Hands On with Apple's New 13-Inch Retina MacBook Pro

[endlessct9a]

SSD in 13 rMBPr = SSD in 15 rMBP?

Would anyone know if the SSD in the 13 rMBP is the same form factor / design as the one that goes into the 15 rMBP?

 

[moole]

are you confusing Fusion drive on MacMini/iMac with this?

there are no spinning drive here in rMBP 13.3"

Exactly, there are none. But there is a space for one inside the 13" retina macbook pro right under the trackpad. Take a look at the picture in the keynote at 20:40. There is plenty of free space around the SSD card. It's 103x72 mm which is exactly the size of standard 2.5" drive.

There is no such space in 15" retina macbook pro. This could be the only reason why 13" is thicker than 15".
The question is why and why only in 13"??

 

[NYCMacFan]

Yeah, it's too much money, but this is a beautiful computer.

A pound lighter than the non-Retina, SSD and a terrific display.

I spend a lot of time looking at a computer screen - it might as well be the best available.

I'm not a gamer or videographer, so lack of a discrete graphics card matters to me not at all. Not quad-core? Might have been nice, but it will be snappy enough and not a deal-breaker for me. If it was, I'd buy the 15" - but I love the 13" size too much.

This will probably be the machine to replace this circa-2010 MBP - my wife will be happy to have this machine!

Issue to me is what you get over 13 MacBook Air. Retina display, but heavier. So not sure what to buy between 13 MBP and 13 MBA.

 

[BiscottiGelato]

Priced WAY TOO HIGH.

a 15" rMBP w/ 256GB Flash is $2199, 13" rMBP w/ 256GB Flash is $1999. So a 2" smaller screen, quad core processor, dedicated graphics, is only worth $200? Either the 15" is a bargain or the 13" is a rip off, and we know which one it is...

Apple is going really really wrong. iPhone 5 was still okay. rMBP 15" is more than welcomed and pricing is reasonable for what it is...

iPad Mini and 13" rMBP is just completely screwed up, to the point that I'm having doubt in Tim Cook's ability to lead this ship. The stock price shows, and I am, for once, serious considering selling my AAPL stock.

 

[george-brooks]

Well I am also a photographer and I find 13" to be the perfect size. I've been waiting for this to be released so that I could chose between it and the maxed out 13" MBA. I have 4 main lenses and a camera in my bag, and carrying my current MBP along with it is a serious pain in the a$$.

Also your comment on video editing sorta contradicts your first statement. If you are doing heavy video editing then you probably are more of a videographer, so in this case, yea this notebook is not for you.

I am a photographer who shoots a lot of video

 

[ixodes]

When everybody has a mac, it no longer differentiates

You are right, and that's why Apple's playing hardball with law suits. Sales bans on competitors etc. They want an All Apple world.

They've got the worshipers convinced & the fan base to buy the product. The darlings of the press. No one will whisper monopoly till the eleventh hour.

 

[JVlasy]

13" MBP no-PRO

I still find it very amusing as all of us here on macrumors says that 13" MacBook Pro is not for pro user since it is only dual core and integrated GPU, but average consumers probably see PRO designation and so it is that 13 MBP is the best selling MacBook. Please any ne explain me that. 13 MBP has probably the worst power/cost/weight/screen resolution ratio of all MB and so it is with this 13 rMBP. It so strange to see only 13 MBP. Please insert explanation here!

 

[entatlrg]

13" rMBP ordered

Only way to really find out is to order one ... so I did. i5/8/768 ssd, ships in 3-5 days.

Will be comparing it to a 13" Air and 15" rMBP.

I hope I like it. Over the 13" Air is has better screen and keyboard and I like the 13" foot print and lower weight of the 15" rMBP.

Could be the sweet spot but it's going to have to really impress for the price.
Any lag, ghosting, excessive heat or noise and it's going back within the 14 days.

 

[dmelgar]

yes, I'm shocked too. Dual core processors as well. I don't think this will be the succes that either the 15" rMBP or the 13" cMBP were.

I disagree.
13" Pro is the best selling Apple laptop.
New 13 rMBP has the highest res screen that size in a laptop.

Put the two together and its a compelling fast machine. Don't think the retina display is worth it? get a MBA. Another awesome machine.

I haven't seen anything remotely comparable from the other PC makers. And with Windows 8 coming out, MS and that ecosystem are in for a really rough ride. Windows 8 is taking Microsoft down.

 

[yanksrock100]

I still like it. It has a much better screen than the Air, and I don't want to fork over $500 more for the base 15 rMBP. Even if its a better value, I think the 13 rMBP isn't horrible. Also, the early reviews are favorable.

----------

I disagree.
13" Pro is the best selling Apple laptop.
New 13 rMBP has the highest res screen that size in a laptop.

Put the two together and its a compelling fast machine. Don't think the retina display is worth it? get a MBA. Another awesome machine.

I agree. the 13 rMBP is pretty awesome, I had the first aluminum 13 Macbook pro, and am planning on getting the first 13 rMBP. I don't think that the lack of dGPU is horrible considering 1. SSD and 2. 8 gigs of RAM.

Plus, its a higher resolution screen on any PC laptop regardless of size.

 

[KnightWRX]

I disagree.
13" Pro is the best selling Apple laptop.
New 13 rMBP has the highest res screen that size in a laptop.

And with the pricing and premium for the Retina display, something the 15" model doesn't have (yes, the Retina is a no-cost option on the 15", it's basically a 200$ option on the 13"), the 13" cMBP will remain the best selling Apple laptop in all probability (you can still buy non-Retina MBPs you know...).

 

[robertcoogan]

Optical drive...?

I can tell you right now that this kills any possibility of a purchase from me. For an iMac at home, I can deal with an external optical drive. But for mobility, I really NEED a built-in optical drive. I don't want to mess with an external with my MBP in my lap at an airport, or in a car, or wherever. I need that built-in capability to do my job. I frequently use CDs and DVDs as many of my customers cannot accept flash drives due to restrictions on their own networks (plus discs are much cheaper).

Really not a good move at this time. I mean, what was Apple thinking?!?!?

 

[pmz]

Love my 15" rMBP.

What's up with AAPL?

Utter disappointment over the price of iPad mini, and that it is just a smaller iPad 2?

Utter disappointment over the price of the 13" Retina MBP that has no discrete graphics card or quad core processor?

 

[podiki]

Well, I'm sure I'll be attacked for this, but I'm gonna say it anyway:

Tiny harddrive, barely enough RAM (and not upgradable to the "enough" level), no dedicated graphics, only dual-core processors. It certainly isn't bad, but Apple just took the "pro" out of the 13" line. And come on - it's freaking expensive. If you upgrade the SSD to 512gb and get an i7 (still dual-core - WTF?) processor, it's only 99$ cheaper than the mid-level 15" rMBP, which packs a heck of a lot more power. What gives???

the 13" is NOT a pro device in my opinion. It's more like a beefed-up and slightly heavier Macbook Air. For that, it just costs way too much.

This.

 

[pmz]

Retina or not, I cannot understand why anyone would buy a $1700 notebook that has integrated graphics and a dual core processor. I just can't see it.

 

[Naimfan]

13" Pro is the best selling Apple laptop.
New 13 rMBP has the highest res screen that size in a laptop.

Put the two together and its a compelling fast machine. Don't think the retina display is worth it? get a MBA.

Nope. Not remotely worth it - grossly overpriced for what it is.

 

[Bubba Satori]

CNN is reporting that stores are unable to keep their shelves stocked with Vaseline products.

 

[LYFK]

Only way to really find out is to order one ... so I did. i5/8/768 ssd, ships in 3-5 days.

Will be comparing it to a 13" Air and 15" rMBP.

I hope I like it. Over the 13" Air is has better screen and keyboard and I like the 13" foot print and lower weight of the 15" rMBP.

Could be the sweet spot but it's going to have to really impress for the price.
Any lag, ghosting, excessive heat or noise and it's going back within the 14 days.

I would definitely be interested in your comparison, keep us posted!

 

[435713]

CNN is reporting that stores are unable to keep their shelves stocked with Vaseline products.

LMFAO! I dont blame Apple here though, the fanbase asks for this kind of stuff. Hit em harder Apple they will take it.

Added: If you enjoy your product that is all that matters in the long run.

 

[yanksrock100]

Wow...its a great product, great display, thin, light....but people still complain...the Intel 4000 can power the computer just fine. I admit, 128 SSD is low, but that doesn't mean that this computer is horrible.
I'm looking forward to seeing/having this computer! Its like a MBA on steroids. I like it.

 

[Miat]

- 8 GB RAM, no upgrade option.
- 128 GB base level SSD (and serious overcharging for BTO upgrading)
- Price (starts at $1899 in Australia)

Hmm. Not that impressive, Apple, no matter how nice the screen and the slimmed down form.

For that sort of money it should have a 256 GB SSD, and 16 GB RAM option. (In fairness, there might be some engineering reason 16 GB doesn't work so well in this model.)

I'll wait a revision or two before I think about switching from my 2012 Air, and if the Airs get a decent quality screen in the meantime then I might not ever switch to the rMBP, because the screen quality is the only major thing I don't like about the Airs. (Current screen res of 1440 x 900 is fine.)

The Airs will also be a lot more powerful by then with Haswell chips, and like a lot of comp users I don't need the sort of power a quad core CPU offers, the dual cores already have plenty of basic processing power for my purposes. If I ever get one of these retina thingies it will mainly be for the screen.

Summary: One for the early adopters, and the bored rich. Everybody else wait 12-18 months. But they should be pretty sweet by then. Now is also a very good time to be buying previous (Sandy bridge) generation Macs if you don't need heavy processing power or USB 3.

 

[CausticPuppy]

Apple Inc.'s shares are down 1.8 percent to $622.34 in afternoon trading. The stock is down 12 percent from the all-time high of $705.07 touched on Sept. 21.

Keep in mind AAPL was $357 when Jobs resigned and Tim Cook took over permanently.

 

[mac jones]

everyone is worried about scrolling. For those of you who have a Cinema Display, you can easlily test this with any new model. It will be exactly the same (I would imagine). I don't have my Cinema Display with me presently (doesn't fit in suit case, God knows i've tried ), so I can't test it.

Hey people, test this for all of us suckers

 

[Cory Bauer]

Why?

Why does this product exist? As opposed to simply offering a MacBook Air with retina display? Look at today's pricing:

$1,299 BTO 13" MacBook Air, 1.8Ghz i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD
$1,699 13" MacBook Pro, 2.5Ghz i5, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD.

So you're paying a $400 premium for nothing but the retina display and extra 1400Mhz? That's insanity. If the 13" Pro isn't going to have quad-core CPU and dedicated GPU, then why does it exist at all?

By comparison, the $400 premium the 15" Pro with retina display carries over the classic model gets you 8GB instead of 4GB RAM, 256GB SSD instead of traditional hard drive, 1GB VRAM instead of 512MB, and the retina display.

 

[swester]

I can tell you right now that this kills any possibility of a purchase from me. For an iMac at home, I can deal with an external optical drive. But for mobility, I really NEED a built-in optical drive.

Really not a good move at this time. I mean, what was Apple thinking?!?!?

Of all of the complaints about the rMBP, this is by far the most absurd. Optical drives take up a lot of internal space, and their prevalence is vastly dwindling. I haven't used an optical drive more than twice in the past year or so. You should have seen this transition coming for awhile now (not just on Mac, either). So it was for floppies and the original iMac, it will be for CD/DVDs and the rMBP/iMac.

If you so desperately need an optical drive and for some unfathomable reason cannot use an external drive, just get the regular MBP.