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Does the decrease in weight between the non-rMBP & rMBP make a sig. difference?

W

wineandcarbs

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 2, 2008
904
137
In your opinion, especially if you've gone from an older, non-retina MBP to the rMBP, does the difference in weight (approx 1.something lbs IIRC) make a significant difference?

I commute by car, however I carry my laptop to work a lot and once I am in the building I often have to carry the laptop from room to room, floor to floor (as opposed to just from car to office).

Did you find the change in weight that significant?
 
beyondthesmile said:
In your opinion, especially if you've gone from an older, non-retina MBP to the rMBP, does the difference in weight (approx 1.something lbs IIRC) make a significant difference?

I commute by car, however I carry my laptop to work a lot and once I am in the building I often have to carry the laptop from room to room, floor to floor (as opposed to just from car to office).

Did you find the change in weight that significant?
Click to expand...

I went from a 17" MBP to a 13" MBA and I noticed a difference in weight
 
I switched from a 3 pound Asus Vivobook to my 4.5 pound 2011 MBP. I don't notice the difference at all.
 
Well the difference between the 15" and 13" rMBP is only 1 pound, and everyone here seems to think the difference in portability is a fairly large one so I would assume so.
 
beyondthesmile said:
In your opinion, especially if you've gone from an older, non-retina MBP to the rMBP, does the difference in weight (approx 1.something lbs IIRC) make a significant difference?

I commute by car, however I carry my laptop to work a lot and once I am in the building I often have to carry the laptop from room to room, floor to floor (as opposed to just from car to office).

Did you find the change in weight that significant?
Click to expand...

Went from 15" 2012 cMBP to 15" late 2013 rMBP. The weight difference is huge. Weight-wise it's essentially going from a 15"cMBP to a 13" cMBP.

According to specs, if you are going from a 13" cMBP, to a 15" rMBP, you won't see a difference at all.
 
I have both a 13" cMBP and a 13" rMBP. I don't notice the difference on a day to day basis, but now that I think about it, my backpack doesn't seem to be as weighed down as it used to. The thinness of the rMBP also makes a difference for me. It's a great computer!
 
For the 15", it is very noticeable when you are holding it. However, in a backpack you won't notice much of a difference.
 
For the 15" I felt like you notice it the first few times but than it fades. In the long run you adjust to either weight without really feeling any difference. It is still heavy. It is a bit lighter but still has the similar feel in weight.
The difference is definitely there in direct comparison but not really noticable in everyday use after you adjust, IMO
 
Thanks all! This was really helpful. I made the mistake of not specifying the specific models I was referring to (both 13" in my case). The replies were still really useful though. Most appreciated :)
 
Having used both a regular and Retina 13" MacBook Pro extensively, I have to say I definitely notice the difference between the two computers. For starters, the newer one is thinner and has a smaller footprint. On paper this may not seem like much, but when you hold it in your hand having a smaller computer will give you the perception that the computer is lighter.

Of course the computer is actually lighter, so combine with the feeling in your mind that the computer is lighter (due to the smaller size), there is a substantial difference in heft.

Short version: On paper it looks very close, but in reality you'll notice the difference especially if you're used to the older one.
 
Even a pound or two can make a big difference when carrying it around all day from office to office and floor to floor, especially if you use the stairs. The added weight can help you burn more calories and increase muscle size.
 
13 retina is 1.5kg, and 15 retina is 2kg. There is a difference, noticeable.
I've put a speck case on my 13 retina and that added extra 0.3kg onto it. I can even feel the difference between macbook with and without the speck case.

of course 13" is much more portable, but I used to carry my 15" around the airports etc and because it is onlu 2kgs it wasn't that much of a hassle, apart from the larger footprint.
 
beyondthesmile said:
In your opinion, especially if you've gone from an older, non-retina MBP to the rMBP, does the difference in weight (approx 1.something lbs IIRC) make a significant difference?

I commute by car, however I carry my laptop to work a lot and once I am in the building I often have to carry the laptop from room to room, floor to floor (as opposed to just from car to office).

Did you find the change in weight that significant?
Click to expand...

Yes. I went from a 15" "classic" MBP to the 15" rMBP, and it's night and day.
 
I notice the difference between a cMBP and a rMBP. I went from a 13 MBA to my new 13 rMBP and there is some difference. However, whenever I compare my rMBP to my wife's 13 cMBP it is a significant difference.
 
Thanks so much everyone! I think I'm going with a new rMBP. Good to know that it will lighten my load, literally!

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JHUFrank said:
I notice the difference between a cMBP and a rMBP. I went from a 13 MBA to my new 13 rMBP and there is some difference. However, whenever I compare my rMBP to my wife's 13 cMBP it is a significant difference.
Click to expand...

Thanks, this was really helpful because part of me has been thinking, 'Should I just go with the MBA so I have something even lighter?' Even though I prefer the rMBP generally. So it's good to know that going from cMBP to rMBP is a big difference, but that rMBP vs MBA isn't significant enough that I'd need to go to that.
 
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