything valuable which uses the ExpressCard port, someone will make a version of it which can connect to standard Macs. Period. I seriously doubt Apple's going to put an ExpressCard port on the new PowerMacs, whenever they come out, so likewise I seriously doubt that the ExpressCard port will be needed to do anything that you can't do in a similar way without one. Are there any PCMCIA cards which do things you just can't do on a desktop? No, at least that I'm aware of. Same with the ExpressCard slot in the future, I'm sure.

The 20" iMac is a beautiful system, usable as a spare TV if you'd like (with a suitable Elgato product). Utterly silent, no heating issues, no whine, no battery life complaints. It's also a desktop, which means it's capable of being always on (useful if you want to host your own website), and external drives can be counted on when they're connected to it. Plus, no expenses for the inevitable cases and keyboard protectors. And it's got vastly more HD space, even in "stock" form. And, for what it's worth, an iLugger case actually allows you to carry it around if that's necessary (I have one, and they do work, although it's a bit awkward to lug something so heavy), but that sort of nixes the "no carrying cases" plus.
 
i'd get the imac since you already have a portable.

the imac 17" we have in the labs at my work are beautiful. the 20" must be even better.
 
I'd get the imac for a reason not yet mentioned - that if you do, your wife can use the ibook. Much nicer to have a computer for each of you! :)

the only reason i can see to get the MBP is if you really like the simplicity of having only one computer... but that's not that big a deal.
 
jsw said:
If anyone comes up with anything valuable which uses the ExpressCard port, someone will make a version of it which can connect to standard Macs. Period. I seriously doubt Apple's going to put an ExpressCard port on the new PowerMacs, whenever they come out, so likewise I seriously doubt that the ExpressCard port will be needed to do anything that you can't do in a similar way without one. Are there any PCMCIA cards which do things you just can't do on a desktop? No, at least that I'm aware of. Same with the ExpressCard slot in the future, I'm sure.
Click to expand...

Agreed. :) yoak, have you made a decision yet?
 
Thanks again for all the input.

Since last post I went down to my local Apple shop (we don´t have Apple Stores here unfortunatly) and played around for a while with both.
I love the design of the MBP, but the screen on the iMac is what did it for me (that, and the cost issue).

The guy in the shop also said that when one brings it home, you really realize how big it is, as it tends to "drown" a bit in the shop with all the 30 & 23 inch displays that surrounds it. I think I belive him.

So now I just have to wait for a few days or so to have the next paycheck in.

What I´m wondering about now is wether to buy it from that shop (same price as apple.no) or use a 700kr (100$US) discount I will get at apple.no if I buy before 1st of April:eek:
(What´s gonna come then, should I wait? No)
 
If you are buying the iMac, I say just buy it now. If anything happens on April 1st, I doubt it will be to the iMacs as they were just upgraded to Intel processors. They've actually been upgraded quite a bit in the past 6 months.
 
Oh alright. :D Keep us updated on your purchase. I love watching people get new machines. :p
 
Counting my pennies now, just might order it tonight.
My palms start sweating just thinking about it; Should I, Do I really need it, etc
 
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