iMac or MacBook Pro?

I had a request come from my friend Kelly over at Sportscavelive.com  to write a post on an iMac vs a MacBook Pro.  I've been so busy with wedding plans that I am just now getting around to it.  I won't be long winded on this one.  I just want to share a few thoughts.

iMac 21.5" and 27"

• Quad Core Processor available in every model.  In other words, great performance, even in the $1199 21.5" iMac.  
• Fantastic screen.  Some people don't love the glossy screen but I love the iMac screen, ESPECIALLY the 27". This can double for great netflix, hulu, or iTunes movie parties when 1)Someone else is using the TV 2)You forgot to DVR a show and it is only available online 3)You want to watch it in your bedroom where the iMac is rather than the family room. 
• Reliable.  I don't have any stats or evidence in the slightest to prove which Mac is the most reliable but I'd vote the iMac.  My parents has been running almost every single day for 4 years and hasn't flinched.  Oh, actually, it froze once.  That my friends is awesome reliability.  Proof of the "It just works" philosophy.
• Can get a 2 TB hard drive in this bad boy.  Load up all the movies and music you want, gonna take a while to fill it up.  Well, unless you are torrenting Blu-Ray quality movies on a regular basis, then you may need a few extra external hard drives.
• Moving this thing for One to One lessons or pretty much any other reason is a pain. Not as big of a pain as a Mac Pro, but don't think you are going to be portable with an iMac. 

MacBook Pro 13"

• It is the most "bang for your buck" laptop in the store.  Now rocks a speedy dual core i5 and has a 500GB hard drive come standard.  This is the choice of the vast majority of students.  It will do pretty much everything you want your Mac to do except gaming.  It will not do well in this area.  Nor will the MacBook Air.  For gaming, look to the 15" MacBook Pro or the iMac.  Or get an Xbox. 

MacBook Pro 15"

• This thing screams.  It is very so fast that the performance gap between the iMac and the MacBook Pro(the real pro models that is. I personally don't think the 13" should be labeled pro but for some reason Apple tried pro-less name idea for 6 months before slapping that "pro" label on there.)
• Great for gaming due to a much improved graphics card. 
• Heavy and tends to run pricey for people on a tighter budget.
• This thing runs hot!  If you don't want to have any more kids, this may be a great option.  Could also double as a space heater.  It also can run loud.
• The battery life is going to drain faster than the 13" MBP or the MacBook Airs. 

MacBook Air 11" and 13"

• If you've been around me enough, you know I love the MacBook Air line.  
• I love SSD.  Solid state is a fantastic technology that will replace hard drives.  Unfortunately, this is taking a long time and is still very expensive.  It feels so much snappier than a hard drive.
• The screen resolution on the 13" is equal to the resolution on the 15" MBP.  In other words, it makes the 13" MBP screen look terrible.  
• Thing is light as feather and the battery is going to last a long time(as long as you aren't running flash). 
• If you are a media junky(you love music, movies, photos, etc) then you are going to run out of space on this thing.  Living off an internal that is too small and an external is possible, but it is not very comfortable.  This is the main reason I switched from my MacBook Air to my iMac.  If I was ever in school again, I would go MacBook Air.   
• If all you do is email, facebook, listen to music, etc, the MacBook Air is the way to go.  Or an iPad....but that will have to wait for another post.

Hope you enjoy my brief take on the current line up.  If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments section.