11in, 13in or wait for 13in Retina?

The Retina is nice for going high-res (even 1920x1200 with QuickResX or whatever), plus it's easy to hook up 2 external monitors

Am I missing something?

Let me get this straight; you had an Air, but sold it because your job gave you a Retina, right?

So....why do you need to spend your money to get another laptop then?

1. Apple will be fine without your additional cash. I promise.

2. Apple will release portables with Broadwell chips in 2014 that will presumably be improvement over today's Haswell and Ivy Bridge models. I'm fairly sure the same thing will happen in 2015. And 2016. And...

3. Unless you know the work laptop was a once in a lifetime, one off event, your employer will probably provide you with a newer model once your current machine can no longer serve its purpose.

The REAL question is......is your employer hiring?!?

Mac.User said:

I'm changing jobs and have to return the Retina when I leave my current one.

Click to expand...

Ah.



So, there's an open position then?

In all seriousness, I'd hold off on a 13" rMBP until a CPU upgrade. There's no point in spending top dollar on tech that is about to be superseded.

You've had eyes and mitts on both machines. If you have to have one now, go with the Air if you can live with it, or find a used, refurbished, open box 13 retina. I'm seeing retina's going up on CL since many are aware of the imminent upgrade in the near term.

If the laptop would be primarily used while hooked up to an external screen, the Air should be fine. But if I had to spend most of the day staring at the attached screen, I'd go retina.

Then again, I'm a bi-focaled 45 year old with the beginning stages of Fuch's* syndrome.


*Which sounds remarkably close to what I repeatedly exclaimed after getting the news...

Boyd01 said:

If you look at the OP again, the current rMBP isn't on his short list. He said the choice was between the current MacBook Air and waiting for the new Retina MacBook Pro.

Click to expand...

In THAT case, just delete my first two full paragraphs....

And it still may be a valid option, depending on his needs and wallet, to find a current rMBP for a sizable discount. Not wanting to be too general, but judging by the Airs, the marquee feature of Haswell is having the same performance or a modest increase while getting drastically improved battery life. If the current version is good enough to meet his needs, it may be advantageous to obtain one at a reduced cost.

If not in a hurry. Wait.

I'll echo those other posters who have suggested waiting. Normally, I suggest that people buy a computer if they need one, but, as I doubt that you will need one until immediately after you leave your current position, perhaps you should wait and see what the next update brings.