2011 MacBook Pro 15" + iPad 3 OR Retina MacBook Pro?

[TheMacBookPro]

do u use the 4g on ur ipad?

Unfortunately 4G is not available where I live (I bought mine from Canada- they don't even sell the 4G version here) so I'm only using a 3.5G connection. I need the cellular-enabled version of the iPad as I use the GPS feature a bit overseas though (my iPad 2 was the 3G version too) so the 4G wasn't the deal-maker for me.

I do have a Rogers 4G LTE iPad plan in Canada though- $37 for 5GB. A bit costly compared to the $10 for unlimited iPad data I'm used to but hey that's what happens with there's little competition.

 

[iLikeTurtles!]

Unfortunately 4G is not available where I live (I bought mine from Canada- they don't even sell the 4G version here) so I'm only using a 3.5G connection. I need the cellular-enabled version of the iPad as I use the GPS feature a bit overseas though (my iPad 2 was the 3G version too) so the 4G wasn't the deal-maker for me.

I do have a Rogers 4G LTE iPad plan in Canada though- $37 for 5GB. A bit costly compared to the $10 for unlimited iPad data I'm used to but hey that's what happens with there's little competition.

Im in canada too....data plans here are quite expensive lol

 

[AlvinNguyen]

If you already have an iPhone, I would go RMBP. The only reason I even have my iPad is for a portfolio since I shoot fashion. If you read a lot then I would go with iPad + cMBP.

A lot of people don't use the ipad a lot after a few months unless they're big time readers.

 

[iLikeTurtles!]

If you already have an iPhone, I would go RMBP. The only reason I even have my iPad is for a portfolio since I shoot fashion. If you read a lot then I would go with iPad + cMBP.

A lot of people don't use the ipad a lot after a few months unless they're big time readers.

yeah i have the iphone 4s 64gb

 

[iLikeTurtles!]

Tough choice but I'd honestly stick with my current setup. I don't need a retina screen since I think my hi res is enough. The amount of retina ready applications don't impress me either. I will also need a optical drive for school but that isn't a huge factor. The iPad is a toy, but a very useful one. Ebooks are cheaper than textbooks, and once you start taking your iPad to the bathroom with you, it's hard to imagine not having one.

If you do any video or photo editing maybe the retina display will be worth it.

i was also considering a thnderbolt display along with the ipad XD

 

[riveting]

Hi, OP, how can you sell your current 15 2011 MBP for $1500, the refurbished non-hi definitions early 2011 15 model is only $1250 before tax.

 

[AlvinNguyen]

Hi, OP, how can you sell your current 15 2011 MBP for $1500, the refurbished non-hi definitions early 2011 15 model is only $1250 before tax.

This is a good point - the 2011 MBPs are losing $$$ left and right. I've upgrade comp every year for 4 years and this year is the worst hit with the rMBP introduction.

 

[iLikeTurtles!]

Hi, OP, how can you sell your current 15 2011 MBP for $1500, the refurbished non-hi definitions early 2011 15 model is only $1250 before tax.

This is a good point - the 2011 MBPs are losing $$$ left and right. I've upgrade comp every year for 4 years and this year is the worst hit with the rMBP introduction.

the computer initially cost me 1699 with education discount. with canadian taxes that brings it up to 1919.87 (god dam 13% tax! lol).

stock specs: 2.0ghz i7 Quad Core, 4gb ram, 256mb amd radeon graphics card and 500gb hard drive.

i had an issue with the macbook and apple replaced the ENTIRE computer for a brand new one and offered if i wanted to upgrade anything. so i upgraded the Anti glare screen for 100 bucks, no tax or anything.

the other upgrade I made down the road was changing the stock 500gb hard drive to an 120 GB SSD, intel 520 series, that was 199.99 plus taxes so 223.

The speck see thru clear was 49.95 plus tax so 56.44

the moshi palmguard was 30 bucks from moshi...i guess my as well work out the math now haha

1919.87
100
223
56.44
30_______

Total spent on macbook - $2329.31

its a macbook with major upgrades and included accesories. my highest offer from a "buyer" was 1500.

does that help?

 

[iLikeTurtles!]

Is that not a fair offer?

 

[Greg M]

Is that not a fair offer?

If you got offered $1500 and you want to sell it then I'd take the offer if I was you.

 

[iLikeTurtles!]

If you got offered $1500 and you want to sell it then I'd take it.

well regarding my other posts i posted it for 1700 but my highest offer so far was 1500 lol

 

[Prime85]

i was thinking about selling my late 2011 MBP and getting the rMBP but then i realized the update wasn't that drastic and wasn't worth it. If the update was like when they went from the 2010 1st gen i7 to the 2011 2nd gen i7 then it would have been worth the upgrade, but since 2nd and 3rd gen arnt that differant i will keep this my 2011 and upgrade the next time they change the body style which seems to be every 3 years.

 

[P0stalTek]

Since you already have a SSD equipped 15" MBP, I would guess that is enough. Do not get me wrong, because the rMBP is exciting. However, I feel that a MBP and an iPad is better than just a MBP even though you will rarely if ever use them at the same time.

I do not know if you have a family, but as soon as I got my MBP, my iPad actually began being used as I intended it which was a family item that everyone picked up and used at times. Until that point, I never put down the iPad, so I wouldn't worry about it going unused unless you have no friends/family who are interested in cool, coffee table items like an iPad.

Pulling up a website instantly without opening a laptop to answer a question in a discussion = priceless

I think this highly of the iPad, and I only have an iPad 1. The retina on the iPad 3 must be amazing, but I refuse to even look at it in Best Buy for fear of a weak will moment.

 

[iLikeTurtles!]

i was thinking about selling my late 2011 MBP and getting the rMBP but then i realized the update wasn't that drastic and wasn't worth it. If the update was like when they went from the 2010 1st gen i7 to the 2011 2nd gen i7 then it would have been worth the upgrade, but since 2nd and 3rd gen arnt that differant i will keep this my 2011 and upgrade the next time they change the body style which seems to be every 3 years.

judging from your specs on ur macbook, sounds like u tricked it out with SSD and max RAM.

it was only the retina display that i thought was a neat feature, but the thinner design. though 1ib lighter doesnt seem to be to significant in terms of weight

 

[Prime85]

judging from your specs on ur macbook, sounds like u tricked it out with SSD and max RAM.

it was only the retina display that i thought was a neat feature, but the thinner design. though 1ib lighter doesnt seem to be to significant in terms of weight

Yea, the SSD is great but the 16gb of RAM was probably overkill.

 

[iLikeTurtles!]

Yea, the SSD is great but the 16gb of RAM was probably overkill.

did u find 16gb of ram making any difference?

none the less if u weree in my position, you would go for an ipad + current 2011 macbook then retin only macbook?

 

[Prime85]

did u find 16gb of ram making any difference?

none the less if u weree in my position, you would go for an ipad + current 2011 macbook then retin only macbook?

not really much difference, i have never used more then 40% of my RAM. The reason i got it was because it wasn't that expensive and also i wanted to future proof my laptop a little. It is Crucial Ram.


If i was you i would stay with your 2011 and purchase the new iPad. The reason for this is because other then the retina and the thinner size (which i have seen so many issues with the new rMBP) the specs aren't that much better. Also i have the High Res screen so i don't notice that much of a difference between the two screens.

like you i thought about selling mine and getting the new rMBP but with all the problems it has i figured ill save the money and buy they new iPhone when it comes out this fall instead.

in the end its your choice.

 

[rays09]

if i were you i will upgrade my notebook especially if you dont have a powerfull desktop in hous.. about an iPad from my experience i dont need to carry ipad around cause i have an iphone. if i need an urgent thing like persentation and something at my uni i prefer to bring a notebook, for on the go browsing todays phone it's enough i think , android or iphone... yeah i bought an ipad a month ago and i just sell it a week ago and hook up 2012 15" cMBP high ress anti glare macbook pro. cause ipad just stuff to read not write... IMO.

 

[Greg M]

not really much difference, i have never used more then 40% of my RAM. The reason i got it was because it wasn't that expensive and also i wanted to future proof my laptop a little. It is Crucial Ram.

I agree. There's little difference in price between 8 and 16 in aftermarket ram so there's no sense to buy 8 if you're replacing your ram. Crucial is good ram but brand isn't as important as it use to be. Just get the cheapest ram at NewEgg that has good reviews.

As for the difference in the retina I went with the 8gb. If I had ordered it from Apple I would have gotten the 16 but I had 2 discounts and reward zone money to use at Best Buy which got me out the door at $1860 plus another $40 in reward money. That was just too large a difference in price for just 8gb of ram which wouldn't be used very often.

If i was you i would stay with your 2011 and purchase the new iPad. The reason for this is because other then the retina and the thinner size (which i have seen so many issues with the new rMBP) the specs aren't that much better.

The specs are a larger jump between models then we usually see. The retina is more responsive then any MBP that Apple has put out to date, even the ones equipped with an SSD. What issues? Sure it's not perfect but your dead wrong about "so many issues". Have you used one? Many of the "issues" that I've read about come from problems associated with migration.

A fresh install and manual migration resulted in the smoothest running and most responsive Apple product that I've EVER had! Plus the manual migration trimmed my disk space usage by about 20gb.

Also i have the High Res screen so i don't notice that much of a difference between the two screens.

I went to the Apple store and looked at them side by side. There is a very significant difference between the the screens in clarity, color and especially contrast. So much that I knew I wouldn't be satisfied with any of the other screens. Believe me, I wanted to buy a different MBP but after seeing the difference, well lets just say I sold my iPad 3 in order to help pay for my retina.

like you i thought about selling mine and getting the new rMBP but with all the problems it has i figured ill save the money and buy they new iPhone when it comes out this fall instead.

So you haven't had a retina in your possession, used it for any period of time, or placed it next to your MBP ??? Well that just nullifies many of the statements that you've made.

in the end its your choice.

It is but he's trying to make the most informed choice he can since it's a lot of money for a "laptop".
There are advantages to both the MBP and the retina.

There is very little difference in price between the 2 once you add an SSD and ram to the MBP at aftermarket prices.
There's very little difference in raw processing power between the 2, if any.
There is a difference in responsiveness.
There is a huge difference in the displays.

I went with the retina because the display is what I look at whenever I use my laptop. Of coarse the programs I use play nice with the display. I almost returned it because my 2 most used programs looked terrible on it. One got fixed that very next day through an update and I found a free replacement for the other program.

 

[iLikeTurtles!]

I agree. There's little difference in price between 8 and 16 in aftermarket ram so there's no sense to buy 8 if you're replacing your ram. Crucial is good ram but brand isn't as important as it use to be. Just get the cheapest ram at NewEgg that has good reviews.

As for the difference in the retina I went with the 8gb. If I had ordered it from Apple I would have gotten the 16 but I had 2 discounts and reward zone money to use at Best Buy which got me out the door at $1860 plus another $40 in reward money. That was just too large a difference in price for just 8gb of ram which wouldn't be used very often.



The specs are a larger jump between models then we usually see. The retina is more responsive then any MBP that Apple has put out to date, even the ones equipped with an SSD. What issues? Sure it's not perfect but your dead wrong about "so many issues". Have you used one? Many of the "issues" that I've read about come from problems associated with migration.

A fresh install and manual migration resulted in the smoothest running and most responsive Apple product that I've EVER had! Plus the manual migration trimmed my disk space usage by about 20gb.



I went to the Apple store and looked at them side by side. There is a very significant difference between the the screens in clarity, color and especially contrast. So much that I knew I wouldn't be satisfied with any of the other screens. Believe me, I wanted to buy a different MBP but after seeing the difference, well lets just say I sold my iPad 3 in order to help pay for my retina.



So you haven't had a retina in your possession, used it for any period of time, or placed it next to your MBP ??? Well that just nullifies many of the statements that you've made.



It is but he's trying to make the most informed choice he can since it's a lot of money for a "laptop".
There are advantages to both the MBP and the retina.

There is very little difference in price between the 2 once you add an SSD and ram to the MBP at aftermarket prices.
There's very little difference in raw processing power between the 2, if any.
There is a difference in responsiveness.
There is a huge difference in the displays.

I went with the retina because the display is what I look at whenever I use my laptop. Of coarse the programs I use play nice with the display. I almost returned it because my 2 most used programs looked terrible on it. One got fixed that very next day through an update and I found a free replacement for the other program.

thanks for your very informative reply! has helped alot!

does the retina macbook have a glass screen over lay? or is it like the anti glare macbooks with jsut hte screen exposed?

also, the other thing i was justifying my decision if i were to go to the retina macbook pro route, was cost value in selling my macbook.

i dont know if u saw my other thread, but in total with upgrades to the SSD, accesories and screen upgrade AND taxes, i spent around 2329 dollars on my current 2011 macbook pro and have kept in in like new condition ever since. keyboard cover kept keys new and not worn and shiny, i even put invisble shield around hte mag safe port to prevent the port from denting around the sharp edges of it.

i slaped my macbook on kijiji to see what offers i can get, it seems my highest offer was 1500.

the most intreging offer though was from an authorized apple reseller who sells used macs and was interested if i wanted to trade in my macbook plus cash for a new one. he offered 1469 for my mac in terms of value Plus 760 for the retina macbook pro and for go the taxes on it. (so total would be 2229). i wana try and haggle him to give me the education discount for 2029 so my macbook plus 560 which would be more tempting.

however the fact that it costed me (2329-1469 = 860) 860 to use my mac for a year is a bit mind boggling. granted i knew my mac would depreciate when i first opened it, but thats a bit of a slap in the face if u know what i mean lol.

do you think it would be worth going the retina route in that particular case?

thanks so much!

 

[Greg M]

thanks for your very informative reply! has helped alot!

does the retina macbook have a glass screen over lay? or is it like the anti glare macbooks with jsut hte screen exposed?

It's different then the MBP. It is glass. You can find this info in the video of the retina on Apple's site.

also, the other thing i was justifying my decision if i were to go to the retina macbook pro route, was cost value in selling my macbook.

i dont know if u saw my other thread, but in total with upgrades to the SSD, accesories and screen upgrade AND taxes, i spent around 2329 dollars on my current 2011 macbook pro and have kept in in like new condition ever since. keyboard cover kept keys new and not worn and shiny, i even put invisble shield around hte mag safe port to prevent the port from denting around the sharp edges of it.

i slaped my macbook on kijiji to see what offers i can get, it seems my highest offer was 1500.

the most intreging offer though was from an authorized apple reseller who sells used macs and was interested if i wanted to trade in my macbook plus cash for a new one. he offered 1469 for my mac in terms of value Plus 760 for the retina macbook pro and for go the taxes on it. (so total would be 2229). i wana try and haggle him to give me the education discount for 2029 so my macbook plus 560 which would be more tempting.

however the fact that it costed me (2329-1469 = 860) 860 to use my mac for a year is a bit mind boggling. granted i knew my mac would depreciate when i first opened it, but thats a bit of a slap in the face if u know what i mean lol.

do you think it would be worth going the retina route in that particular case?

thanks so much!

I sold my 2011 MBA 13" that had more than 2 years left of AppleCare on it for only $850 and my iPad 3 32gb for $495. Yes I took a hit on those but I wanted a larger screen. After looking at the retina and determining that the cost difference between a refurb 15" anti-glare and the retina wasn't that much I decided to bite the bullet and get the better screen.

If you're concerned about the cost then keep the one you have and buy the iPad 3. I wouldn't have even considered getting the retina if I had a 15" anti-glare MBP.

Then wait until you can get a used or refurbished retina for less of a cost difference between selling what you have and buying the used or refurb.

 

[iLikeTurtles!]

It's different then the MBP. It is glass. You can find this info in the video of the retina on Apple's site.



I sold my 2011 MBA 13" that had more than 2 years left of AppleCare on it for only $850 and my iPad 3 32gb for $495. Yes I took a hit on those but I wanted a larger screen. After looking at the retina and determining that the cost difference between a refurb 15" anti-glare and the retina wasn't that much I decided to bite the bullet and get the better screen.

If you're concerned about the cost then keep the one you have and buy the iPad 3. I wouldn't have even considered getting the retina if I had a 15" anti-glare MBP.

Then wait until you can get a used or refurbished retina for less of a cost difference between selling what you have and buying the used or refurb.

the 1680 by 1050 high res screen is pretty nice. obviously the retina would be nicer but i never have complained about it. hows microsoft office 2011 look like on the retina? its something i do use alot for uni but i heard it looks kinda..choppy or something since its not optimized for retina.

 

[Greg M]

the 1680 by 1050 high res screen is pretty nice. obviously the retina would be nicer but i never have complained about it. hows microsoft office 2011 look like on the retina? its something i do use alot for uni but i heard it looks kinda..choppy or something since its not optimized for retina.

It looks horrible. I switched to LibreOffice which looks great but a lot of people are tied to Office. If you are tied to Office then keep what you have. I seriously doubt that there will be a fix for Office anytime soon.

 

[Prime85]

If you're concerned about the cost then keep the one you have and buy the iPad 3. I wouldn't have even considered getting the retina if I had a 15" anti-glare MBP.

This is what i meant in my post. If he didnt have a 2011 MBP i would say the rMBP would be much better to get then the old style but being that he already has one with high res is it really worth the upgrade?

I understand upgrading from a MBA but from a Pro that has great specs.

yes there is a difference between the resolution of the retina and non-retina, but the difference is not big enough to take a loss on selling a new 2011 MBP which by the price he paid it looks as if he got the better version. If he puts a SSD into it then the specs wont be that far off from the rMBP.

For example i have a 16 second boot time and i don't think i have seen a bouncing icon in the dock since i put my SSD in.

Also rendering on this machine takes minutes instead of hours like my old computer.

If he had the money for a rMBP then go for it because it is better but if not then there is nothing wrong with his laptop.

The issue i was speaking of with the rMBP is that many people seem to have burned in their screen, if you look at the forums you will see many with this problem.

You do get a year of apple care so i don't see this as too much of a problem.

Like i said before if you had the money and are willing to spend it then go for the rMBP since it is a great laptop.

if you believe you will take too much of a loss or you have a nagging wife like i do then stay with your laptop.

you should go to an Apple store and try it out for yourself and make your choice based on that. Just keep in mind most of the increase in speed you will see is because of the SSD, but the faster clock speed and faster ram is nice as well.

 

[iLikeTurtles!]

This is what i meant in my post. If he didnt have a 2011 MBP i would say the rMBP would be much better to get then the old style but being that he already has one with high res is it really worth the upgrade?

I understand upgrading from a MBA but from a Pro that has great specs.

yes there is a difference between the resolution of the retina and non-retina, but the difference is not big enough to take a loss on selling a new 2011 MBP which by the price he paid it looks as if he got the better version. If he puts a SSD into it then the specs wont be that far off from the rMBP.

For example i have a 16 second boot time and i don't think i have seen a bouncing icon in the dock since i put my SSD in.

Also rendering on this machine takes minutes instead of hours like my old computer.

If he had the money for a rMBP then go for it because it is better but if not then there is nothing wrong with his laptop.

The issue i was speaking of with the rMBP is that many people seem to have burned in their screen, if you look at the forums you will see many with this problem.

You do get a year of apple care so i don't see this as too much of a problem.

Like i said before if you had the money and are willing to spend it then go for the rMBP since it is a great laptop.

if you believe you will take too much of a loss or you have a nagging wife like i do then stay with your laptop.

you should go to an Apple store and try it out for yourself and make your choice based on that. Just keep in mind most of the increase in speed you will see is because of the SSD, but the faster clock speed and faster ram is nice as well.

i haven t had a chance to see a retina macbook pro in real life yet, but will check it out next time im in the city which im sure will help make my concrete choice. since u have a sSD in ur 2011 macbook (and assumign u played with a retina one already), is it any faster? ia lso have a SSD in mine, a 120gb intel 520 series SSD.

----------

It looks horrible. I switched to LibreOffice which looks great but a lot of people are tied to Office. If you are tied to Office then keep what you have. I seriously doubt that there will be a fix for Office anytime soon.

thanks for the comfirmation. is it still bad even when the resolution is lowered?