(Note: Bold text are quotes from the above post)
I want a Mac for audio recording. I heard that the harddrive of an Imac is faster and twice as large. Isn't this better for converting vinyl to CD?
If you're only doing audio recording, all of the computers you're competing are able to do it. The conversion, file size, and overall performance needed JUST for audio are not high at all. Having more hard drive space and faster i/o would doubtfully affect your audio recording. Now if you're streaming VHS to DVD you may have problems with non iMacs, but even then they may do just fine.
Wouldn't an Imac 17" be a better option than the Mac Mini or a MacBook? It's an all in one solution like the MacBook.
It comes down to this. If you want a "real" computer, that is going to stay in one place, nothing beats the iMac in performance. It is because it's a desktop computer. Desktop computers are heavier, more bulky and not usually ideal for constant moving.
A Mac mini is a hybrid in my eyes, between a lap top and a computer. It is like a compressed desktop with the specs of a laptop, and the price tag is quite a bit cheaper than a lap top and it appears even less than a iMac since iMacs tend to have better specifications. The down side to a mac mini is it does not have a monitor, so portability is a question of "What other parts are you going to lug with it?" The ideal situation for using a Mac Mini in my eyes is example: at work and at home, where you already have a keyboard/monitor/mouse at the destination, a mac mini is a great way to move it back and forth. A Macbook could do this too, but it's more pricey, and has components you won't neccessarily use since you'll be hooking up to the devices at the work place anyways. Mac Mini is also extremely small.
the MacBook is the most portable, since it has everything within a system. It is the most ideal if you are going to be at random unknown locations, this solution is also probably the most expensive in comparison to performance. I think if you have the money and want to go portable, a Macbook is probably a better way to go than Mac Mini because you truly have the freedom of the entire computer in one small briefcase.
It also seems that the CPU of an Imac runs much cooler than thse CPU of a Mini or MacBook.
I'm not sure on the heating issues of each one, but really they probably all run about the same heat. If one would run hotter than the rest, it would probably be the iMac due to the heat generated from the better vid card, especially in gaming/large video rendering situations. Macbook and Mini due to their size probably seem hotter but are most likely dispersing less heat.
I guess that text on an Imac 17 inch is more readable than on a small 13 inch screen from a MacBook. Or is it the same?
Readability of a monitor more relies on the resolution than the dimensions. a 13 inch screen may look the most clear at (for example) 1024x768 resolution, while the 17 inch may look ideal at 1280x1024. Normally it's a question of desktop space while keeping the font readable. If that makes sense... 13 inch at 1600x1200 would be extremely small, unreadable, but you would have the same desktop space as a 17 inch at 1600x1200. The 17 inch at 1600x1200 would be more readable and you can retain the desktop space. If you never plan to run at 1600x1200, and only run at 800x600, both can run this resolution and be readable.
Or perhaps it's not recommended to move an Imac often to a different room?
Well, if I got an iMac, and were constantly moving it from place to place, I would keep thinking "Hmm this would be lighter if I had gotten so and so"
What is the best choice? (I don't need to take the Mac out of my house, but it would be moved sometimes three times a day)
Three times a day? does each locations have monitors/keyboards etc already there? If yes, you can go mac mini (for cheaper). If not, you can go bigger heavier iMac (for better performance). If you want to expand your horizons to other locations and even use a battery supply, use a MacBook. They're the most expensive of the 3 comparing performance.
Logan~
