Macbook + monitor vs iMac

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Doomrider74

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Hi folks.

Til now, I've been editing on my 2022 Macbook Pro but I want to migrate to a larger screen. I currently have a Sceptre 35" curved gaming monitor at home that I could use with my MacBook, but I'm also thinking about a separate solution, which could be a new iMac or Mac Mini + Monitor.

I also need a calibrated solution as so far I haven't got round to calibrating my MacBook.

What are your suggestions and experiences? Of course, the cheapest solution would be to use my MacBook with the Sceptre monitor and calibrated it: However, I am currently using that monitor for home working and it would be hard to go back to a normal monitor for work 😄
 
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The advantage of the MacBook is that it is portable where the iMac is not. Otherwise, it's a matter of choice. I have a 27" monitor hooked to my MacBook Pro and it works well. Not a very expensive monitor but good enough for what I need.

I had an iMac and decided that I really wanted to take my computer with me when I travel, otherwise I would have stayed with the iMac.
Jeff
 
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jeffnles1 said:
The advantage of the MacBook is that it is portable where the iMac is not. Otherwise, it's a matter of choice. I have a 27" monitor hooked to my MacBook Pro and it works well. Not a very expensive monitor but good enough for what I need.

I had an iMac and decided that I really wanted to take my computer with me when I travel, otherwise I would have stayed with the iMac.
Jeff
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FYI I'm not planning on getting rid of my Macbook.
 
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Doomrider74 said:
FYI I'm not planning on getting rid of my Macbook.
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If it were me, I would just get a good monitor and plug it into the MacBook and call it a day. By far the least expensive solution and a seamless fix. Heck, you could get the Apple Studio monitor which is a beautiful monitor but really expensive. Lots of options at about half the cost. Of course, the M4Pro chip in the mini is attractive too.

I have a M1 chip MacBook Pro and am strongly considering trading up to the M4Pro. It should render video faster and be a little more future proofed. (48gb RAM, 2tb drive).
 
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Been through this recently… I had a 2017 iMac 27” retina display… I found myself locked into that platform going forward. As of late 2023 Apple could not upgrade my unit to Sonoma as the operating systems were not compatible with the latest upgrades and updates. I got a MacBook Pro w/m3 chip and Apple’s Studio Display. And… I can disconnect the display and take the MacBook anywhere… twas’ a no-brainer for me… Michael & Jeff gave excellent advice also…
 
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Doomrider74 said:
Hi folks.

Til now, I've been editing on my 2022 Macbook Pro but I want to migrate to a larger screen. I currently have a Sceptre 35" curved gaming monitor at home that I could use with my MacBook, but I'm also thinking about a separate solution, which could be a new iMac or Mac Mini + Monitor.

I also need a calibrated solution as so far I haven't got round to calibrating my MacBook.

What are your suggestions and experiences? Of course, the cheapest solution would be to use my MacBook with the Sceptre monitor and calibrated it: However, I am currently using that monitor for home working and it would be hard to go back to a normal monitor for work 😄
Click to expand...
You can buy an LG, BENQ, ViewSonic 27 inch monitor. They don't break the budget and are great in terms of color out of the box.
I edited photos for a long time on a regular SONY BRAVIA TV, which I used as a monitor - that's the cheapest solution.
For me personally, using a laptop for photo editing is not convenient. Small diagonal of the screen, you have to squint all the time, approach almost point-blank to the screen. If the budget allows, you can buy a m4 iMac monoblock. It is cute in terms of features and faster in power than a desktop calculator
 
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Doomrider74 said:
Hi folks.

Til now, I've been editing on my 2022 Macbook Pro but I want to migrate to a larger screen. I currently have a Sceptre 35" curved gaming monitor at home that I could use with my MacBook, but I'm also thinking about a separate solution, which could be a new iMac or Mac Mini + Monitor.

I also need a calibrated solution as so far I haven't got round to calibrating my MacBook.

What are your suggestions and experiences? Of course, the cheapest solution would be to use my MacBook with the Sceptre monitor and calibrated it: However, I am currently using that monitor for home working and it would be hard to go back to a normal monitor for work 😄
Click to expand...
Long time macOS guy…but advice is the same regardless of platform. If you’re happy with a single computer except for the display…adding a second computer complicates the photo processing issue. I would not recommend a second computer unless you already had it or needed one for other reasons…wife, kids, home server, whatever. If I was starting afresh today I would have a powerful laptop with a monitor and a base Mac mini for those other reasons which do apply for me.
 
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