Have decided to make the leap..... Am i nuts with this setup?

Hello everyone. I have been lurking here for a couple of weeks digging for info on Apple products trying to make the big decision.

Do I switch from Windows? Or do I keep struggling along with sub standard components and poor support?

Well I have made the decision. Now to raise the money to do it.

Here is the setup I have saved at the apple store site.


Apple LED Cinema Display (27" flat panel) $999.00
Canon EOS 5D Mark II Digital Camera (Body only) $2,499.95
27-inch iMac $2,934.95
Configuration
•
3.4GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7
8GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x4GB
1TB Serial ATA Drive
AMD Radeon HD 6970M 2GB GDDR5
Apple Magic Mouse + Magic Trackpad
Apple Wireless Keyboard (English) & User's Guide
Aperture preinstalled
Microsoft Office Mac 2011 - Home and Student Edition
Apple Remote
Apple Battery Charger
Accessory Kit

AppleCare Protection Plan for iMac - Auto-enroll $169.00

HP Photosmart Plus e-All-in-One (B210a) $149.95

MacBook

$999.00
Configuration
•
2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo
2GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM - 2x1GB
250GB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400 rpm
Keyboard (English) & User’s Guide (English)
SuperDrive 8x DVD+/-R DL/DVD+/-RW/CD-RW
Accessory kit

MacBook / MacBook Air / 13-inch MacBook Pro - AppleCare Protection Plan - Auto-enroll $249.00

Personalized iPad 2 16GB with Wi-Fi - Black $499.00

iPad - AppleCare Protection Plan - Auto-Enroll $79.00

Apple iPad Camera Connection Kit $29.00



Am I insane for putting together this list before I even own my first Mac?
I plan to use the iMac as my main computer. Used for web surfing, Secondlife, Photo editing and post processing, Possibly some light video tinkering, Streaming media like HD video and audio from y iTunes.

The Macbook is mostly for those times when I need a remote computer such as when doing research at the library or writing at the corner coffee shop, as well as the portable comouter for remote control via the ipad2 of the canon camera.

Ipad2 is for the aforementioned camera control and those times when I just want a lightweight simple solution for media and wifi without the hassles of a full laptop.

I will likely be getting the Macbook first then the iMac.

Three things. And I only mention these in case you want to be frugal with your money. But hey, it's your money.

1) You probably can find a better price for that camera via amazon or other online retailers.

2) That is a lot of iMac for photo editing and "light video tinkering". You'd be surprised what a lesser-spec iMac can handle.

3) You might want to consider MacBook vs. iPad. Do you need both? If you do need the MB, look in Apple's refurbished online store. These are repaired, good as new, and come with the standard 1 yr protection plan with option of 2 additional years of Apple Care.

Please let us know what you end up purchasing and feel free to share unboxing/setup pics. Those are always fun.

*smiles* thanks for the quick reply.

The list AI posted is more of a theoretical thing at the moment. It has the specs I am looking for for multiple purposes including a bit of future proofing so i am not having to buy a new computer in 2 to 3 years like I usually have to with windows machines due to forced software updates and such.

The reason for both the macbook and ipad is for remote wireless control of the camera for photo shoots mostly. It isnt required, but something i am wanting to explore.

I will definitely be shopping around for most of the items on the list. Was just convenient to use the apple store list as a starting point.

Thanks for the input and I am looking forward to much more from the experienced users here on the forums. I am impressed with the quality of the information I have gained here. the community is very polite and quite knowledgeable.

If you're buying that camera - I expect you to be doing more than just "light" photo editing.

I like the iMac setup - but why the Macbook instead of the Macbook Pro? I mean - as long as you're shelling out serious $$ may as well go all the way - plus - you'll probably be 'light editing' those images on the notebook more often than maybe you think.

Buy one Mac, use it for a while, then figure out if you need all the extras as you learn more about the OS and your computer.

Look around for different screens. just cause its Apple it doesnt mean it's the best.

Mainly I decided to go big on the desktop system and save a bit on the portable.

But looking in the refurb section of the store I can get a MBP for less than the new macbook with enough specs for what I need it for so I might go that route depending on what is availible when I get the money up.

The iPad is also a great way to showcase my eventual portfolio or photo proffs on the fly for clients in a simple to use interface.

Still tinkering with the setup but I definitely want a 27" imac as the core of my eventual studio editing workflow with dual monitors. The rest is pretty much flexible. Would love the MBP also for the more professional look and feel than the standard MB.

Wow, 7,372,800 pixels...wow my macbook Pro has 1,024,000, that is a ton of pixels. If you do get a macbook, go for the Pro, don't waste your time on the old model, a lot of people are thinking that the plastic macbook is going bye bye, it does not sell as well.

Also, the older MacBook Pros do not have SD Card slots, you will regret getting a machine without one, as a hobbyist photographer myself you will end up with another person's SD card who is trying to transfer a file or such, sadly the 5D is CF, not SD so neither machine will natively support it without a USB connection setup (Will they make a thunderbolt one? I would love that, I have a 50Mb/s Card that can only read and write onto my macbook at 30 due to USB.), but hey you win some you lose some.
Jump for the 2Tb drive, if you are like me, things fill fast.
If I were you I would drop the iPad and get the new 13 inch MacBook Pro, it will be a real pain for you to get and show the pics in any meaningful way, plus the money could be spent on getting the i7 and 500Gb drive on the pro and getting a better mouse on the iMac.

The magic mouse is magical and all that but it really starts to suck on big displays, it simply does not have the DPI to do it well, esp when you are talking photo editing, get a professional mouse or Gaming Grade mouse with a >2000DPI sensor. I personally love Razer mice, they have a on the fly sensitivity setting that allows you to make your mouse very insensitive to get that perfect slow and precise edit and then click or scroll back to normal.
Just my two thoughts, any way you go you will be very happy with the performance of the machines you are looking at, esp the MacBook and iMac. Also that 5D is actually cheapest on Apple, BTW are you a student? You can get a killer discount.
Edit, you would save about $200 on the iMac and $100 off a macbook, nothing off an iPad.

I'm definitely going to suggest a good, solid iMac. It's kind of... hard to judge what kind of requirements to fit your machine when you don't have a basis of upgrading so in this sense, if you're doing strictly photo editing I don't think you'll need the very top of the line iMac but one a little better than stock would do it.

Concerning the laptop, as others have stated, head over to the Apple Refurb site and look at the Pros; heck if you aren't doing any editing on it though I have an upgraded Blackbook I could sell you for cheap; of course since this is your first big purchase you should probably just get a refurb 2010 MBP.

That is if you NEED it; an extra grand for a computer just to use when you're out the house doesn't make all the sense in the world unless you HAVE to work from home, and of course if you have the money.

To everyone who keeps mentioning why both an iMac and a macbook or macbook pro.

The camera can be remotely controlled via an iPad wirelessly.... provided the camera is connected to a wifi or bluetooth enabled computer. The laptop would be for using outside the house for controlling the camera wirelessly via the ipad while on a tripod. This way I can remotely control the camera while setting up shots.

More than likely I will be getting the Macbook Pro through the refurb shop first and going from there.

First thing to do of course is find work so I can begin financing this monster purchase.