iMac or Macbook Pro

B

bloodeagle

Limp Gawd
Joined
Feb 3, 2003
Messages
272
Hey,

I'm a Uni student, living close to campus. I play some games, and would be dual booting with Windows XP for whichever one I'd buy. But I don't know which one to get. So a few questions.

How "portable" is the iMac, could I fit it in a backpack to bring home on weekends? Or is that asking to much?

How hot does the Macbook pro really get? Is it very uncomfortable to have on your lap or to type with for long periods of times? I was at the Apple store playing with one and I found it extremely hot on my hands just typing/surfing with safari.

And finally, for students, do you really take your laptop all the time to class, or could you get away with just a computer at home? Which one would you buy?

Thanks a lot!
 
Been through 2 years of school now, plus 4 years of prep school where everyone had laptops. The only people I've ever seen bring laptops to class are the die-hard techies (which I consider myself, but bringing a computer to class is too much of a distraction) and the super geeks. Most of the time, I see people browsing the web instead of taking notes.

The percentage of people who use their notebooks in class is very small. I'd say only 2-3% or less from what I've seen. It's nice to have a portable computer though if you're planning your day and don't wanna make trips back and forth to your room if it's far from the academic buildings. You could just bring it with you in the morning and do work wherever you please in between classes. There are tons of great places to work on campus, and I see people doing that far more often than using a computer in class.

That said, I think an iMac is portable enough. It doesn't have an atrocious amount of wires, and it's not terribly heavy. If you don't mind spending 15 minutes packing up and unpacking everytime you go between home and school, it's not so bad. Given the choice of only one though, I'd have a notebook since you never know when you might actually need it in class (very unlikely) or if you just wanna sit at the coffee shop or outside on a nice day and people watch while you do work.
 
the 17" iMac is more portable....but you wouldn't be able to put it in a backpack....too wide.

I say get the MBP, can't tell you about the heat or class things though
 
At my university, a good 30% of all the students use a notebook computer, we're even starting to get wireless connectivity too. I can't tell you how much nicer it is to take notes on a laptop than in a notebook sans-computer. It's honestly like night and day.

I found that I can almost copy word for word what the professor is saying (if I wanted to) and I'm a hell of a lot more organized. This might just come from my being forced-to-use-ibm-thinkpads for 4 years of highschool (not THAT bad, but the 256mb of RAM under XP killed me) but it fits my learning style. It comes down to how YOU take notes.

Having said this... The Imac is, almost 20 inches wide (including the bezel) and a good 8 inches deep (with the stand). I'd doubt it's ability to fit into a normal sized backpack, without destroying the screen.

My Macbook get's to be about 40c on the underside... which isn't untollerable, but not comfortable either. I bought a sleeve for my computer and place it under the laptop... It's not as hot for me, and probably not any different than my pants, for the thermal system of the portable.
 
Personally I would just go for the iMac.

All the science based courses I have taken so far (physics, chemistry, biology, economics) there were only 1-5 people using notebooks to take notes. The lecture class sizes range from 40-600/700 people. Even then most of these people would just play solitaire or browse the internet using the campus wireless network.

The most notebook notetakers I have seen in one course was computer (java) programming, which sorta makes sense except the professor lectured on how the code works with lots of diagrams hence using a notebook to take notes is worthless.

I bought a Powerbook my freshman year for the sole purpose of notetaking. After using it a few times I gave up. There are just some information that is just better to jot down by using paper and pencil.

So which should setup would be the best? It is ultimately up to you. I would definitely factor in what concentration you will be pursuing in. Do you like to hang out and study at coffee shops or the college library? This is the sort of thing I would think about.

And yes. The iMac is more than portable enough to bring home. Last week I set aside the mouse, keyboard and powercable in my backpack, covered the iMac in a garbage bag and carried it to my car. Very easy to carry.
 
I forgot to state, it really depends on what types of classes you're taking. I take a lot of technical classes for engineering. Lots of numbers and equations. It's tough to get those down on a computer. If you're in the liberal arts and taking lots of history or text heavy classes with lots of concepts and few numbers, it might work out to use a notebook in class.
 
I wouldn't worry to much about what others are doing. If you have the ability to focus and use a computer during class properly, like previously stated, you can get a lot done. I think just the formation of having the ability to have a "Class Folder-Notes Folder, Projects Folder, etc" then for ex. inside the notes folder have dates for your notes or sections your are studying. The organizational factor is a big thing for me. It all comes down to personal preference. Personally if I was spending a lot of money on a MBP or iMac, I would simply go with the MBP. Similar capabilities and just an easier package to deal with for traveling and around campus work.

EDIT: Also consider a multi-subject notebook with your different classes for each section and have a clean layout for the occasional diagram or anything easier written instead of typed.
 
I guess I forgot to mention I'm in Electrical Engineering 2nd year so even if I had a laptop, I'd doubt I'd really need it on campus much. My brothers in engineering too and never uses his laptop in class.

I'm asking just to get a better view of the situation. I like the idea of pure portability, but a nice 20" screen with a clean packaged computer, which heat would not be an issue, is definatly something I'd love as well.

How do people find the heat with a MBP/MB on a day to day basis?

Thanks again for the point of views!
 
This is a no brainer. Im a postgraduate student with several degrees and finishing a double masters. In other words you will use your laptop alot. Research in the library, writing notes and presentations, and just for basic email and internet inbetween classes where you have 40 or so minutes to blow. Your laptop is a necessity. The imac is a nice computers but no way is it portable. A relative has the new 20 incher core duo and damn thing is large. Personally i would buy the 17 mbp. I did and love the machine to death. Its fast, I dual boot into windows and can play some games on the lowest settings. it doesnt get that hot, its quiet. And the screen is a work of art. I have the glossy screen. Did i mention its light and thin. In fact i bought a sleeve and just throw it in my backpack. So i can change bags as needed.
 
Personally I only ever had a desktop in college, and I never felt the need for a laptop.

I find it a lot easier to take notes on pen and paper, and I am more likely to remember things I physically write down than I type (but that is just me).

It also depends what your campus's computer lab setup is. Where I went there were plenty of labs open from early till late, and I could always access the files I had in my student account via any of the xterms, so, I really never had to have my computer anywhere other than my dorm room (and for programming projects I just had to telnet into one of the main servers and do it that way).
 
Heres my philosophy on the iMac vs macbook pro thing:

If you are going to get a computer that is made of laptop parts and has limited upgrade potential, you might as well get the laptop. Because that way youve got real mobility, meaning if youve got to somewhere outside of your room you can take the machine with you. Cant do that with the imac. Ill give the imac credit for being semi portable, but an MBP would be more mobile since that is what its designed to do.

As for having a laptop at school, I had a desktop PC but when it died (for the third time) during finals week my parents got me an ibook for xmas, and the portability has been a godsend. I really didnt know what I was missing!
 
Eric1285 said:
I forgot to state, it really depends on what types of classes you're taking. I take a lot of technical classes for engineering. Lots of numbers and equations. It's tough to get those down on a computer. If you're in the liberal arts and taking lots of history or text heavy classes with lots of concepts and few numbers, it might work out to use a notebook in class.
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yeah it depends in the class, I study graphic design so I need a laptop with me all the time
 
Good point Grathrax. The iMac basically contains laptop hardware. I would probably do a 15" MBP and if you feel the need, grab an external 20" or something that you can dock in your dorm or at home.
 
Eric1285 said:
I forgot to state, it really depends on what types of classes you're taking. I take a lot of technical classes for engineering. Lots of numbers and equations. It's tough to get those down on a computer. If you're in the liberal arts and taking lots of history or text heavy classes with lots of concepts and few numbers, it might work out to use a notebook in class.
Click to expand...

This is 100% true, I am also in engineering, and 99% of the kids that bring their laptops to class , about 3% of the class ( MAYBE that much), just end up playing around. It is much easier in that kind of setting to use a notepad and just jot down what the teacher is putting on the board in the lecture hall. I will say however, that i have gone into liberal arts classes, even biology, and 70%+ of the kids have their laptops out, and all of them are feverishly typing out the notes and things the teacher is saying... so if you are in that kind of setting, and you type much faster then you can write out. then actually consider a computer you can bring to class.

On another note, i got the XPS Gen 2, fully decked out, and right now i am slightly regretting it. It is a very nice machine, do not get me wrong, but over this summer i am doing research, and it would be so much easier and nicer to be able to bring around an ultraportable laptop, then to even consider tugging this thing around. (the new XPS 12.1" is very nice i hear). SO think about where you will be in the future, and try and be practical with your reasoning. Dont fantasize you using your computer on everything, becuase you wont.
 
For the price of a mid-grade MBP, you could buy both an iMac and a Macbook with change left over.

Enough change, in fact, to eat tacos every night for a month. Mmmm, tacos.
 
Tomahawk said:
For the price of a mid-grade MBP, you could buy both an iMac and a Macbook with change left over.

Enough change, in fact, to eat tacos every night for a month. Mmmm, tacos.
Click to expand...

Give this man a cookie. I rather take a iMac + MacBook combo over a single MBP.
 
At my school (Virginia Tech) the laptop craze was really catching on in 2003-2004 when I graduated. About 30% of people in business classes were using them, and wireless internet was already installed in the school.
 
iMac + MB if you don't really do that much 3D work or graphic intensive things on the go.
 
I'm pretty sure I'm going with the iMac now, and hopefully later on I can pick up the Macbook. I've been going to the Best Buy around me every few days lately looking and playing with them, and I still can't get over the heat issue.

The guy at the store unlocked it for me so I could sit with it and play around, but on my lap I found it uncomfortable, even typing on it seemed a bit warm. How do other people find it?

Thanks a lot with the suggestions, its hard :(
 
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