Brief review of 13" rBMP

[dubels]

You completly missed the point of the review. He just thought I was too thin for his taste.

Thank to the OP for the brief review

Don't think I missed the fact that the OP bought a "slim" laptop from a store where he has the opportunity to test it out and play with it and then complains that it is too thin...

When I spend that much money on anything I would tend to inspect the product and consider the obvious things first like: lack of optical drive, thin form factor, and small storage. If these things won't fit my needs then move on to another product that can, Mac or Windows. You don't buy a product knowing that it wont fit your needs then complain that the company wont make one to exactly fit your needs. If the product doesn't work for you then look at other options.

Issues like lag in the graphics, ghosting, and other issues that are not blatantly apparent by looking at the item and advertising materials are valid concerns. But don't go out and by a Morgan 3 Wheeler and complain that Morgan didn't include the 4th wheel like all the other normal cars out there.

 

[foodle]

Since you seem so fond of complaining about ad hominem arguments, let's talk about your actual complaints ...

The price is exorbitant - a complete rip-off. In normal use it doesn't feel any faster (or "snappier") than the cMBP (granted, 16 GB of RAM in the cMBP vs. 8 in the rMBP).

Just because it's not faster, doesn't mean it's a ripoff. The machine has a higher resolution screen, is lighter, and smaller than the 13" cMBP. You have issues with those advantages, so we'll handle them below ...

The body of it feels flimsy - reminds me of why I dislike the Air the so much - I keep waiting to tap right through the keyboard while typing. There IS such a thing as "too thin" - and this is on the wrong side of that line.

Your complaint is just a subjective opinion. Obviously many many people don't agree with you about it being too thin, given the number of people (myself included) who have bought MBAs which are even thinner.

I'm also one of those who actually does upgrade my laptop - and the utter lack of expansion capability is a huge turnoff.

You can upgrade the SSD. As for the other parts, you knew they were not upgradeable when you bought the machine. This is akin to complaining that your Ferrari can't hold enough luggage. The only thing that is not upgradable is the memory, as no laptop will let you upgrade the CPU (except the gaming machines that use socketed desktop CPUs).

As for the weight difference? Insignificant.

Again, subjective opinion. The rMBP reduces the weight of the cMBP by 20% from 4.5 pounds to 3.57 pounds. The nearly pound reduction is significant to some people (again myself included).

In fact, it'd probably be a bigger PITA to live and travel with because you'd have to carry an external drive around to keep all your files on, as well as an external Superdrive - either of which completely defeat the purpose of having an all-in-one laptop. I'm travelling next week for work, and will take it with me as a double-check, but don't hold your breath.

Why do I need an external drive? The SSD is plenty big for most people's work files. Music and video files maybe not, but you can stream them down from a cloud service if you don't want to carry an external drive. Otherwise an external HDD is not that heavy and it's not something you need to carry around everywhere when travelling. Put in luggage. Leave in hotel room.

Why do you need a super drive? And even if you do, it stays in your luggage, not carried with you every second of the day. The Superdrive only weighs .74 pounds. To quote you, this is an "insignificant" weight delta to your luggage.

It is nice having an HDMI port, because my wife and I have a TV with an HDMI input as well as the requisite cable. But when my son asked if he could watch a movie on it, he was more than a bit bemused to learn it didn't have an optical drive. And, of course, neither of us could get all our files on it, given the 256 GB storage limit.

Did your son want to watch every movie you own on it? I doubt the one movie he wanted to watch was 256GB in size.

We'll see - so far, I'm not impressed. I'm not sure Steve Jobs would have let it out of the factory - I think he would have appreciated the engineering achievement but failed it for costing too much.

Please return it so someone else can buy a nice new refurb.

And this constant refrain about whether Steve would have approved of product X that you have a complaint about is getting old. First off, it shows a complete lack of understanding of how products are developed in the computing/electronics business. Products are in the research/development/manufacturing pipeline for multiple years. Everything you see coming from Apple was likely seen by Steve Jobs before he died.

Second, this shows a complete lack of respect for Steve Jobs and his co-workers. That you would presume to know more about what Steve would or would not have done than people who were his co-workers and friends for decades is the height of arrogance and presumptuousness.

 

[yanksrock100]

It seems like the 13 rMBP is not the computer for you, but this should have been obvious from reading the spec list....
Considering this, why did you buy it?

 

[Purant]

Don't think I missed the fact that the OP bought a "slim" laptop from a store where he has the opportunity to test it out and play with it and then complains that it is too thin...

When I spend that much money on anything I would tend to inspect the product and consider the obvious things first like: lack of optical drive, thin form factor, and small storage. If these things won't fit my needs then move on to another product that can, Mac or Windows. You don't buy a product knowing that it wont fit your needs then complain that the company wont make one to exactly fit your needs. If the product doesn't work for you then look at other options.

Issues like lag in the graphics, ghosting, and other issues that are not blatantly apparent by looking at the item and advertising materials are valid concerns. But don't go out and by a Morgan 3 Wheeler and complain that Morgan didn't include the 4th wheel like all the other normal cars out there.

The thing is... Apple no longer makes Laptops that some people want.

I want a laptop with OSX. I enjoyed my really old macbook pro. But especially the 13" rmbp is of no interest to me. I want a laptop that's a powerhouse. That's what the MBP line was supposed to be. It should be power/functionality first, form second. But Apple is recently taking form over function to a ridiculous level (apparent in the new iMacs as well). The 15" rMBP barely fits the bill of a powerhouse, but the rMBP 13" feels more like... Macbook Air+ (a laptop where form over function was the whole reason it was built). I never liked the airs.

So yeah, I can see how the OP could have gone "oh what the hell I might as well try it", since the laptop he really wants doesn't really exist...

 

[dubels]

The thing is... Apple no longer makes Laptops that some people want.
(snip)
So yeah, I can see how the OP could have gone "oh what the hell I might as well try it", since the laptop he really wants doesn't really exist...

I can see that argument but the OP loves to compare the rMBP to the cMBP which he seems to love to say is adequate for his needs...

What are you looking for that the current line doesn't have. Yes the regular pros don't have retina screens but they are great machines. I don't think the rMBP was ever meant to be a powerhouse. The retina line is supposed to be a middle ground between an Air and a regular laptop. Yes it carries a hefty price tag but Apple is hoping that those who they are targeting would pay a premium for a smaller 13 inch or 15 inch laptop. Seeing as how this is Apple's first run at the retina screen on laptops I can't see how we can demand them to meet everyone of our needs, not like they will as it is Apple after all. That way the laptop market is so profitable, consumers really have no option of building their own regardless of OS. People in the market for non-AIO desktops you could just build your own.

 

[OatmealRocks]

Well, just for the experience I went and bought one yesterday - the 13" with 256 GB SSD, one of the only models they actually stock. The usual nice packaging, store experience was fine, etc.

And:

It's nice. Really. The retina screen is fine. Nicer than the one on my son's 13" cMBP? In some respects, yes, though not as bright. There's a tiny bit of lag while scrolling - though you have to watch for it. And no ghosting yet.

However: The price is exorbitant - a complete rip-off. In normal use it doesn't feel any faster (or "snappier") than the cMBP (granted, 16 GB of RAM in the cMBP vs. 8 in the rMBP). The body of it feels flimsy - reminds me of why I dislike the Air the so much - I keep waiting to tap right through the keyboard while typing. There IS such a thing as "too thin" - and this is on the wrong side of that line. I'm also one of those who actually does upgrade my laptop - and the utter lack of expansion capability is a huge turnoff.

As for the weight difference? Insignificant. In fact, it'd probably be a bigger PITA to live and travel with because you'd have to carry an external drive around to keep all your files on, as well as an external Superdrive - either of which completely defeat the purpose of having an all-in-one laptop. I'm travelling next week for work, and will take it with me as a double-check, but don't hold your breath.

It is nice having an HDMI port, because my wife and I have a TV with an HDMI input as well as the requisite cable. But when my son asked if he could watch a movie on it, he was more than a bit bemused to learn it didn't have an optical drive. And, of course, neither of us could get all our files on it, given the 256 GB storage limit.

Looks fine, screen is nice, totally not worth the money - it gives you nothing that the cMBP doesn't already do, unless an HDMI port is that big a deal - and there are adapters out there for mini-DP to HDMI . . . for a lot less than $1899. What I'll most likely end up doing is returning the rMBP in favor of a 13" i7 and swapping the 8 GB RAM for 16 GB (aftermarket).

We'll see - so far, I'm not impressed. I'm not sure Steve Jobs would have let it out of the factory - I think he would have appreciated the engineering achievement but failed it for costing too much.

[EDIT] I've noticed that it uses 768 MB of RAM for VRAM, compared to 512 MB in my son's 13". I've also not noticed a problem with IR or with scrolling.

Resolution on the old 13" is just too low. If you can deal with that go for it.

 

[Lukewarmwinner]

Since you seem so fond of complaining about ad hominem arguments, let's talk about your actual complaints ...



Just because it's not faster, doesn't mean it's a ripoff. The machine has a higher resolution screen, is lighter, and smaller than the 13" cMBP. You have issues with those advantages, so we'll handle them below ...



Your complaint is just a subjective opinion. Obviously many many people don't agree with you about it being too thin, given the number of people (myself included) who have bought MBAs which are even thinner.



You can upgrade the SSD. As for the other parts, you knew they were not upgradeable when you bought the machine. This is akin to complaining that your Ferrari can't hold enough luggage. The only thing that is not upgradable is the memory, as no laptop will let you upgrade the CPU (except the gaming machines that use socketed desktop CPUs).



Again, subjective opinion. The rMBP reduces the weight of the cMBP by 20% from 4.5 pounds to 3.57 pounds. The nearly pound reduction is significant to some people (again myself included).



Why do I need an external drive? The SSD is plenty big for most people's work files. Music and video files maybe not, but you can stream them down from a cloud service if you don't want to carry an external drive. Otherwise an external HDD is not that heavy and it's not something you need to carry around everywhere when travelling. Put in luggage. Leave in hotel room.

Why do you need a super drive? And even if you do, it stays in your luggage, not carried with you every second of the day. The Superdrive only weighs .74 pounds. To quote you, this is an "insignificant" weight delta to your luggage.




Did your son want to watch every movie you own on it? I doubt the one movie he wanted to watch was 256GB in size.



Please return it so someone else can buy a nice new refurb.

And this constant refrain about whether Steve would have approved of product X that you have a complaint about is getting old. First off, it shows a complete lack of understanding of how products are developed in the computing/electronics business. Products are in the research/development/manufacturing pipeline for multiple years. Everything you see coming from Apple was likely seen by Steve Jobs before he died.

Second, this shows a complete lack of respect for Steve Jobs and his co-workers. That you would presume to know more about what Steve would or would not have done than people who were his co-workers and friends for decades is the height of arrogance and presumptuousness.

Wow, playing defense much? I really liked the subjective review ( it kinda had to be subjective right? - the objective ones isn't really a review).

But agree how the Jobs-thing is getting old and thin. Who knows how much he actually did/saw during his last years.

Hopefully the OP will return his machine and buy a better one, fitted his needs - if Apple even makes that kind

 

[Kinsella]

I find it strange to read several comments stating that nobody would need more than 256GB storage in a laptop.

I currently own a 2010 13" MBP, and have replaced the optical drive with a 1TB Western Digital HDD, and the stock HDD with a 256 GB SSD. Combined, I have taken up 350GB of the available storage and anticipate adding much more in the near future.

I work outside home/office regularly, and often have to cross reference my files. It's much more preferable not to have to bring an external HD with me all the time. Of course I could manage to do so, but my current set-up suits me much better.

As a result, the rMBP is not for me, and won't be for the foreseeable future. The ability for the consumer to personally and dramatically increase the cMBP's storage capacity and RAM, at a much cheaper rate than that offered by Apple with the rMBP, makes it a very attractive laptop; 13" or 15".

The rMBP screen is stunning of course. Decreasing the size and weight of the laptop are also attractive but not, for me at least, sufficient to convince me to give up my current storage capacity levels.

It probably won't be too long before retina is the standard screen on all PCs. Given that flash/SSD storage is currently available for less than $1 per GB, one can only hope that Apple will soon greatly reduce their prices. The base 13" rMBP with the 768GB flashdrive is currently €3,129 where I am. That's with absolutely no other additional extras. Insane pricing. My current laptop, even after HD and RAM upgrades, cost approx. €1,500. And it's more than adequate for my needs.

The rMBP is, visually, a stunning computer in every sense. I look forward to a time when its internal configurations markedly improve and its price dramatically decreases.

 

[2298754]

I'm not surprised OP is returning the 13inch rMBP. Apple made a lot of dumb decisions with it. No discrete GPU, price, no quad core processors, and max ram is only 8gb.

Two of my friends were patiently waiting for the 13inch, especially after I was showing them my 15inch. After the announcement, one went to an Air and one bumped up to the 15inch. Once you're already spending almost $2k on a laptop, spending a little bit more on the 15inch shouldn't be a big deal.

 

[Naimfan]

I find it strange to read several comments stating that nobody would need more than 256GB storage in a laptop.


The rMBP is, visually, a stunning computer in every sense. I look forward to a time when its internal configurations markedly improve and its price dramatically decreases.

I agree with Kinsella - particularly the two sections above. I travel a lot, and I have about 400 GB of data on my hard drive. I'm not willing to carry a separate USB external drive - that, to me, defeats the purpose of having an all-in-one device in the first place. Ditto for the optical drive - most of my work prohibits me from using thumb drives, and data is transferred via burned DVDs. And most people would rather have all their data on one machine - and not have to lug around an external drive (especially when you often work in areas with no wifi, obviating the use of the cloud - which most people don't even know exists, let alone use).

Of course it's a subjective opinion - that's all anyone can offer. In my view, the price relative to performance is an enormous step backwards - 128 GB for $1599 (government/military discount) is obscene profit-taking by Apple. Limiting it to 8 GB RAM is also a mistake. Removing ethernet was yet another mistake - I'm required to use it for security purposes on some of my contracts, and any competent IT security person knows wifi is nowhere near as secure as a wired network (and I refuse to use a thunderbolt to ethernet adapter - just leave ethernet on it).

The screen is nice, but there's nothing that I can't do on the screen of a cMBP or an Air that I can do the retina.

Finally, I'm concerned with where Apple is headed - things can only be made so thin, and Apple has turned form follows function on its head - function is now being (severely) limited by form.

So in summary, nice computer, shame on Apple re the price and value.