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

For MacBook Pro Retina 13 owners

A

Applefanboy8153

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 3, 2012
204
0
Hi there, I am considering the retina MacBook pro 13 as one of the top choices for my laptop
I need the laptop to last me for another 4 years at the very least. After going through the forums I see a lot of issues with the screen and sound. I am concerned and think that a Air would be better option in this scenario
 
Applefanboy8153 said:
Hi there, I am considering the retina MacBook pro 13 as one of the top choices for my laptop
I need the laptop to last me for another 4 years at the very least. After going through the forums I see a lot of issues with the screen and sound. I am concerned and think that a Air would be better option in this scenario
Click to expand...

I had an Air, and honestly after looking at the Retina...I was completely blown away and sold!

It really depends on what your using your machine for, from a portable standpoint, the Air of course was a little bit thinner and lighter...but not by much! I just couldn't deal with the difference in screens and that terrible bezel around the Air. At this moment in time I'm very happy with my new 13 inch rMBP, took me a few try's to get one that was pretty much spot on and perfect, but these days it's like that with any new product!

At the end of the day this machine should be fine for me for the next 3 or so years...If something mind blowing comes out (most likely will) in the next few years, I'll just sell this one and get something else. It's a vicious cycle trying to keep up with Technology! But at this moment, I'd go with a rMBP over an Air any day of the week...but that's just my opinion!

Good Luck...
 
Last edited:
I have the 13" retina. Best laptop I ever had. If you don't game, its perfect. I also don't use it for video / picture / music editing. I have a real job :) I use it for email, web, documents. I also run Windows in a virtual machine with VMware Fusion and it runs that great. My only regret is that I only have the 128 GB SSD. I'm an IT guy and do a lot of experimenting with different virtual machines. Not much room for that. Nothing an external drive can't fix though.

No problems with the screen. From what I've read, it seems like most of the people with image retention problems have the 15". Or maybe its just because it seems that most people on here have the 15".
 
I had an 2011 11" air and it was adequate. The form factor is of course why people buy them. I then went to an iPad 3 and the retina was amazing and I knew I couldn't go back. I picked up a rMBP 13" two weeks ago and it is, for me, a perfect balance. I have not noticed any issues with my screen or sound. I must say as a disclaimer, I'm not the kind to go looking for issues either.

If you do decide on the air, do yourself a favor and don't even look at the rMBP screens.
 
chrise2 said:
I also don't use it for video / picture / music editing. I have a real job :)
Click to expand...

Bit harsh ;D

I'm looking at getting the 13" retina for music production, I prefer the 15" for Quad Core, but the 13" size is just perfect. I can't imagine gaming on it, but it'll do the job nicely!
 
I moved from a 2010 13in Air to a 13in Retina in the last few weeks, and I do not have a single issue. At least not yet. I could not be happier right now.
 
My experience with Apple laptops is as follows:

13" original MacBook (2006) - 15" MacBook Pro (2010) - 11" Macbook Air (2011) - 13" rMBP (2012)

I loved my original macbook, it lasted me through college and is still running for one of my friends today. The 15" Pro was awesome, I loved the power but just didn't like lugging it around, so I moved to the opposite end of the spectrum. The 11" Air was great - but performance was a bit lacking on a 1.6Ghz ULV i5 and after a while the screen space was just too cramped. That and the fans where quite obnoxious and liked to start up often with my workload.

The 13" rMBP is honestly the perfect machine for me. Fast enough, quiet fans that rarely spin past 3000 RPM, but it doesn't even matter because you can't hear them. The screen is phenomenal - mainly because I can switch from 1280x800 which is great for just reading articles on the couch all the way to 1680x1050 (Same res as my antiglare 15") when I am getting work done.

I was considering the 13" Air for a while, but the price drop for the rMBP put me over the edge (Plus buying refurb 2.5Ghz + 256GB SSD) and I am glad I did, as this is nearly the ideal laptop in my opinion.
 
No screen or sound problems, but horrendous wireless speeds. I am at my wits end - fell in love with it when I got it but 10 days of tinkering and several phone calls later (AND after a purchase of an Airport Express) it still isn't sorted. Sending it back tomorrow.
 
You haven't said what you need your laptop to do.
Click to expand...
I use it for:
1. School, presentations, pages etc.
2. Black ops 1 2 hours every weekend
3. Photo editing with iphoto
4. Imovies
5. Facetime.
Currently I use an ipad (late 2012) and an iMac for all my work but I am going to a new school where a laptop is mandatory.
 
Applefanboy8153 said:
I use it for:
1. School, presentations, pages etc.
2. Black ops 1 2 hours every weekend
3. Photo editing with iphoto
4. Imovies
5. Facetime.
Currently I use an ipad (late 2012) and an iMac for all my work but I am going to a new school where a laptop is mandatory.
Click to expand...

Maybe just use an iPad? There's nothing here you can't do on an iPad. You could buy the latest iPad every year for what you intend to spend on a rMBP?
 
A new laptop is a must at my school. So I have to buy a new laptop. My iPad will be used only for surfing then. Also making short movies is a part of the course I have taken. So rmbp may be great.
 
Applefanboy8153 said:
A new laptop is a must at my school. So I have to buy a new laptop. My iPad will be used only for surfing then. Also making short movies is a part of the course I have taken. So rmbp may be great.
Click to expand...

Managed to finally resolve my wireless problems this morning and am once again very happy with the build quality/screen/sound/performance.

As a side note, the base 13" has not been classified as a '2013' model, unlike the 2.6/256GB version which has. It was also confirmed that there are no build/architecture differences other than the logic board on the 2.6 (likely for new chipset) so for someone to claim the '2012' ones are worse etc isn't feasible.
 
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