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Current rMBP, worth buying now?

L

Lifter7

macrumors newbie
Original poster
I will not be able to get the next haswell pro. Period. Out of my hands due to region specifications, and needing a laptop immediately within a week.

I'm looking for something to last me 4-5 years? I was considering this 13 inch rMBP or the baseline 2013 air(( cannot upgrade ram too for same reason above). Not sure what to do..😕

I'll be using it for engineering, and will run windows on it via bootcamp.
 
Lifter7 said:
I will not be able to get the next haswell pro. Period. Out of my hands due to region specifications, and needing a laptop immediately within a week.

I'm looking for something to last me 4-5 years? I was considering this 13 inch rMBP or the baseline 2013 air(( cannot upgrade ram too for same reason above). Not sure what to do..😕

I'll be using it for engineering, and will run windows on it via bootcamp.
Click to expand...

I can't give you any answers to your questions, other than I just ordered the baseline 13" rMBP and it should be here next week. From my thread on this same issue, it sounds like we will be fine.
 
Lifter7 said:
I will not be able to get the next haswell pro. Period. Out of my hands due to region specifications, and needing a laptop immediately within a week.

I'm looking for something to last me 4-5 years? I was considering this 13 inch rMBP or the baseline 2013 air(( cannot upgrade ram too for same reason above). Not sure what to do..😕

I'll be using it for engineering, and will run windows on it via bootcamp.
Click to expand...


Personally, if I had to decided between the CURRENT 13 inch air and pro. I would go for the air with 256 SSD and 8gb ram (upgrade)
 
Lifter7 said:
I will not be able to get the next haswell pro. Period. Out of my hands due to region specifications, and needing a laptop immediately within a week.

I'm looking for something to last me 4-5 years? I was considering this 13 inch rMBP or the baseline 2013 air(( cannot upgrade ram too for same reason above). Not sure what to do..😕

I'll be using it for engineering, and will run windows on it via bootcamp.
Click to expand...

If you are waiting for Haswell for the faster GPU it won't make any difference for every day life computing. I have seen a current generation 15" rMPB running OS X 10.9 and in terms of safari scrolling and UI lag it is a huge jump, and all this using the integrated (Intel HD 4000) GPU.

There will be longer battery life and faster SSD (PCI Express vs SATA), but in terms of CPU and GPU, both machines (current ivy bridge and future haswell-based) will last you the same (running OS X Mavericks 10.9).

Only when people make heavy use of AVX2, which will take a lot of time, Haswell will be able to really show some CPU gains...

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skirmisser said:
If you are waiting for Haswell for the faster GPU it won't make any difference for every day life computing. I have seen a current generation 15" rMPB running OS X 10.9 and in terms of safari scrolling and UI lag it is a huge jump, and all this using the integrated (Intel HD 4000) GPU.

There will be longer battery life and faster SSD (PCI Express vs SATA), but in terms of CPU and GPU, both machines (current ivy bridge and future haswell-based) will last you the same (running OS X Mavericks 10.9).

Only when people make heavy use of AVX2, which will take a lot of time, Haswell will be able to really show some CPU gains...
Click to expand...

Forgot to mention that Haswell-based rMBPs will probably have 801.11ac, but not sure how important is that to you...
 
I'd buy it used. There are plenty of stock of current gen models. You'll save a ton of money.

You'll always be out of date for every model. If you plan on using it for the next 4-5 years. This current model will last you fine.
 
What are you using to post on this website? Don't tell me it's your iPhone. 😛

I'm sure there is a computer you can use to do whatever work you have to do. It's only less than 2 weeks. Only a few days ago you posted you're waiting for Haswell to compare. Don't be impatient. Heck, use someone else's computer.
 
hachiman said:
What are you using to post on this website? Don't tell me it's your iPhone. 😛

I'm sure there is a computer you can use to do whatever work you have to do. It's only less than 2 weeks. Only a few days ago you posted you're waiting for Haswell to compare. Don't be impatient. Heck, use someone else's computer.
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It won't be available to buy where I live till January, and most likely it will be much more over priced than normal.

Probably going with current rMBP though, still deciding whether it, Air, or cMBP. Man I've to do a decision in 2 days, and it's killing me. :X
 
If you need one now, buy one now, of course. I did exactly that about 10 days ago.

Whatever your requirements may be, a 13" rMBP (especially with 16GB of DRAM) will meet those requirements for one to three years longer than a 13" MBA will. I definitely wouldn't touch a cMBP.
 
mcarling said:
If you need one now, buy one now, of course. I did exactly that about 10 days ago.

Whatever your requirements may be, a 13" rMBP (especially with 16GB of DRAM) will meet those requirements for one to three years longer than a 13" MBA will. I definitely wouldn't touch a cMBP.
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You can't get the 13" rMBP with 16GB of RAM currently :-(
 
^ Lmao.

Both the MBA and rMBP will last you 5+ years. Don't listen to some of the clowns on these forums saying you have to upgrade every 2-3 years or your machine will be obsolete.
 
If we don't get more rumors about the MBP by Tuesday morning or noon, it isn't happening this month and has been set for 2014, in which case a refurbished Ivy Bridge it is.

Funny how the refurbished macs barely have a discount.
 
Lifter7 said:
I will not be able to get the next haswell pro. Period. Out of my hands due to region specifications, and needing a laptop immediately within a week.

I'm looking for something to last me 4-5 years? I was considering this 13 inch rMBP or the baseline 2013 air(( cannot upgrade ram too for same reason above). Not sure what to do..😕

I'll be using it for engineering, and will run windows on it via bootcamp.
Click to expand...

I've been learning between the two myself for a long time. My own conclusion is....I'd go with rMBP PERIOD. Better screen and performance over all. The weight isn't that much different.
 
Haswell based MBA 13" is cheaper than 13" non haswell based rMBP and I am sure it will suit to your needs but I have no idea if it will last 4 to 5 years? :apple:
 
im typing this on my new 13 rmbp 8gb,256gb model and i love it. i upgraded from the first gen macbook back in 06'. and for 1200$ ...no complaints at all. the screen is gorgeous
 
Fry's was blowing them out last month, which made them an excellent value. I got a brand new 13" rmbp 8/256G for $1250.
 
Lifter7 said:
I will not be able to get the next haswell pro. Period. Out of my hands due to region specifications, and needing a laptop immediately within a week.

I'm looking for something to last me 4-5 years? I was considering this 13 inch rMBP or the baseline 2013 air(( cannot upgrade ram too for same reason above). Not sure what to do..😕

I'll be using it for engineering, and will run windows on it via bootcamp.
Click to expand...

If you can't get the about-to-be-released MBP, I would go for the 13" rMBP. As far as mobility goes, the difference is inconsequential to me. The screen, though, is another story. Retina is what I'd rather be looking at over the next 4 to 5 years.
 
None of us know when the Haswell rMBPs will be released. 15 October is the next plausible date, which I understood to be within the OP's time window. We don't know whether or not the 13" Haswell rMBP will be offered with a 16GB option.

Even comparing the 13" Haswell MBA and 13" Ivy Bridge rMBP, the latter has a performance advantage equivalent to one or two years of progress.

I currently own a 2010 15" MBP (8GB/128GB), a 2011 13" MBA (4GB/256GB), and an early 2013 15" rMBP (16GB/512GB). Given the OP's desire to keep the machine 4-5 years, I would strongly recommend the 13" Ivy Bridge rMBP over the 13" Haswell MBA. However, I would wait to see what, if anything, may be introduced on 15 October.
 
I'd pick the 13'' MBA. It is no slouch, sure its not as powerful as a rMBP, but the battery and portability will make you fall in love with it. Who knows, by the time you need a new laptop, the profile of that 13'' Air may become the new Macbook Air Retina.
 
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