Hi-Res 1680 x 1050 15" cMBP vs Upcoming Late 2013 Haswell-based rMBP

[ShiggyMiyamoto]

Hi all. A friend of mine recently won $10,000 (he netted $7k after taxes and whatnot) on a $5 scratch ticket that I sold him. He'd been without a computer for about 6 months (he had a 2008ish white MacBook whose HDD died, and he gave up on it), so we went to a local Apple store and got an entry level 15" cMBP (he got AppleCare for it and a 160 GB iPod Classic), as well as a nylon sleeve case thing.

Anyway, this whole thing inspired me to start this thread. I have a 2007 Santa Rosa MacBook (same one as in sig) and I've been ready for something fresh and new for a long time now. With that said, I'm eyeing two machines:

• Hi-Res 1680 x 1050 cMBP 15" (Anti-Glare Matte vs Glossy doesn't matter)

• Moderately spec'd 15" rMBP (Haswell or not)

I'm well aware of the limited upgradeability of the rMBP line, whereas with any cMBP it's the total opposite. My purpose for this theoretical new machine would be for media creation (occasionally) as well as media consumption. Before you say "oh if that's all you need then get a MacBook Air" I also want to do some light gaming that the Intel HD GPUs really won't support to my liking. Also, I don't want components that'll outdate too quickly, like with my 2001 iBook (which became obsolete a mere months after I got it) and now my SR MacBook.

I thank you all in advance for any advice you can give me as to which machine I should get.

 

[B...]

If you want less prone to obsolescence components, the rMBP is the correct choice because the cMBP will likely not be refreshed with Haswell this year.

 

[ShiggyMiyamoto]

If you want less prone to obsolescence components, the rMBP is the correct choice because the cMBP will likely not be refreshed with Haswell this year.

That's likely very true, but I'd also not mind having an SSD in place of the SuperDrive, and a fast(er) physical drive for storage.. I guess as time goes on and I save money I'll make more of a decision then, but I just wanted some input from people that have either machine.

 

[B...]

Nothing you can put in a cMBP will be faster than the next-gen retina's PCIe SSD.

 

[ShiggyMiyamoto]

Nothing you can put in a cMBP will be faster than the next-gen retina's PCIe SSD.

Interesting.. I guess I'll wait and see then.

 

[sofianito]

The funny thing is that when someone mentions speed or benchmark, he is taxed for being a so PC user, and he is being told Mac is not about speed...

 

[ShiggyMiyamoto]

The funny thing is that when someone mentions speed or benchmark, he is taxed for being a so PC user, and he is being told Mac is not about speed...

I'm not a PC "user". Yes I do have non Macs running in my house, but they're for compatibility etc.

Been a Mac enthusiast since I was 4 and a half... gonna be 30 soon... so yeah I'm by no means a PC User.

 

[sofianito]

I'm not a PC "user". Yes I do have non Macs running in my house, but they're for compatibility etc.

Been a Mac enthusiast since I was 4 and a half... gonna be 30 soon... so yeah I'm by no means a PC User.

I am a Mac and PC user , but I think you didn't get my point. I just wanted to underline that speed and benchmark are important, but not only when Mac wins...

 

[CARABAO]

I'll wait for the Haswell rMBP's if I were you. I think they'll have fresh GPUs in it and might be of use for you. The current rMBP and cMBP have the same GPUs, so yeah..

But if your choices are strictly between the current ones, I'm gonna choose the cMBP just because of the upgrade choices and it's issue-free unlike the rMBP line.

Best bet would be to wait for the Haswell rMBP and Mavericks and see if the issues gets solved. If not, go for the more stable and mature machine. HTH

Cheers,
Greg

 

[ShiggyMiyamoto]

I'll wait for the Haswell rMBP's if I were you. I think they'll have fresh GPUs in it and might be of use for you. The current rMBP and cMBP have the same GPUs, so yeah..

But if your choices are strictly between the current ones, I'm gonna choose the cMBP just because of the upgrade choices and it's issue-free unlike the rMBP line.

Best bet would be to wait for the Haswell rMBP and Mavericks and see if the issues gets solved. If not, go for the more stable and mature machine. HTH

Cheers,
Greg

Great advice! Thanks guys. I guess I'll wait (as I have no choice for either option) for the Haswell rMBP. The extended battery life in the Haswell MBA seems promising, but having that much power in a 15" vs a 13" would be epic.

 

[CARABAO]

Yeah.. if you still have a machine and don't need it right away, it'll be smarter and more financially practical to wait for the next refresh.

Goodluck brother!