# Need help w/ new machine



## rebabaskett (Jun 15, 2013)

It is that time to upgrade my machine and I can't decide between a newest 13" Macbook Pro Retina (8gb with 512gb hd) or the newest  27" iMac (32gb with 3tb fusion drive). Currently I have a 13" air removed a few years. I had an 3 year old 27" iMac but recently sold it.
Right now when I start editing photos in Lightroom my poor air struggles and the fan starts going. Anyone know if the 13" Retina pro does this?

What are some + and - on between the pro and new iMac. 

Also a little of my computer history. I have been on a mac way longer than it has been cool and I am not looking to go anywhere. 

Thanks for the thoughts. I am really stuck with what one to get.


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## clee01l (Jun 15, 2013)

Reba, Welcome to our forum.  I waited until it was cool before I got a Mac.  Until about 1 1/2 years ago I had beed running Microsoft Operating systems exclusively since 1984.  You issue is only which Mac?

Get both. :surprised:  I have a Mid 2011 27" iMac with 16GB RAM and since last Fall a 13" rMBP.  The MBP is full at 8GB RAM with a 768GB SSD.  It is also dual core whereas the iMac is quad core.  This is an important difference.  LR makes good use of multi cored systems the more cores the faster the processing.  I use the iMac as my primary workstation.  It has dual monitors and can easily handle my 36mp (~43Mb) D800 image files.  I use the rMBP as a travel computer and post process those D800 images It is not as peppy as the iMac but it gets the job done.  I would hate to have this rMBP as my only computer for post processing LR.  If I could only own one of these, then it would be the iMac for post processing LR images.


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## ukbrown (Jun 16, 2013)

http://photofocus.com/2013/06/10/about-my-switch-from-mac-to-windows/


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## rebabaskett (Jun 17, 2013)

Cletus,

Does the rMBP fan run a lot when editing in lightroom or is the iMac just better? I can't afford to get both and I am not great at having two computers. I used to have an iMac but sold it and have just been using the air. My camera files are not as big as the D800 as I shoot with an Olympus OM-D files are fairly small even as a DNG.


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## clee01l (Jun 17, 2013)

rebabaskett said:


> Cletus,
> 
> Does the rMBP fan run a lot when editing in lightroom or is the iMac just better? ...


I didn't even know my rMBP has a fan.  So, that should answer that question. 

I prefer the iMac because it has 4 cores as opposed to the rMBP which has two.  LR will take advantage of all of the CPU cores available and process in parallel when possible.  This is especially true for building previews or exporting.  Not only more cores, but also more RAM.  More RAM means less swapping and this is always a good thing. While the SSD in the rMBP is faster than the conventional HD in my iMac, This advantage goes away with the new Fusion Drives in the newer iMacs.

The 13" or even the 15" screen is probably not adequate for more than just casual development work.  If the rMBP were my primary machine, It would have to have a second monitor just for heavy duty LR development.  With the iMac I still have a second monitor, but physically it is the same size as my 27" iMac so useful as a dual display LR addition.


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## rebabaskett (Jun 18, 2013)

I have a 22" monitor that I work on at home.  I will consider the iMac. I just hate having two computers. Will see what Apple updates next. I see the laptops getting the Haswell update soon.


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