Am I the only one who doesn't get the hype about retina displays?

[JazzyGB1]

I mean really, what exactly is the advantage to having everything half the size?
I just don't understand what advantage a retina display gives the user.
We've managed to create and view hi resolution graphics, stunning photo's and fantastic HD movies long before there were retina displays on laptops.
Isn't it just a solution to a problem that doesn't exist?
Wont it just work at normal resolution for 95% of the software it runs anyway?
And won't the software that is compliant just be half the size?
If it's upscaled then doesn't that defeat the object?
I'm a HUGE Apple fan, love their products, but really couldn't care 2 hoots about retina displays on iMacs, laptops or anything else.
If I'm wrong (and I may be), please tell me what I've missed.
Thanks

 

[M5RahuL]

What *hype* ? There ain't any hype with the Retina displays... The display is just plain gorgeous. The advantages of having a Retina :

1) The screen, duh.
2) HDMI
2) USB 3 on both sides [ yes, that's an advantage for me ]
3) Much better speakers.
4) Better thermal management.
5) Weight.
6) All Flash, no spinning disks which leads to faster speeds [ although you can configure the same for cMBPs, but then why not get the rMBP !! ]
7) Sure, some softwares aren't Retina aware yet, but then, since they look the same on the cMBP and the rMBP, that argument is moot!
8) Better, to me, keyboard compared to the cMBP.
9) Finally, higher resale value, even though one doesn't always purchase a tech. product based on it's resale, Apple products [ and esp. the rMBP ] will net you a higher return on sale vs the cMBP.
10) Portability. For a 15" laptop, the rMBP is very portable compared to other 15 inchers.


So, there, you have it! No hype with the rMBP. It is, simply put, a great laptop and worth it!!

 

[mgartner0622]

In simple terms, the display is like going from 480i TV to 1080p, or VHS to Blu-Ray, or even putting on a pair of glasses if you will. Sure, VHS worked fine for 20 years, but with Blu Ray you are able to see minute details that you would never have been able to see before. That's the advantage of retina versus a regular definition screen.

 

[JazzyGB1]

What *hype* ? There ain't any hype with the Retina displays... The display is just plain gorgeous. The advantages of having a Retina :

1) The screen, duh.
2) HDMI
2) USB 3 on both sides [ yes, that's an advantage for me ]
3) Much better speakers.
4) Better thermal management.
5) Weight.
6) All Flash, no spinning disks which leads to faster speeds [ although you can configure the same for cMBPs, but then why not get the rMBP !! ]
7) Sure, some softwares aren't Retina aware yet, but then, since they look the same on the cMBP and the rMBP, that argument is moot!
8) Better, to me, keyboard compared to the cMBP.
9) Finally, higher resale value, even though one doesn't always purchase a tech. product based on it's resale, Apple products [ and esp. the rMBP ] will net you a higher return on sale vs the cMBP.
10) Portability. For a 15" laptop, the rMBP is very portable compared to other 15 inters.


So, there, you have it! No hype with the rMBP. It is, simply put, a great laptop and worth it!!

HDMI
USB3
Better Speakers
Better Thermal Management
Lighter weight etc etc

All the above have all got nothing to do with a retina display.
USB3 is already on ALL MacBook Pro models and the other things are nothing to do with the retina display.
I'm asking what the fuss is about the display, not about the laptop.
The hype I'm referring to is the 'buzz' about a 13" model soon to be released.
We already have 13" MacBook Pro's and Air's, so in many ways it's only the fact that it might have a retina display that will make it really any different from the existing line up.
At the moment the retina display model is £300 more than it standard MacBook Pro counterpart and as I understand it, most software will still only display at the lower resolutions anyway, so I ask again what is the point of a retina display...am I missing something?
What is the point of having a retina display on a laptop?

 

[M5RahuL]

HDMI
....
What is the point of having a retina display on a laptop?

Clarity and sharpness. The screen is football fields ahead of any laptop in the market right now. I have a 2011 Hi-Resolution 15" and can't stand looking at it's display because the rMBP's is THAT much better!

I see so much more detail on the rMBP and it's very easy on the eyes too!!! [ I'm 27, and don't need glasses ....yet ]

 

[PhoenixMac]

What the other players have said. I for one love the retina because of the thinness and weight makes carrying around a 15 feel like a 13.

 

[JazzyGB1]

In simple terms, the display is like going from 480i TV to 1080p, or VHS to Blu-Ray, or even putting on a pair of glasses if you will. Sure, VHS worked fine for 20 years, but with Blu Ray you are able to see minute details that you would never have been able to see before. That's the advantage of retina versus a regular definition screen.

Is that really true though?
I find it difficult to believe your claim that the retina display will make my screen look like VHS to Blu Ray - especially as most software wont even display at the retina displays hi resolution.
My 17" MacBook Pro screen resolution is 1920 x 1200, isn't that nearly 'retina' from a normal viewing distance already anyway?
Whilst I'm sure that it's great for the software that does take advantage of it, doesn't it then become too small on a 15" display to be beneficial - let alone on a 13"?
I struggle reading things on my 1920 x 1200 MacBook Pro as it is!
Surely higher resolution on an even smaller screen, is just going to make everything too small?
Why people would get excited about a super high resolution display on a 13" screen is beyond me.

 

[mgartner0622]

Is that really true though?
I find it difficult to believe your claim that the retina display will make my screen look like VHS to Blu Ray - especially as most software wont even display at the retina displays hi resolution.
My 17" MacBook Pro screen resolution is 1920 x 1200, isn't that nearly 'retina' from a normal viewing distance already anyway?
Whilst I'm sure that it's great for the software that does take advantage of it, doesn't it then become too small on a 15" display to be beneficial - let alone on a 13"?
I struggle reading things on my 1920 x 1200 MacBook Pro as it is!
Surely higher resolution on an even smaller screen, is just going to make everything too small?
Why people would get excited about a super high resolution display on a 13" screen is beyond me.

What you have to keep in mind is it's not all about resolution... I have a 27" Thunderbolt Display that has a 2560x1400 resolution, again, close to the 15" rMBP. However, it's not the amount of resolution that matters, it's the pixels in the space you have. You can have a 80" monitor with over 100000 horizontal pixel resolution, and the quality won't be as good as the retina in terms of sharpness. You'll just have a lot of space to put stuff.
The iPhone 4+ and rMBP have a lot of pixels in a small area, and thus you're able to fit more of an image in it. Granted, this comes with a lot of constraints, the main one being the quality of the images you display. To see the difference, you have to use programs that support the resolution, which at this point isn't very many. Netflix movies and most unoptimized web pages will look pretty bad, but if you compare a DSLR camera image with a 15" cMBP and a 15" rMBP, you'll be amazed at the difference in the details you see. Just like VHS vs Blu Ray, the picture is much more clear, and it has much more definition.
Also, the rMBP has a feature called resolution scaling. This means that although there's many more pixels, it still scales the user interface to regular non-reitna size levels. As such, the Mac menu bar and program interfaces will be the same size (or nearly) the same size they are on the base model of the 15" (or 13 in the future) They're probably even bigger and easier to read than text and items on your 17". The only thing that changes is what is contained within the program itself, a game, an image, a movie, etc.

 

[goMac]

Have you actually seen one?

 

[iHeartsteve]

i cant believe this post

 

[vpro]

I'm totally with you!

I mean really, what exactly is the advantage to having everything half the size?
I just don't understand what advantage a retina display gives the user.
We've managed to create and view hi resolution graphics, stunning photo's and fantastic HD movies long before there were retina displays on laptops.
Isn't it just a solution to a problem that doesn't exist?
Wont it just work at normal resolution for 95% of the software it runs anyway?
And won't the software that is compliant just be half the size?
If it's upscaled then doesn't that defeat the object?
I'm a HUGE Apple fan, love their products, but really couldn't care 2 hoots about retina displays on iMacs, laptops or anything else.
If I'm wrong (and I may be), please tell me what I've missed.
Thanks

Standing and being counted. I could care less too, cos I'm all about the 17" MacBook Pro all the way. Mine is late 2011 maxed out to the max! I had the retina macbook for a couple of weeks, working hard on it next to the 17" and at no time during heavy work, did the 17" even make a sound, everything was done as quickly as it needed to complete those work loads, my battery was never affected drastically as in the retina, everything was smooth, and the system was gently warm NOT scorching. I'm near sighted so I don't care for retina display (all crisp and clear to me at arms length distance from screen) and I just got fed up with designing such a beautiful thing but in just a 15" package? I don't get it.

Get RID of the 15" all together for all I care, just give me 13" or 17" for laptops. My 2007 is still running strong, recently I disconnected the fans for a month, cos the logic board is retarded, anyways -- the computer is working hard still and the temp is normal, the retina's temp would SHOOT quickly up with just viewing a 2 min youtube video, with fans ROARING at a video about cute puppies in Amsterdam.

I will buy the 13" retina MacBook Pro though. I have three TB displays, so now I will have two awesome options for powerful portables 13" and 17". I can't settle for 15" being "just right", I am a perfectionist so 13" is PERFECT portable and 17" is perfect Protable. I love playing with English, language can't help it I'm a musician.

What ever, retina is great for the eyefad, perfect size to have detail like that. They should make a super eyefad rather than facelift a 15" any day, ick!

 

[Rhinoevans]

In simple terms, the display is like going from 480i TV to 1080p, or VHS to Blu-Ray, or even putting on a pair of glasses if you will. Sure, VHS worked fine for 20 years, but with Blu Ray you are able to see minute details that you would never have been able to see before. That's the advantage of retina versus a regular definition screen.

BS. The Retina screen is nice, but no way revolutionary like the technology you mentioned. Saw both the other day, side by side, no big deal. I traded iPad 2 for iPad 3 and to be honest, it wasnt for the retina, was for the better processor!


I am trying to determine which one to buy, cMBP or rMBP, and have almost decided for the cMBP. Thin is nice, lighter is nice, deleting the optical drive no big deal either way to me.

The main reason I dont like the rMBP is performance. Ivy chip working way to hard to keep up with all those pixels, wish they sold a rMBP form in a regular screen!!!!


I want better performance. Buying the rMBP for the screen is like my wife buying her last laptop because it was RED! Cosmetic only!


also, I want 32G ram and a 1TB SSD down the road. Performance!

Maybe with Haswell, the retina screen will be viable.

IMHO

 

[SchuettS]

Is that really true though?
I find it difficult to believe your claim that the retina display will make my screen look like VHS to Blu Ray - especially as most software wont even display at the retina displays hi resolution.
My 17" MacBook Pro screen resolution is 1920 x 1200, isn't that nearly 'retina' from a normal viewing distance already anyway?
Whilst I'm sure that it's great for the software that does take advantage of it, doesn't it then become too small on a 15" display to be beneficial - let alone on a 13"?
I struggle reading things on my 1920 x 1200 MacBook Pro as it is!
Surely higher resolution on an even smaller screen, is just going to make everything too small?
Why people would get excited about a super high resolution display on a 13" screen is beyond me.

Your confusing what retina really is. It's packing twice as many pixels in a given space then what normally there is. This makes everything more sharp and less pixelated. It doesn't mean it gives the screen more real estate, making objects smaller.

Is everything on the iPhone 4 smaller then an iPhone 3G? No. It's the same size, just twice as many pixels per square inch.

 

[Mrbobb]

One of the large magazine reviewer said retina gorgeous but software still has to catch up to take advantage. So perhaps you are asking, OK I got 9.1 audio system, now WOW me, and how many movies titles out there that take full advantage of 9.1 channels? In the future who knows.

 

[yusukeaoki]

I wasnt pulled by the Retina as well.
Used it for 10 days and returned.

 

[Zeov]

it's the MacBook Retina as the whole product thats amazing.

It has everything i want, + more

1. Obviously the Retina display is great (i'd be happy with a 1080P display too)
2. No disc drive and no hard drive, meaning a super slim laptop.
3. GT 650M, i can now play any game on the go on my Mac.
4. Great internal speakers,
5. 2 thunderbolt, 2 USB 3.
6. awesome design

The reason i, and so many others love it is thats it's a super thin macbook pro / macbook air with i7 and 650m graphics.. it handles anything you throw at it.

The software issue is something that gets fixed over time, some Apps look amazign with the retina, others look like it would in any other computer.

 

[M5RahuL]

.....The main reason I dont like the rMBP is performance. Ivy chip working way to hard to keep up with all those pixels, wish they sold a rMBP form in a regular screen!!!!

Really... Ivy Bridge chipset is the bottleneck ? lol..

 

[Candlelight]

If the price was the same as the normal MacBook Pros I'd be interested but as it stands I'll never buy one unless there's a significant price drop.

Sure it's an amazing screen but only rich people can afford them.

 

[nontroppo]

Seeing requires looking...

Huh? The retina display is nothing to do with size, but pixel density. Go and compare a print from an inkjet at 150 dots per inch and 300 dots per inch. If you can't see, or simply don't understand this picture:

or this

are you genuinely incapable of seeing any differences?!?!?!?

I suspect you know full well the difference, and just want to troll...

 

[throAU]

retina = more pixels than you can see at normal viewing distance.

which means it is as high res as you will ever "need" and given appropriate resolution graphics, you will not detect any jaggies.

essentially, retina class (whether they are from apple or whoever) displays are high enough resolution that we will never need to go for more pixels unless the display size is increased - i.e., a 17" retina macbook would need more pixels, but for 15", there is no point putting any more pixels in the screen, because your eye can't see them.


this is why it doesn't matter that the iphone5 is not 720p or 1080p. at that size, 640 pixels is "retina" class and any higher is simply not needed - your eye won't see any better detail even if it had more pixels.

 

[leman]

Is that really true though?
I find it difficult to believe your claim that the retina display will make my screen look like VHS to Blu Ray - especially as most software wont even display at the retina displays hi resolution.

Have you actually used the retina MBP at all? What you say here is absolute nonsense. Almost every application out there works with the retina display out of box, because the HiDPI rendering is a feature of the OS X and Mac UI is vector-based. Some applications (ones that use pixel graphics or custom rendered UI) need an update, but again, many of them (such as MS Word) have been updated already and more are on their way.

----------

If the price was the same as the normal MacBook Pros I'd be interested but as it stands I'll never buy one unless there's a significant price drop.

Sure it's an amazing screen but only rich people can afford them.

Its cheaper than the regular MBP.

From Apple US store:
15" regular MBP (8GB RAM/256GB SSD) - $2,399.00
15" retina MBP (8GB RAM/256GB SSD) - $2,199.00

Even if you byt the base model and upgrade it yourself, you end up with the a similar price for a significant heavier laptop.

P.S. $2,199.00 is $60 per month over assumed 36 month usable lifetime of the machine. I pay more for my internet subscription. For something one uses most of the tie, I wouldn't say its too expensive.

 

[ggmissmolly]

You're clearly 12 or blind.

I agree with that. If you spent any time with a 15" retina MBPro, you could not possibly return to 1/4 the resolution. And, no not everything is tiny because many software items are optimized for retina and appear normal size with unbelieveable clarity. High quality photographs are so awesome it's fantastic.

Text is so sharp edged that it makes a normal display appear fuzzy.

This thing is well worth it!

 

[rmbpuser]

i hate my retina display now every other pc i use looks so washed/pixelated/cheap/old i cant stand it

at first i didnt even realise that was the case i even asked my friend if his laptop is old because his screen looks so bad he was offended and told me its quite new actually =/

 

[MonkeySee....]

When I sit at my iPad I can't even imagine to think how amazing it would be to have the clarity on a laptop/desktop.

I'm soo jealous!

 

[Rizzm]

I can't agree that going from non-retina to retina is like going from SD (480p) to HD (1080p) but it is nice.

If there is any hype about it then I'd say the big reason is that we're at the point where displays are nearing perfection, at least in regards to pixel density. This is a hallmark time for displays to reach a sort of peak in performance. Eventually everything will be "retina."