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Will you be purchasing the newly announced Retina MacBook Pro?

  • Yes; I will be buying a BTO option.

    Votes: 44 30.3%
  • Yes; I will be buying the base model.

    Votes: 25 17.2%
  • No; I will be staying with my current setup.

    Votes: 76 52.4%

  • Total voters
    145

sapporobaby

macrumors 68000
My issue is that it is not adding to the desperately needed real estate, at least not at the intended resolution. Also the fact that the 17" is going away is a problem for a lot of photographers who rely on those machines on the road.

Then there is the obsession with design and flatness at the expense of disk space options and ports. I see no gain if the machine is flat (yet still bigger than it needs to be really) but I have to carry around a bag full of expensive adapters and external storage. True - I would probably do that anyway when on the road.

But again, I haven't seen or tried it yet - so maybe it works well at the 1600 or 1900 resolution. And in all fairness: this is not an Apple specific problem. My quest for a desktop AND laptop replacement with photography and audio production in mind started out when I realized how difficult it would be to find a replacement for my current laptop which works really well for photography. It's 1400x1050 in a 14" format and its color rendition is surprisingly good. It's actually my preferred tool, even when at home.

Problem is that given that it is 6 years old I was hoping to get something way better than this with respect to speed (no problem), HD size (problem) and screen real estate (big problem). I had looked at the MacBooks because they seem to be made really well compared to a lot of the WinPC laptops. Some aspects of those I like better than others (not a fan of the keyboard and the trackpad for example but that's a matter of taste and getting used to).

For photography I had hoped for an improved (meaning higer res) version of the matte 15" and 17" hi res screens. And I had hoped for two hard drives for both safety and space reasons. For comparison: even as a photographer who is more working a vanity business if you will 256 GB is completely out of the question. And no way to upgrade yourself. I'm running out of space with my current 750GB drive...

This is by far the biggest complaint and whining thread I have seen by far. Come on dude. Are you really not hip to the fact that external drives are fast becoming the norm when it comes to being mobile? You are on a laptop for God's sake, not a desktop. I have two external drives that I work with. One 2TB Thunderbolt drive when I am at home and a 1TB FW800 drive for when I am shooting outside of my working space. Am I burdened by the half pound external drive and cable? No. If this is too much for you, I really suggest you invest in a gym membership, and hit the weights.

Your statement: "Then there is the obsession with design and flatness at the expense of disk space options and ports. I see no gain if the machine is flat (yet still bigger than it needs to be really) but I have to carry around a bag full of expensive adapters and external storage. True - I would probably do that anyway when on the road." Make zero point zero sense. One minute you are complaining about having to carry adapters and external storage but then go on to say that you would do it anyway. Makes no sense...

Your statement: "I realized how difficult it would be to find a replacement for my current laptop which works really well for photography. It's 1400x1050 in a 14" format and its color rendition is surprisingly good. It's actually my preferred tool, even when at home." Another rambling non-sequitor statement. You say that you like your 14" and then in the first paragraph complain about the 15" size... You are all over the map with contradictory statements... You go on mention that you had hoped for a 15" or 17" replacement but prior to this you say that 15" is too small...

Your statement: " And I had hoped for two hard drives for both safety and space reasons. For comparison: even as a photographer who is more working a vanity business if you will 256 GB is completely out of the question. And no way to upgrade yourself. I'm running out of space with my current 750GB drive..." My absolute favorite piece of nonsense to date. You really thought that Apple would put two hard drives into a Mac? Really. You just showed you know absolutely nothing, and I mean nothing about Macs or how Apple operates. Now, as an aside, I currently have two SSD's (1 x 120gig, and 1 x 250gig) in my 15" MBP but I installed them myself and use an Optibay, thus shedding the optical drive. I run my OS and Apps on the 120gig, and maintain my iTunes library on the larger drive. I use the larger drive as a temporary storage space if I want to process while on a plane or bus, or train without having to connect the external.

It looks as though you are searching for reasons to complain and whine about something that is not going to happen no matter how much YOU want it. Laptops will continue to get smaller, thinner, lighter and use less and less moving parts. There is always a PC out there with your name on if what Apple has to offer does not suit your fancy.
 

prodigee

macrumors 6502a
Sep 23, 2009
621
10
Brooklyn, NY
Dude, that was hysterical, all true points, but dear god I'm dying laughing and people at work are staring.


Seriously though, if anyone is complaining about lack of storage, and being a photographer. I think it's time for a serious reevaluation.
 

salmoally

macrumors regular
Jan 26, 2012
192
0
Colour accuracy doesn't need to be spot on for the photographers computer. Not sure about anyone else but I get proofs done and the professional printers usually are the ones who need to worry about 100% colour accuracy.

No disrespect to anyone but I find the ones who go on about colour accuracy, specs etc produce the most uninspiring work.
 

prodigee

macrumors 6502a
Sep 23, 2009
621
10
Brooklyn, NY
Colour accuracy doesn't need to be spot on for the photographers computer. Not sure about anyone else but I get proofs done and the professional printers usually are the ones who need to worry about 100% colour accuracy.

No disrespect to anyone but I find the ones who go on about colour accuracy, specs etc produce the most uninspiring work.
Yup, people who are just looking for other reasons than themselves why their work isn't up to par.

Although I would say that it is still important to calibrate your display, so that you can be in the right ball park, but I don't think you are saying otherwise hahah.
 

7enderbender

macrumors 6502a
May 11, 2012
513
12
North East US
Your statement: "I realized how difficult it would be to find a replacement for my current laptop which works really well for photography. It's 1400x1050 in a 14" format and its color rendition is surprisingly good. It's actually my preferred tool, even when at home." Another rambling non-sequitor statement. You say that you like your 14" and then in the first paragraph complain about the 15" size... You are all over the map with contradictory statements... You go on mention that you had hoped for a 15" or 17" replacement but prior to this you say that 15" is too small...

Your statement: " And I had hoped for two hard drives for both safety and space reasons. For comparison: even as a photographer who is more working a vanity business if you will 256 GB is completely out of the question. And no way to upgrade yourself. I'm running out of space with my current 750GB drive..." My absolute favorite piece of nonsense to date. You really thought that Apple would put two hard drives into a Mac? Really. You just showed you know absolutely nothing, and I mean nothing about Macs or how Apple operates. Now, as an aside, I currently have two SSD's (1 x 120gig, and 1 x 250gig) in my 15" MBP but I installed them myself and use an Optibay, thus shedding the optical drive. I run my OS and Apps on the 120gig, and maintain my iTunes library on the larger drive. I use the larger drive as a temporary storage space if I want to process while on a plane or bus, or train without having to connect the external.

It looks as though you are searching for reasons to complain and whine about something that is not going to happen no matter how much YOU want it. Laptops will continue to get smaller, thinner, lighter and use less and less moving parts. There is always a PC out there with your name on if what Apple has to offer does not suit your fancy.

No man, I'm not looking for a reason to complain. I'm looking to invest 4K or more into hardware that should last me without any issues for the next several years. So excuse me if I'm a little picky.

You don't get my size comparison. I frankly don't really care if my laptop is 14", 15" or 17". I could go either way. The issue is how much I can fit on the screen. My current screen is about 120 something ppi. I want at least that. The new retina screen doesn't deliver on that - at least not at its quasi "native" resolution of 1400x900. The old model hi res matte screens are about a match at 125ppi. That would be fine and the machine would fit the bill otherwise as well, especially now with USB3. Maybe that's what I'll do. I really don't know yet. It's a big investment, especially since I'd have to get a desktop as well and adapt all my software needs to Mac. Issue is that it's hard to foresee obviously where Apple will be going in the future. If the new retina MBP is an indicator I'm still reluctant putting all my eggs in that one basket.

As far as space goes: sure, I carry a small HD for photo backups anyway. But current standard SSDs are not an option for data storage right now. They are great as a system disk for obvious reasons. But then it becomes a a major inconvenience. Photos and audio recording files add up quickly. My iPod alone holds over a 100GB in music. Would be nice to have that available on a laptop as well. Now add to this OSX plus Windows partitions. Sorry if my criticism of the obvious bothers you, but I was hoping for an improvement all around, especially when spending 2-3 grand on a laptop. And I don't see it.

And no, the Win PC laptop world doesn't look that much more appealing overall. It feels we're kind of stuck at the moment given that the average consumers needs are more than met.
 

Bear

macrumors G3
Jul 23, 2002
8,088
5
Sol III - Terra
...
EDIT:
I missed the part where you couldn't upgrade storage. My mistake, regardless, back up to external, and good cloud storage. Cloud storage > anything else IMO anyway, don't have to deal with it being on your computer, can access it whenever you want, and if you get a good service you'll never have to worry about losing your data anyway.
It doesn't matter if you have a good cloud service, you still need your own backups. Anything could happen to a cloud service including dropping offline due to an issue with their internet provider.

I know you did say back up to external, but people need to be reminded that cloud service is not perfect yet.
 

sapporobaby

macrumors 68000
No man, I'm not looking for a reason to complain. I'm looking to invest 4K or more into hardware that should last me without any issues for the next several years. So excuse me if I'm a little picky.

You don't get my size comparison. I frankly don't really care if my laptop is 14", 15" or 17". I could go either way. The issue is how much I can fit on the screen. My current screen is about 120 something ppi. I want at least that. The new retina screen doesn't deliver on that - at least not at its quasi "native" resolution of 1400x900. The old model hi res matte screens are about a match at 125ppi. That would be fine and the machine would fit the bill otherwise as well, especially now with USB3. Maybe that's what I'll do. I really don't know yet. It's a big investment, especially since I'd have to get a desktop as well and adapt all my software needs to Mac. Issue is that it's hard to foresee obviously where Apple will be going in the future. If the new retina MBP is an indicator I'm still reluctant putting all my eggs in that one basket.

As far as space goes: sure, I carry a small HD for photo backups anyway. But current standard SSDs are not an option for data storage right now. They are great as a system disk for obvious reasons. But then it becomes a a major inconvenience. Photos and audio recording files add up quickly. My iPod alone holds over a 100GB in music. Would be nice to have that available on a laptop as well. Now add to this OSX plus Windows partitions. Sorry if my criticism of the obvious bothers you, but I was hoping for an improvement all around, especially when spending 2-3 grand on a laptop. And I don't see it.

And no, the Win PC laptop world doesn't look that much more appealing overall. It feels we're kind of stuck at the moment given that the average consumers needs are more than met.

Dude. Nothing you say bothers me because, well to be honest, I don't know you so I take what you say pretty much at face value. From what you say, you seem to be in a world of hurt regarding what you want.

You say that you can't foresee what Apple is doing? Really? You missed that? It's called Retina Display. This is where they are going. They are going thinner, higher res displays, no moving parts. Did you miss the presentation? This is probably the last generation of HDD's. SSD's are simply the way to go internally. With Thundrbolt drives that can run powered off of a Thunderbolt port, you can have your cake and eat it too...

Life is about choices. Yes the Retina (I hate this name by the way) MBP is expensive, but you have several choices: 1. Buy it and like it. 2. Buy it and not like it. 3. Not buy it. There... I've made it as simple as possible for you. All of those other machinations and minutia are pointless because you know yourself if you are honest the things you want are not a possibility in the Mac universe. You an either be part of it or simply wait until Samsung copies most of what Apple has done. Hell, it's not too late to send them a wish list of the things you would want in a PC...

Hope this helps...
 

7enderbender

macrumors 6502a
May 11, 2012
513
12
North East US
Dude. Nothing you say bothers me because, well to be honest, I don't know you so I take what you say pretty much at face value. From what you say, you seem to be in a world of hurt regarding what you want.

You say that you can't foresee what Apple is doing? Really? You missed that? It's called Retina Display. This is where they are going. They are going thinner, higher res displays, no moving parts. Did you miss the presentation? This is probably the last generation of HDD's. SSD's are simply the way to go internally. With Thundrbolt drives that can run powered off of a Thunderbolt port, you can have your cake and eat it too...

Life is about choices. Yes the Retina (I hate this name by the way) MBP is expensive, but you have several choices: 1. Buy it and like it. 2. Buy it and not like it. 3. Not buy it. There... I've made it as simple as possible for you. All of those other machinations and minutia are pointless because you know yourself if you are honest the things you want are not a possibility in the Mac universe. You an either be part of it or simply wait until Samsung copies most of what Apple has done. Hell, it's not too late to send them a wish list of the things you would want in a PC...

Hope this helps...

Thanks. Know what? This actually does help in a way. You point out some very important aspects. Life should be about choices. The new Apple leadership obviously has chosen to further limit choices. That it. Apple knows best. And not to get too philosophical or rub people the wrong way, but that explains really why some people just go with all this without questioning. By looking at some family members and friends who like it that way I suspect that there is a strong correlation between how they feel about choices in other parts of life. I still like them so don't take this the wrong way. It's their choice to let someone limit their choices.
I can't operate like that. I'm not going to spend money on something where I can't replace a battery/memory/hard drive/SSD or other basics once they break or stuff becomes more affordable. I have to go with option 3. And since this is the path they're on I don't see why it would be smart to buy a Mac desktop and/or any of the other Mac laptops that otherwise would suit my needs right now really well.
So now I have to find a Win laptop that fits the bill. And like you said - since everyone is busy just copying everyone else (and not just the good ideas) this will remain a challenge. And maybe I'll still have to come to the conclusion that for now one of the remaining 17" MBPs is still my best option. Annoying isn't it?
 

sapporobaby

macrumors 68000
Thanks. Know what? This actually does help in a way. You point out some very important aspects. Life should be about choices. The new Apple leadership obviously has chosen to further limit choices. That it. Apple knows best. And not to get too philosophical or rub people the wrong way, but that explains really why some people just go with all this without questioning. By looking at some family members and friends who like it that way I suspect that there is a strong correlation between how they feel about choices in other parts of life. I still like them so don't take this the wrong way. It's their choice to let someone limit their choices.
I can't operate like that. I'm not going to spend money on something where I can't replace a battery/memory/hard drive/SSD or other basics once they break or stuff becomes more affordable. I have to go with option 3. And since this is the path they're on I don't see why it would be smart to buy a Mac desktop and/or any of the other Mac laptops that otherwise would suit my needs right now really well.
So now I have to find a Win laptop that fits the bill. And like you said - since everyone is busy just copying everyone else (and not just the good ideas) this will remain a challenge. And maybe I'll still have to come to the conclusion that for now one of the remaining 17" MBPs is still my best option. Annoying isn't it?

Annoying? Not to me in the least. I happen to know what I want and the new Retina display fits my requirements. Your statement about the display being 1440 x 900 is incorrect. Go take a peek at: http://www.anandtech.com/show/5998/macbook-pro-retina-display-analysis to be clued in...

Good luck with your search for the elusive grail of laptops. I heard they can be found sitting along side authentic Bigfoot, and Loch Ness Monster souvenirs.
 

Prodo123

macrumors 68020
Nov 18, 2010
2,326
10
Allow me to end this flame war.
I'm not burdened by the extra weight that external adaptors and such bring. I'm burdened by:
1. expense of these things
2. clutter in my bag
3. mess of cables getting tangled
4. setup time for mobile work

I have a 3TB FW800 drive that i keep at home specifically for scratch disk use. If I need mobile storage then I have remote access to my Time Capsule, but as you'd expect the performance is pathetically slow. Then to solve this dilemma I could get the Retina MacBook Pro, which offers speedy, capacious SSDs. But I'm extremely cramped in my 500GB hard drive right now, which is filled not only with photography related stuff but also a gigantic music collection, both of which are growing exponentially. So soon this 500GB drive won't be enough, which means I'll have to opt for the expensive 768GB SSD if I were to go with the RMBP. But why pay ~$600 for a SSD upgrade when I could easily upgrade my preexisting computer for loads cheaper?

I do sometimes feel that the 15" is small. But only when working in the full screen mode in Aperture. When using the windowed mode I feel as if I have some more breathing room, even though the picture is smaller.

Again, since I keep the scratch disk at home, a Thunderbolt display acting as both a high-gamut monitor and docking station would be perfect.

Yes, I agree that it's nonsense to put two hard drives in a laptop. But when storage is an issue, it's nice to know that you can always swap out components to keep your mobile workstation mobile. Also, with high-capacity SATA SSDs having broken through the $1/GB barrier, it might be more economical to put two 512GB SSDs in your MBP than to order a 768GB RMBP.

Which brings me to my point. The non-upgradeability of the RMBP will force us to bring dongles, wires, hard drives and more clutter wherever you bring it. And when you grow out of the limited storage, you can't upgrade it. This presents a critical issue which would shy many people from buying it.

Also, the retina display's concept itself presents many issues. The first and most important to us is the effect of the increased resolution on the enlargement of photos. The 100% view on the loupe will be 4x smaller on an RMBP compared to the normal 15" MBP. To get the magnification level to me the same, the RMBP will have to use the 400% view, which introduces blur. This is very bothersome, as manually correcting chromatic aberration (which is often only 1px thick when shot with a good lens) becomes proportionally more difficult. The same goes for designers working with large formats and prints.

Not to mention the display gamut. It is, at this point, unknown, but from what I hear the RMBP carries a TN panel with LED backlighting. Accounting for the thinner display and higher resolution, I'd estimate the display gamut of this laptop to be ~65% of Adobe RGB 1998. Compared to the 75% of the hi-res MBPs, that could present a color difference which may affect proof colors.

Many other disadvantages exist. This laptop is sacrificing mobility and quality, ironically in the name of mobility and thinness. If Apple just improved upon the existing unibody design I think that would be more beneficial to us than the newly released RMBP.

(I do realize that these views stem from my personal experience and you are free to debate it)
 

someoldguy

macrumors 68030
Aug 2, 2009
2,732
13,118
usa
Getting back to the OP's inquiry ....
If I were in the market now I wouldn't get the MBPR for a couple of reasons :

1> it's version 1.1 of pretty much everything , display , ssd , battery , power connector . New designs have problems ... although they're usually minor , why pay a premium to be a product development tester . Think of the nVidia video chip issue with the SR MBP's a few years back.

2> Given the non expandability of RAM , and the current unavailability of aftermarket ssd's , and given that I'd want to keep the machine for at least 5 years , I'd want to max out both memory and storage . This runs the price up to around 3500$US . That's a hefty chunk of change for a laptop , especially when I could get the mundane MBP similarly configured for about 2500 ( 2199 base price , 100 hi-res antiglare screen , 200+/- for 16g. aftermarket memory). Still a lot , but somewhat lower in the stratosphere.

Either way , 15" isn't a lot of screen real estate for photo editing IMHO.

Apple's got to recoup a lot of development costs , and someone's got to pay , but for me right now the MBPR's just lap candy for the affluent.
 

danahn17

macrumors 6502
Dec 3, 2009
384
0
It's a cool feature but hardly something I need... I've been doing just fine editing RAW pics with PS CS6 on my 2009 MBP. I've maxed out my RAM and added an SSD and it's good enough to the point where I have no need to upgrade (desire is another story though ;)).

I also use an external monitor if I need more real estate to work with and am not on the road somewhere. To be honest, even if my current MBP had retina display, I think I'd still end up using the external monitor as it'd still provide me more actual real estate to work with.

Personally, if I were buying a MBP for photography editing on the go right now, I'd go with a non-retina 15" model, upgrade the RAM and throw in a SSD (maybe) myself, and use whatever remaining extra cash as an investment towards my gear. I'd probably even take a good look at the refurbs (including the 17").
 
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sapporobaby

macrumors 68000
Allow me to end this flame war.
I'm not burdened by the extra weight that external adaptors and such bring. I'm burdened by:
1. expense of these things
2. clutter in my bag
3. mess of cables getting tangled
4. setup time for mobile work

......

(I do realize that these views stem from my personal experience and you are free to debate it)

You make good points. Let me first start by saying that I am not arguing with the other guy. Just pointing out his inconsistencies which were coming fast and furious...

With that aside, the debate about convenience verses functionality will rage (only word I could come up with at the moment) on and on. Much of what you said is subjective and is based on what loads we wish to bear. In fact as I write this, I am using my current 15" MBP, and FW800 external drive. This is what I am carrying with me on a daily basis. I do have a small 4G modem that I use when traveling around Europe (I currently live in Finland) where I have a pocket full of SIM cards. I will travel to Italy next month and will take my MBP, FW drive, modem, Nikon D4 (maybe the D800) and some flip-flops... I am not sure what you mention when you talk about having cable clutter, network setup, etc... I just don't see it. Can you explain a bit more? My biggest clutter comes from my camera bag and the gear that is involved with the shoot, not my computer requirements.

----------

Getting back to the OP's inquiry ....
If I were in the market now I wouldn't get the MBPR for a couple of reasons :

1> it's version 1.1 of pretty much everything , display , ssd , battery , power connector . New designs have problems ... although they're usually minor , why pay a premium to be a product development tester . Think of the nVidia video chip issue with the SR MBP's a few years back.

2> Given the non expandability of RAM , and the current unavailability of aftermarket ssd's , and given that I'd want to keep the machine for at least 5 years , I'd want to max out both memory and storage . This runs the price up to around 3500$US . That's a hefty chunk of change for a laptop , especially when I could get the mundane MBP similarly configured for about 2500 ( 2199 base price , 100 hi-res antiglare screen , 200+/- for 16g. aftermarket memory). Still a lot , but somewhat lower in the stratosphere.

Either way , 15" isn't a lot of screen real estate for photo editing IMHO.

Apple's got to recoup a lot of development costs , and someone's got to pay , but for me right now the MBPR's just lap candy for the affluent.

I like the logic of your post. The only thing I don't agree with is the Nvidia comment but it was based on fact. I am assuming, and hope not to be proven wrong, that Apple completely vetted the new chips before they put them in the new MBP's. I do not think they can afford another fiasco like the last time. Fortunately I am lucky enough to be able to afford the new Retina MBP, but if I don't like it, I will simply sell it and go back to the standard MBP.
 

Prodo123

macrumors 68020
Nov 18, 2010
2,326
10
You make good points. Let me first start by saying that I am not arguing with the other guy. Just pointing out his inconsistencies which were coming fast and furious...

With that aside, the debate about convenience verses functionality will rage (only word I could come up with at the moment) on and on. Much of what you said is subjective and is based on what loads we wish to bear. In fact as I write this, I am using my current 15" MBP, and FW800 external drive. This is what I am carrying with me on a daily basis. I do have a small 4G modem that I use when traveling around Europe (I currently live in Finland) where I have a pocket full of SIM cards. I will travel to Italy next month and will take my MBP, FW drive, modem, Nikon D4 (maybe the D800) and some flip-flops... I am not sure what you mention when you talk about having cable clutter, network setup, etc... I just don't see it. Can you explain a bit more? My biggest clutter comes from my camera bag and the gear that is involved with the shoot, not my computer requirements.

First, this RMBP does not have a FW800 port. Which means you have to buy a Thunderbolt-to-FW800 dongle, which costs extra money and takes up space in your bag.
With limited storage, a single FW800 drive might not be enough. Which means more cables, more expense, and more clutter.
Then there's also the charging cable, for all your equipment. And for precise edits, maybe a mouse or a tablet.
Since the D4 doesn't use an SD card, you'll need a CF adaptor. Again, more clutter, but you probably already have this so no expense.

The clutter emerges from the fact that cables tangle and lenses don't. Camera bags are neatly compartmentalized into little segments where you slot in your lenses, but with computer stuff most people just throw their stuff in and go. No organization. So minimizing cables and simplifying your mobile setup will allow you to save time, money and occasionally your sanity.
 

sapporobaby

macrumors 68000
First, this RMBP does not have a FW800 port. Which means you have to buy a Thunderbolt-to-FW800 dongle, which costs extra money and takes up space in your bag.
With limited storage, a single FW800 drive might not be enough. Which means more cables, more expense, and more clutter.
Then there's also the charging cable, for all your equipment. And for precise edits, maybe a mouse or a tablet.
Since the D4 doesn't use an SD card, you'll need a CF adaptor. Again, more clutter, but you probably already have this so no expense.

The clutter emerges from the fact that cables tangle and lenses don't. Camera bags are neatly compartmentalized into little segments where you slot in your lenses, but with computer stuff most people just throw their stuff in and go. No organization. So minimizing cables and simplifying your mobile setup will allow you to save time, money and occasionally your sanity.

Hey Prodo123,

I see what you mean but the only cost I would have at the moment is a FW to TB adapter. With the D4, I have three options to move photos: 1. My FW drives has USB 3 ports as well. 2. I have the WT-5 wireless transmitter (my wifi network is setup with the modem I mentioned), 3. The D4 has an ethernet port so I'm good there. The FW drive is 1TB and has plenty of room for a week of shooting. When I return home, everything goes to my master drive and archive so space is not an issue. For camera and computer I have a Kata 33-N-1 bag and it is roomy enough. I can put in the Nikon lens "trinity" and a few other goodies, as well as my iPad. For me the "stuff" is not the concern but how well things will get on with the new display. I plan of course to burn it in by running it and to calibrate it and then see how things look. If they are close or better than the display on my iPad3, I should be a happy camper, and as a photographer, you know sanity is not an option. :)
 

prodigee

macrumors 6502a
Sep 23, 2009
621
10
Brooklyn, NY
It doesn't matter if you have a good cloud service, you still need your own backups. Anything could happen to a cloud service including dropping offline due to an issue with their internet provider.

I know you did say back up to external, but people need to be reminded that cloud service is not perfect yet.

Never did I say it was perfect either... I back up to both..

I'm just saying there are so many other alternatives that to complain about storage is a pretty silly thing to do.
 

Digital Skunk

macrumors G3
Dec 23, 2006
8,096
916
In my imagination
The initial tests of the display rank it pretty highly... so I'm sure it would be great. Personally, I just find it claustrophobic to work on a single display... it's more of a psychological problem :eek:

I am with you. I would use the RMBP to do photography work, but I can't see myself working on such a small screen for too long. The 17" MBP made it a little more bearable, especially if I am just doing some basic editing (not toning) and reorganizing.
 

FTRG8R

macrumors newbie
Jun 14, 2012
5
0
How about the display size?

I'm currently using Air 13 i5 with 4GB of RAM for photography (as hobby). I own Sony NEX 7 and shooting RAW only (20+ MB files). Absolutely no pain with ACR (PS CS5).

I'm very happy with both toys :)

My previous setup was Macbook Pro 13 mid 2009 - C2D 2.26 with 8GB of RAM and Canon 5D mark II. Also everything was ok with editing of big RAW files.

So prety much everything is ok with Photography, but can you live without top line, guys?

I know for me, that s:apple::apple:n or later I'll own better things anyway..

Do you have any problems editing on the 13" screen as opposed to the 15"? I'm looking for a portable for workshop and field work, while using my 27" iMac for my primary work.
 

ka-spot

Suspended
May 23, 2012
625
323
Sofia, Bulgaria
Do you have any problems editing on the 13" screen as opposed to the 15"? I'm looking for a portable for workshop and field work, while using my 27" iMac for my primary work.

No, but I own two 13" (pro & air) :)

If I must compare the old pro with the new air, the air wins. It's not just better, it is much better and the resolution is more then enough (for me).
 

Nostromo

macrumors 65816
Dec 26, 2009
1,358
2
Deep Space
I am strongly considering it, as the Mac Pro update didn't happen, and this machine will outpace the 4-core Mac Pro.

Points I will look at:

1. Color quality of the screen, and how well it will calibrate. As it is an IPS display, I expect it to be great. I hope for natural colors, not for oversaturated colors. I will also check the coating of the screen, which is rumored to be 75% less reflective than the glossy displays (how much more reflective than the matte display will it be?)

2. What displays are available to connect, and do I need dongles? (I would neer use a laptop screen as a main editing screen.

3. Will I be comfortable to use the screen as a second screen, e.g. for tools?

In short, first I have to see one, and then I'd like to read reviews of photographers on this machine.
 

FTRG8R

macrumors newbie
Jun 14, 2012
5
0
My issue is that it is not adding to the desperately needed real estate, at least not at the intended resolution. Also the fact that the 17" is going away is a problem for a lot of photographers who rely on those machines on the road.

Then there is the obsession with design and flatness at the expense of disk space options and ports. I see no gain if the machine is flat (yet still bigger than it needs to be really) but I have to carry around a bag full of expensive adapters and external storage. True - I would probably do that anyway when on the road.

But again, I haven't seen or tried it yet - so maybe it works well at the 1600 or 1900 resolution. And in all fairness: this is not an Apple specific problem. My quest for a desktop AND laptop replacement with photography and audio production in mind started out when I realized how difficult it would be to find a replacement for my current laptop which works really well for photography. It's 1400x1050 in a 14" format and its color rendition is surprisingly good. It's actually my preferred tool, even when at home.

Problem is that given that it is 6 years old I was hoping to get something way better than this with respect to speed (no problem), HD size (problem) and screen real estate (big problem). I had looked at the MacBooks because they seem to be made really well compared to a lot of the WinPC laptops. Some aspects of those I like better than others (not a fan of the keyboard and the trackpad for example but that's a matter of taste and getting used to).

For photography I had hoped for an improved (meaning higer res) version of the matte 15" and 17" hi res screens. And I had hoped for two hard drives for both safety and space reasons. For comparison: even as a photographer who is more working a vanity business if you will 256 GB is completely out of the question. And no way to upgrade yourself. I'm running out of space with my current 750GB drive...

You can put a Vertex SSD in the chassis in place of the optical drive. Also, Other World Computing will do such an install using one of their SSDs.

Mike
 

FTRG8R

macrumors newbie
Jun 14, 2012
5
0
Originally Posted by Prodo123
Also, 6 lbs of aluminum isn't as heavy as it sounds. It's very light.



And feels like 2.72 kilograms

I carried a 17"MBP, Nikon D700, and two lenses in my Kata pack for a couple of years, and you feel the extra pounds. That's why I'm thinking about a 13" Air i7.
 
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