27" iMac Pro vs future 16" MacBook Pro

Hardware
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I’m considering purchasing a new Mac sometime in the next year for my side business of real estate photography / videography. Right now, I’m using a 2015 15" MacBook Pro with the 2.5GHz i7 option. As it stands, I’m currently doing mostly interior stills using Lightroom Classic and Final Cut Pro for the few videos I shoot. I have the potential to drastically increase the number of videos I shoot and right now, 4K video is sometimes a chore for my current MacBook Pro. As with any business, time is money, so the faster I can process photo and video, the more potential I have to increase profits. I should also mention that I’m a software engineer by trade, so something that will provide a little more power for Xcode, Visual Studio, etc. would also be welcomed.

So, I’m trying to decide on what my next Mac will be that will ideally provide several years of processing power for various workflows. Do I wait for a potential update to the 27" iMac Pro to the latest gen Xeon processor or wait for a potential update to a 16" MacBook Pro that may or may not have some design influence from the pro workflows team? If I’m going to spend $5K+ for a pro machine, I would prefer to have something that will last for 5+ years and still be able to handle anything I throw at it. Although I do prefer the ability to work on the go, I’m also not at all against the idea of a 5K monitor combined with a powerhouse Xeon processor. Any thoughts or recommendations?

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If you dont need to work on-site get the iMac. Desktops always offer more computer for the money.

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I think for processing video the iMac is the only way to go.

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If you need portability you have your answer. For out of the box graphics performance the iMac Pro will crush the MBP, although an external GPU (which can cost upwards of $1000 depending on model) can make FCPX run as fast or sometimes faster than an iMac Pro. check out this article:

https://barefeats.com/macbook_pro_2018_egpu.html

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Your wish for something that will last at least five years pretty much dictates a desktop device, IMHO. Other than that, there are ways—as noted by others—to wring good performance from a suitably equipped laptop, but I still think you’re better off with the iMac Pro. The good thing is: either way, you’ll have a superb machine.

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