MacBook Pro vs. iMac

Hi!

I am very new to Mac's and wanted to buy one for the holidays. The only problem is that I have no clue which one I want. I am starting to get very interested in video editing (nothing "big" as I am a teen) and was intrigued by a iMac (24 inch). Since I am used to a laptop, I'd want to get a MacBook Pro (15.4 inch). I will be working with Final Cut Studio. My major problem is the lack of upgrading in laptops. I heard that upgrading a iMac is possible. Here are my questions:

1. Which one would you buy?
2. How is the performance in a MacBook Pro? (Running intense programs or games)
3. Which one is best for me?


Thanks for answering!!

**NOTE : I lean towards the laptop side more because I like being portable.


Also, which graphics card is better - Laptop or iMac?

Also, if you vote, please leave a comment as well saying why, etc.

I said iMac because you'll want the screen real estate.

Mark

You can upgrade the HD's and RAM on both machines. You might be able to upgrade the processor in the iMac but it'd have to be from the same family so there wouldn't be too much of a performance boost. Really, think of the iMac as a permanent desktop.
Personally, I like desktops over laptops so I would say go with the iMac. But if you can get the MBP, get a decent 20" or 24" monitor when you're at a computer desk.
Performance wise, the 24" 2.4GHz iMac will have a slight edge (and I mean very slight edge) due to the 7200RPM HD compared to the 15.4" 2.4GHz MBP's 5400RPM HD.

If you can spring for the 7200rpm hard drive option on the Mac Book Pro then it sounds like you will be happier with that over an iMac. Though I would say editing video would be less enjoyable on the MBP, portability seems to be a major factor for you and there is a lot more to using a Mac than editing. I do love my iMac, but my father in law has a 15" MBP with the 7.2k drive in it and it is extremely capable.

As for the video cards. I believe they are about even. I am speaking of the 256MB options of course since you would not want the 128MB card for video editing. Maybe the Nvidia in the MBP being a tiny bit better?

iMac. It's nice working on an adult size keyboard and monitor. Laptop hard drives are slow, too. Eventually the battery life will stink.

D4rkShaDoWz said:

NOTE : I lean towards the laptop side more because I like being portable.

Click to expand...

If that is what you want then buy it.

MacBook Pro

A 2.4GHz MBP w/2GB RAM and a 160GB (5400rpm) will do very well at video editing.

If the option is feasible - A 2.6GHz MBP w/ 200GB (7200 rpm) will be even better. (wether you play with video or not).

If you already have a monitor / display (the bigger the better) real estate won't be a problem - will it.

If you have a external hard drive - neither will space.

If not to both - you can add these items later.

Keep in mind, you will have the portability that you desire.

This should be a no-brainer.

I voted for the iMac since I'm more of a desktop person. The only reason I have a MBP instead of an iMac is because I needed a laptop for college.

I DO love being able to lay on the couch to just do daily surfing/chatting. However, I like having the large desktop screen. I almost consider the iMac almost portable since it's just one big unit, with a keyboard and a mouse. I would like to think I could move an iMac anywhere in the house very quickly unlike my old gigantic PC.

For YOU... I voted for the MBP. It sounds like portability is something you like and with the wifi generation I think it makes more sense. Choose your options carefully when buying, and if editing video is semi-important, always get the fastest (reliable) drive, extra memory, and the fastest cpu. I have an attorney friend who bought a Mac laptop a few years ago and he was editing movies and burning to CDs inside of a week... and he knew absolutely nothing about Macs or video editing prior to getting it.

Instead of investing in a slightly larger display, I would spend that money on making sure your MBP had all the bells & whistles when it came to hardware options. And save a few bucks for a spare battery.

Me? My intent is to get the most Xtreme iMac as I already have a decent laptop (PC), and I want to get rid of the PC clutter on my desk.

If you want the portability, sacrifice the slightly better spec and bigger screen for the MBP. You can always get an external monitor for the MBP if you so desire. I bought my MBP a month ago and have not been disappointed with the performance, of the 2GB of ram I rarely use of 800MB.

i said mbp because it seems to be the you would prefer, i would have an imac but thats because i already have a macbook....