Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Is the new macbook Pro better than iMac?

A

asdfasdf32

macrumors member
Original poster
Nov 19, 2010
41
0
I've just received my new iMac27 (Quad i7, 2.94GHz, 12GB RAM), but by looking at the new macbook pro which was released yesterday seems like the new macbook Pro could be better if not worse? I dont know that much about computer but with the thunderbolt and introducing Quadcore and all, it sounds like MB pro is now as good as my new iMAC?
Is this true?

If so, should i go for a refund and get that? ( i need a big screen, but also the portability..)

The thing is that I've got my first iMac on the 16th, but it turned out to be faulty, so ive received another one 2 days ago, and returning the old on on next monday. Would i stil be able to apply for a full refund?

Hope to hear from any of you soon :)
 
You should return the iMac. Not because of the MBP, but because there should be an iMac-update sooner rather than later. Don't want to miss out on that Thunderbolt goodness, do you?
 
Tyrion said:
You should return the iMac. Not because of the MBP, but because there should be an iMac-update sooner rather than later. Don't want to miss out on that Thunderbolt goodness, do you?
Click to expand...

Do you think i can still apply for a full refund tho ? considering ive already got it returned once.
 
asdfasdf32 said:
Do you think i can still apply for a full refund tho ? considering ive already got it returned once.
Click to expand...

As far as I'm aware you have 14 days after the replacement arrives. Not from the purchase date. I know that others in the forum have had several replacements which would definitely take them outside the original 14 day return window.

Anyone else confirm?
 
Last edited:
Get the macbook pro if you absolutely need the portability, but first and foremost, you should be weighing your decision on your needs with screen size vs portability, and not raw power.
 
TMRaven said:
Get the macbook pro if you absolutely need the portability, but first and foremost, you should be weighing your decision on your needs with screen size vs portability, and not raw power.
Click to expand...

But hows this new MB pros raw power really? is it as good as my iMac?
 
asdfasdf32 said:
But hows this new MB pros raw power really? is it as good as my iMac?
Click to expand...

This is the question that I think the OP is getting at.
Since the iMac has traditionally used a lot of "mobile range parts"....
Should we infer that a top end 15" MBP is right on par with a recent i7 iMac in terms of pure, raw, power?
 
The new Mbps are definitely faster. If you're that worried about speed, then just ditch the iMac.
 
According to synthetic benchmarks, the two are about the same in terms of processing power, but iMac stills wins out in graphics power.

Even if the macbookpro were more powerful than the iMac, I was getting at your decision should be weighed more on the features that both offer that aren't raw power-- in this case it's the portability of the macbookpro vs the huge screen of the iMac.
 
TMRaven said:
According to synthetic benchmarks, the two are about the same in terms of processing power, but iMac stills wins out in graphics power.

Even if the macbookpro were more powerful than the iMac, I was getting at your decision should be weighed more on the features that both offer that aren't raw power-- in this case it's the portability of the macbookpro vs the huge screen of the iMac.
Click to expand...

its been one of the most difficult decisions i had to make so far lol..
I dont usually take my laptop around much, but i travel overseas once or twice a year- so thats why i need the portability...
but i also want a bigger screen to make it easier to work !
I chose the iMac because the raw power of the previous mb pro wasnt that good for its price, but now its pretty much even or slightly better perhaps- so Im keep having second thoughts- its horrible but i need to make a decision before its too late. but dont know wat to do to be honest!

Do i need a good reason to get it refund? or can i just do it without much hassle if its within 14 days?
 
mrsir2009 said:
I've got a Core2Duo MBP 13" and 21.5" i3 iMac, and it makes a great pair if you have the money :)
Click to expand...

I was actually really tempted about getting those two basic models but i wanted one 'proper' one, lol
of course its better to have two but its the money in the end init.. :eek:
 
asdfasdf32 said:
I was actually really tempted about getting those two basic models but i wanted one 'proper' one, lol
of course its better to have two but its the money in the end init.. :eek:
Click to expand...

Well I dunno what you plan to do with your iMac, but the baseline iMac is speedy enough for me. My MBP 13" is 1.5 years old, so it can be sluggish at times, but its still a great machine :)
 
asdfasdf32 said:
well until yesterday, imac's raw power was ALOT better than the mb pro. (quad core etc etc...)
im just having a second thought..
Click to expand...

Then you should get a 17" MBP. It's the only Mac that's both very powerful and quite portable AND features a large screen.
 
Tyrion said:
Then you should get a 17" MBP. It's the only Mac that's both very powerful and quite portable AND features a large screen.
Click to expand...

Yess but top end i7 MBP ($2500) cost more than current top end iMac, and equal to base MacPro without display though

I think it's outrageous price for a MacBook considering the OP only travelling once or twice a year.

How about using crappy laptop or MBW just for lite travelling, and after you go home you can turn on your beloved iMac and hug it all day long :p
 
asdfasdf32 said:
its been one of the most difficult decisions i had to make so far lol..
I dont usually take my laptop around much, but i travel overseas once or twice a year- so thats why i need the portability...
but i also want a bigger screen to make it easier to work !
I chose the iMac because the raw power of the previous mb pro wasnt that good for its price, but now its pretty much even or slightly better perhaps- so Im keep having second thoughts- its horrible but i need to make a decision before its too late. but dont know wat to do to be honest!

Do i need a good reason to get it refund? or can i just do it without much hassle if its within 14 days?
Click to expand...

I am in the same boat as you.

I sold my 2010 13" MBP a few weeks ago. I wanted to get maximum money for it before the news ones came out. Also, I needed more power. I needed a quad. None of the MBPs had quads, and I didn't think they'd make quads standard on all 15" MBPs this time around. I was kinda blindsided by that.

So at the time, few weeks ago, I bought an iMac i7. I think I'm still able to return mine. But I like it.

I know I'm probably going to want a laptop again, because I loved my 13" MBP, it just didn't have enough power. So it had to go.

I know that if the day I sold it the new MBPs came out, I wouldn't have bought the iMac. I would have bought the 2.2GHz 15" MacBook Pro. But it didn't exist at the time.

But now I really like the iMac. I've quickly gotten used to the 27" screen real estate. I've quickly gotten used to a nice clean desktop (my actual desk) instead of my Laptop, an external monitor, and cables laying everywhere (all the USB, Displayport, Firewire, power) that I'd plug into my laptop each time I'd go to "dock" it.

So it's definitely a case of being torn. There's also the downside of once again, backing up, wiping the iMac, sending it back. The reinstalling my audio software on the new MBP, configuring everything. Just not something I want to do again after doing it only a week or so ago.

As tempting as it is, My sane mind is telling me to just hang on to my iMac for now. In a few months time, the newer MBPs will also hit the refurb store. And they'll be a bit cheaper. Sure, I won't get full value back for my iMac should I decide to sell it, but that's life.

The other factor is honestly, in real world use, the 2.2GHz MBP is not going to outperform my iMac 2.93GHz. They will probably fall right around equal for audio use in Pro Tools (my main reason for my computer). So going thru all that work for no performance bump, but only for mobile ability doesn't make a ton of sense. Unless portability was make or break for me. And at the moment, it's not.

It's not an easy spot for us recent buyers of the top tier iMac. Until only days ago, we had a beast of a machine that cut into the Mac Pro Geekbench scores. And it felt good. Now we instantly have to deal with these less expensive MBPs outperforming our big old iMacs.

The way I see it, if I wait till 2012. We'll have Ivy Bridge. If you think the MBPs are smoking now, just wait still the next update (which honestly could be at the end of 2011). At that point I'll re-assess if I still need/want a laptop and if giving up my iMac seems worth it. If not, I'll be able to pick up a refurb early 2011 for even cheaper as a second computer.

Again, not easy, but I can't chase specs. Gotta take my hat out of the ring and just keep loving this 27" inch screen.
 
i have the i7 imac with 16 gigs of RAM and i feel that is worth mentioning too.. with then new mac book pros you can only get 8 GIGS in.. and having double the memory makes a massive difference.. i have last years MBP(i7) that i use for traveling, and it was a horrible mistake.. far too under powered when compared to my imac.. now i am selling it and buying a macbook air for travel, and basic tasks.. and just having to wait till i get home to do proper work..
i was tempted to upgrade to the new MBP.. but i still feel it will be far less than i hope for.. my old MBP already gets super hot, mission top plug into externals.. not enough ports.. etc etc.. so for me.. selling it and getting a macbook air seems like the correct way to do it seeing as when i travel I need to just back up photos and footage more than anything and do proper work only once home on the beast that is my imac..
any comments?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back