Well last week came & went, and no new Mac Mini.
So I'm ready for an alternative, but wavering from the Macbook Pro. Now to my own surprise, contemplating an iMac.
Thing is, Macbook connectivity is limited - just a couple of USB-C ports (one of which would be 'lost' to the charger), and no ethernet. I need ethernet, plus a few USBs, so I'd need extra hardware from day 1. Then there's my monitor, currently a 20" LG, 1680x1050. Pretty good in 2009 when I bought the old Mac, but won't show a modern machine at its best, so that'd want replaced too. Cost will soon rack up from the basic retail price of the machine.
Today, I looked at the iMac with 27" 5k display. I'd heard good things about Apple's 5k displays, and WOW, that thing looks good! I'd actually challenge the forum's Apple sceptics to go and take a look at one and see whether, hand on heart, they can deny that the display is utterly amazing.
Another big draw towards the iMac is that RAM can be upgraded later, vs the soldered-in RAM on the MacBook. So I'd be happy to start with the basic 8GB and the option of upgrading in a few years, whereas the MacBook I'd want to upgrade to 16GB from the outset just to cover the risk that I might need it one day. The most basic disk size of 128GB would also want upgrading.
Bottom line, the iMac on its own, with that incredible 27" 5k display, will probably cost about the same as I'd spend on a MacBook, to the spec I want. With the Macbook, I'd be looking at least an additional £400, maybe much much more, for extra bits and bobs, and a monitor anywhere near the equivalent of the iMac.
Never liked the idea of an "all in one" system, but maybe the iMac might make a lot of sense. Comments welcome.