Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Do you NEED a Retina MacBook?

Do you NEED a Retina MacBook?

  • Yes, the things I do on my Mac REQUIRE Retina clarity

    Votes: 28 17.9%

  • No, but I got one anyway because its so pretty

    Votes: 76 48.7%

  • No, the classic MacBook is good enough for me

    Votes: 52 33.3%
  • Total voters
    156
KittyKatta

KittyKatta

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Feb 24, 2011
1,058
1,212
SoCal
Last month I was shopping for a new MacBook Pro but after playing with a rMBP for a few minutes in the store I impulsively bought it. And while I appreciate the amazing screen, I'm just not sure how important of a feature it is to me.

I have a DSLR and a few quality lenses but I'm not a pro so having that Retina Screen feels more like a novelty than a necessity which is why I'm feeling a bit guilty about overspending by $500 :D. But how about everyone else. Did you buy a Retina MacBook because you NEED it, or did you buy it simply because you wanted to. And if you did "need" a Retina screen, then what do you need it for?

Thanks
 
KittyKatta said:
Last month I was shopping for a new MacBook Pro but after playing with a rMBP for a few minutes in the store I impulsively bought it. And while I appreciate the amazing screen, I'm just not sure how important of a feature it is to me.

I have a DSLR and a few quality lenses but I'm not a pro so having that Retina Screen feels more like a novelty than a necessity which is why I'm feeling a bit guilty about overspending by $500 :D. But how about everyone else. Did you buy a Retina MacBook because you NEED it, or did you buy it simply because you wanted to. And if you did "need" a Retina screen, then what do you need it for?

Thanks
Click to expand...

I went with a cMBP.

Me, personally I didn't see that big of a difference with the Retina screen. I could however see a serious/professional photo editor needing a Retina instead of a cMBP, though.
 
I find the question absurd. Does anyone ever needs anything? 99% of the users on these forums could do all their work on a generic Dell, maybe besides the photo experts, who do need a good monitor. However, compared to a generic Dell the retina MBP makes my computing life so much easier and more enjoyable.
 
I don't think i need a retina but i thought and still thinks this will be standard some day in apple computers so why not buy it already.
The retina itself is a great improvement from all of the screen i saw today and it really help me from day to day to read and work on stuff.

the retina suppose to be the main feature in the rmbp but all the package itself is also great.
 
I need food, water, shelter, I do not need a computer, but since it helps me get things done, I opted for the retina MacBook Pro
 
On Apple's .edu store, the 15in base rMBP is only $300 more than the cMBP. For the $300 you get the better screen, double the RAM, and an SSD. For me I think that's well worth the $300 unless you need an optical drive. I can't see owning another computer without an SSD and 4GB of RAM so some of that $300 savings will be consumed by those upgrades. Might as well just get the beautiful screen too at that point.
 
Nobody needs a retina MBP and the great majority here don't need an Apple computer either. Let's not confuse "need" with "want badly enough to convince myself I need it".
 
Of course everyone is going to get smart and completely ignore the OP's question.

You all know what he meant.

I mean, why did you guys not spend 15K on a maxed out Mac Pro? I mean, you don't *need* it, but might as well have the best, right?
 
I would benefit from the retina in coding, but I dont need it. I need a very powerful server, that gives me thing that I really need, like money
 
I didn't 'need' a MacBook Pro with a Retina display but I got one because it was easier on my eyes. I could of been just fine with a classic MacBook Pro. I got the 2012 15" base model but upgraded RAM to 16gb from 8gb as I use VMFusion for Windows 7.
 
Had the retina. Couldn't justify the price I paid for it. Returned it. Got a 2012 cMBP, replaced the disk drive with an OWC SSD and it's even faster than the rMBP boot up time. Also got great speakers and a keyboard. All of it cost less than the rMBP.
 
I don't "need" retina, on a 15" display.

What I _do_ need is a hi-res display greater than the average 1440 by 900 that Apple includes as standard.

Therefore I bought CTO MPB in mid 2010 with a 1680-by-1050 high-resolution, antiglare display. It's a terrific display and being antiglare, it's usable for hours without eye fatigue. A great work machine.

Currently I'm using a 15" MBP retina. I bought it because I could, I wanted to see what all the hype was about, and to have a new experience.

Unlike those who act like it's an earth shattering, life changing experience, I'm not into those emotional dramatic claims. Yes, it's quite nice, but sitting side by side with my Mid 2010 MBP the difference is not so much that I cannot use anything but retina.

It's a matter of personal preference. Bottom line, Apple makes very nice laptops no matter what you chose.
 
I need it for photography stuff, mainly for ips screen and the possibility to use 1680x1050 work area in lightroom!
 
I chose the cMBP because I don't really need a Retina display at all and I value upgradability.
 
KittyKatta said:
I have a DSLR and a few quality lenses but I'm not a pro so having that Retina Screen feels more like a novelty than a necessity which is why I'm feeling a bit guilty about overspending by $500 :D
Click to expand...
Heck yes, another photographer! :) I wanted a MBP with a retina screen but was super disappointed when Apple chose to make it non-upgradeable. I'll take 16 GB for Aperture and Photoshop over 8 GB and a retina display any day. I already have a second, larger screen for photo editing, so the primary display isn't absolutely critical for me.

I know a lot of Apple enthusiasts talk about tossing $200 here and there to max out their computers straight from Apple, but quality lenses and camera upgrades aren't cheap. $500 gets me about a third of the way toward one of four ultimate lenses I'd love to shoot with... every little bit counts, and photography isn't exactly the cheapest hobby in the world, either!


Red Brilliance by Velocity of Sound, on Flickr
 
Somebody pointed out to me just a while ago in another thread that in a few years time the retina resolution will be the standard in most devices on the market. So your existing screen in a few years is going to be old school. What i gather from that is to preserve the value of your machine you might be better off to get a retina.

More $$$ when you sell it in a few years
 
rcanpolat said:
Somebody pointed out to me just a while ago in another thread that in a few years time the retina resolution will be the standard in most devices on the market. So your existing screen in a few years is going to be old school. What i gather from that is to preserve the value of your machine you might be better off to get a retina.

More $$$ when you sell it in a few years
Click to expand...

I understand where that line of logic is coming from but Apple stuff holds value very well anyway. Besides, don't you think you're better off basing your buying decisions on what you need now rather than what will happen when you don't need it anymore in a few years time?
 
0dev said:
I understand where that line of logic is coming from but Apple stuff holds value very well anyway. Besides, don't you think you're better off basing your buying decisions on what you need now rather than what will happen when you don't need it anymore in a few years time?
Click to expand...

I wouldn't do that. Imagine buying a machine with a gpu that can just handle this years games. Next year when a new 3d engine is released your machine is going to start loosing fps. Its important to future proof your machine (for a liberal amount of time at least)

We started hearing about 4k content this year, newer devices are having their pixel density increased (watch the phone and tablet devices) Its only a matter of time before higher res is pushed onto laptops. My ISP has increased speeds and dropped caps to make way for large hd content and 4k content and i would hope that in 3 -5 years the machine i bought can manage that content reasonably well. It would want to after spending all that money.

Of course the alternative is to buy a non retina machine now and in a lesser amount of time (say a year or two) sell it when it still holds a decent value and upgrade. Chances are retina will drop in price.

I plan to get a retina and i plan to work that machine for at least 5 years
 
rcanpolat said:
I wouldn't do that. Imagine buying a machine with a gpu that can just handle this years games. Next year when a new 3d engine is released your machine is going to start loosing fps. Its important to future proof your machine (for a liberal amount of time at least)

We started hearing about 4k content this year, newer devices are having their pixel density increased (watch the phone and tablet devices) Its only a matter of time before higher res is pushed onto laptops. My ISP has increased speeds and dropped caps to make way for large hd content and 4k content and i would hope that in 3 or 4 years the machine i bought can manage that content reasonably well. It would want to after spending all that money.

Of course the alternative is to buy a non retina machine now and in a lesser amount of time (say a year or two) sell it when it still holds a decent value and upgrade. Chances are retina will drop in price.

I plan to get a retina and i plan to work that machine for at least 5 years
Click to expand...

That's going to happen anyhow.
 
rcanpolat said:
I wouldn't do that. Imagine buying a machine with a gpu that can just handle this years games. Next year when a new 3d engine is released your machine is going to start loosing fps. Its important to future proof your machine (for a liberal amount of time at least)

We started hearing about 4k content this year, newer devices are having their pixel density increased (watch the phone and tablet devices) Its only a matter of time before higher res is pushed onto laptops. My ISP has increased speeds and dropped caps to make way for large hd content and 4k content and i would hope that in 3 -5 years the machine i bought can manage that content reasonably well. It would want to after spending all that money.

Of course the alternative is to buy a non retina machine now and in a lesser amount of time (say a year or two) sell it when it still holds a decent value and upgrade. Chances are retina will drop in price.

I plan to get a retina and i plan to work that machine for at least 5 years
Click to expand...

Futureproofing is exactly why I chose the cMBP: because it's far more upgradable. Technically you can crack open the Retina and upgrade stuff (aside from the RAM) but good luck doing that without breaking anything. I want to know that in a few years time I can easily replace the HD, RAM, and other components should I need to.

In fact, upgradability is also very important for the used market. Generally speaking a computer that's a few years old but easy to upgrade is worth more than a computer of the same age which is more locked down.

But hey, as long as you're happy with the computer you got that's what matters. I just don't think putting resale value above all else is advisable, and even if that is your line of thought, I don't think the rMBP is your best option. But that's just my opinion :)
 
0dev said:
Futureproofing is exactly why I chose the cMBP: because it's far more upgradable. Technically you can crack open the Retina and upgrade stuff (aside from the RAM) but good luck doing that without breaking anything. I want to know that in a few years time I can easily replace the HD, RAM, and other components should I need to.

In fact, upgradability is also very important for the used market. Generally speaking a computer that's a few years old but easy to upgrade is worth more than a computer of the same age which is more locked down.

But hey, as long as you're happy with the computer you got that's what matters. I just don't think putting resale value above all else is advisable, and even if that is your line of thought, I don't think the rMBP is your best option. But that's just my opinion :)
Click to expand...

One thing to note (you should read steve jobs book) According to the company Mac's should be made with no serviceable parts by users and it seems apple are going back to that idea again. I really noticed it with the first aluminium macbook. They want to keep people out of the machine. Just look at any apple product. ipods, iphones, mac etc... they are getting harder and harder to open!

Thats just Apple for you! The idea is to sell a product that the user can just use not worry about ram upgrades or drive swapping or soldering (good luck with soldering today lol) Its a good idea and an awful idea. For the hardware hacker inside all of us we want to be able to crack open the machine and see how it works but for the company they want a seamless experience for the user because to a global market who are generally not geeks they want to sell a product that the user feels its so dam good it doesn't need to be opened and fiddled with. Same for the OS. Look at iOS vs Android. iOS is idiot proof, android has a lot more geek straight out of the box.

If you want a serviceable machine get a dell and hackintosh it
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back