Ok then. A macbook Pro or an iMac?

I've been researching laptops for a while now and the macbook Pro has always been on my wish list (I've made a few posts here about it) I'm thinking now that for heavy graphics work that I'll be doing (web design, graphic design) that perhaps I should go for a desktop, mainly an iMac. Now, is this a better decision? I know it's not as portable or a laptop but are imacs any good?

 

Portability (MacBook Pro) or value (iMac)? Your choice.

 

iMacs have beautiful screens, and larger hard drives. Spec-wise, a Macbook Pro is essentially a portable iMac. So it depends what you want. A home computer or a portable.

 

For web design and graphic design, performance wise the MacBook Pro or iMac will both do just fine.

Portability is the big question; do you want/need to be able to take it with you?

If money isn't an object, and you do want portability, the other solution to consider is a MacBook Pro plus a larger external display, since you could then get the benefits of a larger screen/etc. when necessary.

 

iMacs are more affordable than MBPs and offer a larger higher resolution screen. However, as you stated, it is not portable, so you will not be able to use it on the road. Furthermore, an iMac does not support Li-on batteries, so should you ever encounter a 72-hour power outage just when you're about to finish that important piece of graphic which is due in 71 hours, you will miss that deadline (provided the file takes more than 72 hours to recreate, and you haven't backed up your current progress anywhere etc.).

 

I think if you want to be safe, get a MBP, so if you ever need a portable computer you have one. If you already have a notebook, then you can get an iMac.

 

Go with the MBP man. If you aren't held back by the price, go for it. It has many advantages over the iMac. It is portable, just as powerful, if not, even more so, and as Budding already pointed out, it has a built in battery which is really helpful incase there are any cases in which the power goes out and you didn't save your work or need to finish it by a certain time. In that case you can always go someplace else, plug it into a socket and continue your work. An iMac can't give you that option.

 

That's what my APC UPS is for.... Well, that, and so next time the transformer out back blows up, I'm not using a cheap surge protector that let my box get fried.

If you don't intend to go anywhere with it, I'd get the iMac for the larger display and for the 3.5" hard drive (Cheaper to upgrade, and you can get 1TB drives now), as well as the lower price tag. With the money you save, you can buy a nice UPS to go with it.

If you want to work in the back yard or take it to work, get the MacBook Pro.

If you work in a gravel pit or a machine shop, get a Toughbook.

Edit; Also, if you are doing photo or video work, the clearer picture of the better screen in the iMac (which is H-IPS) will provide more colours and less backlight bleed. Just something to throw around the noodle.

 

Go with the iMac! I've got both, 20" iMac and a 17" MBP (this one is for work). Both are excellent machines, but if you're not going to be mobile with it, then the iMac is where its at. You cant go wrong with either though

 

<noparse>MacBook</noparse> Pro + external monitor?

 

The iMac has a faster (and larger) hard drive, so it should feel a bit snappier... you may want to consider that. Even so, I'd prefer the portability of a laptop.

 

You should probably consider that the MacBook Pro has a higer appeal over the iMac and a much nicer screen. I've always thought the screens on the iMacs looked cheap, even compared to the outdated, yet much better-looking, Apple Cinema Displays.

 

You're kidding right? When was the last time you saw an iMac?

They have a glass screen, with the superior quality H-IPS LCD panels... If Apple put that into a cinema display already, I don't think I'd have a Samsung monitor right now. I'd also be far more broke.

But that's the first time I've ever heard somebody say the MBP screen was superior to the iMac screen. (Current hardware vs. Current hardware)

 

Get the macbook pro. Its portable dude. LOL. But the macbook pro is an excellent machine. I would get it over the imac. Especially if you want portability.

 

I've seen like a dozen different iMacs in an Apple store and a few in other stores. iMacs have mediocre screens, even if they are S-IPS.

 

Huh? the MBP is not as or even more powerful than the iMac. You're forgetting the iMac across the board has a faster hard drive by default. A 7200 RPM upgrade will cost more on the MBP and the capacity is way smaller.
Are you forgetting the 2.8Ghz iMac? There's no MBP that has the 2.8 Core 2 Extreme so putting that together with a 500GB 7200RPM hard drive and great screen and GPU results in a excellent power machine in the iMac.
Now obviously the OP doesn't desire portability that much or he wouldn't be posting here in regards to the MBP and iMac. The MBP cost a lot more for a lot less than the top of the line iMac so for a power station that still easier to move around the iMac is a great solution.

 

Everybody is entitled to an opinion. I certainly disagree with yours on this issue. The 24" iMac screen, especially, IMHO, is beautiful. You must have experience with far better monitors than I normally use - you're a lucky guy.

 

Actually, not really, bmwrob. The 24" iMac screen definitely looks better than the 20", but I've always found there to be something weird about the screens compared to traditional monitors. For some reason, to me, the iMac screens look like they have a lower pixel density than other traditional monitors, when they really don't.