Buying Guide Help..iMac vs Macbook Pro.

paume

So my 2009 MBP just died and I am in need of a new computer. I am debating between buying a new iMac which has good horse power and upgrade the RAM to 16GB ...or buy the new Retina display MBP...but i can only afford the cheaper model...

The iMac it's a bit cheaper and it has a strong processor...so I am leaning towards the iMac (though there is rumors of a refresh on October...but i need new computer now...so I can't wait).

Any thoughts or recommendations on one over the other...

Thanks.

cmason

what software do you use mostly? CPU and memory are going to be the limiting factors, so your money is best spent there.

paume

cmason wrote: »

what software do you use mostly? CPU and memory are going to be the limiting factors, so your money is best spent there.

Hi cmason , and thanks for your reply...

I mostly use Aperture 3 and Photoshop in special cases...also NIK HDR Effex Pro.

I haven't been paying much attention lately to the new technology like i5 vs i7 (intel) etc... so that's why I am a bit lost...

The configuration that I am thinking right now is... iMac upgrade the CPU to 2.8 quad-core i7 with 8Gb RAM.

I was thinking to go for 16GB but would have to stick with the i5 processor...mostly for budget limitations.

The MBP with Retina display has more or less that same configuration, but less HD space and a bit more expensive...

ziggy53

I moved this to the Digital Darkroom, where you'll find more discussions relating to computers and such.

cmason

paume wrote: »

Aperture 3 and Photoshop in special cases...also NIK HDR Effex Pro.

Those apps are highly dependent on CPU, and Photoshop makes use of a dedicated GPU for many filters if you have it. I don't know about NIK. More memory is best.

One thing to note on the Retina MBP: you can not add more memory yourself. On the iMac, adding memory is trivial. I always advise getting the least amount of memory from Apple, then buy the full amount on Crucial and simply replace what Apple provides. Far cheaper.

You really want to get an i7 if you can, due to that fact that i7 has a number of features that can really speed things up. You can get the i7 in either size iMac via an additional option. I recommend the i7 upgrade, but keep the memory at 4GB, and order 16 from Crucial.

Don't forget to look on the Apple Refurb pages, there is significant savings, with the identical warranty:
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/imac/27

Finally, if you use Aperture, you gonna want the 27" screen. Trust me.

paume

ziggy53 wrote: »

I moved this to the Digital Darkroom, where you'll find more discussions relating to computers and such.

Thanks Ziggy53

I was a bit confussed as to where to post it...
I appreciate it a lot!

paume

cmason wrote: »

Those apps are highly dependent on CPU, and Photoshop makes use of a dedicated GPU for many filters if you have it. I don't know about NIK. More memory is best.

One thing to note on the Retina MBP: you can not add more memory yourself. On the iMac, adding memory is trivial. I always advise getting the least amount of memory from Apple, then buy the full amount on Crucial and simply replace what Apple provides. Far cheaper.

You really want to get an i7 if you can, due to that fact that i7 has a number of features that can really speed things up. You can get the i7 in either size iMac via an additional option. I recommend the i7 upgrade, but keep the memory at 4GB, and order 16 from Crucial.

Don't forget to look on the Apple Refurb pages, there is significant savings, with the identical warranty:
http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/specialdeals/mac/imac/27

Finally, if you use Aperture, you gonna want the 27" screen. Trust me.

Great... that gives me a better sense and perspective...
I didn't know there were to processors options (i5 and i7) until just today.

troopers

I use the retina MBP (base model) as my sole machine. I'll be happy to answer any questions.

pickerbw

I use Aperture 3 with an i7 MacBook Air and 4 gb RAM, and find it works great. Granted I just do this as a hobby and I don't do a whole lot of batch processing, but I have not once thought I needed something more powerful. I think both the i7 MBP and iMac will work wonderfully for Aperture 3 and PS. What I think you should consider instead, are the other pros/cons of a desktop vs. laptop. Do you need or want portability? Do you want the extra screen real estate you'll get with the iMac? Do you need an optical drive (the new MBP doesn't have an internal optical drive)? I think once you weigh some of those other things, your choice will become rather clear. Just keep in mind that if you get an i7 in either and 4+ gb of RAM, I think performance-wise you'll be pleased with either choice.

perroneford

I would go out of my mind if I had to work only on a laptop for editing. But then I guess it's what you get used to and what your needs are. I bought my i7 27" iMac last fall along with a secondary 27" cinema display. It's a joy to work with, and VERY fast. You had to do some trickery to get the hot i7 model instead of the slower one, but it was worth it. I ordered my MBP in early April 2012 and have been very pleased with it also. But I simply couldn't do the amount of editing I do with just the MBP. Well I guess I could, but I'd hate every minute of it.

mercphoto

I'll second the thought above about only having a laptop screen for photo editing. The screen is just too small. In my opinion the only reason to buy a laptop is if you really, really need a portable computer. Otherwise get much more compute power for less money by going with the desktop. I love my 24" iMac and I'm anxiously awaiting an updated 27" model. Hopefully soon!

cmason

Another consideration is the Mac Mini: the newest ones are super powerful, and as a bonus, include both Thunderbolt/DV and HDMI ports, so it makes it trivial to connect to 2 monitors. A Mac Mini, plus two Dell Ultrasharp IPS monitors is very price competitive with an iMac.