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

From the Forums: Retina MacBook Opinions and Discussion

oneMadRssn said:
As someone who is one for 1 gold and 1 space gray one (as you have bragged in every MB thread), you clearly don't care about the flaws.

However, try to see it through the eyes of someone with an ~5 year old Mac laptop that is looking to upgrade. They're probably coming from a 13" cMBP or a MBA, circa 2010 (the two Mac laptop lines without discreet graphics, considered most portable back then). Most importantly, they want it to fit into their existing workflow without disruption, then improve their workflow. They're hoping to be able to use their existing accessories: various thunderbolt to hdmi/dvi/vga adapters, mouse, external hard drive, thumbdrive, etc. until those accessories are no longer needed. They also want a retina display. They want improved battery life. The ones coming from a cMBP want it to be lighter.

As it stands now, neither the rMB nor the MBA fulfills their wants.
Click to expand...

I'm upgrading from a MacBook from 2008. The new MacBook suits my workload, my portability needs, my desire for a retina display, and I hardly ever use any of my current ports. Plus it has improved battery life.

You'd probably be surprised about the amount of Apple customers that don't use the full selection of ports on offer with their current Macs.
 
TMRJIJ said:
Why is it so hard for people to understand that this MacBook caters to users who just browse the Internet and email themselves their documents? Nobody is forcing you buy this model, and the MacBook Pro still has some ports.
Click to expand...
I don't care whether people buy this or not, it's their money. The issue for me is just that it's really tough to understand what the appeal of this macbook is. The more information I have, the less I see why people should buy exactly this product and not something else. I don't understand why Apple thought this was a good idea right now. The arguments I hear are

It's supposed to be a light device to browse and stuff
Right, sounds like an iPad to me. Costs less than half as well.

It's for people who want to use a full fledged computer with maximum portability
Retina Macbook Pro it is then. The computing power of this macbook is disastrous and it's kind of hard to see why a rmbp should not be portable enough for a specific task.

So, I see a tiny, tiny niche between those two, but nothing really that justifies this product from Apple's perspective. I kind of expected this device to be the lowest priced macbook in the line (similar to the white macbook), for a groundbreakingly low price (say, 899 USD), making it the most affordable macbook ever. But as of yet, at this ridiculous price point, it seems like nothing but a nice toy for very early adopters.
 
To anyone who is planning on purchasing an rMB, I don't think you'll be disappointed. It seems like it will be a very capable and nice device.

However, as I read the comments of various posters and think about the rMB as it relates to all of Apple's product line-up, I'm left with the impression that the rMB is more like an iPhone accessory rather than a computer in its own right.

If you go down into the iPhone and iPad sections of the Forums, you will read a number of comments by people saying that their iPhone or iPad is their only computing device. The rMB seems to be aimed at those times when you just can't get by with iPhone or iPad.

I think it is more than coincidental that it is being released along side the Apple watch. Both are being aimed at iPhone owners.

Apple has even gone as far as to make sure you can color match your rMB to your iPhone. How is that for fashion forward?
 
DrJohnnyN said:
What flaws do you see in the rMB?
Click to expand...

The lack of ports is a deal breaker for me. I use the SD card slot as well as the extra Thunderbolt port since both are taken on my iMac. It's even more convent to plug in a USB device rather than reaching behind my iMac.

The price. I know it's a first-gen product and has some unique qualities for portability and size, but c'mon. Why not just jump to a rMBP? When the entry-level price drops to that of the 13" MBA this will no longer be an issue.

Magsafe. With it I can forget the charger is even attached. But not so on the rMB.

480p FaceTime camera. Not a huge issue for me, but I do use it on occasion, and the fact that a 2015 Retina Mac has the kind of resolution seen on cheap PCs and non-retina Macs of four years ago is downright laughable.

Good thing I'm perfectly happy with my late 2013 13" rMBP and plan to keep it for some time to come. Honestly, I would have rather seen an iPad Pro this spring to make my entry into iPads.
 
SgtPepper12 said:
The arguments I hear are

It's supposed to be a light device to browse and stuff
Right, sounds like an iPad to me. Costs less than half as well.

It's for people who want to use a full fledged computer with maximum portability
Retina Macbook Pro it is then. The computing power of this macbook is disastrous and it's kind of hard to see why a rmbp should not be portable enough for a specific task.
Click to expand...
Hold on. I'm not quite grasping this.

The iPad doesn't really replace a computer in terms of browsing and apps. It still very mobile like. No keyboard, no Finder, A bigger phone with certain benefits. I seen MR user complain about this and how it should have some OS X features that takes advantage of the touch capabilities.
The MacBook Pro, I assumed was for Pro users. It is kinda a waste of power to use just for portability and not performance. That argument just defeated the purpose of the Air.

From reading everyone's reply, price seems to be the main issue even though history showed the MBA had a steap price point in the first gen as well.
I'm not really hearing this argument clearly. It is more about ports which again is the reason why we have the Air and Pro. Being that the Air is the middle ground for a Mac users that needs them but while at the same time doesn't need the mass performance of the MBP.

Can you explain this more in depth
 
SgtPepper12 said:
I don't care whether people buy this or not, it's their money. The issue for me is just that it's really tough to understand what the appeal of this macbook is. The more information I have, the less I see why people should buy exactly this product and not something else. I don't understand why Apple thought this was a good idea right now. The arguments I hear are

It's supposed to be a light device to browse and stuff
Right, sounds like an iPad to me. Costs less than half as well.

It's for people who want to use a full fledged computer with maximum portability
Retina Macbook Pro it is then. The computing power of this macbook is disastrous and it's kind of hard to see why a rmbp should not be portable enough for a specific task.

So, I see a tiny, tiny niche between those two, but nothing really that justifies this product from Apple's perspective. I kind of expected this device to be the lowest priced macbook in the line (similar to the white macbook), for a groundbreakingly low price (say, 899 USD), making it the most affordable macbook ever. But as of yet, at this ridiculous price point, it seems like nothing but a nice toy for very early adopters.
Click to expand...

This is a 'full fledged computer with maximum portability'. More portable than the MBP in fact. Just because it's not the most powerful computer in the MacBook lineup does not mean it isn't a 'full fledged computer'. The computing power of this MacBook is far from 'disastrous'.

An iPad is a browsing device yes, and I plan on using both an iPad and a MacBook. Exactly as have done for the last two years. An iPad is great for consumption and light creation, but a MacBook is better just a better tool for creation. And no I'm not talking about 'pro' level editing that would require the power of a MacBook Pro obviously.

The niche that you refer to between the rMBP and the iPad is actually huge. This MacBook will suit the needs of a lot of consumers, not just a few. If Apple does as expected in a few years this will replace the MBA. Rightfully so as well. It's a worthy successor, maybe not the successor we wanted, but the one we needed. Pretty much Apples motto with products. They tell us what to want and 90% of the time they're right.
 
nutmac said:
For me, I can sum up MacBook as "it's probably NOT suitable as my only Mac, but could be great as a second one." I had the same response when I saw the original 2008 MacBook Air. I wanted it instantly. Then as the dust settled, I was glad that I waited for 2010 MacBook Air.
Click to expand...

I bought both the 2008 and 2010 MBA. I expect I'll do that again this time too.
 
oneMadRssn said:
I suspect the reason there has been so much animosity towards this Macbook (a bit from me as well) is because they were hoping for a different product. Most people were hoping for a redesigned Macbook Air with a Retina display, but same class of CPU, same ports, same battery life.

Instead, Apple releases a dilemma - it's asking people to sacrifice ports and much more cash for a retina display, lower weight, and thinness. Plus, adding insult to injury, Apple has removed an very popular and well regarded feature - magsafe. To say nothing of the lower battery life rating. I don't blame people for being pissed at this dilemma.

Before the choice between MBA and MBP was relatively simple. Now for people with aging MBAs, the choice between rMB and MBA is not only tough, but it's forces a sacrifice: retina or ports - one of those has to go if you want a slim and light mac, can't have both.
Click to expand...

I hear you. I was hoping for a new retina MBA. I expected it to be thinner and lighter than the 11" MBA but I didn't expect only one port! I was ready for Class M and fan-less, so I guess I was ready for a slight performance downgrade.

I am buying the rMB so I guess overall I still pleased. One can't have everything the way they want them.

----------
casperes1996 said:
Am I the only one who looked at the listed software in the software thread and thought... What? What the piss are these people thinking?! Running parallels and Logic Pro X on this?!?! And Handbrake? If this is your Logic and Handbrake machine... You're doing it wrong.
Click to expand...

I have patience to wait for the applications that are not ideally suited for the rMB (Handbrake will run overnight). :)
 
SgtPepper12 said:
I don't care whether people buy this or not, it's their money. The issue for me is just that it's really tough to understand what the appeal of this macbook is. The more information I have, the less I see why people should buy exactly this product and not something else. I don't understand why Apple thought this was a good idea right now. The arguments I hear are

It's supposed to be a light device to browse and stuff
Right, sounds like an iPad to me. Costs less than half as well.

It's for people who want to use a full fledged computer with maximum portability
Retina Macbook Pro it is then. The computing power of this macbook is disastrous and it's kind of hard to see why a rmbp should not be portable enough for a specific task.

So, I see a tiny, tiny niche between those two, but nothing really that justifies this product from Apple's perspective. I kind of expected this device to be the lowest priced macbook in the line (similar to the white macbook), for a groundbreakingly low price (say, 899 USD), making it the most affordable macbook ever. But as of yet, at this ridiculous price point, it seems like nothing but a nice toy for very early adopters.
Click to expand...

1) An iPad can not run x86 programs (no OS X or a Windows).

2) The rMBP is 1.5 lbs heavier and a lot thicker. That is very important to a lot of people.

3) It's expensive because it had many firsts: New keyboard, new trackpad, first new fan-less design, super thin retina display, new tiered battery.
 
Let's wait for actual reviews. My guess is this machine will not seem underpowered in real world tasks. The 2011 MacBook comparison was the high end version and no fast SSD and inferior graphics. Once people pick the thing up, they will buy it.
 
I WOULD buy a Mac Mini and a Macbook to replace my MBPr (my only computer), but at $1300, not happening.
 
DrJohnnyN said:
Someone would actually keep a Mac for 5 years?
Click to expand...

Not everyone is loaded as you clearly are. I think the community has got your message - you've got buckets of money and can't wait to spend it on whatever you please. As evidenced by the ridiculous photo of cash strewn atop a Mac in your profile and your quote claiming that you think you're close to being a "god" because you're a plastic surgeon. Is there anything else you want to tell us?

As far as the MacBook. I believe this is a scenario where waiting for the second or third generation will make this an excellent product, but it currently is hard to reason the purchase for a lot of people. That said, I'm going to check this thing out in person on Friday and draw a better conclusion. Everyone should probably do that for themselves.
 
nutmac said:
For me, I can sum up MacBook as "it's probably NOT suitable as my only Mac, but could be great as a second one." I had the same response when I saw the original 2008 MacBook Air. I wanted it instantly. Then as the dust settled, I was glad that I waited for 2010 MacBook Air.
Click to expand...

I'm sure people will enjoy showing off their new retina MB and then about a year from now will wish they had waited for the significantly improved 2016 MB with more power, a 720p webcam, another USB Type-C port, etc. In other words, the true MBA successor.
 
The iPad is thin and light with a stunning display, but only has one port and is underpowered compared to any Mac. And yet millions of people find a use for it every day.

For those that would be served by an iPad but prefer a laptop experience, we have the MacBook. And if you spec'ed today's iPad with the MacBook's internals, it would likely cost more than what the MacBook is priced at.

I get people are miffed the Air is still retinaless, but that doesn't make the MacBook a bad product. The MacBook makes perfect sense and I expect it will do very well.
 
oneMadRssn said:
As someone who is one for 1 gold and 1 space gray one (as you have bragged in every MB thread), you clearly don't care about the flaws.

However, try to see it through the eyes of someone with an ~5 year old Mac laptop that is looking to upgrade. They're probably coming from a 13" cMBP or a MBA, circa 2010 (the two Mac laptop lines without discreet graphics, considered most portable back then). Most importantly, they want it to fit into their existing workflow without disruption, then improve their workflow. They're hoping to be able to use their existing accessories: various thunderbolt to hdmi/dvi/vga adapters, mouse, external hard drive, thumbdrive, etc. until those accessories are no longer needed. They also want a retina display. They want improved battery life. The ones coming from a cMBP want it to be lighter.

As it stands now, neither the rMB nor the MBA fulfills their wants.
Click to expand...

But the rMBP does... Next?

----------
SgtPepper12 said:
I don't care whether people buy this or not, it's their money. The issue for me is just that it's really tough to understand what the appeal of this macbook is. The more information I have, the less I see why people should buy exactly this product and not something else. I don't understand why Apple thought this was a good idea right now. The arguments I hear are

It's supposed to be a light device to browse and stuff
Right, sounds like an iPad to me. Costs less than half as well.

It's for people who want to use a full fledged computer with maximum portability
Retina Macbook Pro it is then. The computing power of this macbook is disastrous and it's kind of hard to see why a rmbp should not be portable enough for a specific task.

So, I see a tiny, tiny niche between those two, but nothing really that justifies this product from Apple's perspective. I kind of expected this device to be the lowest priced macbook in the line (similar to the white macbook), for a groundbreakingly low price (say, 899 USD), making it the most affordable macbook ever. But as of yet, at this ridiculous price point, it seems like nothing but a nice toy for very early adopters.
Click to expand...

This is a machine for students with light needs, and business people who need a travel machine that doesn't need to do much more than web, email, and maybe a few other relatively lightweight apps. Who need a machine that is more productive than an iPad (said as a happy iPad owner).

If this is not your use case, don't get one, and shut up already. For Jose of us who u see stand this machine, TRUST ME, it's perfect. And yes, obviously each new release of it will get better. I can afford to get the new one each year. Heh, yeah, I'm the business person, not the student. ;-)
 
dampfnudel said:
I'm sure people will enjoy showing off their new retina MB and then about a year from now will wish they had waited for the significantly improved 2016 MB with more power, a 720p webcam, another USB Type-C port, etc. In other words, the true MBA successor.
Click to expand...

No doubt. But Macs have a good resale value after one year. More like an iPad or iPhone, I plan to update this laptop annually, or at most every other year. Usually I keep laptops for 3-4 years. My 2012 rMBP still treats me well as my primary machine. But for a travel machine, I'm willing to pay the early adopter fee, then another $500/year to always have he latest version, assuming I'm reselling the older one. This definitely isn't the right calculus for everyone, but for me it works fine.
 
hayden1250 said:
Why would you not just buy the MacBook Air if you want to just browse the Internet? Faster & cheaper. And besides, the Air is already thin!
Click to expand...


Ugly screen. Outdated design. Doesn't come in gold. ;)

----------
Devie said:
One for office one for home...? For an ultraportable? What? What's the point? Oh yeah the point is that it's an ultraportable and can take it anywhere.
Click to expand...

One for office, one for home.
My office and home are large and having an ultraportable will be perfect. Carrying around a laptop that's over 2.03lbs is so 2014.

----------
keysofanxiety said:
If these are the people buying MacBooks, they could do the same with an iPad. Or even a 2010 MacBook. It's hard to understand because it's an obscene amount of money. Your very argument has validated that this machine is for light computer use only. You get more power, better battery life, and better value from a MacBook Air. You get much more power, more ports, better value, and a Retina display with the Retina MacBook Pro.

It's hard for people to understand because it's a difficult computer to understand. This feels more like an engineering excercise than the future of laptops. The MacBook Air was a vision of the future, albeit it too was insanely overpriced and underpowered when it was first announced. The MacBook just seems ... impractical. Removing Maglock to optimise thinness is to me an example of form over function.
Click to expand...

Obscene amount of money? Overpriced? You're kidding, right?

----------
myrtlebee said:
Not everyone is loaded as you clearly are. I think the community has got your message - you've got buckets of money and can't wait to spend it on whatever you please. As evidenced by the ridiculous photo of cash strewn atop a Mac in your profile and your quote claiming that you think you're close to being a "god" because you're a plastic surgeon. Is there anything else you want to tell us?

As far as the MacBook. I believe this is a scenario where waiting for the second or third generation will make this an excellent product, but it currently is hard to reason the purchase for a lot of people. That said, I'm going to check this thing out in person on Friday and draw a better conclusion. Everyone should probably do that for themselves.
Click to expand...

Ah, yes. The picture is from 2010 when I first joined MR. I should update the picture with the new $100s that's been released since then. Maybe I'll throw in a couple of the $1,000 notes I also acquired from the 1920's.
 
Nicky G said:
If this is not your use case, don't get one, and shut up already. For Jose of us who u see stand this machine, TRUST ME, it's perfect. And yes, obviously each new release of it will get better. I can afford to get the new one each year. Heh, yeah, I'm the business person, not the student. ;-)
Click to expand...
I could say exactly the same thing, you see. If you really want to get one, just get one, and "shut up". I don't understand why people defend and rationalize this so much. All people are pointing out is, that it's possibly the worst deal the Apple store has offered in years. You are clearly paying for the novelty value, and I'm alright with it, but for the price you still need VERY specific demands.

And before people get all defensive again: I'm not saying you are stupid if you're planning on buying one. I'm just pointing out that this product demands to a very small crowd of people with very special expectations, who are willing to pay a lot for it. It's a weird product.
 
myrtlebee said:
Not everyone is loaded as you clearly are. I think the community has got your message - you've got buckets of money and can't wait to spend it on whatever you please. As evidenced by the ridiculous photo of cash strewn atop a Mac in your profile and your quote claiming that you think you're close to being a "god" because you're a plastic surgeon. Is there anything else you want to tell us?

As far as the MacBook. I believe this is a scenario where waiting for the second or third generation will make this an excellent product, but it currently is hard to reason the purchase for a lot of people. That said, I'm going to check this thing out in person on Friday and draw a better conclusion. Everyone should probably do that for themselves.
Click to expand...

She's a plastic surgeon? Plastic surgeons are the worst...
 
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