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Why did you choose the cMBP/rMBP over the other?

Suno

Suno

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 12, 2011
252
1
Personally, I went with the cMBP when I discovered that the storage on the rMBP wasn't the standard 2.5" and alternatives were expensive. Before then, I was set on buying the rMBP. Replacing the ODD for a HDD was another benefit.
As for the screen, the HR-glossy screen I have currently is nice in its own way.

And I honestly don't know why people bitch so much about the weight difference. An extra pound won't kill you. My old laptop used to weight 8 lb, not including the adapter and mouse, which were a necessity. And this is coming from a college student who has to lug it around all day.
 
L

Liquinn

Suspended
Apr 10, 2011
3,016
57
Well when I bought my 13" cMBP - there wasn't a 13" rMBP.

Still not sure if the optical drive trade off and removal of some ports is worth the thinness and the retina display.

My next MBP will probably be a retina one though.
 
M

Maczor

macrumors regular
Oct 23, 2012
148
0
LU, Switzerland
I went with the 13" rMBP because:

  • it is lighter than the cMBP (sure, 1 pound won't kill you, but it can matter a lot at airports when your business case is filled with other things too )
  • it has a better screen than the screen found on cMBPs or MBAs ( I stare at a monitor a significant amount of time every day... if I can make stuff even slightly more easy on my eyes, I will - that being said, I had a 13" MBA but I sent it back after 1 week of use because my eyes just couldn't get used to the display and resolution... they were constantly tired and my head was about to explode because of the constant pain )
  • it has an HDMI port which is really handy for presentation / connecting to projectors
  • it has a smaller footprint than both cMBP and MBA ( not a HUGE difference, but it does feel to fit a tad bit better in an airplane )
  • it has non-ULV CPU compare to the MBA... sure the CPU is again not tremendously faster than the MBA's ULV CPU, but I like having that small boost ( if I can speed up my compile times even slightly, it can / will end up as a significant boost on long run )
  • it doesn't have an ugly silver bezel like the MBA does ( that's right... for some people, it matters quite a lot )

... sure, no device can please everyone, but there can be ( in my opinion at least ) quite a few valid reasons for getting the rMBP ( in my case the 13" model ) over the other models. Of course I could have managed with a 13" cMBP too somehow ( or the MBA if the display wouldn't be killing my eyes ), but why the compromise when the 13" rMBP fits my needs better?

People should get the model THEY consider ( and not what other's tell them they should get... seemingly quite a common thing around here ) fits THEIR needs / budget the best way possible.
 
Last edited:
Starshadow

Starshadow

macrumors member
Sep 20, 2012
42
15
Suno said:
And I honestly don't know why people bitch so much about the weight difference. An extra pound won't kill you.
Click to expand...

You've never cycled to work with a laptop strapped to you, every pound can make the trip feel more comfortable.

I choose the Retina 15" over the classic 15" mainly for the SSD standard, and the extra 512 ram in the video card.

I game alot and develop games alot and the rMBP is just better at that for the price ,lighter too...and with a better looking screen with more real estate for me to work in.

I have not used a CD/DVD/BlueRay drive in almost 5 years. They are useless and really need to stop being produced, physical storage media like disks are obsolete and there is no reason to use them given the many methods of storing and transferring data across networks.

For me to get the cMBP with all of what the entry level rMBP has ( 8Gbs, 1gb graphics card, screen ) it costs almost 600 euro extra ( Than an entry level rMBP)

For me its a no brainier and anyone buying a cMBP is wasting their money.
 
S

Snarl

macrumors member
Nov 3, 2012
73
10
Canada Eh
I went with the cMBP with the HiRes Screen Option. I wanted the Optical Drive, liked the ability to user upgrade some components more easily, wanted more local storage and slightly cheaper price.

With regard to the rMBP I'll miss the speed of the SSD but can easily add a larger, cheaper one at a later date to my cMBP. Also this screen is nice on the rMBP but I'll be plenty happy with the cMBP's HiRes option.
 
R

Rhinoevans

macrumors 6502
Oct 5, 2012
408
63
Las Vegas, NV
Snarl said:
I went with the cMBP with the HiRes Screen Option. I wanted the Optical Drive, liked the ability to user upgrade some components more easily, wanted more local storage and slightly cheaper price.

With regard to the rMBP I'll miss the speed of the SSD but can easily add a larger, cheaper one at a later date to my cMBP. Also this screen is nice on the rMBP but I'll be plenty happy with the cMBP's HiRes option.
Click to expand...

I went with the cMBP for upgradability only. Retina screen nice, but not a necessity, and did not out weigh the upgradability. Too me a no brainer.

Had the rMBP had a better chip (Ivy vs Sandy) or some other POWER feature, the decision would have been more difficult. Too me it was the performance and upgradability over a Pretty screen.
 
J

jrs22

macrumors 6502
Aug 1, 2012
355
59
I was buying my first Mac and I wasn't quite ready to spend the money on the 15" retina with enough storage, etc. I needed to fall in love with the screen to convince myself to spend the money and a series of visits to apple stores to play with it just didnt do the trick. With my myopic eyes and reading glasses I found I didn't benefit from the retina screen. Maybe if I had taken one home for a visit.... I'm completely happy with my cMBP and I can upgrade to an SSD when my cMBP begins to feel slow and the SSD prices have dropped.
 
MCAsan

MCAsan

macrumors 601
Jul 9, 2012
4,587
442
Atlanta
rMBP's small size and weight, no moving parts other than the clamshell hinge, faster performance compared to a HD, USB 3 and thunderbolt ports, no FW, and that wonderful Retina screen at max resolution.
 
NewishMacGuy

NewishMacGuy

macrumors 6502a
Aug 2, 2007
636
0
I originally intended to buy the rMBP-15 but went with a cMBP-15 off of CL because:

1. I just didn't feel like the rMBP-15 would be the one I wanted to keep for 4 years given the lack of 802.11ac (which is just around the corner) and the lack of upgradeability combined with the super high cost of maxing one out from Apple.

2. The teething problems: scroll lag & IR

All in all, the screen upgrade, USB 3.0, and the extra 1lb of weight savings just didn't seem worth the price hit for this model when an upgraded 2011 cMBP-15 would fit perfectly for my needs at a fraction of the cost while I wait for 802.11ac and reasonable pricing on a 512GB or larger SSD.
 
P

Podifer

macrumors newbie
Jun 17, 2012
19
0
Couldn't have said it better myself...

Snarl said:
I went with the cMBP with the HiRes Screen Option. I wanted the Optical Drive, liked the ability to user upgrade some components more easily, wanted more local storage and slightly cheaper price.

With regard to the rMBP I'll miss the speed of the SSD but can easily add a larger, cheaper one at a later date to my cMBP. Also this screen is nice on the rMBP but I'll be plenty happy with the cMBP's HiRes option.
Click to expand...

Exact same reasons (& the same MBP specs too :))
 
M

MattyDlotus

macrumors newbie
Aug 27, 2012
21
0
I went with the cMBP 15" mainly because of the ability to get two ssd's in there, and partly due to all the first gen teething problems experienced with the retina. I hook up to an external display when more real estate is needed. Current spec out performs BTO retinas.
 
B

blaake

macrumors regular
Nov 3, 2012
129
0
Florida
Suno said:
Personally, I went with the cMBP when I discovered that the storage on the rMBP wasn't the standard 2.5" and alternatives were expensive. Before then, I was set on buying the rMBP. Replacing the ODD for a HDD was another benefit.
As for the screen, the HR-glossy screen I have currently is nice in its own way.

And I honestly don't know why people bitch so much about the weight difference. An extra pound won't kill you. My old laptop used to weight 8 lb, not including the adapter and mouse, which were a necessity. And this is coming from a college student who has to lug it around all day.
Click to expand...

After 2 weeks of researching and testing them out. Last night i finally chose the cMBP 13" over the rMBP.

If you read down the MBP forum titles you can easily find way too many problems people are having. I read story after story about the web page loading problems with the retina.

my main deciding points were
-the loading problems with the display
-the absence of the optical drive, and Ethernet port
-the option of being able to remove the optical drive and add a second hard drive
-the cMBP is going to be way more stable because it has been out a while.

i went with the cMBP with the i5 and the smallest amount of RAM(4gb) and hd (500gb HDD) i then bought a 256gbSSD for 165 and 16gb ram for 75. i payed $240 for more than what apple would have given more for $540(90 for 8gb ram and 450 for 256 ssd) plus i get a 500gb external hd now. the cMBP is easy to find on sale for $999Overall i payed just under 1300 after taxes and shipping
 
W

whdigital

macrumors regular
Jul 22, 2011
122
0
cMBP 15" here the week they all came out and couldn't be happier!

-Upgradeability
-HiRes AntiGlare Screen
-Optical Drive

All CRITICAL factors for me.
 
MCAsan

MCAsan

macrumors 601
Jul 9, 2012
4,587
442
Atlanta
rMBP maxed out: killer screen, no upgrading needed until I replace it in 3+ years, all solid state...no spinning HD to crash, thin and light, fits in all my camera bags.
 
bobr1952

bobr1952

macrumors 68020
Jan 21, 2008
2,040
39
Melbourne, FL
Base Model rMBP, 15 in. Primary reason was the beautiful screen. But I also like the shape of the rMBP better than the standard--the more wedge shape to it. Love the SSD--256 is plenty--don't really need a lot of storage. A bit lighter too--really a fantastic package that I'm exceptionally happy with.:)
 
B

baummer

macrumors 65816
Jan 18, 2005
1,235
292
Southern California
Base model cMBP 13" for me. I don't like not having the ability to upgrade components down the line as I typically hold onto my machines until they die or I need the performance. The screen is perfectly fine for me on cMBP 13" (I save my display snobbishness for televisions), and given that I'll be using an external Dell 23" IPS display most of the time, I'm okay with that.
 
Suno

Suno

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 12, 2011
252
1
Starshadow said:
You've never cycled to work with a laptop strapped to you, every pound can make the trip feel more comfortable.

I choose the Retina 15" over the classic 15" mainly for the SSD standard, and the extra 512 ram in the video card.

I game alot and develop games alot and the rMBP is just better at that for the price ,lighter too...and with a better looking screen with more real estate for me to work in.

I have not used a CD/DVD/BlueRay drive in almost 5 years. They are useless and really need to stop being produced, physical storage media like disks are obsolete and there is no reason to use them given the many methods of storing and transferring data across networks.

For me to get the cMBP with all of what the entry level rMBP has ( 8Gbs, 1gb graphics card, screen ) it costs almost 600 euro extra ( Than an entry level rMBP)

For me its a no brainier and anyone buying a cMBP is wasting their money.
Click to expand...

I agree, the ODD is obsolete technology, and on the rare chance that you do need to use a CD there are plenty of cheap external options. However, like I said, I didn't get the cMBP for the ODD, but rather the ability to replace it with another HDD. I don't cycle, but like I said, I lug around my backpack all day long in campus. I'm not going to say cycling or walking is tougher than the other, but I will say I'm definitely in a similar boat as you where weight can make the difference.

I think you have your pricing confused though. The high-end cMBP costs the exact same as the entry level rMBP, but with better specs (2.6GHz instead of 2.3) as well as the same GPU, vRAM (1GB), and RAM (8GB). Are you, by any chance, choosing the low-end cMBP and upgrading the individual components there? In that case, yeah it would be stupid and a waste of money to do that. Aside from that, I don't see where you're getting the 600 euro difference from.
 
A

AppleBoyFreak

macrumors 6502
Jun 20, 2011
290
0
Kentucky
I went with the 15" cMPB because my parents couldn't afford the retina version. This was before the 13" rMBP came out and before you call me spoiled I told them that i would be willing to settle on a 11" Air but they insisted. Anyways, I have found the 15" to be light and not thick. I mean I'm coming from an iPad and i dont think it is thick at all or is it heavy. If you think the cMBPs are heavy then you need to seriously hit the gyms...
 
S

spoonie1972

macrumors 6502a
Aug 17, 2012
573
153
i wanted a fw800 port on-board... so i went w/ the c15.

also, who knows, maybe someone will make 16gb x2 modules so we can max out at 32gigs ram.

really wish there was another TB on the other side, and maybe a couple of more usb ports.

barring that ... a TB hub that's actually available and under $40. while i'm dreaming i'd like a pony.
 
R

Rhinoevans

macrumors 6502
Oct 5, 2012
408
63
Las Vegas, NV
MCAsan said:
rMBP maxed out: killer screen, no upgrading needed until I replace it in 3+ years, all solid state...no spinning HD to crash, thin and light, fits in all my camera bags.
Click to expand...

When's the last time you had a HD crash. I think for me it was 15 years ago, if then, cant really remember. Maybe never, I just probably changed it out for a larger capacity drive.
 
D

dotme

macrumors 65816
Oct 18, 2011
1,191
250
Iowa
Two 13" 2.5GHz cMBPs (His & hers) about 10 days ago because they were our first Macs ever, Best Buy was selling them for $100 below MSRP (Got em for $1095 ea. I think), and we're not power users. Bought for the integration with our iDevices, Garageband etc. Couldn't justify the retina price premium and they're hooked up to external monitors 99% of the time anyway.
 
E

epigenome

macrumors member
Jun 9, 2010
58
39
AppleBoyFreak said:
If you think the cMBPs are heavy then you need to seriously hit the gyms...
Click to expand...

In the professional world... we can't all carry around nice weight distributing backpacks all the time (which we STILL see people developing problems from overloading when they're in schools). Weight matters a lot, especially for people that rely on public transportation and walking to get around.

Also, assuming you're pretty fresh since your parents are still buying you expensive toys, no matter how fit you are - your body will begin to ache... without apparent cause... on a somewhat regular basis in the not too distant future.
 
MCAsan

MCAsan

macrumors 601
Jul 9, 2012
4,587
442
Atlanta
When's the last time you had a HD crash. I think for me it was 15 years ago, if then, cant really remember. Maybe never, I just probably changed it out for a larger capacity drive.
Click to expand...

In a company laptop..a couple of years ago. It took days for the IT department to replace it. That was not the first time. In a desktop, never.

In the professional world... we can't all carry around nice weight distributing backpacks all the time (which we STILL see people developing problems from overloading when they're in schools). Weight matters a lot, especially for people that rely on public transportation and walking to get around.

Also, assuming you're pretty fresh since your parents are still buying you expensive toys, no matter how fit you are - your body will begin to ache... without apparent cause... on a somewhat regular basis in the not too distant future.
Click to expand...

The wife and I are in our 60s. Even she can and will tote her rMBP. That would not be the case for a loaded 15" classic.
 
ISKOTB

ISKOTB

macrumors 6502a
Aug 6, 2011
965
190
Florida
same here


Liquinn said:
Well when I bought my 13" cMBP - there wasn't a 13" rMBP.

Still not sure if the optical drive trade off and removal of some ports is worth the thinness and the retina display.

My next MBP will probably be a retina one though.
Click to expand...
 
M

mushtama

macrumors member
Feb 14, 2012
54
0
Went with the 13" cMBP as there was no rMBP option at the time, also have limited funds and the rMBP is way too expensive for me (if I was buying now). MBA also had less bang for more buck so cMPB was a no brainer in my eyes.
 
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