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ANOTHER rMB vs rMBP. Sorry

T

theturtle

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Aug 3, 2009
579
35
Please help me with this pickle. I know its overplayed at this point but please have patience!

So I'm getting rid of my 2012 MacBook Pro Retina 15" 2.2.

Its extremely heavy and kind of hard to use in bed. The reason I held off on selling was because I'm one of those paranoid types where they think they'll need the machine for something in the future. I thought I would get into photo editing and video editing but after three years of having the machine, I have yet to do either. At this point, I think its time to accept that I won't be doing photo or video editing anytime soon. I tell myself that I need the HD webcam but in the past three years, I took 5 photobooth photos (all in the first month) and no FT calls as I use my phone. The only FT calls I do is FT audio which doesn't require a good camera. I told myself that I would need a dedicated GPU which was semi true as the first 4 months I went on a steam craze. Downloaded skyrim, sims 4, and a couple of other RPG's. I ended up playing skyrim and sims 4 the most but a few months later, I don't even log into bootcamp anymore.

Now, the things I use my laptop for are (and these are the things I use every day and don't get tired of doing): youtube in the background while I surf forums. I sometimes stream netflix. Do some documents and sometimes more streaming. And spotify.

I can't lie. The retina 15 was fast. I had the 2013 13" MacBook Pro Retina, a couple of regular macbook pros, a couple of airs, but the 15" by far was the fastest, which is understandable as its a quad core.

Will the rMB be able to handle my tasks with aplomb or should I go to a 13" rMBP.

One thing I do know that the rMB won't be able to do is USB drives, which I dont do often but still do sometimes, and HD comp to TV which again i don't do often but do sometimes, mostly on vacation. In situation like these, I have no problem buying a dongle.

Its just my primary uses I'm curious about if it can handle.
 
I'm coming from rMBP 15" 2013/2014 models.
I can tell you for sure that while many power users may find rMB to be highly underpowered, people who don't need CPU/GPU intensive tasks, such as regular Photoshop (under 100MB), Illustrator (again, sub 100MB), coding, etc won't find significant differences and will appreciate the portability more if one travels a lot, or in your case in bed.
Charging from external battery via USB-A to USB-C is a bonus :)
 
Individual file size.
I'm coming from a 2010. Mine has been delivered but am overseas till Friday. My 2010 was too cumbersome to bring.

I actually had a play with one for the first time at Apple in Paris today. My god what a sexy ,machine and my fears of the screen and keys being too small are completely gone :)
 
JoePa2624 said:
I don't think you touched on this but how often you need the computer for travel?
Click to expand...

I don't travel much. Maybe once every two months. I do carry it around the house quite often. I hate to sound trivial but when I do carry it, I really feel that weight hit.
 
theturtle said:
Its extremely heavy and kind of hard to use in bed.
Click to expand...

Teehee.

In all honesty, it sounds like the rMB can handle what you are going to be using it for but I would recommend the rMBP. It's 3.5lbs if we are talking the 13'' model and while relevance is subjective, it is infinitely more versatile on paper, and in practice.

I would do yourself a favor and get a 13'' rMBP. It has a nice display, lots of connectivity if you want to use it on a desk with external monitors, and it is extremely portable in my opinion. It most importantly has a better CPU (in terms of longevity and performance).

The rMBP is essentially a cheaper buy as well considering you don't have to go and get adapters in order to do anything other than charge it right out of the box.
 
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I think you should try the MacBook. It sounds like you would really value the portability, and don't have any particularly heavy computing needs. The rMBP is a great laptop if you need the power, and it is strikingly small and light for what it is, but it is still fundamentally a laptop that takes up a fair bit of space on whatever surface you use it on. Switching to a smaller laptop for the first time is a revelation in how a relatively small difference in size and weight can really change how the device feels to use on the go.
 
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Dark Void said:
Teehee.

In all honesty, it sounds like the rMB can handle what you are going to be using it for but I would recommend the rMBP. It's 3.5lbs if we are talking the 13'' model and while relevance is subjective, it is infinitely more versatile on paper, and in practice.

I would do yourself a favor and get a 13'' rMBP. It has a nice display, lots of connectivity if you want to use it on a desk with external monitors, and it is extremely portable in my opinion. It most importantly has a better CPU (in terms of longevity and performance).

The rMBP is essentially a cheaper buy as well considering you don't have to go and get adapters in order to do anything other than charge it right out of the box.
Click to expand...

I must agree with Mr. DV here. The MacBook will more than likely handle what you need. But the MBPr will be a better fit for you. It's more than portable, and there are no tradeoffs with owning it. With how little you travel, the rMB really isn't necessary.
 
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With my 13" non-retina Macbook, I only took it to bed with me on rare occasions, but the new MB is so light that I find myself increasingly carrying it wherever I go in the house to use for iTunes, web browsing, or watching videos*, especially in bed.

* Mostly the latest season of Community, get your mind out of the gutter. ;)
 
I am in a similar situation as the OP here.

I currently have the iMac in my signature. While I absolutely love it, I am about to move into shared accommodation, and my desk would get in the way and there's no room in my bedroom. Ergo, time to swap it out for a laptop. I know someone who would buy my iMac off me, so that's not a problem.

I am torn between the 13" rMBP and the new rMB. The Core M puts me off with the rMB. I am coming from a Quad Core i5 and IT is my trade. Also the port issue. I do like the keyboard however and the 256gb storage, and the overall compactness of it. It's innovative, I like it.

My main uses for the Mac are web browsing, job hunting, iTunes, Photos, YouTube and some Office. So really not that demanding I guess.

I also sway towards the rMBP because it has more flexibility with the ports and an ever-so-slightly larger screen. The only thing is, there's only 128GB of storage but the processor is far better.

I do have a Western Digital MyBook Live Duo NAS for storage, so maybe storage isn't such an issue... I just can't decide, but I need a laptop soon. Me and my Mac are joined at the hip and I'd be like a drug addict without his fix if I go without one any time soon.

God even knows what I'm doing with the gaming PC. I'm waiting for Battlefront so don't want to chuck that out!
 
joelovesapple said:
I am in a similar situation as the OP here.

I currently have the iMac in my signature. While I absolutely love it, I am about to move into shared accommodation, and my desk would get in the way and there's no room in my bedroom. Ergo, time to swap it out for a laptop. I know someone who would buy my iMac off me, so that's not a problem.

I am torn between the 13" rMBP and the new rMB. The Core M puts me off with the rMB. I am coming from a Quad Core i5 and IT is my trade. Also the port issue. I do like the keyboard however and the 256gb storage.

I also sway towards the rMBP because it has more flexibility with the ports and an ever-so-slightly larger screen. The only thing is, there's only 128GB of storage but the processor is far better.

I do have a Western Digital MyBook Live Duo NAS for storage, so maybe storage isn't such an issue... I just can't decide, but I need a laptop soon. Me and my Mac are joined at the hip and I'd be like a drug addict without his fix if I go without one any time soon.

God even knows what I'm doing with the gaming PC. I'm waiting for Battlefront so don't want to chuck that out!
Click to expand...
Sounds like you've got your mind made up. Don't doubt yourself.
 
Dayv said:
With my 13" non-retina Macbook, I only took it to bed with me on rare occasions, but the new MB is so light that I find myself increasingly carrying it wherever I go in the house to use for iTunes, web browsing, or watching videos*, especially in bed.
Click to expand...

I'll second this.

Because of its extreme light weight and small size, I find that I carry the RMB in my backpack at all times and not just leave it at home waiting for my next business trip as originally intended. It is so light weight in fact that I often forget that it's even there. As a result of this, like you I am finding that I am using my RMB far more than I originally intended. It's a dream to be able to carry something so light into conference rooms and impromptu meetings, the fact that it boots up instantly and connects to a Wi-Fi network in seconds is a major plus.

BJ
 
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boltjames said:
I'll second this.

Because of its extreme light weight and small size, I find that I carry the RMB in my backpack at all times and not just leave it at home waiting for my next business trip as originally intended. It is so light weight in fact that I often forget that it's even there. As a result of this, like you I am finding that I am using my RMB far more than I originally intended. It's a dream to be able to carry something so light into conference rooms and impromptu meetings, the fact that it boots up instantly and connects to a Wi-Fi network in seconds is a major plus.

BJ
Click to expand...

For the reasons you just listed, I found that I use it to take notes and meetings more often than I originally intended. They keyboard clicks a little louder than I would have liked for these situations, but otherwise it's awesome.
 
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theturtle said:
Please help me with this pickle. I know its overplayed at this point but please have patience!

So I'm getting rid of my 2012 MacBook Pro Retina 15" 2.2.

Its extremely heavy and kind of hard to use in bed. The reason I held off on selling was because I'm one of those paranoid types where they think they'll need the machine for something in the future. I thought I would get into photo editing and video editing but after three years of having the machine, I have yet to do either. At this point, I think its time to accept that I won't be doing photo or video editing anytime soon. I tell myself that I need the HD webcam but in the past three years, I took 5 photobooth photos (all in the first month) and no FT calls as I use my phone. The only FT calls I do is FT audio which doesn't require a good camera. I told myself that I would need a dedicated GPU which was semi true as the first 4 months I went on a steam craze. Downloaded skyrim, sims 4, and a couple of other RPG's. I ended up playing skyrim and sims 4 the most but a few months later, I don't even log into bootcamp anymore.

Now, the things I use my laptop for are (and these are the things I use every day and don't get tired of doing): youtube in the background while I surf forums. I sometimes stream netflix. Do some documents and sometimes more streaming. And spotify.

I can't lie. The retina 15 was fast. I had the 2013 13" MacBook Pro Retina, a couple of regular macbook pros, a couple of airs, but the 15" by far was the fastest, which is understandable as its a quad core.

Will the rMB be able to handle my tasks with aplomb or should I go to a 13" rMBP.

One thing I do know that the rMB won't be able to do is USB drives, which I dont do often but still do sometimes, and HD comp to TV which again i don't do often but do sometimes, mostly on vacation. In situation like these, I have no problem buying a dongle.

Its just my primary uses I'm curious about if it can handle.
Click to expand...

I'm going to give you a real opinion. I've had the rMB since launch weekend, and I regret my purchase. I came from a 2014 11" Macbook Air. I have a 5k iMac at home, but spend half the month traveling. I bought the rMB with high hopes it'd be able to handle my minimally-intensive usage.

My usage is 90% Mail, Safari, Word, etc. I am in no way a power user. I don't use photoshop (except once in a blue moon), so I figured the under-performing Intel Core M processor would be sufficient.

The bottom line, I absolutely love the portability in every aspect. It's so thin, so light, so amazingly easy to carry. From my old MB Air 11", it's almost identical in size and weight (I even use the same neoprene case. The screen is gorgeous and I can't imagine going back to a Macbook Air now. The battery life is sufficient for my needs.

Now for the negative... it's borderline unusable because I'm so used to the performance of a Macbook Air (2014) with a capable processor. As I said, I'm not a power user, but I'm also someone who thinks in 2015 when you open Mail, it shouldn't need to bounce 2-3 times, and when you scroll through webpages it shouldn't be jerky. I thought the reviews initially stating the shortcomings of the Core M were overblown, but they're not. The experience coming from ANY other Mac laptop in the last 4 years is a disappointment (as I've owned just about all of them).

At this point I'm trying to just stick it out and hang in there until something new comes along. I feel like going 13" rMBP today is silly because I'd just be replacing it in 6-8 months when the next new laptop comes out (be it an improved rMB or a Skylake rMBP). The rMBP feels like a beast compared to the rMB, but when comparing, I look at it as the experience of the rMB is borderline intolerable in my opinion. You'll get lots of pushback when you post on here, because many of the people who are going to respond to your post have bought the rMB and are trying to continue to justify their post to you. Go into the rMBP forum, and post your question there. You'll find the answers to be biased toward rMBP, it's human nature, but you'll get the pros and cons on that product, and can valuate the opinions presented and make a choice.

For me, if I had to do-over, I would have stuck it out with my MBA for another 6-12 months until either rMB rev B, or a Skylake rMBP... I regret my purchase every time I go to use it.
 
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Dayv said:
With my 13" non-retina Macbook, I only took it to bed with me on rare occasions, but the new MB is so light that I find myself increasingly carrying it wherever I go in the house to use for iTunes, web browsing, or watching videos*, especially in bed.
Click to expand...
Sounds like a perfect scenario for the iPad.
 
shenan1982 said:
As I said, I'm not a power user, but I'm also someone who thinks in 2015 when you open Mail, it shouldn't need to bounce 2-3 times, and when you scroll through webpages it shouldn't be jerky. I thought the reviews initially stating the shortcomings of the Core M were overblown, but they're not.
Click to expand...
Your experience certainly isn't what every rMB user is seeing, in fact quite the opposite for basic app performance from what I've been reading.
 
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I just got delivery of my rMB and I have not experienced any of this long loading for Mail. It loaded instantly. Scrolling is smooth in Safari. This is the current OS, not the El Capitan beta.

I'm also a light user. I am coming from a 2013 rMBP (Still have it). I never really use the ports much, except for the rare occasion I need to transfer something using a USB drive. I can't say if it's underpowered or not. I don't use photoshop, or any CPU intensive editing apps. The most I use is the Photos app for importing.

My use case is mainly browsing, music, email, excel, movies (VLC). From others here, El Capitan seems to be promising that it will make Macs even more efficient and quick, a welcoming upgrade for the rMB.
 
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Wallabe said:
I just got delivery of my rMB and I have not experienced any of this long loading for Mail. It loaded instantly. Scrolling is smooth in Safari. This is the current OS, not the El Capitan beta.

I'm also a light user. I am coming from a 2013 rMBP (Still have it). I never really use the ports much, except for the rare occasion I need to transfer something using a USB drive. I can't say if it's underpowered or not. I don't use photoshop, or any CPU intensive editing apps. The most I use is the Photos app for importing.

My use case is mainly browsing, music, email, excel, movies (VLC). From others here, El Capitan seems to be promising that it will make Macs even more efficient and quick, a welcoming upgrade for the rMB.
Click to expand...

Mail with six accounts; Exchange, IMAP, SMTP opens for me on my 1.2 MacBook in exactly the same time as my 13" & 15" Retina MacBooK Pro`s, this is a typical workload where the Core M & new SSD will excel exploiting their "burst" nature, rMB`s not about big numbers, it`s about how they are applied.

VLC can be resource intensive, I switched to Movist on my portable Mac`s for it`s lower overhead on battery. 10.10.4 will bring optimisation to the OS and 10.11 will be a massive change to OS X with Apple hopefully fixing much of the underlying issues currently in OS X. I bought my MacBook for business purpose, so far it has yet to disappoint, even when running engineering X86 applications in an emulation layer.

The Retina MacBook is clearly not a "heavylifter" equally feed it the right software/applications and for a passively cooled Notebook it flies, "snappy" being the key word.

Enjoy your MacBook :)

Q-6
 
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rambler358 said:
Your experience certainly isn't what every rMB user is seeing, in fact quite the opposite for basic app performance from what I've been reading.
Click to expand...

You're reading comments by people who bought it. Basic human psychology is to reassure you that your purchase decision was the right one. It functions as a computer just fine, but anyone who went to a rMB from a rMBP or MB Air made since 2012 can't say it's an upgrade in performance. It's two steps back.
 
Queen6 said:
Mail with six accounts; Exchange, IMAP, SMTP opens for me on my 1.2 MacBook in exactly the same time as my 13" & 15" Retina MacBooK Pro`s, this is a typical workload where the Core M & new SSD will excel exploiting their "burst" nature, rMB`s not about big numbers, it`s about how they are applied.

VLC can be resource intensive, I switched to Movist on my portable Mac`s for it`s lower overhead on battery. 10.10.4 will bring optimisation to the OS and 10.11 will be a massive change to OS X with Apple hopefully fixing much of the underlying issues currently in OS X. I bought my MacBook for business purpose, so far it has yet to disappoint, even when running engineering X86 applications in an emulation layer.

The Retina MacBook is clearly not a "heavylifter" equally feed it the right software/applications and for a passively cooled Notebook it flies, "snappy" being the key word.

Enjoy your MacBook :)

Q-6
Click to expand...

Funny how you say mail functions just fine, and I say the opposite.

And IMO VLC functions just as well as any other laptop. Not sure why it wouldn't for you.
 
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