Considering a Mac...iMac vs Macbook Pro?

[Dexx]

I'm considering leaving the PC world behind and getting a Mac, just not sure if I should get a desktop (iMac) or a laptop (Macbook Pro)

I replace my desktop PC with a Macbook Pro, how would I go about accessing the internet without having to be connected to a fixed location (with my current setup my wireless router is connected to my desktop PC and it is connected to the DSL cable plugged in to the wall)

Anyone have experiences with either of these products that can comment one way or the other?

While the iMac seems to have more power (without add-ons) at a lower cost, the portability of the Macbook Pro would be nice for doing video presentations/recording using the laptop as a teleprompter etc.

Hrmmm....thoughts?

~Dexx

[seangreen]

i'm not the typical 'swear-by-mac' kind...
i used to be a real pc person...
but, since i switched to a mac.. i would have a hard time going back...
macs are a whole lot easier and faster.

i actually use both...imac and macbook pro
but if its either one.. i would go with the macbook pro - its great -
its portable - and can handle a whole lot...
i just keep it elevated so that the computer doesnt overheat - (which it does often)

only downside - is the size of the screen. (i'm on a 17'' - which is very nice.. but not great for graphics and video editing)

for your setup you'll want to plug the dsl directly into your wireless router -
and then you can have as many connections to the internet as you'd like.
your laptop/computer will pick up the internet wirelessly.

one more thing, for video presentations - i personally edit off of an external hard drive for heavy projects.

good luck.

[ViperX]

I had the same question until my PC quit on me. I decided to try out a MacBook Pro, and it was the best investment I ever made. Handles video like a breeze and everything is so fast. The only thing I suggest you do is get a external hard drive if you plan on doing a lot of video. Save every thing that relates to video on your external because HD video takes up so much space. Yes the Mac is fast but why slow it down by uploading and letting large video files sit on your Mac.

Edit it the way that you want it then move all video files to the external.

Another thing that I love about the Mac is that the state of the art software options puts you light years ahead of your average digital product creator.

Get the Mac bro! You will love it.

Dee

[Dexx]

So without an external hard drive for the Macbook Pro I risk slowing down the computer (even with the multi GB of ram it comes with?)

How hard would it be to purchase a large screen for my desktop and use a wireless keyboard with the Macbook Pro to give the feel that I'm using a desktop PC?

PS - Seems like the iMac must not be that great, heh =P

~Dexx

EDIT: Looks like it'd be a pretty decent idea after all

[MrPhelps]

Dexx, what you want to do is plug the wireless router into the DSL modem. It probably has some direct wired ports on it as well, so you can plug your desktop into the router. (You'll need to do that anyway to modify your router's settings.)

As for the Mac, I've had a 24" iMac for over 3 years now. It's great! It's maxed-out at 3GB of RAM, but the latest iMacs can have up to 16GB.

The latest ones are 21" and 27", I think. I'd say get a 27" model with 1TB HD and 4GB of RAM.

I take issue with what ViperX said. It's like you said you're thinking about working out and he said, "Well, just be sure you've got the best leather weightlifting belt you can buy so you don't get a hernia" -- the implication being you're going to be lifting 300 pounds. Translated: if you're going to be working with videos on a regular basis, you don't want an iMac, you want one of the 8-core Mac Pro machines with 16GB of RAM and 4TB of disk space. I don't think that's what you've got in mind.

You might want an external drive for backups -- there's something built-in called Time Machine that you can set up to run backups to an external drive. It runs every hour. I upgraded my internal drive to 1TB and got a 1.5TB external drive. I suppose that if I was a movie producer, I'd fill up my drive with videos, but for most folks, it'll take a while to fill up a 1TB drive.

I've got my iMac as my desktop machine, which connects to my wireless router, and I've got a Dell laptop that I use for mobile purposes.

When I need to move files back and forth, I usually just use a thumb drive. But I've started to play with Google Docs.

I do NOT recommend shuffling an external USB drive between a Windows box and the Mac. Just use it for one or the other. (If you MUST share it, then get "NTFS for Mac".)

Another thing you could do is set up your desktop as a local file server and share files that way. However, I've found it rather problematic to access a local file server via wireless connections.

You might also consider getting an iPad rather than a full laptop. I think it would be far more impressive to clients!

-David

[ViperX]

It is so worth it to just go ahead and get the external Hard Drive. Until you really start working with HD video, you will see how much space each video takes up. By the way a good size external HD of 350-400 Gigs will run you about $80-$120 brand new. It will make video a breeze.

[Dexx]

Thanks for the great, and very detailed, info David!

And thanks for the tip Dee!

Cheers,

~Dexx

[ViperX]

No Prob. I am not a sponsor for Apple or anything, but after trying out a Mac, its quality makes you refer others to its services, sort of like how we handle business as offline consultants. Give the highest quality of service, and others won't stop talking about you.

[MrPhelps]

keep an eye on DealNews.com for external USB drives. They show up regularly. A 1.5TB should run you around $100.

BTW, one thing I notice about my external USB drive that annoys me is that the system frequently hangs for a few seconds now and then when the drive spins up. It does this whenever you run something that needs to ping all of the active drives, and when you set the power-saver to spin-down the drive after a couple minutes of inactivity. (It's hardly used, so why leave it spinning all the time?)

I wonder if FireWire drives might not do that? I've also heard they can be faster for videos than USB drives.

-David

[ViperX]

Mr Phelps,

the same thing happens to my external HD. Are you using a Verbatim? That's the one that I have. It works great. Yeah a little delay in the spin, but everything else is fine. I think it is suppose to work like that.

[drdan]

Hey Dexx I switched to Mac about 3 years ago and could never go back! My Macbook Pro is awesome! Everything is so easy to use and setup. I have a few blue tooth mouse's, keyboards, and external hard drives. I also plug in my 30" monitor every now and then. Its pretty much just plug and play. You are going to be amazed at how simple everything is using a Mac.

Just get the Macbook Pro and you are set. I have used it for everything including a teleprompter to green screen keying etc with final cut pro.

Its funny because I had to set up the wireless for one of my older PC's for my kids and it took me like 1 hour to figure it out since I am not used to all the extra steps involved with a PC anymore.

[MrPhelps]

Here's something I just noticed on DealNews.com:

Apple iMac Core i7 Quad 2.8GHz 27" w/ 8GB RAM, AppleCare for $2,379 + $22 s&h

ExperCom offers the Apple iMac Intel Core i7 2.8GHz 27" Desktop, model no. MB953LL/A, upgraded with 8GB RAM and three years of AppleCare for $2,379. With around $22 for shipping, it's tied with our March mention and $20 below what Apple charges for system alone. The iMac features an Intel Core i7 2.8GHz quad-core processor, 27" 2560x1440 widescreen LCD, 8GB RAM, 1TB hard drive, SuperDrive, ATI Radeon HD 4850 512MB graphics, Bluetooth 2.0+EDR, AirPort Extreme, iSight, and more. Deal ends May 15.

[Dexx]

Ah great find!

I think I'm going to wait until after June 7-11 though, that is the Apple developers conference, and the time of year when they announce the new iPhone/Mac computers usually!

Steve Jobs was quoted as saying that 2010 is going to be the year that Mac computers make some huge advancements, so I'm interested to see what he has planned up that crazy sleeve of his!

~Dexx

[Dexx]

Spent a good hour at the Apple store today, and I am definitely in LOVE with the iMac!

The only thing that I kind of didn't like was my hand started hurting with the "Magic Mouse" because of how flat it was...I'm used to having a mouse that curves in a natural shape with my hand (to rest my hand on) but because of how flat the Magic Mouse is, I had to "hold up" my hand while using the mouse which kind of made it cramp near the end...

Might need to just switch it out for a different mouse...especially for extended periods of time...anyone have comments/thoughts on long periods of use with the MM?

Other then that I thought the computer is great and I liked the concept of dual booting with Windows 7.

But as I mentioned in my last post, I'll wait until after the June 7th Apple conference before making a purchase decision =P

~Dexx

[seangreen]

i havent found that the shape of the mouse bothers me.
i love the multi directional scroll bar.

the main problem i find with it - is when dirt gets into - its hard to get it out.
(they say to roll the scroll bar on a clean sheet of paper.. which works...btw)

[Dexx]

What scroll bar?

[seangreen]

.. ah.. the magic mouse!
sorry i use the mighty mouse.
haven't tried the magic mouse yet.

[MrPhelps]

I use wireless mice that I get on sale. I seem to have quite a collection. They're mostly from Microsoft and Logitech.

The Mac doesn't care what mouse you use. Frankly, I'm not interested in paying $69 for a bluetooth wireless mouse when I can get a nice USB wireless for $20.

Dell just had a sale on those curious Microsoft "Curve" mice for $20.

Just find a mouse and keyboard you like and use them. Apple doesn't lock you in.

BTW, Apple usually only announces one new technology at a time. This will be mainly for iPhones and the new iPhone OS, from what I've heard. The features in the new iPhone will be in the forefront, punctuated by how the new OS will benefit all of Apple's mobile products.

There's a very low likelihood they'll announce anything new regarding other products. That's just their pattern. But it's always fun to watch!

-David

[drdan]

I use the mighty mouse also and it works great. But does get dirty and you need to turn it upside down and roll the ball up in different directions with a little dab of water or saliva (sounds nasty) on your finger tip while pressing the ball in. Or you could crack it open and try to clean it. But I also use a few other bluetooth mice with my macbook pro.

[seangreen]

yeah.. i cracked one of mine open... didnt realize i'll need glue to glue the bottom ring back on :p LOL

[drdan]

I almost cracked mine open too. Until I found a couple people mention to lick your finger and play with the mouses ball. haha. But seriously it fixed it a few times.

Also I just checked out the new mouse dexx is talking about. It is pretty cool how you can still use the scroll option by running your finger in the middle. But I didnt like the feel of the mouse compared to my rocketfish mouse.

Also I had to take my wifes 4 year old macbook in cause the hard drive died. It was way out of warranty and if it was a pc then I would be sheet out of luck. But it is a mac, and they replaced it free of charge. Also they are replacing part of the shell due to some cracking too! All for FREE! Man... I love Apple!

[seangreen]

yeah.. their customer service rocks!

[genesislogic]

Dexx I guess the real questions comes down to this:

* do you have a need to take your laptop to a client? if so, a macbook pro
* do you need to do video or sound editing and higher end graphics? if so, an imac or mac pro

The rest really is inconsequential. Personally, i have both but just got an iPad and considering most of what i may want to show a client or prospect i can do from my iPad, my laptop is starting to stay home more...

[Dexx]

Update (for those that care):

This weekend I purchased my first Mac ever! (iMac 27")

So far its been like learning a spaceship, but so much fun, and very user friendly (installing apps / changing between programs / shortcuts etc)

Gonna have to do a test recording of a keynote presentation to see how it goes

~Dexx

[MrPhelps]

Woo-Hoo! Congratulations!

If you need a good text editor, check out Smultron and TextWrangler. Smultron used to be commercial, but they went open-source and now it's free. TextWrangler is also free.

A couple of handy apps that aren't free but are very cool for writing and taking notes are Scrivener and NoteBook.

-David