iMac or MacBook Pro for my situation?

[Crazyeyes]

I would say opt for the macbook pro given the flexibility of it and the fact you can carry it around. but do yourself a favour a only purchase the model down from the brand new macbook as the new model (for what ever stupid reason Apple made it) is without a CD rom drive, a firewire input, and an ethernet port. so i would say go for for the 15in i7 mac book.

[hasbeen]

I have the last released 17 inch MacBook Pro and love the power it has with the benefit of portability. I use mine with 4 external screens (USB) UAD & Powercore plug ins and have extended firewire with an Express card. There is not much you can't do. Good luck!

[joe.EMPIRE]

Wow... You use yours with 4 external screens and it handles it? That's insane. I was thinking, at the end of the day with today's specs, the iMac, really, is just a MacBook Pro with a dedicated 27" screen.

P.s. to Crazyeyes; you're 100% right, the Retina display MacBook Pro is far from worth it. As you said; no ethernet, no firewire, no CD ROM and to top things off, RAM that is soldered to the motherboard!

I think I'm gonna go the MacBook Pro and just get HQ external displays... If anyone begs to differ, by all means put your opinion forward

joe.EMPIRE

[Crazyeyes]

Wow that I did not know about the ram soldered in. That's just another reason to get the earlier MacBook pro rather then the new release. Terrible terrible release by Mac.

[Jeff D.]

The Retina MacBookPro is much quieter than the non-Retina model. Something to think about if you'll be pushing the fans to the limit with plugins. And the Firewire adapter is $29, not a big deal.

[joe.EMPIRE]

Just letting you guys know I got the MacBook Pro this morning and it's amazing (the higher range 15). I am very happy I went the MacBook Pro over the iMac - the dedication to the 27" screen is a big ask. I am about to get a 27" LCD LED and keyboard, and just like that I have that mobility that I wouldn't have otherwise had.

P.S. Jeff D, I know people keep talking about the sound aspect of the Retina display but I just don't get it. This laptop can literally barely be heard, and when you're producing, I highly doubt the tiny little hum you can hear if you focus as hard as you can will make the world of a difference.

[phas3d]

Get a 40" TV LCD like Sony or Samsung. Working at 1080p is really comfortable. Believe me. Just take your MBP to a store and try it.

[cowboysaluki]

I have the 17in i7 with the express card slot. I currently dont use the slot, but i run my i/o to the USB, external HD to FW, monitor to mini display, controller to USB, and then i still have one free USB slot, usually taken by my iLok, and i dont have an express card, but if i did, i could have 2 more FW800 slots.

I just have a 20in HP monitor i got for like $90 at best buy for my 2nd monitor, when in PT i just like to have one screen for the edit window and one for the mix window.