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To start, I have the new MacBook and love it, fits all my needs perfectly so far.

But, for the ranting hater types it seems that they wanted all the features of a Pro somehow stuffed into a super-thin, 2-pound package with all the ports. The problem with that is that it's just not possible right now. If it was... Apple would have done it. I do believe they could have added another USB-C port on the opposite side and ditched the headphone jack--of course, then people would bitch/rant about the lack of a headphone jack :)--but otherwise the tech just does not exist yet to make a fan-less, powerful laptop with a retina screen and decent battery life. It really doesn't. Yes, they could have maybe put a retina screen on the existing Airs but I think the Air has become the "cheap" Apple laptop and a retina screen would have negated that. (Also, I am of the opinion that Apple will probably phase out the Air line as the MacBook matures over the next few years and there are more options for CPU/RAM.)

So for now: If you need/want power and multiple ports, get a Pro. if you need portable and relatively cheap with a few ports, get an Air. If you need ultra-thin, light and a retina screen and don't mind the lack of ports, get the new MacBook. It's that simple.

people would bitch/rant about the lack of a headphone jack
it's all wireless so ditch the earphone jack and use a bt headset. simple.
 
the best option for this overpriced, overhyped iPad is the 11" macbook air.

but it's NOT an ipad; it runs OS X, not iOS. with it's upgraded design, better, bigger screen...i can't imagine anyone preferring the 11' air over this. but either way, this is a mac, not an ipad.
 
I've said this in another rMB thread but when I saw one in person I played around with it for a good 45 minutes. Was at one point considering selling my rMBP which has a quad core i7, 8gb ram, and 512gb ssd storage for one! The rMBP is my only machine. I just found it absolutely incredible that they made the logic board 67% smaller than the 11" air, with contoured batteries, fitting the flash storage, Intel M processor, ram, etc all into that tiny logic board. Having a force touch trackpad, butterfly mechanism, etc all in a machine that thin and at 2.03 pounds while having a retina display and 9 hour battery life...I don't understand how some people say Apple doesn't innovate. If that's not innovation than nothing is.
 
the best option for this overpriced, overhyped iPad is the 11" macbook air.

Oh Ruggles...:rolleyes:

Care to elaborate on that highly uninformed statement? Haven't we been down this road before with you? Why, or why do you keep repeating your personal purchase justification drivel here?
 
There are many who know very little about computers and they are drown to the new MB just because of it's size. They have no idea that is lacks to power or cooling ability for intense computing.
Maybe Apple should put a WARNING on the box!
 
There are many who know very little about computers and they are drown to the new MB just because of it's size. They have no idea that is lacks to power or cooling ability for intense computing.
Maybe Apple should put a WARNING on the box!


There are many who like to say that the rMB lacks power and cooling ability for intense computing, but how many people use their computer for "intense computing"? What exactly is "intense computing"? I pitted a rMB against a rMBP for some pretty intense computing in this thread. Over several half-hour long file operations the rMB was only 20% slower. For what most people use computers for every day, there is no practical difference at all.
 
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Drown? At any rate...there are many who like to say that the rMB lacks power and cooling ability for intense computing, but how many people use their computer for "intense computing"? What exactly is "intense computing"? I pitted a rMB against a rMBP for some pretty intense computing in this thread. Over several half-hour long file operations the rMB was only 20% slower. For what most people use computers for every day, there is no practical difference at all.

Excuse my miss-type. Sorry if it bothered you.

"At any rate" my neighbor brought his new MB over to let me help him get it set up. It was slow! Just trying to sync Dropbox started fast but slowed down quickly, likely due to the CPU getting heat throttled.


I agree for most it might be OK but for some . . . . NOT!

Can not blame you for defending your purchase.;)
 
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It is my daily driver. I constantly go back and forth across the office and nothing beats the portability. It is smaller than the files I carry around. I not once have been in a situation where the speed has bottlenecked my performance.
 
Welcome to capitalism, bud. I really don't see many people "complaining" about the lack of power in the rMB. It's more of an admiration for the design, and the want for Apple to release a version that's more capable.

Yes, it may be just fine for your use in its current form, but accept the fact that there are people that value both power and portability. I'd like to let Apple know that if they are able to make a rMB model that is closer to performance of the current Air, that they will have a customer in me.
 
Excuse my miss-type. Sorry if it bothered you.

"At any rate" my neighbor brought his new MBA over to let me help him get it set up. It was slow! Just trying to sync Dropbox started fast but slowed down quickly, likely due to the CPU getting heat throttled.


I agree for most it might be OK but for some . . . . NOT!

Can not blame you for defending your purchase.;)
I believe this thread is about rMB not MBA do try to keep up.
Your line it "might be ok for some... " Applies to everything from pudding to cruise ships, kinda obvious when dealing with consumers.
 
Excuse my miss-type. Sorry if it bothered you.

"At any rate" my neighbor brought his new MBA over to let me help him get it set up. It was slow! Just trying to sync Dropbox started fast but slowed down quickly, likely due to the CPU getting heat throttled.


I agree for most it might be OK but for some . . . . NOT!

Can not blame you for defending your purchase.;)


I had edited the reply. :) MBA or rMB? I've owned both and frankly for all practical purposes they perform the same, with the exception that the MBA has (obviously) none of the UI issues that every retina notebook seems to have, possibly excluding the 15" with the dGPU. Look at my thread. The rMB went right up to the low 90s Celsius and kept right on chugging.

I owned one for two weeks and used it a lot, so I feel very qualified to comment on what it will and won't do. Most of the people complaining about the rMB haven't owned and used one at all. By the way, I don't have to defend the purchase ;) because I ultimately returned it - but that was because of the keyboard, not the CPU or other performance issues. Unless you're doing non-stop video encoding or compiling very large programs, the rMB will perform just as well as an MBA.
 
Welcome to capitalism, bud. I really don't see many people "complaining" about the lack of power in the rMB. It's more of an admiration for the design, and the want for Apple to release a version that's more capable.

Yes, it may be just fine for your use in its current form, but accept the fact that there are people that value both power and portability. I'd like to let Apple know that if they are able to make a rMB model that is closer to performance of the current Air, that they will have a customer in me.


Look at the benchs and see how the 1.3 Ghz rMB is closed to the Air about performance. Ok its not the same in reality but seriously with a little more otpimisation of OS X , it will be really really closed. That's why I choose rMB from a rMBP.
 
Welcome to capitalism, bud. I really don't see many people "complaining" about the lack of power in the rMB. It's more of an admiration for the design, and the want for Apple to release a version that's more capable.

Yes, it may be just fine for your use in its current form, but accept the fact that there are people that value both power and portability. I'd like to let Apple know that if they are able to make a rMB model that is closer to performance of the current Air, that they will have a customer in me.

Oh, there are dozens of people complaining bitterly and repeatedly about the rMB. The funny thing is that only a couple have used one. :rolleyes:
 
Oh, there are dozens of people complaining bitterly and repeatedly about the rMB. The funny thing is that only a couple have used one. :rolleyes:
I don't need to use a Macbook to know what sort of experience it will give.

Count me amongst the people who were hoping for a retina air. In the end, we got one, but without the ports or the horsepower. In the end, I sprung for a transcend SSD and upgraded the storage in my 2012 MBA. Might as well, save the money and hold out for another 2-3 years for the Macbook's performance to get up to speed and for USB-C peripherals to get more commonplace.

Apple's laptop lineup is currently very odd in that I don't find any of their offerings suitable for me. The retina MBP is too bulky for my needs, the new MBAs lack a high-res display, and the Macbook just feels too limited. I want to help drive technology, but I don't want to be "that" guy at work whose laptop can't accept USB ports.

The Macbook will be the perfect laptop for me some day. I know it. But that day is not today.
 
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Oh Ruggles...:rolleyes:

Care to elaborate on that highly uninformed statement? Haven't we been down this road before with you? Why, or why do you keep repeating your personal purchase justification drivel here?
The same reason purchasers of the rmb "keep repeating your/their personal purchase justification drivel." 1st amendment, personal opinion etc etc etc etc. You are not that myopic are you? As I believe I've said elsewhere, I actually plan to get one when the price comes down to a realistic level, when there is at least one more port, and when the processor is upgraded. For now, I believe the MBA 11" base is superior, not much heavier, not much bigger (maybe a bit smaller) but doesn't have retina which, at least for me, I can live without. As for touchpad, the current TP and certainly the current KB are just fine. And at $600 less for the base, one can't go wrong.
 
I don't need to use a Macbook to know what sort of experience it will give.

Count me amongst the people who were hoping for a retina air. In the end, we got one, but without the ports or the horsepower. In the end, I sprung for a transcend SSD and upgraded the storage in my 2012 MBA. Might as well, save the money and hold out for another 2-3 years for the Macbook's performance to get up to speed and for USB-C peripherals to get more commonplace.

Apple's laptop lineup is currently very odd in that I don't find any of their offerings suitable for me. The retina MBP is too bulky for my needs, the new MBAs lack a high-res display, and the Macbook just feels too limited. I want to help drive technology, but I don't want to be "that" guy at work whose laptop can't accept USB ports.

The Macbook will be the perfect laptop for me some day. I know it. But that day is not today.

I don't see how you can know what sort of experience you'll get without using it...but to your point, and to my point as well, I bet your 2012 MBA will do exactly what you need for the next 2-3 years. Computers are more or less at the same point in terms of computing power that cameras are at in terms of image quality. Most of us have all the power/IQ we need...there's little reason to upgrade on those fronts. Upgrade decisions are more often going to be made on convenience/creature comfort features (or, in the case of laptop computers, maybe image quality). But even considering display upgrades, your MBA is working for you, and it works for a lot of other people...would a 5K display in some new Apple notebook persuade you to upgrade?

That got kind of long-winded. TLDR: most of really don't need Apple's (or Dell's, or Lenovo's, or...) latest and greatest to do what we do most often, and most of our debate is really a lot of chat about First World problems. :)
 
The same reason purchasers of the rmb "keep repeating your/their personal purchase justification drivel." 1st amendment, personal opinion etc etc etc etc. You are not that myopic are you? As I believe I've said elsewhere, I actually plan to get one when the price comes down to a realistic level, when there is at least one more port, and when the processor is upgraded. For now, I believe the MBA 11" base is superior, not much heavier, not much bigger (maybe a bit smaller) but doesn't have retina which, at least for me, I can live without. As for touchpad, the current TP and certainly the current KB are just fine. And at $600 less for the base, one can't go wrong.

Funny how you keep ignoring the terrible display on the 11" which is main reason those choosing the rMB uses as the determining factor. I owned the 11" MBA once. Before there were Macs with retina displays. For most here, the MBA is simply a non-starter due to the screen. No amount of "value" is going to change that. If the MBA were free, I'd still get the rMB over it due to the screen. We all know you prefer the 11" MBA air due to it's value. You don't need to keep calling the rMB an iPad in every thread about it.
 
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Excuse my miss-type. Sorry if it bothered you.

"At any rate" my neighbor brought his new MB over to let me help him get it set up. It was slow! Just trying to sync Dropbox started fast but slowed down quickly, likely due to the CPU getting heat throttled.


I agree for most it might be OK but for some . . . . NOT!

Can not blame you for defending your purchase.;)

How do you know it was throttling due to heat rather than a crappy connection or dropbox itself having a slowdown? If this is the basis for all your remarks about the rMB it's pretty uninformed. I've been testing a top rMB against a top 13" rMBP this morning and the rMBP is faster (big surprise). But saying the rMB can't handle basic tasks without throttling is ridiculous. I exported 100 RAW files in Lightroom into highest quality JPEGs side by side on both machines. The rMBP was a clear winner, about 35% faster. But at the end the rMBP had it's fan howling at maximum with the bottom hot, the rMB has a warm bottom but no howling fan.
 
How do you know it was throttling due to heat rather than a crappy connection or dropbox itself having a slowdown? If this is the basis for all your remarks about the rMB it's pretty uninformed. I've been testing a top rMB against a top 13" rMBP this morning and the rMBP is faster (big surprise). But saying the rMB can't handle basic tasks without throttling is ridiculous. I exported 100 RAW files in Lightroom into highest quality JPEGs side by side on both machines. The rMBP was a clear winner, about 35% faster. But at the end the rMBP had it's fan howling at maximum with the bottom hot, the rMB has a warm bottom but no howling fan.

I know because I stopped it several times and move some files on my 27" iMac and they were blistering fast! The MB would be fast till it overheated and slow to a crawl. Stop it for a while and let it cool and it would be fast again but not for long. I know an overheated CPU when i see one.
 
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