iMac vs Macbook Pro

Honestly, you've asked a question nobody but you can answer. As you've already narrowed it down, the differences are in computing power, screen size and portability. What do you think are the most important? Do you need portability, or not? Do you need a bigger screen, or not?

Your quesiton is about personal preferences and priorities, that only you can decide for yourself given your use of the device.

As Michael has said, you're going to have to decide how important portability is.

I just got my new iMac at the beginning of January, and toyed with the idea of getting the MacBook as well. For me, the deciding factor was one of disk space. Getting 750GB or more disk space on a MacBook Pro is seriously expensive!

Keep in mind that the iMac is a more powerful computer, so if you're going to be going any video editing, that's the direction I'd go.

HoTiC3 wrote:

Hello everyone!

I know this is one of the most frequent questions, but I can't help myself.

So here's how things work;

When I finish this grade in school I can get an iMac or a Macbook Pro.

iMac 27 inch with GTX 660M, 2.9GHz quad core.

Macbook Pro 13 inch with Retina display, dual core.

Now, I know iMac has more HP, but MBP is portable and looks really cool! (LOL)

I like gaming, most of the gaming is done on my PC (GTX560, quad core) and Xbox.

I would do video editing, internet, Minecraft, and maybe some more games.

Remember that I do most of the gaming on my 360.

I like the big screen and horsepower, but I like portability too.

I think iMac would be better for me.

What do you think?

Thank you!

You can attach a big screen to a MacBook Pro, you can't downsize an iMac to a portable.

For the same price and a lot more power, I got an iMac 27" and an iPad 64GB.

The most powerful MBP plus a 27" monitor is nearly $4000. My setup is less than $3000, and my iMac's specs are way better than the MBP for photo editing and, I suppose, video editing. Also, my iMac has much more upside in life span.

For what I need to do in portability, the iPad does what I need. It surfs the web. It does email. And it actually has a few cool games that entertain me.

I'm very content now, though I might go with a second monitor to really double my work space.

OrangeMarlin wrote:

For the same price and a lot more power, I got an iMac 27" and an iPad 64GB.

The most powerful MBP plus a 27" monitor is nearly $4000. My setup is less than $3000, and my iMac's specs are way better than the MBP for photo editing and, I suppose, video editing. Also, my iMac has much more upside in life span.

For what I need to do in portability, the iPad does what I need. It surfs the web. It does email. And it actually has a few cool games that entertain me.

I'm very content now, though I might go with a second monitor to really double my work space.

I'm happy for you, but I think you meant to reply to the OP.

Get a 15" MacBook Pro with retina display; the base 15" rMBP trounces the base 27" iMac in ALL areas. 🙂

The 2.4 GHz quad core i7-3635QM in the MacBook Pro is far more powerful than the 2.9 GHz quad core i5-3470S.

Also, the NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M in the rMBP is factory overclocked; meaning it's actually as fast as a GTX 660M. It also has 1 GB of GDDR5 VRAM, vs. the iMac's 512 MB.

Simply put, GTX 660M 1 GB > GTX 660M 512 MB.

Like someone else said, if you suddenly desire a desktop, you can always attach an external monitor to the MacBook Pro. But you can never make an iMac portable.

However, the rMBP's screen is a higher resolution than the iMac's as well (2880 x 1800 vs. 2560 x 1440) so why bother? 😀

I would advise against a 13" MacBook Pro with Retina display; it has a dual core processor as well as the pretty weak, integrated Intel HD 4000 which has trouble driving that 2560 x 1600 screen. Yes, a base 21.5" iMac is far better than the 13" rMBP.

However, it's all up to you. 🙂

Except not everyone may like laptops. A good desktop keyboard--not made by Apple, but say Logitech--is way more comfortable than a Macbook keyboard. Also while the screen resolution may be smaller, the tradeoff is a realtively tiny screen compared with 21.5 or 27 inches on an iMac. Some may prefer size--pixels aren't really a big problem unless you let them be. And desktop screens are at head height, laptops force you to look down all the time or use a stand--which can create an awkwardly raised keyboard for typing. Bottom line: for ergonomics desktops still trounce laptops anyday.

Ryand1973 wrote:

Bottom line: for ergonomics desktops still trounce laptops anyday.

Except when you work in multiple locations, carrying an iMac has ergonomic disadvantages.

Macbook Pro Retina Display 15"

Is portableand has a big screen.

problemswithquestions wrote:

Macbook Pro Retina Display 15"

Is portableand has a big screen.

It has a small screen compared to an iMac.