Why an iMac or Mac Mini when you can buy a MacBook Pro and dock it?

[kawa636r]

I have got an iMac 27 5k late 2014 which accomplished a lot of work until today.
Two months ago I replaced my almost no used MacBook Pro 2016 with a MacBook Pro M1.

And now I wanted to replaced my desktop old 5k iMac with someone new, but the display size and resolution is very important to me, so:

1. the new iMac is 24'' only, if I wanted to go with 27'' I should have went with the old intel one and I want m1, so, no way.

2. I thought to Mac mini + external display 28 or more as a solution but in this way I would have got another almost "no use" MacBook Pro M1 on the desktop.

So, my conclusion is, why not buying a docking station and use MacBook Pro m1 as hibrid (fixed and mobile) computer?

Modern processor like m1 are powerful and suitable for both Desktop and Mobile pc, so, why keeping two different devices?

What do you think about this?


UPDATE:

I have bought the following things:

1. A Mac Mini m1, 256, 8gb
2. An Huawei Mateview display
3. A MacBook Pro 13 m1, 256, 8gb (which I was already having got)

I have tried first the Mac mini with the monitor, everything ok except some trackpad lag/issues - interferences.
Then I have tried to connect the MacBook Pro, docking it.

So, the MacBook Pro experience is same or better than Mac mini.
I just prepared the Mac mini to return to apple, cause MacBook flexibility is better than mini.
Also, the performance is the same to the Mac mini, so, why buying an Mac mini? For 400 euros MacBook has got keyboard, trackpad, battery (good for energy backup), flexibility to move on, a fantastic display.....

About the cables and the "clean desktop", my MacBook Pro is vertically docked behind my monitor, so the desktop is still clean.

Now I will wait m1x to understand if take a 16gb MacBook Pro or wait to m1x versions.

 

[Codestud]

Quite a few people do just that, if you feel you want the flexibility of taking the computer on the road. Perhaps wait until the next Apple event (which is only days away) as there might be a new "pro" iMac unveiled with a larger screen than 24" that could tempt you.

 

[ruka.snow]

I use a iPad Pro when mobile. I would rather have a big iMac on my desk or a Mac mini connected to a 30 inch screen than a expensive laptop that needs a dock and that would encourage me to take away from the desk. I like having an area where I have to sit at the machine.

 

[theluggage]

I have got an iMac 27 5k late 2014 which accomplished a lot of work until today.

...an iMac gives you considerably more bangs-per-buck than a laptop. Even true of a 2020 iMac 5k vs. an Intel 16" MBP today.

1. the new iMac is 24'' only, if I wanted to go with 27'' I should have went with the old intel one and I want m1, so, no way.

That's a temporary problem until Apple release the Apple Silicon replacement for the 5k iMac which is almost certainly "in the pipeline" and, quite probably, would have been out by now but for the dreaded lurgy and chip shortages. So, yes, if you have to have a new machine today, that's a pain, but six months down the line it should have passed.

Remember - M1 is only the "entry level" Apple Silicon chip for ultraportables and tablets. It may be as fast/faster than some of the "outgoing" pro laptops and cheaper desktops but that's a fairly low bar - it can't compete on computing performance with a full-fat x86 desktop with a decent discreet GPU (nor would it make sense to compare a 10-15W processor with one pulling 100W+). The M1 will be outclassed - at least for multithreaded/GPU-intensive work - by the M1X at the cost of the M1X consuming a lot more power.

Modern processor like m1 are powerful and suitable for both Desktop and Mobile pc, so, why keeping two different devices?

Let's look at possible reasons for wanting a desktop:

1. Maybe you just don't need a laptop. Maybe all of your travel needs are sorted by a phone or tablet - in which case, it's just price: you won't get a new MacBook Air, 24" 4.5k display, TB3 dock, keyboard & mouse for the price of the base 24" iMac, & the iMac will be far neater and more convenient.

2. You want more power than is available on a laptop. If you had to buy today then the higher-spec 2020 iMacs (not to mention the Mac Pro) are more powerful than any current MacBook, even though they're still on Intel. We don't know yet whether any new "pro" laptops & desktops are all going to share the same spec of M1X processor or if there will be faster variants available on the desktop.

3. Once the hiatus is over, and you can get M1X machines with at least twice the CPU and GPU cores, the Air will once again look like the low-power, ultraportable option, and having an Air for portability plus a desktop for heavy lifting might make sense once more. One thing that we can predict about the M1X is that twice the cores running flat out = twice the power consumption, so you will still be faced with a choice of peak performance vs. size/weight/battery life.

4. If your work and/or life revolves around having a computer, you need a spare system (esp. at the moment when you can't guarantee getting a like-for-like replacement at short notice).]

...if none of those apply, having a MacBook Pro plus a decent external display is a perfectly sensible idea.

 

[JPack]

The last year has taught us that portability is the most important factor. That’s one of the reasons why Apple launched M1 on MacBook first.

If you’re buying an M1 iMac, you’re really paying for the expensive display and color matching keyboard.

 

[rads1]

I'm also rocking a 2014 5K iMac waiting for the new replacement (Apple taking their sweet time). I have considered a docked Macbook for awhile but I would end up with an underpowered desktop. I would also be constantly worried about what the long term docking is doing to the laptop in terms of heat and battery life. My Macbook Air suffers the same fate as your laptop; all but completely forgotten. Any serious work gets done on the desktop due to the larger screen and ease of use. So now I'm mainly a iPad Pro and multi-monitor iMac combo.

It sounds like you are in a similar boat. You really don't have a need for a laptop. If you need a portable device, maybe consider an iPad to fill that niche.

 

[Serban55]

the bigger imac for the better gpu ...the same gpu power you will get it only and probably in the biggest macbook pro
the imac use is also for clean setup...with the macbook you need the dock, cable, monitor and some speakers/web probably and all of those could go even more expensive than the 30" imac

 

[kawa636r]

Quite a few people do just that, if you feel you want the flexibility of taking the computer on the road. Perhaps wait until the next Apple event (which is only days away) as there might be a new "pro" iMac unveiled with a larger screen than 24" that could tempt you.

Thank you for your reply.
The trouble will be the same, having got one device which I use the most (the desktop) and another one which I use 10-15 days inside an year (the laptop).
So, to avoid this, I wanted to have got an unique device for everything and save money (a lot).

 

[kawa636r]

I use a iPad Pro when mobile. I would rather have a big iMac on my desk or a Mac mini connected to a 30 inch screen than a expensive laptop that needs a dock and that would encourage me to take away from the desk. I like having an area where I have to sit at the machine.

Mee too, but I need a mobile device sometimes inside an year, and everytime was like, this app is not installed on the laptop, this file is not present on the fixed and so and so.
Considering that IT equipment looses values every year, I think having got an unique hybrid device should be the best solution.

 

[Nbd1790]

Through the years I've dabbled with the idea of using multiple computers (laptops, desktops). I find it to be extremely inconvenient to have data across different devices (despite Apples very good integration system amongst devices). I do a lot of media work specifically Audio & Photo work. Made the decision back in 2015 to ONLY have a laptop and create a home work set up with all of my chosen peripherals.

Having one device where you know all of your work is stored is nice. Aside from being able to choose your own peripherals.

 

[kawa636r]

...an iMac gives you considerably more bangs-per-buck than a laptop. Even true of a 2020 iMac 5k vs. an Intel 16" MBP today.

I don't think so.
An iMac 24'' costs 1500 euros, a MacBook Pro with same specs costs less. And it's portable.
Even if you buy a monitor, a keyboard and a trackpad you are "saving" to buy a laptop, since when you need mobility, you can take your laptop (together with files and programs) with you.

Remember - M1 is only the "entry level" Apple Silicon chip for ultraportables and tablets. It may be as fast/faster than some of the "outgoing" pro laptops and cheaper desktops but that's a fairly low bar - it can't compete on computing performance with a full-fat x86 desktop with a decent discreet GPU (nor would it make sense to compare a 10-15W processor with one pulling 100W+).

Also here, I don't think so. M1 shocked me. Docker performance and general web development performance breaks everyone here. My office i9 64gb ram and 16gb graphics is being killed by Mac M1, docker execution a lot more faster on M1 than on office iMac i9.
Why waiting m1x if current m1 is a beast?

you won't get a new MacBook Air, 24" 4.5k display, TB3 dock, keyboard & mouse for the price of the base 24" iMac, & the iMac will be far neater and more convenient

An iMac 27'' with i7 and 8gb of ram only, costs 2600 euros.
A MacBook Pro with m1 and 512 ssd costs 1600 more-less.
Even if you buy a 4,5k Huawei monitor (550 euros) and a trackpad and a keyboard (apple ones) you want reach the 1000 euros difference for the iMac 27. And you have got an m1.

3. Once the hiatus is over, and you can get M1X machines with at least twice the CPU and GPU cores, the Air will once again look like the low-power, ultraportable option, and having an Air for portability plus a desktop for heavy lifting might make sense once more. One thing that we can predict about the M1X is that twice the cores running flat out = twice the power consumption, so you will still be faced with a choice of peak performance vs. size/weight/battery life.

Why m1x if m1 is already a beast? I kept my iMac 27 i7 since 2014 until now, means I wasn't impressed by every year release, so, why m1x?

 

[kawa636r]

The last year has taught us that portability is the most important factor. That’s one of the reasons why Apple launched M1 on MacBook first.

If you’re buying an M1 iMac, you’re really paying for the expensive display and color matching keyboard.

I totally agree with you

 

[Serban55]

for multiple devices , my work is on a very fast external ssd storage..no need transfers

 

[kawa636r]

It sounds like you are in a similar boat. You really don't have a need for a laptop. If you need a portable device, maybe consider an iPad to fill that niche.

It's impossible for me.

There are jobs that needs yes or yes a laptop, not only web development, but it services in general.
I have got iPad Pro which I use and take with me when there is some job that can I accomplish with the iPad, but when there are things that needs a laptop, I would take with me the laptop.

 

[ratspg]

I recommend a desktop and a laptop. I'd recommend an iPad Pro as a laptop replacement when full screen on an external display isn't at the lame aspect ratio it has now.

 

[Clix Pix]

In 2015 I was eagerly awaiting the announcement of the 21.5" iMac with retina screen, all set to replace my 21.5 2012 iMac with one. A 27" iMac is just too darned big for me to manage physically, even though I wouldn't need to move it or carry it around all that frequently. When the announcement finally came, I was disappointed in the specs and that got me to looking at the specs on a 15" MBP. I realized that I could put the MBP on a stand and use an external keyboard and mouse with it, and that would be that! I also could purchase and plug in an external monitor of any size that I preferred. So I bought a 15" MBP which had all the specs I had been wanting, could walk right into the Apple store and get it, no need to configure and order an iMac to be shipped to me. The costs worked out to be about the same, give or take a little.

This worked out so well for me that in 2018 I bought another 15" MBP -- the machine I am using now -- and my next MBP will be one of the M-series ones after they're finally announced in the 14" and 16" sizes. I find that using the very powerful MBP works just fine for me and I use it for everything, from photo editing to document preparation, to emails and messages to forum participation.

For me the MBP makes much more sense, and on the occasions when I need to have portability or take it somewhere, it's easy to unplug and away we go.

 

[theluggage]

An iMac 24'' costs 1500 euros, a MacBook Pro with same specs costs less.

An iMac 24" comes with a display that would probably cost you something like $800. If you don't want that, the Mac Mini costs $600 less than a M1 MacBook Pro, for basically the same computer.

If you want a laptop for use on the move, then of course a laptop is a better deal.

My office i9 64gb ram and 16gb graphics is being killed by Mac M1, docker execution a lot more faster on M1 than on office iMac i9.

Well, first you need to check you're comparing like-for-like with docker - which runs on a linux kernel running in a hypervisor. No point in benchmarking (e.g.) x86 Virtualbox against Hyperkit on Apple Silicon especially without knowing how many cores, how much RAM etc. are allocated to each VM. (is your office machine even a Mac?)

However, what that *probably* means is that your docker workflow doesn't need 64gb and can't make use of 10 CPU cores so all you see is the "snappiness" of the M1 and it's super-high-performance SSD.

An iMac 27'' with i7 and 8gb of ram only, costs 2600 euros.
A MacBook Pro with m1 and 512 ssd costs 1600 more-less.

I don't know your source of Euro prices, but on the US shop, the base level 5k iMac is $1800 vs. the M1 MBP with 512GB at $1500. Again, the iMac 27" comes with a display that would cost you $1200 to buy separately if you could find one. For $2600 you're talking about a 10-core i9 and a GPU with more VRAM than the M1 has main RAM...

Why m1x if m1 is already a beast?

It isn't a beast. It's just incredibly powerful for a 10W (or whatever) mobile chip with integrated graphics.

The M1X will - according to leaks and rumours - have twice as many CPU and GPU cores as the M1. For some workloads - including the sort of media production tasks that are often done on Macs - that are optimised for multi-core and/or GPU computing - that will amount to being nearly twice as fast. For other workloads, the extra cores won't get used and it won't be any faster than an M1.

Web development just isn't a particularly demanding task (unless the thing you are developing has some special requirement) - it is very widely reported that the M1 is super fast & smooth at opening windows, starting applications etc. but unless you do something that normally has the CPU churning fand all of the cores lit up in Activity Monitor for several minutes you're probably *not* going to get much advantage from an M1X over a M1.

 

[kawa636r]

the imac use is also for clean setup...with the macbook you need the dock, cable, monitor and some speakers/web probably and all of those could go even more expensive than the 30" imac

An iMac 27'' with i7 and 8gb of ram only, costs 2600 euros.
A MacBook Pro with m1 and 512 ssd costs 1600 more-less.
Even if you buy a 4,5k Huawei monitor (550 euros) and a trackpad and a keyboard (apple ones) you want reach the 1000 euros difference for the iMac 27. And you have got an m1.

 

[kawa636r]

Through the years I've dabbled with the idea of using multiple computers (laptops, desktops). I find it to be extremely inconvenient to have data across different devices (despite Apples very good integration system amongst devices). I do a lot of media work specifically Audio & Photo work. Made the decision back in 2015 to ONLY have a laptop and create a home work set up with all of my chosen peripherals.

Having one device where you know all of your work is stored is nice. Aside from being able to choose your own peripherals.

This is the first post which helps me a lot.
I was in the same situation as you. So, thank you so much for your post, it is very useful for me.

 

[kawa636r]

For me the MBP makes much more sense, and on the occasions when I need to have portability or take it somewhere, it's easy to unplug and away we go.

Another great post. Thank you so much

 

[kawa636r]

For other workloads, the extra cores won't get used and it won't be any faster than an M1.

I agree with all your post until this.
I still haven't found something which is performing bad on m1. I mean, on multicore until an i9.
There is no game against intel xenon 8 cores, but we are talking about Mac Pro which costs 7000 euros and it cannot be carried with you outside like a laptop.

 

[2fx1989]

I used a 2009 iMac for professional Photoshop Retouching, Desktop Publishing, Illustration, 3D modelling and animation and later a college degree and software engineering. Also I used it occasionally for Bootcamp Windows gaming. It's only just died in the last 6 months. My point is the iMac never ceased to amaze at how versatile it was and all in a beautiful, slim design with just a keyboard and mouse. All of that done with no requirement for mobility.

Why would you want all the extra cables, hubs, power supply etc on your desk, and crucially why would you want some ugly 3rd party monitor when you can have the amazing monitor built into the iMac?

Also the iMac is much better value than a MacBook Pro if you're not using it for portability. MacBook Pros are great machines but you do pay extra for the portability so if I was in your position and had to choose I'd use the money to spec out the larger 27-30 inch M1X iMac when it comes out and have all that power in a beautiful slim case. The same goes for the 2020 Intel iMac, it's still a very powerful and lovely machine.

Your question is asking how do you replace a great desktop Mac with a great display but it must be Apple Silicon and larger than 24 inch? It's simple, just wait for the new M1X 27-30 inch replacement for the 27 Intel iMac.

 

[EugW]

I personally find having to use a laptop with clamshell mode as a desktop replacement kind of annoying. I dislike constantly having to deal with the plugging in and unplugging the cables, and having to deal with the inconsistencies and idiosyncracies of clamshell mode.

For more than the last decade, my setup has always been a main desktop at home, and relatively light laptop for the road. However, I rarely do my heavy lifting on the road, and I found having a big and heavy laptop just meant I would carry it around much less. The 12" MacBook is my favourite MacBook form factor of all time. Its main problems were the lack of a second USB port and Thunderbolt support, and comparatively high cost (vs. the MacBook Air), but I just loved its portability, even vs. the 13" MacBook Air. In the Apple Silicon era, I would love to see a 12.5" M2 MacBook with smaller bezels, two USB-4/Thunderbolt ports and MagSafe. I know we won't get that though.

However, going forward, now that I work from home 99% of the time, I won't be buying another laptop any time soon. I'll just stick with my 16 GB 2017 12" MacBook for as long as it can last. I expect that will be at least 2025, unless the keyboard goes prematurely or something. My next mobile device purchase will be an iPad Pro or iPad Air, with Magic Keyboard. However, in truth I don't need that any time soon either, since my existing 2017 iPad Pro 10.5 with Smart Keyboard is sufficient.

See my signature for the details of my current equipment.

The other factor in play here though is I can write off all my equipment purchases as business expenses, so the cost to me isn't as much as it would be to other people.

 

[ascender]

Laptops trying to be like desktops do have their disadvantages and idiosyncrasies as @EugW says. I'm not sure how the the cost of a similarly specced iMac v MacBook Pro would stack up at the moment? Its probably not an easy comparison just now given the fragmented lineup.

Having had both sorts of setups, don't underestimate the built-in webcam, speakers, ports, great screen etc. If you don't need all the power of your main machine away from your desk, it can be quite nice to just have an ultra-portable laptop/iPad etc. But there's also something to be said for having a single machine with all your apps & data on it which you can take anywhere.

I need something with a lot of cores, so at the moment I expect I'll pick up a 16" MBP, but if they were to release a powerful iMac with larger screen, it would be tempting to go for one of those and just keep my M1 Air. If Apple were to release some monitors, that would make the choice even more difficult!

 

[UltimateSyn]

If your mobile computing needs aren't too strenuous there's a great setup available in an iPad for mobile tasks and a stationary desktop Mac filling its own role. I could definitely get by with my 12.9" iPad + 24" iMac, I'm only getting a MBP because I want one.

As others have pointed out, an all-in-one like the iMac is an extraordinarily clean and simple setup and includes a fantastic display, great speakers, camera microphone all in one clean package at a relatively inexpensive price. A great deal as long as you don't need a Mac on the go.