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I

iFanboy

Guest
Original poster
Upgraded from: Feb 2009 15.4" MacBook Pro Unibody, 2.53Ghz Core 2 Duo, 8GB Ram, 256GB SSD

Build Quality

This thing is SOLID and FIRM. I feel like there is no "give" anywhere. For example, my old MBP had taller keyboard keys, but they now feel "loose" and "less responsive" when compared with these keys that are both shallower but feel like they are screwed into place somehow? I can type faster and its more responsive to type on this keyboard. Excellent.

The aluminium feels a little bit smoother in parts also, and the trackpad has a much wider clickable range. I felt as though my old MBP could only click properly at the bottom of the trackpad sometimes.

Attention to detail is incredible. 10/10 here.

Screen (Sponsored by DAT SCREEN inc)

As someone who did NOT go to the apple store or see one before ordering, trust me when I say you have NO idea how awesome this screen is until you have actually seen one.

It's basically perfect. Text is crisper than a printed page. There is NO fuzzyness anywhere. If I go back to my old MBP now and compare side by side I have no idea how I didn't get eyestrain before. Everything on my old mac (1440x900) is slightly out of focus if I look at it now. It's actually annoying.

I have this wallpaper, and the design on his t-shirt is clear as if I was looking right at it, to give you an indication http://images.apple.com/aperture/images/aperture_retina_screenshot.jpg

I won't lie though, apps that aren't retina optimised are annoying, but NOT EVEN CLOSE to being "unusable" as has been reported. That's nonsense, they just look slightly out of focus. I just opened word and it was irritating/annoying to look at, but I could still read and use everything without issue and without it causing an problems whatsoever. I was close to cancelling my pre-order when I saw the reports, but it was nonsense. Non-retina apps look much better than I have been led to believe.

I can read the text clearly on the TextEdit icon :)

Performance

LAG? LAG? LOL! NO.

Start up time, seconds, shut down time, instant, program opening time, instant.

Scrolling is EXACTLY the same as on my old MBP. No lag whatsoever. I just swiped three fingers up and down repeatedly and couldn't reproduce even a HINT of lag.

This thing is also designed for silent running. I haven't heard a peep out of it. My old MBP would be annoying fan happy with a youtube video. This just scoffs and delivers awesome performance.

Conclusion

11/10. This is currently the best notebook computer available today. Don't disagree, you would be wrong.

That's pretty much all I can think of right now for a layperson review. I haven't touched gaming for example because that's been covered extensively in other places.

Happy to take questions :)
 
I

iFanboy

Guest
Original poster
No-one has any thoughts?

DAE have a maxed out version?
 

leenak

macrumors 68020
Mar 10, 2011
2,416
52
Well considering there are a million threads/reviews already, no :) I've had my rMBP for over 2 weeks and it is very solid.
 

plexusnexus

macrumors newbie
Jun 26, 2012
23
0
Thanks for the review.

I've read so many reviews that I feel like there isn't much more I need to know. I just want mine to arrive so I can actually use it myself! :cool:
 

Dangerous Theory

macrumors 68000
Jul 28, 2011
1,984
28
UK
Can you perform a drop test and video record please? I really need to know if this will survive a 2 story fall onto concrete - it'll basically be the dealbreaker for me.

Cheers!
 

cstm

macrumors regular
Jul 1, 2012
195
34
might be the 2.7 why there's no lag. If my 2.3 is laggy when I get it, I'll upgrade.
 

Jonndz

macrumors newbie
Jul 3, 2012
1
0
iFanboy,

Thanks for the review. I am leaning towards getting the 2.7 ghz model myself. Can you tell me about battery life ?

Thanks
 

Magpie-23

macrumors member
Oct 18, 2011
31
0
I maxed out the spec, but I am still in the 'Processing Items' stage.
The wait is painful.
 
I

iFanboy

Guest
Original poster
iFanboy,

Thanks for the review. I am leaning towards getting the 2.7 ghz model myself. Can you tell me about battery life ?

Thanks

No problems at all here.

For example, turned on at 6.00pm at 99%, finished at 12.00pm with 11%. Thats with casual browsing, youtube, and typing a lot in word with caffeine enabled the whole time.

Solid 6 hours imho.
 

jmgaul

macrumors newbie
Feb 2, 2012
17
0
No problems at all here.

For example, turned on at 6.00pm at 99%, finished at 12.00pm with 11%. Thats with casual browsing, youtube, and typing a lot in word with caffeine enabled the whole time.

Solid 6 hours imho.

That would be 18 hours.
 

yly3

macrumors 6502
Jan 9, 2011
345
4
Do you think it is any chance that Apple will provide a 1TB ssd option (NEXT YEAR) ?
Considering that prices have fallen around 30-40% in the last 8 months
 
Last edited:

outaru

macrumors member
Jul 15, 2008
68
0
Can you perform a drop test and video record please? I really need to know if this will survive a 2 story fall onto concrete - it'll basically be the dealbreaker for me.

Cheers!

I can't imagine anyone doing that.. Lol.. But who knows..
 
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