So it's been a few months. What exactly are all the downsides for rMBP?

[Bobby Corwen]

Originally Posted by 0x000000

Get an external SSD then. If it doesnt work for you, the rMBP just isnt made for you.



A reduced portability because you carry around one additional device.



Seems to depend on the software. Swiping spaces e.g. has slightly lower FPS than usual, though the speed is the same and doesn't reduce productivity. Scrolling certain very large websites like theverge.com can happen with slightly slower FPS than usual, most of the web is fine, though. I've heard activating the dGPU eliminates those problems, though that obviously means reduced battery time when not plugged in. Doesn't work on the 13", obviously.



Ergonomics doesn't depend on the thickness.



External displays work the same. FPS reductions aren't visible on them, even if the retina screen is running at the same time. No idea why, but it's like that.

And the retina screen IS better. It's like comparing the iPad 3 to the iPad 2 or the iPhone 4 to the iPhone 3g. Once you go retina, you'll never want to go back. It's a game changer.



You can, but it's not exactly user servicable.

So you CAN put in your own SSD? That's a big bulk of the cost.

[entatlrg]

Originally Posted by Bobby Corwen

The main things I'm worried about are lag. What are the programs that if you install them the processor worst be able to keep up with?

What if I plug in my external projector and it lags when I do inertial scrolling?

What if I find that Logic has less processing power? Are the graphic cards worse?

I dunno it's not looking good man.

But then I see people say stuff like once you go retina you'll never go back.

Or the 768 SSD just might be enough to hold everything I need to dump on it.

But hyper expensive.

I dunno it could be that I just need to figure out what is real and what isn't. The screen fading is fine but the lag is what I'm worried about.

Maybe if I get a maxed out rmbp 15 with 768 and 16RAM it will be powerful to not worry. But if I get a umbp 15 I get it for so much less and its more sloppy and work.

If I can feel certain I can get the expected user experience I can bite but I can't stop worrying about paying so much and then seeing lag or problems down the line after 30 days. Or having win8 not work right (or at all??)

1. Search and read the MacBook Pro forum like everyone else, no one here is your secretary and going to "sum it up for you".

2. To be sure you're getting the right notebook to suit your needs go order one from Apple. You have 14 days to make your own decision.

Easy isn't it?

[switon]

Originally Posted by Bobby Corwen

The main things I'm worried about are lag. What are the programs that if you install them the processor worst be able to keep up with?

What if I plug in my external projector and it lags when I do inertial scrolling?

What if I find that Logic has less processing power? Are the graphic cards worse?

I dunno it's not looking good man.

But then I see people say stuff like once you go retina you'll never go back.

Or the 768 SSD just might be enough to hold everything I need to dump on it.

But hyper expensive.

I dunno it could be that I just need to figure out what is real and what isn't. The screen fading is fine but the lag is what I'm worried about.

Maybe if I get a maxed out rmbp 15 with 768 and 16RAM it will be powerful to not worry. But if I get a umbp 15 I get it for so much less and its more sloppy and work.

If I can feel certain I can get the expected user experience I can bite but I can't stop worrying about paying so much and then seeing lag or problems down the line after 30 days. Or having win8 not work right (or at all??)

Hi Bobby,

...just two cents of free advice, the quality of which is precisely what you pay for it...

It sounds like from your comments that you would be much happier with a "maxed out" 2012 uMBP. It has the same CPU, same GPU, larger HDD, a 1680x1050 display, and you can replace the optical drive with a third party SSD. No lag and no image retention issues here. And since your stated use (Logic + plugins) does not require nor will benefit from the retina screen, then why are you considering a rMBP? You haven't mentioned the smaller size and weight of the rMBP, so this is not a concern for you. In fact, you mention that it will be plugged into your external projector so the extra portability is not an issue. You also appear to be perfectly capable of switching the optical drive for a SSD, so the uMBP will ostensibly allow you a Fusion Drive, albeit with the SSD on the "wrong" interface so the FUD may not be as fast as if you were to switch the HDD and SSD around.

In my opinion, the maxed out uMBP is the machine that best satisfies your needs and concerns.

Good luck and have fun with whatever new machine you choose,
Switon

P.S. If portability is really not an issue at all for you, then you might consider the new Mac mini with the 2.6GHz quad-core i7, 16GB memory, Fusion Drive, but no GPU. This machine has the CPU power and memory of both the uMBP and the rMBP and will most likely easily run your external projector without problem (even without the GPU), it has the speed of a SSD and the size of a HDD (1TB Fusion Drive), and it costs roughly 1/3 of what you will pay for the maxed out uMBP or rMBP. Use the extra cash saved to buy a MBA for those times when you require portability.

[0x000000]

Originally Posted by Bobby Corwen

So you CAN put in your own SSD? That's a big bulk of the cost.

Who knows, but I guess sooner or later you probably can. OWC makes aftermarket SSDs that fit into MacBooks, but I don't know if they have ones that fit the rMBPs already. It'll never be cheap, though. SSDs always cost a lot and I wonder if it even makes sense to buy something like a 128gb SSD now, which seems to be way too small for your purposes, and live with it for something like one year or longer until prices have dropped considerably.

If space was so important to me, I'd either get the size I need right now or buy a cMBP with a magnetic hard drive.

[Bobby Corwen]

Originally Posted by entatlrg

1. Search and read the MacBook Pro forum like everyone else, no one here is your secretary and going to "sum it up for you".

2. To be sure you're getting the right notebook to suit your needs go order one from Apple. You have 14 days to make your own decision.

Easy isn't it?

Ok can I borrow 4K so I can do a 14 day trial?

Because it would be a significant process to save that up vs just getting a ghetto uMBP optibay setup.