iMac, MacBook, MacBook Pro, what's a designer to do?

• Time to replace the Mac. Should a graphic designer go for the economical iMac or is splurging for a MacBook Pro and external screen worth it? I desperately need a new computer and have been putting it off until the new Mac models came out. I have a G4 tower that's probably from 2002 or so and a cheap 17" screen. This is my work computer (I'm a print & web graphic designer —self-employed) but, since this is my only computer, it's my personal computer too. I miss my old 12" iBook which died a few years ago. Ideally I would have a desktop with a big screen for work and a small laptop for personal use but I really can't afford two computers (and wouldn't want to deal with syncing). My screen is way too small when working in CS3. Please don't suggest any non-Apple solutions. I just keep going back on forth on a desktop vs a laptop. I'll be using Adobe CS4 most of the time and usually need to quickly switch between Illustrator, Photoshop & InDesign and also have mail, Firefox, iTunes running at once—sometimes Acrobat or another small program will be running as well. The way I see it I have two options: 1. 24" iMac. This gives me a huge screen and a powerful computer and seems like the best value for my money. I don't work with video and don't use millions of layers in Photoshop so a Mac Pro tower is overkill. The only drawbacks to the iMac is portability and the glossy screen. It would be nice to have the option to bring it to client meetings (although this would probably be a rare occurrence), work on invoices etc. in a coffeehouse or hook it up to my TV. iMac 24" 2.93 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 4 GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRam 640 GB Serial ATA Drive ATI Radeon HD 4850 512 MB iWork & Applecare $2,217 Pros: economical, powerful, good value Cons: portability, glossy screen 2. MacBook or MacBook Pro and an external screen. This gives me the portability I like but is significantly more expensive. Its also less powerful and just seems like an extravagance. Most of the reasons I really want a laptop are for personal use (hooking up to my TV, working away from home). I can certainly get around not having a laptop and I'm seduced by the huge iMac screens with isight built in. I haven't figured out if I can use iSight on the laptop with an external (non-Apple) screen. Buying an external screen would probably be a good idea because I've heard all of the complaints about the glossy iMac screens. I don't sit in front of a window but 50% of my work is print and color calibration is already a mess without adding in a glossy screen. I've really been leaning toward an iMac but I keep going back and forth about the screen and the convenience of a laptop. I have looked at the screens in the store but I can't know how the glossy screen will work for me until I get it in my house and work with it a bit. It also seems that any non-Apple screen that's 24" and decent quality is going to be pricey. If Apple just made a non-glossy screen I would happily get it so everything works well together and isight is built in. MacBook 13" (if I have a laptop I prefer a 13" or smaller but MacBook Pros don't come that small, arg!) 2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo 4 GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRam 320 GB Serial ATA Drive @5400 iWork & Applecare & adapter $2,130 + screen (24" Apple cinema screen = $899) -- MacBook Pro 15" (this is pretty big to be portable in my eyes) 2.93 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo (-$300 for a 2.66GHz) 4 GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRam 320 GB Serial ATA Drive @5400 iWork & Applecare & adapter $3,255 ! + screen Pros: portability, pick any screen I want Cons: expensive, more money for less power I tend to keep my computers for a long time so I want something that can grow with the next Adobe CS update. My friends seem to think the iMac is the obvious choice, but I'm not so sure. Obviously this is tax deductible (I'm in the US) but money is money. Please help me with my indecisiveness and give me some solid arguments for either option. I also welcome any comments on the specs I've chosen.

• Answer:

  I have a 24" iMac, it was top of the line when I got it, but as we all know, that only lasts for about 30 minutes these days. It's an amazing computer, and I can't sing its praises long or loud enough. You can get the 17" MacBooks with anti-glare screens these days, but that's not one of the configs you mention above. If your work deals with color calibration, which is difficult enough when you're comparing screen colors to print, and then print colors under different light sources, etc, the computer system is going to be more about the monitor than about the computer itself. If you're not processing video, nearly any system is going to have the horsepower to run graphics software. Focus on finding a monitor which has the color-matching specs you require, and then get the system after that.