i went into an apple store today and played around with it and was really impressed by the responsiveness and how fast and smooth everything was. i was just wondering if now was a good time to buy one or would it be better to wait for the new ones? if so how long away would that be because my current pc is on the way out. Also is this a good first mac because i have only owned pc's before, thanks
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Is now a good time to buy a rMBP 13"?
- Thread starter LuckySeven
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The best time is always the time when:
- you want it
- you can afford it
- you can have it
IMHO, nothing else matters.
RGDS,
Good thread, I am in the exact same position, I went into the Apple store last Saturday and looked and looked and left without purchasing.
My Macbook 2007 is definitely on its last legs now so I think I am definitely going to get one tonight on my way home from work
My Macbook 2007 is definitely on its last legs now so I think I am definitely going to get one tonight on my way home from work
I assume you want to know what you can expect from upcoming tech.
The panels on all retina Macs are expensive and make for quite the markup. It is likely they will come down in price and it is even possible the old MBPs are phased out and the retinas will entirely replace them at the old prices. That is optimistic.
Haswell will show later this year and for the 13" that will make quite a difference. Battery life will get better and graphics performance.
For the 15" I would say the difference won't be as significant since the dedicated GPU is still faster and there will be nothing more than a slightly faster clocked 650M in there.
For the 13" I think it would be reasonable to wait, because the next iteration should make it quite decent at some gaming.
Summary I think the wait for a 15" isn't worth it, for a 13" it is unless you only run OSX and couldn't care less about a faster GPU. I never thought a faster GPU is needed for 2D stuff.
The panels on all retina Macs are expensive and make for quite the markup. It is likely they will come down in price and it is even possible the old MBPs are phased out and the retinas will entirely replace them at the old prices. That is optimistic.
Haswell will show later this year and for the 13" that will make quite a difference. Battery life will get better and graphics performance.
For the 15" I would say the difference won't be as significant since the dedicated GPU is still faster and there will be nothing more than a slightly faster clocked 650M in there.
For the 13" I think it would be reasonable to wait, because the next iteration should make it quite decent at some gaming.
Summary I think the wait for a 15" isn't worth it, for a 13" it is unless you only run OSX and couldn't care less about a faster GPU. I never thought a faster GPU is needed for 2D stuff.
I'd say go for it. Given Intel's release schedule for the mobile Haswell chips, I think the earliest we're likely to see the update is in July (when Apple frequently updates its notebook line heading into the back-to-school rush). The biggest improvements expected are better battery life and better gaming performance. But the 13" rMBP isn't a gaming machine, and it won't be even after the Haswell upgrade. The graphics chip that is in the current generation Ivy Bridge CPUs is perfectly adequate for most tasks. It is similar to a mid-range discrete graphics chips from 2 years ago.
We might see a price drop, but we might not. Refurbished units are available from Apple's web site if you are concerned about the price. They are 15% less than Apple's retail price (although you don't get the fancy box Macs normally ship in).
I think the rMBP is a great "introductory Mac." The MacBook Air is Apple's entry-level notebook, but the 13" rMBP isn't significantly heavier than the 13" Air (and actually has a smaller footprint). There really isn't any other notebook on the market right now with a screen quite like it.
Good advice. I'm currently deciding on a 15" rmbp. Do you think it would be wise to wait and see if the price drops this spring/summer? Or is a price drop unlikely? Thank you.
Edit: Sorry I noticed in your original post you mentioned the potential price drop. Maybe you could give an opinion/advice still. Thanks.
There's also a chance that Macs in July will come with a new version of OS X (if Apple follows last year's February announcement/summer release schedule), so waiting might save you the cost of a software upgrade as well.
I'm thinking of making the switch to mac as well. I think I decided on a 15" rMBP, but am waiting a few more weeks to see what other rumors pop up (unless my HP gives me the blue screen of death). Since it's my first mac, I don't want refurbished & would like it to be the newest version, but with apple that's every 6-10 months LOL!
If you need it, buy it. There will always be something around the corner. Needs before wants.
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"New" models probably won't surface till end of summer.
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Software upgrades are modest prices. Not much of a savings to wait just for waiting on that if you need a computer now.
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Price drops are...again... modest. Not much in overall savings with Apple "price drops."
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"New" models probably won't surface till end of summer.
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Software upgrades are modest prices. Not much of a savings to wait just for waiting on that if you need a computer now.
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Price drops are...again... modest. Not much in overall savings with Apple "price drops."
Its always a good time, when you want something. Its also a good time to want, when you want to wait. I dont anticipate a new model until Mid/Late Summer.
well the 13 inch was only released last october wasnt it? it'll be working perfectly fine for the next few years if u want it now, get it.
i have an old mid 2009 c2d MBP and a new i5 rMBP and to be honest, i cant tell much of a difference besides the screen obviously
all that matters is an SSD
i have an old mid 2009 c2d MBP and a new i5 rMBP and to be honest, i cant tell much of a difference besides the screen obviously
all that matters is an SSD
i have an old mid 2009 c2d MBP and a new i5 rMBP and to be honest, i cant tell much of a difference besides the screen obviously
Thats because you dont do anything extensive to ACTUALLY utilize the hardware to its full potential. The rMBP 13" Hardware is leaps and bounds faster than the 09' C2D in every aspect possible.
well the 13 inch was only released last october wasnt it? it'll be working perfectly fine for the next few years if u want it now, get it.
i have an old mid 2009 c2d MBP and a new i5 rMBP and to be honest, i cant tell much of a difference besides the screen obviously
The 13" was indeed released in October, but it seemed more like an add-on to an existing product line. The 15" rMBP has been out since June 2012. I would expect them to continue forward on the same refresh cycle, as was always the case with 13" and 15" uMBPs. Is there any reason this might not hold true?
I think there are two possibilites
a) the cMBP gets dumped and the rMBP moves down to effectively the same price point. The notebooks have enough margin that it is possible. The panels could be made if they really want to.
b) the keep both lines. The rMBP might come down a little in price but not much. They might do it because they think that there is more margin in it for them. Many people still pay for the expensive so why make it cheaper. Depends on how easy it is two bring those panels down in price and produce them on a big enough scale. No matter how cheap the panels become if they keep the old models around they won't lower the prices by any significant amount. They want to have a big difference between the rMBP and the normal.
a) is the ultimate plan but I think this time around will still be b). I wouldn't expect too much of a discount.
Regardless you would probably wait till August for a refresh. Despite of what people say Apple never got enough chips earlier. If anything they always needed more time than other companies because they release only one or two new notebooks but with quite a lot more volume than other companies. You will wait a while if you do.
For the 13" there is a real payoff. For the 15" you mostly wait for a lower price and that isn't even a given. In any case I think if you get a 13" now you may want the new one when it is there with Haswell. Get the 15" now I doubt you really find yourself wanting when the new one comes as there will be little difference in performance.
BTW SSD, RAM and Panel will come down in price but Apple only care about the money they can make.
will the current rmbp be able to handle photoshop easily and maybe even some after effects some time down the line? also does this handle playing HD movies for long periods of time well? like the heat and it not getting choppy ect. One last question is how would i go about transfering files from my current windows 7 pc to my new mac? thanks heaps for all the replys guys
will the current rmbp be able to handle photoshop easily and maybe even some after effects some time down the line? also does this handle playing HD movies for long periods of time well? like the heat and it not getting choppy ect. One last question is how would i go about transfering files from my current windows 7 pc to my new mac? thanks heaps for all the replys guys
I dont use photoshop, but have 60,000 photo aperture library...and the 13" rMBP with the i7 flies through it (much better than the 2012 i7 MBA I had before the rMBP). Either the fans rarely engage on the rMBP or I cant really hear them when they do. i7 MBA fans ran all the time and were loud. You can watch HD movies all day long and there is no heating up in any way.
An Apple Store will migrate your Win PC files to your new rMBP. Just make an appt.
Not so fast
There are several good reasons not to purchase a 13" rMBP today.
The introduction of Haswell (likely 3Q 2013 earliest for notebooks) will provide a significant performance upgrade for the 13" retina. The 15" retina not so much, as not relying solely on the Intel HD 4000 GPU. As is, the 13" retina is under powered and over priced, particularly in comparison the 15" retina models.
Either size retina model have experienced reported teething problems, such as the advent of image retention only many months after purchase. Yes, it is a quite lovely screen, but the price paid in part this uncertainty if opting for a Model A version.
The price, at least in relation to performance, will likely decrease with release of the next iteration. While lovely to have one of these retina MacBooks now (assuming developing no problems), this honeymoon may be quickly over before close of this year (in consideration of resale value, and of what one might have waited for).
There are several good reasons not to purchase a 13" rMBP today.
The introduction of Haswell (likely 3Q 2013 earliest for notebooks) will provide a significant performance upgrade for the 13" retina. The 15" retina not so much, as not relying solely on the Intel HD 4000 GPU. As is, the 13" retina is under powered and over priced, particularly in comparison the 15" retina models.
Either size retina model have experienced reported teething problems, such as the advent of image retention only many months after purchase. Yes, it is a quite lovely screen, but the price paid in part this uncertainty if opting for a Model A version.
The price, at least in relation to performance, will likely decrease with release of the next iteration. While lovely to have one of these retina MacBooks now (assuming developing no problems), this honeymoon may be quickly over before close of this year (in consideration of resale value, and of what one might have waited for).
I bought a rMBP 13" off craigslist two days ago. It is the base model, but I could not ignore the price and my desire to have one. It is the first mac I've owned since the Mac II and Mac IIcx that I had in college (1991).
You can debate all you want about waiting for the next available tech update, but the fact is that there will ALWAYS be something better coming around the corner.
If you have the desire, and you can afford to buy one, then do it. It's a wonderful machine.
You can debate all you want about waiting for the next available tech update, but the fact is that there will ALWAYS be something better coming around the corner.
If you have the desire, and you can afford to buy one, then do it. It's a wonderful machine.
Yes. Intel's release schedule. Haswell may or may not be ready in time. Apple won't update either MBP until the chips are ready to go.
will the current rmbp be able to handle photoshop easily and maybe even some after effects some time down the line? also does this handle playing HD movies for long periods of time well? like the heat and it not getting choppy ect. One last question is how would i go about transfering files from my current windows 7 pc to my new mac? thanks heaps for all the replys guys
Photoshop will be fine. After Effects may or may not present issues. How involved your project will dictate how your computer handles After Effects...one of several Adobe programs that do take advantage of your GPU. Watching HD movies is no longer an issue for any current (Apple) computer. Creating HD movies is a different deal altogether. If you're truly into video post production, you're better off looking at the 15" model.
None of these are 'good reasons not to buy a rMBP today.' There's always something better, faster or prettier 'on the way!' Don't fall for this line of BS. If you need a computer now, buy one. The 13" is a phenomenal piece of gear. It's definitely NOT underpowered for what it's meant to do. Never has the 13" MB had a discrete GPU. Never has the 13" been marketed as a gaming computer. But for typical, everyday computing tasks, it's an excellent performer. If you're into heavier duty computing tasks, there is the 15" option that includes a discrete GPU and more screen real estate. We own a pair of 15" rMBPs...my wife and I. We bought them last summer. One has an LG screen. The other a Samsung. Neither has any issues EG; IR or dead/stuck pixels. Both run as well today as the day I brought them home. Cool thing is...if you do end up with an issue, Apple has excellent customer service and they'll make it right.
If you need one now, no better time than the present. In 25 years of computer ownership, the rMBP is easily my favorite laptop I've ever owned. It just doesn't get any better in this day and age. Buying a computer for investment is silly. It's a tool. Forget about resale or what is over the horizon. Buy now, when it's done being a capable tool for what you're trying to accomplish, replace it with a new one. Wash. Rinse. Repeat. Should be common knowledge these days...regardless of what technology you purchase.
...yet there are still folks that will tell you to wait an unspecified amount of time because something better is coming...not a great way to live life. As always, YMMV.
J
I just got the 13" retina. Its by far the best laptop I've ever had. The screen is amazing. Performance is plenty fast for me. Screen performance was a little laggy out of the box, but after I patched it up to 10.8.2 and the latest patches, it runs amazing. Buy it. Yes, for a few hundred more you can get the 15", but to me, the smaller size and weight were really what I want. I haven't had a laptop with a greater than 13" screen in at least 5 years. It also works fine with the Thunderbolt display.