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Well I should've explained it more. What I quoted was from an ongoing conversation with him on the pros and cons on the rMB and MBA.

Still my point was that different people have different needs. A blanket statement that the rMB is "not worth it" vs a MBA is myopic and ignorant.

I once spent an hour with one of the users I support at my firm as he went back and forth between two different laptop choices we were giving him, and it was over 3/4 of a pound difference between the two. He wanted the lightest laptop he could get his hands on. Some people, once they have used a retina display simply cannot stand to use a standard display again.

Apple clearly saw enough return on this laptop to update it a year after introducing it. If not, they would have altered it or discontinued it. So there is a market out there for it.
 
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Not sure why anyone would buy this over the air, guess for the screen but this is only for light casual usage.. This thing even stutters watching streaming video on youtube..

I've been wanting to buy a 12" MacBook since October and been waiting patiently for the update before pulling the trigger. I ordered mine as soon as it was released and can't wait to get my hands on it.

Why buy it over an Air?
Mainly:
- Silent operation (coming from a HP laptop that sounds like a jet taking off, it means a lot to me)
- Size and weight (currently travelling and will be for the foreseeable future so any weight saving makes a difference)
- Retina display (absolute deal breaker)
- I very rarely do any processor intensive stuff, but opted for the 1.3 GHz to be safe.
- It's a stunning looking machine in my opinion.

All in all it's exactly what I require from a laptop at the moment, the thing about the ports is absolutely not an issue for me, I also like the keyboard etc basically the only downside is the price... But I've wanted a MacBook since 2012 and my current laptop is a 2008 HP noisey, overheating piece of crap so I figured I'd treat myself!

I guess I'm the target audience, rather than those who want the power and ports. Here's hoping WWDC brings the redesigned Pros that will satisfy them :)

Hope it'll be worth the wait and cost cause I've been waiting a long time!
 
I have the 1.2ghz model from last yr and it does not stutter at all. It plays 4k videos on youtube great. Best computer i've ever had, but I wouldn't recommend it to others as their needs are different from mine. I'll steer them towards the 13in rmbp.


How does it do with using handbrake converting 1080p content?

Had a quick check ...11-inch/13-inch MBA is slightly faster than the 12-inch
 
One thing I will say is now running Windows 10 in Parallels actually is feasible. Found it horrid on the 2015 unit...This 1.2Ghz 2016 unit it's usable. Sure it ain't an i7 rMBP but....now it's a capable feature.
 
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I use mine for iOS and web dev lately. So.... I had problems at first but I haven't had a problem with my macbook in like 6 months it even works with my HUGE high res dell monitor at home.
 
It definitely has a market. I have an iMac as a primary with an age-old first generation aluminium body MBP. The rMB fits nicely as a backup for lighter loads and travel, as would the MBA but I want it physically light as possible and don't need masses of ports that I would hardly use. Sure the price high and I was holding out for this update but alas, still no HD FT camera, so no go this time round.
 
Ok, I need a little more help. Trying to decide between last year's 1.2Ghz with 512GB storage (refurbished) vs the new 1.1Ghz with 256GB. They are roughly the same price with the refurbished being a little less. Would last year's step-up processor outpace or match the performance of this year's base model?

Recommendations?
 
Retina screen isn't worth the more expensive, less powered computer that Apple is offering. Air's screen is fine for what it does, and given that it's a beast of a machine with an amazing battery life, I'll take that trade any day of the week.

The screen in the Air is an old TN type display. Unacceptable for processing photos if you care about results. It has a narrow horizontal viewing angle, and what's far worse, is the contrast varies greatly as the display is moved just a few degrees vertically. That's a characteristic of all TN panels.

The screen in the retina MB is an IPS display that doesn't suffer from the above issue. Far far better if you're picky about the images you view. If you're a photographer who cares about color and consistent contrast it is definitely worth it.
 
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Not sure why anyone would buy this over the air, guess for the screen but this is only for light casual usage.. This thing even stutters watching streaming video on youtube..

You should get a better internet connection. Have used several retina MBs and they play youtube videos fine, without stuttering.
 
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I think the staff need to learn to love their products. A few months after the watch came out and I had one from the beginning, I convinced my spouse to try one on when we had to buy another MacBook Pro for a family members. When we asked a staff after I paid for the MacBook about the Apple Watch to show us one so that my spouse could try that on, he gave me a look and made a face that he did not care for it. Saying something like "Apple Watch.. really??" That alone stopped my spouse to want to try one since he thought he would not care for it. I was amazed why this guy was hired in the first place.

I went to the Apple Store yesterday because my iPhone 6 plus had the horrible glitch of not registering any touch on the screen unless I turned the phone on/off. Well, I asked the employee there what his thoughts were on the MacBook. "Waste of money - just get the spec'd out MacBook Air 13" for less than $1200."

EDIT: By spec'd out, he meant everything except the storage, which can be upgraded separately whenever you want to 1TB.
 
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Not sure why anyone would buy this over the air, guess for the screen but this is only for light casual usage.. This thing even stutters watching streaming video on youtube..
There was a brief period between the 2010 MacBook Air refresh and the 2012 MacBook Pro with Retina display introduction, when you could actually recommend the Air. But now?
 
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Not sure why anyone would buy this over the air, guess for the screen but this is only for light casual usage.. This thing even stutters watching streaming video on youtube..
you know that current generation outperform at everything the macbook air (except gpu) so why you choose, beside the price the Macbook air?
[doublepost=1461268800][/doublepost]GUYS ! stop with macbook air vs this. people who already have the new Macbook with m5 already post that these m5 cpu are better than any i5 from macbook air, faster ram. the igpu is a bit slower than the air but that it
 
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I'm definitely not the target market, I just find it funny how you can now have your full rose gold gettup going with the rMB, iPhone, iPad and Beats headphones. How fashionable.
 
I went to the Apple Store yesterday because my iPhone 6 plus had the horrible glitch of not registering any touch on the screen unless I turned the phone on/off. Well, I asked the employee there what his thoughts were on the MacBook. "Waste of money - just get the spec'd out MacBook Air 13" for less than $1200."

EDIT: By spec'd out, he meant everything except the storage, which can be upgraded separately whenever you want to 1TB.

That employee has probably been found hanging on a MagSafe cable or "accidentally" choked on an iPod Shuffle after sharing that opinion with you ;)
 
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If I had to get one it would be in gold and used off eBay that is near mint condition for around $900.
 
Didn't think it looked terrible......Would I have bought one if they didn't have the space/light grey in stock? Ahaha. No.
 
Love this computer. Just wished it started at $999. Too pricey for me. Maybe in another year it will go down
 
Agree, but that screen is really horrid in these days. The problem is perhaps not the screen per se, but if you have a retina device being an iPhone or iPad or android with high res display than you notice the difference straight away and can't go back.
I have a 5K iMac sitting right next to a non-retina iMac (late 2012 model) at work. The pixels are glaringly large on the non-retina screen. Before I started using the 5K one I didn't notice the pixels but now I see them every time. I wouldn't go back to a non-retina screen.
 
If the Air was retina I'd be all over it against the Macbook, simply from a performance perspective. If anyone is even vaguely interested ....

 
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