3 kids, grandparents, wife....which mac

I have been following the apple updates (updated mb..mbp..etc..). I am wanting to purchase a computer and was thinking about crossing over to mac os x from windows xp. Can anyone suggest/recommend which mac to buy? Here is a list of what my wife and I plan to do:

Me:
1. Surf the internet wirelessly at home and at work, check email, and watch dvd movies.
2. Download videos from my hard drive camcorder and digital camera memory card of my children, edit the video with music, photos, video clips, etc... and burn to on dvd or post it on youtube or email and send it to their grandparents.
3. Burn dvd movies to the computer hard drive and an external hard drive.
4. Edit photos.

Wife:
1. Surf the internet, check email, post video onto you tube and myspace.

So basically what it boils down to is that I want a computer that can allow me to share my family's events, pics. etc.. with our extended families.

 

If the kids and grandparents are actually going to be using it, I'd say get an iMac rather than a MB/MBP...durability will definitely be an issue.

 

Implying that grandparents will rough up the computer?

Nevertheless, I'd recommend that the OP not buy a MBP... if anything, go for an iMac as Snork said.

 

You can go with any Mac on this. Because durability is one of the most important issues and also because you aren't doing any complicated tasks, I would go with either an iMac or a Mac mini. Although it all depends on if you're going to carry it around with you or not. The Mac mini hasn't been updated in a while and is on the verge of discontinuation, but they are cheap. The iMac is the best overall with a decent graphics card, but they are more expensive than the Mac mini.

 

I second the vote for an iMac

 

Ohhh. Sorry the title is misleading. I forgot to mention the kids are 5 years old and younger..lol! As for the grandparents, they are in different states. I want a computer for my wife and I.

 

In that case, a Macbook would do you just fine MBP gains you the bigger screen, but it doesn't sound like you'll need the CPU or graphics horsepower. Not to mention being $500 more than a top Macbook.

But unless you need the portability, the iMac is probably still a better deal for your useage.

 

Another vote for the 20" iMac!

 

I think the iMac would be a good choice if you don't need it to be portable. Beautiful screen, and some pretty good power under its hood. It's the best bang for your buck.... when buying an Apple computer at least.

If you want a portable, a Macbook (other than the lowest end model since they cannot burn DVDs with it. The "Superdrive" is the one that does that) will do the tasks you mentioned just as well as a Macbook Pro, and for much cheaper.

If you plan to use it a lot for movies and as a home computer, the iMac has a much bigger, much better screen. Especially good for working with photos and videos.

If you do buy an iMac though... do yourself a favour and burn the mouse it comes with and use a standard optical one.... maybe it's just me but I find Apple mice to be absolute garbage.

If you're dealing with lots of videos on your hard drive, you will also benefit from the extra space and faster RPMs.

 

He said he wants to surf the web wirelessly at home & work, I doubt he wants to lug an imac to work with him.
I reccomend the macbook, and as Arquis said don't get the base model if you want to write to dvd's. Also you would want to think about getting a big internal HD and an external HD for your movies (get ram elsewhere from the web, not through apple).

 

yeah, you can't just lug an imac to work! lol.

i suggest MBP, as it has great screen for video or picture editing.
and the better speaker actually makes a difference between watchable to unwatchable movies viewing (the macbook speaker is soo weak).

but in your best interest; i think its better to go to your local apple store and see which one suits your needs.

also, try to get a decent case with your mbp (not just a covering sleeve with no pading) as the alumunium case is susceptible to denting.

 

Mac Mini for home, and a base model MacBook for on the road. Best of both worlds.