128 gb macbook w Retina 13

Okeephoss said:

This is the only retina display macbook I can afford... My previous laptop had a 500 gb hd, but it crashed and I'm done with PC... It's quite a step down in data storage, but I'm gonna do it.

Can't I just buy an external 1 or 2 tb hd and save a couple hundred dollars vs. buying a 256?

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If you dont mind the inconvenience and slower speed of the external, sure you can.

Okeephoss said:

Well, I rarely use my laptop outside the house. So, not concerned with the inconvenience. Will the performance be substantially less with only 128 gbs?

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What are you using your computer for?
The 128gb has slower write speed than the 256, 512 or 1024 but under normal conditions you wont notice.
The 8/256 model is the best bang for the buck so the 4/128 often can be had on a discount.
The base rmbp you are eyeballing is very nice but try to get it on a discount.
Where I live you can get it for about 1100€
Also think about the air if you dont need the retina.
The air is more than enough for 99% of all consumers and its better priced and more portable.
Also if you dont leave the house the mac mini just rules!!

I hope you realize you bought last years model.

No PCIe flash storage, thicker, heavier, shorter battery life.

I was in the same spot as you but I saved a little more and got the 8/256 and it was definitely the right choice! Do not put a strict boundary on yourself when you are about to drop $1200+ on a laptop. Save a little extra and get the bigger SSD, you'll thank yourself later, trust me.

Looking back will only give you a sore neck.

Trust me, you'll love that machine and it's what i would have taken with a $1000 budget as well. You'll be able to keep all your apps on the SSD and keep your media on a fast external. You'll find yourself opening it just to stare at the screen.

I have also got a 256GB USB2 Pen Drive that I keep all my music on.
It's fast enough for music and fits in my pocket.

Barney

Okeephoss said:

I do realize... Did a lot of research and figured for someone who has never owned a Mac before this was a decent entry level purchase..
It says it is flash storage. Don't mind some meat on a laptop either...
Don't feed my buyers remorse. I got two weeks to see if it's a keeper...

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There is quite a difference between last years 13" and this years. I would have saved just a small amount more and bought this years refurb.

It does have flash, but not with PCIe connection which is 2x faster (give or take depending on storage capacity).

Okeephoss said:

I do realize... Did a lot of research and figured for someone who has never owned a Mac before this was a decent entry level purchase..
It says it is flash storage. Don't mind some meat on a laptop either...
Don't feed my buyers remorse. I got two weeks to see if it's a keeper...

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On a positive note:
A few advantages of the 2012 model are:
The SSD is easy to replace....
Aftermarket SSDs are available.....
And even genuine Apple SSDs are available because people with 128 and 256GB models will upgrade to larger SSDs and sell their old SSDs on eBay and other places.

Well i doubt you would regret your choice there would be hardly much of a speed difference notice by a guy who carries out normal activities or even some garage band. Going to a flash after using spinners is like a big difference. However if you do find that you can do well with a better one you have 14 days. For now just enjoy the laptop without much doubts.

Why not buy a refurb and save some more money?

Okeephoss said:

I do realize... Did a lot of research and figured for someone who has never owned a Mac before this was a decent entry level purchase..

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This is definitely something many people on this forum forget. I had an old white Macbook and a huge 17" Sony VAIO laptop before my current macs, so for me the cMBP was huge step and is a beautiful machine. Meanwhile, to some who's been using a cMBP for a while , it's nothing special, and thus I hear things on this forum like "The cMBP is fat old clunker" when for me, the cMBP was thinnest thing I ever saw(I think my cMBP is is as thick as just the top screen assembly on my VAIO, let alone the bottom)

While people on this forum nitpick ("It's last years model and it's thicker and has less battery life") for those coming from a $500 dell even the year old 13" rMBP is a quantum leap.

Okeephoss said:

Well, I went with a refurbished 128 w retina... I got the 8 gb ram though... Should be more than enough for me.. The only demanding thing I'll be using is garage band.. Use that a lot.
Figure I'm just gonna store big files such on my external.. Thanks for the input.
New Mac is coming on Friday. If it proves to be insufficient i can return to Apple. We shall see...
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This is what I got.
http://store.apple.com/us/product/FD212LL/A
Really wanted that retina display.

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Good choice. Enjoy and ignore the haters!

accountforit said:

I hope you realize you bought last years model.

No PCIe flash storage, thicker, heavier, shorter battery life.

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The link shows a Late 2012 13" rMBP, so it's not thicker or heavier. It has only slighty shorter battery life and that SSD is still very fast.

Okeephoss said:

Well, I went with a refurbished 128 w retina... I got the 8 gb ram though... Should be more than enough for me.. The only demanding thing I'll be using is garage band.. Use that a lot.
Figure I'm just gonna store big files such on my external.. Thanks for the input.
New Mac is coming on Friday. If it proves to be insufficient i can return to Apple. We shall see...

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This is what I got.

http://store.apple.com/us/product/FD212LL/A

Really wanted that retina display.

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My wife has that one and i have a early 2103 15"MBPr, its great i love using her's, for everyday use there is no difference i can tell.
My next one will be 13" and a 512gb though. Especially now i have a TBD. Good luck.

OP made a good choice to get last years model, don't listen to some of the posts here. OP clearly stated that he (or she, not really specified) barely ever uses the laptop outside of the house, so the battery life won't matter much. The SSD is more than fast enough for most people, especially coming from a spinner. Any other specs except for the GPU are barely improved at all. The GPU, like the SSD will be fine for most people unless they game, in which case no 13" rMBP is the right choice for them. Finally, most people won't even notice the slight weight and thickness difference.

alphaod said:

The link shows a Late 2012 13" rMBP, so it's not thicker or heavier. It has only slighty shorter battery life and that SSD is still very fast.

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Are you kidding me?

- the 2012 13" rMBP is thicker, and it is heavier

- it has 2 hours less battery life

- it has an SSD that is 2x slower

I wish the Macrumors members would refrain from providing wrong information.

accountforit said:

I wish the Macrumors members would refrain from providing wrong information.

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LOL good luck with that. I hate that people don't even let someone make an informed opinion on something by downplaying the detrimental factors. There IS a large difference between the late-2013 and 2012 models. That is a fact, and no "Ohhhhh, it will be good enough" will change that. Whether it was worth something to OP is another story, but I'll say what I always say when I watch someone compromise over, in the scheme of things and length of laptop ownership, a small amount to save for:

If you had simply waited to save the extra ~$350, how long would it have taken? 2-3 pay periods? 4? An impossible amount because you don't work? If it was anything but the last one, you should have just continued to save. Don't ever spend a majority of the cost on an outgoing and outdated model, you STILL spent $1059, but you got last years model. That just seems absurd to me.

I personally would have probably bought an Air if I had a $1k budget, but hey, what ever this guy wants to do with his cash.

Robyr said:

You STILL spent $1059, but you got last years model. That just seems absurd to me. I personally would have probably bought an Air if I had a $1k budget, but hey, what ever this guy wants to do with his cash.

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I agree with the above. From what I understand, the late-2013 update finally made the 13" rMBP a mature product, hence why it was so eagerly awaited. The 2012 and early 2013 ones were really limited by the Intel 4000 HD graphics, which caused lag and stutter while driving the Retina Display.

Sure, being a basic user, you may not notice it yet, but it will show it's age eventually. Per the sounds of it, you tend to keep your devices for a while - which is why the late 2013 model would have been a much better buy! Other than much improved GPU performance, you would have gotten much better battery life, a slightly thinner profile, and PCIe SSD. I would honestly return the old model and wait for a late-2013 to appear in the refurbished section, or try to get someone to buy the new one for you with educational/corporate discount.

If that doesn't float your boat, go for the Air. Just my advice.

MacRazySwe said:

I agree with the above. From what I understand, the late-2013 update finally made the 13" rMBP a mature product, hence why it was so eagerly awaited. The 2012 and early 2013 ones were really limited by the Intel 4000 HD graphics, which caused lag and stutter while driving the Retina Display.

Sure, being a basic user, you may not notice it yet, but it will show it's age eventually. Per the sounds of it, you tend to keep your devices for a while - which is why the late 2013 model would have been a much better buy! Other than much improved GPU performance, you would have gotten much better battery life, a slightly thinner profile, and PCIe SSD. I would honestly return the old model and wait for a late-2013 to appear in the refurbished section, or try to get someone to buy the new one for you with educational/corporate discount.

If that doesn't float your boat, go for the Air. Just my advice.

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Pretty much the long and short of it. Also, resale value. Guarantee in 3 years, the 2012 Retina will be a black sheep on the used market, much like the unibody non-Pro Macbook is. Or a 2010 Air missing the backlit keyboard.