[cuhnool]

As most will say, it all depends on what you want. If you want something more for home use, and still think your '06 MacBook can chug along being a portable for you for work or whatever you do, get the iMac. If you wouldn't mind having a laptop as your primary home computer (like me), and you want a beefier model than your '06 MB, get the MacBook pro.

Just some thoughts I would throw out for ya!

[oddtimer]

So according to AppleInsider you *CANNOT* use the new 27" iMac as a monitor unless the device feeding it has a native DisplayPort out, such as an apple laptop. Using the "displayport to dvi" adapter will not work.

AppleInsider | Tests confirm Apple's 27" iMac only supports DisplayPort input

...looks like I'm not going to get to watch blu-ray on this display after all...

[Chris H.]

Originally Posted by trademark

At first I thought the 27 inch screen would make the chassis of the new iMac overly huge and dominating for any computer desk, but upon seeing it in a couple youtube vids and in person at my local apple store up the street, it's not as big as I thought.

The smaller chin and 16:9 aspect ratio make the chassis of the new 27" iMac barely any bigger than the old 24" iMac, and with the small amount of extra room they added, they were able to use desktop grade components! This is one of the few times apple has satisfied me with their design. The size of this new chassis is literally perfect for me and probably a lot of other consumers.

At first I was skeptical and thought they would use an overclocked mobile quad core for their processor, but now I'm assuming they're using the new Lynnfield 750 and 860 desktop grade cpus by the loooks of their bto options.
Really good stuff, as the 860 is basically on par with the high end 920 processor that most gaming geeks gloat about and throw on their gaming rigs!

This is one of the few moments where apple has made something that's currently cheaper than windows counterparts considering the all-in-one design/ display resolution and raw computing power. I will definitely get a Lynnfield 860 iMac come christmas.

Edit: I for one like the chin of the iMacs, it makes them look different from pure displays, and raises the height of the screen itself on the iMac, so it's more in accord with your line of sight.

I played around with a 27" at Best Buy this past weekend. I also opened up Front Row and scared a Best Buy employee out of his wits. He then proceeded to make me move over (jerk! ), so, I pushed the iMac a little further down the table, picked up the super-lightweight keyboard and the smooth Magic Mouse, and continued to play with it. Then I went to adjust the monitor. All it took was a light touch of the pinky to move it! Smooth! Plus I love the Snow Leopard wallpaper that OS X 10.6 has, it just looks pretty with the widescreen display.

[hyo]

Originally Posted by Chris H.

I played around with a 27" at Best Buy this past weekend. I also opened up Front Row and scared a Best Buy employee out of his wits. He then proceeded to make me move over (jerk! ), so, I pushed the iMac a little further down the table, picked up the super-lightweight keyboard and the smooth Magic Mouse, and continued to play with it. Then I went to adjust the monitor. All it took was a light touch of the pinky to move it! Smooth! Plus I love the Snow Leopard wallpaper that OS X 10.6 has, it just looks pretty with the widescreen display.

Did it feel unnecessarily big? I sat in front of a 30" at a friends house and felt it was a bit much. I want a 27".

[bobtomay]

Originally Posted by hyo

Did it feel unnecessarily big? I sat in front of a 30" at a friends house and felt it was a bit much. I want a 27".

A 30" was too big in my experience. Especially if you're doing any full screen gaming on it. I had to back up to at least 6' away from it while playing or I found myself actually moving my head rather than just my eyes to see everything on the screen. For everything except gaming it was great.

Downgraded that one to a 26" and could then play from my standard sitting position at the desk, about 3' from the screen. The 27" is going to be right at the edge of comfortable for some games depending on your sitting distance, but should be ok.

[Chris H.]

Originally Posted by hyo

Did it feel unnecessarily big? I sat in front of a 30" at a friends house and felt it was a bit much. I want a 27".

Mmmm..not really. I mean, heck there's no way that I'll be fitting that puppy on my desk, especially sine 1) I have my desk practically against the window of my room and 2) My cat likes to jump on top of the desk and sit right next to the monitor. But yes, that screen ratio and that overall size is a bit much. I found myself scanning for stuff way off to the far right and then dropping my eyes to the bottom where the dock was..which with some of the backdrops that Apple provides, the shelf of the dock makes it look like you're staring out a large picture window. But, for the stuff I do on a computer, a display that big suits me fine. I like having Safari take up the whole screen, and some forums I visit, the text gets cut off. I think the widescreen would end that.