Whats better? iMac with HDD or MAcbook Pro with SSD?

Just like the title says, I am split with what to buy.
I am thinking of the new 27" iMac (1TB HDD) in which I would look to upgrade ram to 16GB. This iMac is the £1,600 one, not the £1,750 one.
OR
The older 13" MacBook Pro (without Retina display) as I would be able to change the HDD to a 480Gb SSD and also upgrade the ram to 16GB.
I wanna know what machine would be faster for any tasks, like faster loading etc. I also use programmes such as Photoshop.
I'm not sure what one would be better as to why I'm asking here. Processing/ load up speeds and also non-lag are what I'm after really.
If any more info is needed, I will reply!
Many thanks!

Ideally I would get the iMac with a SSD but as my parent is partly funding this they don't want to get it off the Apple store directly, as they can get a good work discount through PC World (UK technical store if the USA don't have it ) and they only have the HDD version
But yeah, there's a lot of articles that say for speed and performance, it's the Hard drive and Ram that make the difference and not the processor so although iMac is better in that aspect I think I trust many, many articles aha!

Similar Messages

Upgrade HDD on Macbook Pro with Lion

Here is the senario:
I have a MacBook Pro with Mac OS X Lion installed. I have the stock 250 GB Drive installed packed with all my crucial data and applications. I have come to the point where I would need a bigger 720 GB Hard Drive.
I understanding that Lion unlike Snow Leopard has a hidden recovery mode that can't be copied over with a tool such as carbon copy cloner.
My question is, could someone give me a step-by-step walk through on how I can uograde my Mac's drive keeping every setting, application, file exactly where it was on my original drive
Thanks

Clone your old drive to your new one using Carbon Copy Cloner. install the new drive.

1 x iMac and 1 x Macbook Pro with iPhoto 11 on each and an external network hard drive

Sorry in advance if this has been asked already - I scrolled down to see but could'nt find it......
Anyways, here is my situation: I have approx 7 yrs worth of digital photos stored on my external network hard drive. I've recently turfed my Dell and replaced it with an iMac as my family's main computer. Now I have 2 Apple computers at home - the iMac and a Macbook Pro that I am its only user. Both have iPhoto 11. I've been playing around with the pgm and have been importing photos from my external network hard drive (not many but enough to get the idea of iPhoto) on both computers only to realize that the work I do on one is not reflected when I go on the other. After reading some of the comments in this forum, I now realize that a copy of the pics go right on the computer's hard drive.
Is it possible to just edit, etc the pics on my external network hard drive and replace the old pic with the edited one?
Also, is it possible, for the work I do on pics on one mac to appear in the other's iphoto library? Meaning, when I do "events" and "faces" on one mac, is it possible to see that work on the other?
If not, then at this rate, I will have 3 copies of the same photo - one on the external network hard drive, one on the iMac, and one on the Macbook pro!!! I've read some stuff ref iCloud and it sounds like this could be a possible solution but am not sure.
Any help would be greatly appreciated!!
Thx,
Craig

Sort of?
Is it possible to just edit, etc the pics on my external network hard drive and replace the old pic with the edited one?
That's a straight no. iPhoto is a Digital Asset Manager and as such always preserves the original file. Basically, to iPhoto, your original file is the "digital negative" and it protects that the same way a film shooter will protect his negative. So it will never edit or replace an original file.
Also, is it possible, for the work I do on pics on one mac to appear in the other's iphoto library? Meaning, when I do "events" and "faces" on one mac, is it possible to see that work on the other?
There are a couple of ways to make this happen.
A: If you only edit nd manipulate on one machine, then simply back up the library to the other machine. Net result: The same editions of the same photos on both machines.
B: Create one Library and share it across both machines - best way to do this is to put it on an external hard drive and then plug that into whatever machine needs the library at whatever time.
But... This can't be your "network hard drive". The disk needs to be formatted Mac OS Extended (Journaled)
I suspect that iCloud will make all of this moot, but until we see it in action we won't know for sure.
Regards
TD

What is the best? A macbook pro with a bigger flashmemory or a higer GHZ?

hey,
I have a little problem. I want to buy the latest macbook pro but I can't chose between a mbp with a bigger memory or one with a higer GHZ...
I am a student and I am studying economics. I am not yet a university student but that's not so far away. So can you please help me?
Every tip-off is welcome!
Yours sincerely

CPU with 4 cores
Mininmum 8GBRAM
Highest Flash storage capacity you can afford to have installed.
Best.

Anyone else have difficulty using third party software and websites with the new MacBook Pro with retinal display?

I just returned my new Mac book pro with retinal display after three very disappointing three weeks of trying to use certain websites and other third party programs (Quickbooks, Raintree) that would not function properly. My husband own the previous MacBook Pro version with the built in CD rom and I was able to use those above mentioned websites and problems with the no difficulties. Did I just happen to get a lemon or is this a function of the computer being too new for third party software?

Programs such as Quickbooks pro for Mac, I was able to import my previous data and I was able to enter about 5 new transactions before it stopped being able to save transactions. Other programs ( Raintree ) that I use via VM software as a windows based program I was able to access and use some features but not others. On the web browsers (both safari and Mozilla) I use a website that has an analyzer feature and it would pull up a blank screen in the place where I would enter pertinent information. They tried pulling this website at the apple store today and the same issue happened. All these programs and website I am able to access and run smoothly with no issues on my husbands MacBook Pro , which is why I returned my MacBook. I just wondered if others were experiencing similar issues with their MacBook with retinal display.

Can anyone help with sharing my MacBook Pro with my smart tv.

Can anyone help with sharing my mac with a smart tv

I have just bought a new smart LG tv with wireless which can share with other products ie iPad , iPhone, computer using there smart share app, however this app is not compatable with a mac. I wondered if anyone could recommend a suitable app.
Thanks

New problem with display on Macbook Pro retina (Samsung panel)

Hello All,
I am a very new people on your forum but a few weeks ago i bought a new macbook pro retina with samsung panel.
I haven't ghosting effect on my macbook but i have a new and really bad problem.
I try to found a some information on Russians forums but nobody can help me with it.
I can see an artifacts in the form of flashing pixels on all display.
It occurs in 20-30 minutes after the start of work.
Today i try to test it on game Dirt 2 and i can see defects after 2 minutes after start. So i think it can be reason with Geforce 650 but when i back to desktop and use HD 4000 i still see a problem.
This is best seen on a black screen with high backlight.
When i try to connect TV via HDMI i can't see any problem in my TV.
So i really don't know what could be the reason.
I attached the video with issue to video hosting
http://vimple.ru/579f880e8b7045e09f8fc5bc097c5e2b
Also i have a many software problem like Crashing safari and iTunes. It can be a few times per day.
I really disappointed with my new Macbook.
I haven't any problem with old 2009 Macbook pro with Snow Leopard but Mountain Lion is not working well.

Option 1
Back Up and try rebuild the library: hold down the command and option (or alt) keys while launching iPhoto. Use the resulting dialogue to rebuild. Choose to Rebuild iPhoto Library Database from automatic backup.
If that fails:
Option 2
Download iPhoto Library Manager and use its rebuild function. This will create a new library based on data in the albumdata.xml file. Not everything will be brought over - no slideshows, books or calendars, for instance - but it should get all your albums and keywords back.
Because this process creates an entirely new library and leaves your old one untouched, it is non-destructive, and if you're not happy with the results you can simply return to your old one. .
Regards
TD

13" MacBook Pro with Retina 256gb SSD and 16gb ram?

So I have decided to go with a 13" MacBook Pro with Retina.
I am now deciding on how to customize it...
My uses are:
Primary -> Writing. I am an aspiring writer/ future published author, and this unit will serve as a primary storage unit for on-the-go writing. The SSD will help in this capacity, tremendously, as well as battery life, as inspiration to write can happen anywhere. I found he typability to be easier on the MacBook Pro as well, rather than the Air.
Secondary -> Music, videos, gaming.
Basically, I am aware that the crispness of the rPro is apparent. I am not worried so much by the music, or videos, or even browsing part, as I'm sure its quite speedy.
What I am thinking is the might of the 4gb ram, 128gb SSD storage.
Would it be more worthwhile, since I plan to use this for 5+ years, to go for the little bit extra and get the 8gb ram, 256gb SSD storage unit, for only $200 extra. This seems a minor fee considering the length at which I plan to use and keep this.
That being said, I still play some older games and whatnot, with the possibility of playing World of Warcraft in the future... That being said, and knowing that Macs are not gaming powerhouses (unless you wish to go 15"+), would it be worthwhile to splurge another $200 for the 16GB ram? What major differences would doubling the 8 to 16 do for me and the performance of this MacBook?
Thanks in advance!
Nick

Since it is not possible to upgrade the RAM after purchase (it is soldered to the logicboard), I would definitely opt for 8GB. The same goes for the SSD- I would opt for double the storage. Though it is possible to upgrade your drive in the future, it comes at the cost of installing it yourself and potentially voiding any Apple warranty.
It would not be worthwhile to spend another 200$ on 16gb of RAM, IMO for your purposes. The lack of a discrete GPU and a duel core processor is what will limit gaming performance. 8GB of RAM is enough, in itself.
Rather than spending an additional $400 dollars, either spend the extra $200 for the 8gb 256GB model, or consider the 15'' entry level model for $700 extra dollars-which would be plently powerful enough for your purposes.

Will it work with the 2010 MacBook Pro?

Can anyone tell me if the Apple DVI to ADC Adaptor will work with the 2010 MacBook Pro with DisplayPort using Apple's "Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter"?
Cheers,
Mitch

I'd suggest checking out the drives at OWC:
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/internal_storage/hard_drives_and_SSD
They speak Mac and have excellent customer service.

Macbook Pro with retina display software question

I am thinking of replacing my curren Macbook Pro that is 3 years old with the new Macbook pro with retina display; I need to know if Mac Office 2011 will run on this computer as well as iWorks 09.
Thanks------Roger

i would refrain from buying retina mbp for now if you are going to use it for office word, etc.
it still not yet retina adapted i hear. wait until everything is updated for retina. which would take few weeks or months. but, you can also buy retina now, and set the display to non retina quality, and office would work fine, then when you dont use office, you can set it back to retina pixels.

Does the new MacBook Pro with Retina display have built in IR?

Unable to use Apple remote with the new MacBook Pro with Retina display. Does it have a built-in Infared (IR) receiver?

No it does not. Look at the specs for it on the Apple Store website.

I have a 2009 Macbook Pro with 1T hdd 8GB Ram and ran Maverick without problem...Yosemite installation has me completely frozen, nothing works but the spinning ball...I had to force shutdown last night, and haven't turned it on again...what do you ad

I have a 2009 Macbook Pro with 1T hdd 8GB Ram and ran Maverick without problem...Yosemite installation has me completely frozen, nothing works but the spinning ball...I had to force shutdown last night, and haven't turned it on again...what do you advise? During installation emptied cache, etc. Backed up using time machine, fortunately.

Try these in order testing your system after each to see if it's back to normal:
1. a. Resetting your Mac's PRAM and NVRAM
    b. Intel-based Macs: Resetting the System Management Controller (SMC)
2. Restart the computer in Safe Mode, then restart again, normally. If this doesn't help, then:
Boot to the Recovery HD: Restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the COMMAND and R keys until the Utilities menu screen appears. Alternatively, restart the computer and after the chime press and hold down the OPTION key until the boot manager screen appears. Select the Recovery HD and click on the downward pointing arrow button.
3. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions: Upon startup select Disk Utility from the Utilities menu. Repair the Hard Drive and Permissions as follows.
When the recovery menu appears select Disk Utility. After DU loads select your hard drive entry (mfgr.'s ID and drive size) from the the left side list. In the DU status area you will see an entry for the S.M.A.R.T. status of the hard drive. If it does not say "Verified" then the hard drive is failing or failed. (SMART status is not reported on external Firewire or USB drives.) If the drive is "Verified" then select your OS X volume from the list on the left (sub-entry below the drive entry,) click on the First Aid tab, then click on the Repair Disk button. If DU reports any errors that have been fixed, then re-run Repair Disk until no errors are reported. If no errors are reported click on the Repair Permissions button. Wait until the operation completes, then quit DU and return to the main menu. Select Restart from the Apple menu.
4. Reinstall Yosemite: Reboot from the Recovery HD. Select Reinstall OS X from the Utilities menu, and click on the Continue button.
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible
            because it is three times faster than wireless.
5. Reinstall Yosemite from Scratch:
Be sure you backup your files to an external drive or second internal drive because the following procedure will remove everything from the hard drive.
How to Clean Install OS X Yosemite
Note: You will need an active Internet connection. I suggest using Ethernet if possible
            because it is three times faster than wireless.

My new iMac cannot detect old MacBook Pro HDD (as external with bootcamp)

I just setup the brand new iMac 27. I hooked up the old HDD from my MacBook Pro (with bootcamp). I can only see the windows files but not the MAC files like iTunes, iPhoto, and etc. I initially thought maybe the OS so I plug in my wife's older version iMac and also seeing only the windows files. When I do the eject, it said there are 2 partitions and if I only want to eject one of them or both but then it shows only one drive.
Anyone knows how I can detect the MAC files so I can retrieve all my files back?

The HDD was still good. I used the Windows to read the Mac files and it read OK (need to install some 3rd party software). It didn't convert anything but only allow it to read the MAC files from Windows OS. But when I connect to the MAC OS, it won't see it!

I have connect a seagate HDD formated on NTFS to my macbook pro with Mac OS 10.7 but my HDD is read only any idea how can i change it to read & write ?

i have connect a seagate HDD formated on NTFS to my macbook pro with Mac OS 10.7 but my HDD is read only
any idea how can i change it to read & write ?

i tried the trial version of tuxera and it gives me the possibility to read & write , Thanx fschweig.
@ Samberl : what is the benifts of keeping my drives on mac format and this SW mediafour i install on my PC to let it write the mac formated HDD ?
is it free ?
all the best
Adiab

How to sync new Macbook Pro with 2011 iMAC on Snow Leapord

Hello,
This is my first post so hello!
My small business has an office iMAC and a Macbook Air both running 10.6.8. The two aren't synced in any way other than that the Air can access files from the iMAC's hard drive via the network. I have 2 email accounts on the iMAC's mail and just one of them set up on the Air.
I've just bought a new 15" Macbook Pro running Lion.
I'd like to be able to sync some folders (but definitely not all), bookmarks, iTunes and mail accounts between the iMAC and the new Macbook Pro. Ideally I'd like to be able to access the shared/synced folders when I don't have an internet connection
What's the best method?
Snow Leapord doesn't have iCloud does it? If not, why the **** not?
Is it just easiest to set up the email accounts on the new MBP as normal and then use dropbox for the folders I want to share? Can I access the with no internet connection?
One other question, can i link a gmail account to my Apple mail?
Thanks for any help.
Best wishes
Dave.

stevenscustomguitars wrote:
Snow Leapord doesn't have iCloud does it? If not, why the **** not?
No. It was a feature that was introduced with the release of 10.7.2. I do not know why it was not introduced on earlier versions. Probably the same reasons why some features will be introduced in later versions of OS X that will not be found on older versions.

Whats better? iMac with HDD or MAcbook Pro with SSD?

Similar Messages

Maybe you are looking for