20" iMac or 13" Mackbook Pro

Hello, I am new to this forum, and for Christmas I am getting a mac, but I want to plan a head and find out all that i can.

I can prob. spend about $1200 bucks on a new computer, but I will have to save 200 and sell my Dell Studio 1536, which I don't expect much more than 275.

If I get either the imac or Mackbook Pro, I will get the base versions. Which should I get, what do you recommend. What are the Pro's and Con's of each.
I do like portability, like bringing my computer with me. But I don't have to but do really like to. I visit my mom every two weeks so I usually do bring my laptop with me, but that aside which is better?

apoirier594 said:

Hello, I am new to this forum, and for Christmas I am getting a mac, but I want to plan a head and find out all that i can.

I can prob. spend about $1200 bucks on a new computer, but I will have to save 200 and sell my Dell Studio 1536, which I don't expect much more than 275.

If I get either the imac or Mackbook Pro, I will get the base versions. Which should I get, what do you recommend. What are the Pro's and Con's of each.
I do like portability, like bringing my computer with me. But I don't have to but do really like to. I visit my mom every two weeks so I usually do bring my laptop with me, but that aside which is better?

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I think that you really need to decide how important portability is to you...once you figure that out...you will have answered your own question!

- Nick

Well, then I would choose the Mackbook Pro. But I c=don't have to be portable, so lets say I never had to have the portability what are the pros to the iMac

If you don't need portability then go with the iMac,
its sooo much cooler.

and the screen size makes all the difference

apoirier594 said:

Well, then I would choose the Mackbook Pro. But I c=don't have to be portable, so lets say I never had to have the portability what are the pros to the iMac

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If you don't need portability...then that eliminates the laptop from the decision process. This logically only leaves the iMac to choose from...so then purchase the iMac.

Live long and prosper.

- Nick

Ok thnx for the replies. I think I will prob. get the Mackbook Pro. I don't have to have it go with me, but i like to. so yea I will prob. get a Pro.

?

I say go with a MBP as well. Even though it is kind of expensive, you do get portability. That was a major deciding factor for me. As I am in college and also travel back and forth and want to surf on the couch, living room, blah blah blah. I hate being confined to one spot aka desktop and just sit there. i like to lounge around but that is just me. Just wondering what you will be doing with it? ie photoshop? surfing? email? little bit of gaming? This will give us a general idea of which one you could go with.

I say go with the macbook pro13 because I think it's better for whenever you might need for an imac to be portable...LOL

Yea if you are thinking about portability then dont even hesitate.

I had a desktop and I would always be on my moms MBP 15" (love that machine) and I was like wow... why don't I just go buy my own? and I did a 13" as I am on a college budget maybe ill trade my laptop for hers and she wont know LOL! jk

Yea, lol. I will be surfing, video editing not a whole bunch tho, pictures, music, and using windows, just bootcamp tho. Not really any gaming tho. Use it for school im in HS. Thnx. for the suggestions

Also wondering, how much faster is the 2.66GHz iMac than the 2.26 pro?

It's 400MHz faster. With 2 cores, making it 800MHz of simultaneous processing faster? The rest aside, all the iMac gives you is more screen real estate (with the same 9400m graphics, so if you're gaming you probably won't take full advantage of the high res screen anyway) with more storage and a higher capacity for RAM... although the bus, RAM bus, and all else is the same other than the processor...

apoirier594 said:

Yea, lol. I will be surfing, video editing not a whole bunch tho, pictures, music, and using windows, just bootcamp tho. Not really any gaming tho. Use it for school im in HS. Thnx. for the suggestions

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The 2.26ghz is fast enough for all those things you are doing. But let's just say that you get into hard core video rendering and photoshoping, and go into graphic design, then maybe that is when you get a better and faster computer. But from what you have wrote then I wouldn't worry about that speed. I have the 2.26ghz intel core 2 duo which is fast, also upgraded my hard drive 500gb 7200rpm and currently waiting on arrival of 4gb of ram. Then I should be set.

there again, your mother would like you to buy the imac and NOT a bring a computer along with you. ;-)

hey... split the difference- get the 15".

Coops

cjcoops said:

there again, your mother would like you to buy the imac and NOT a bring a computer along with you. ;-)

hey... split the difference- get the 15".

Coops

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I read this over 10 times trying to figure out what you were saying... I dont understand...

can you explain what you mean? Or if someone else deciphered it and can explain.

Yea I wish I could get the 15" but I am kinda on a budget around $1300 with tax included

Then go for the 13" and make sure to get the warranty as well if you plan on moving it a lot and being portable. Just in case something should happen. If your really clumsy and want to protect that huge investment then getting the accidental plan from best buy is a must.

deathcloud said:

I read this over 10 times trying to figure out what you were saying... I dont understand...

can you explain what you mean? Or if someone else deciphered it and can explain.

Click to expand...

I think he meant like, get the iMac, you dont need to bring your computer with you or something, and get the 15" b/c it has a bigger screen like the iMac, but don't know if thats what he meant.

Anyways...

deathcloud said:

Then go for the 13" and make sure to get the warranty as well if you plan on moving it a lot and being portable. Just in case something should happen. If your really clumsy and want to protect that huge investment then getting the accidental plan from best buy is a must.

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Like should I get apple care when I buy the laptop? Doesn't it already come with 1 year of it along with the laptop when you buy it. If so, I would rather wait until like a month of my original warranty to expire and then buy apple care, can I do that? And are there any benefits of buying apple care once you buy a mac?

And DeathCloud thank you for helping me

Not a problem. I know it is different with all laptops. I do know that if you buy a refurbished mac you automatically get 1 year parts/labor if anything goes wrong with hardware and such. And you have the option to wait 90 days before you decide to get the apple care which last for 3 years I believe. So it is an additional 2 more years basically.

However, the apple care and accidental plan that you can get at Best Buy are two different things. Apple care only covers manufacturer's defects, problems, maybe even software and such. And thats it. Maybe people believe that applecare is a bit more than what it really is. Apple care "includes expert telephone technical support, global repair coverage, onsite repairs for desktop computers1, web-based support resources, and powerful diagnostic tools" basically if something goes wrong they try to diagnose it. And if it is a defect then they can replace it. However, if you drop, spill something, crack, scratch, run over with car, basically stuff you can avoid but happens to your laptop, you are SOL. UNLESS you get the accidental coverage from best buy which covers all of apple cares stuff if you bring the laptop in, and also all the other stuff listed that can happen to your laptop. I wanted to have the highest security for my investment even if I did have to pay 379.99 or something for it. I have peace of mind.

But there is the other route as well. Getting the apple care and going with a third party insurance place that can cover anything that can happen to your macbook as well. That site would be
Laptop, Desktop, Tablet PC and PDA/Smartphone insurance from Safeware Insurance Agency, Inc.

Anyways I highly recommend you get any protection plan as it is a valuable piece of equipment and you always want to protect that investment.

Hope this helps