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High end MBP 13" or standard rMBP 13" or wait?

I

iMacBoy

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Dec 24, 2009
363
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Hi, im stuck between buying the £1250 MBP i7 750GB HD 8GB RAM or the rMBP i5 128GB SSD 8GB RAM, i am scared to get the retina because im afraid 128GB will not be enough and not being able to upgrade it.. But then again im stuck because it would be so much faster than the non-retina.. And the nice display. Is it a pain storing media on an external hd togo with the retina? Or should I wait to see the newer models getting announced soon?

Helllp! So stuck!
 
I'd go for the macbook air and get a little bigger SSD and more ram actually, but it really depends what you plan to use it for.
 
You could get the normal 13" MBP and ugprade to a solid state drive yourself.

I would recommend waiting though if you can, at this point there are a lot of rumors pointing to an update being announced at WWDC in early June, which lines up with Intel's release schedule for new processors.

After the new ones are announced you may also be able to get a good deal on a refurbished model from Apple, maybe a 13" retina with 256GB will be in your price range then.
 
Yeah I do really want to spend as little as I can, all I will be using it for is internet, and to back my iphone up on which means about 11GB of iPhone apps and music. So really a 128GB SSD should be fine for me? And i did consider buying the normal MBP but i was thinking, if i do get a macbook now, i may aswell get the retina as apparently the normal mbp's will be discontinued! Its just not being able to upgrade the retina in future :(
 
iMacBoy said:
Yeah I do really want to spend as little as I can, all I will be using it for is internet, and to back my iphone up on which means about 11GB of iPhone apps and music. So really a 128GB SSD should be fine for me? And i did consider buying the normal MBP but i was thinking, if i do get a macbook now, i may aswell get the retina as apparently the normal mbp's will be discontinued! Its just not being able to upgrade the retina in future :(
Click to expand...

You can upgrade the SSDs. They are not glued in, just proprietary. OWC sells them at overpriced prices, and Samsung is beginning to. Prices will fall though.
 
IMO, there is nothing that compares to the Retina display, even if I had to compromise on a slightly slower processor. The Retina also comes standard with a SSD, so you will be gaining speed there as opposed to the standard drives in the cMBP.

Having said that, if you can wait a few months, you might benefit as the rumors are that the next gen Air's will have Retina displays as well.
 
B... said:
You can upgrade the SSDs. They are not glued in, just proprietary. OWC sells them at overpriced prices, and Samsung is beginning to. Prices will fall though.
Click to expand...

So if I bought the base rMBP, and use that for a while of the standard 128GB SSD, it will be possible to upgrade it to a bigger drive in a few months when the SSD prices drop. I heard you could not customise the retinas.
 
iMacBoy said:
So if I bought the base rMBP, and use that for a while of the standard 128GB SSD, it will be possible to upgrade it to a bigger drive in a few months when the SSD prices drop. I heard you could not customise the retinas.
Click to expand...

No, you just cannot replace the RAM. The SSD is replaceable with ones from OWC, but a 480 GB drive goes for around $600, so not inexpensive by any means.
 
iMacBoy said:
So if I bought the base rMBP, and use that for a while of the standard 128GB SSD, it will be possible to upgrade it to a bigger drive in a few months when the SSD prices drop. I heard you could not customise the retinas.
Click to expand...

As far as I know, the SSD drive *can* be swapped out, but they are not standard design, so the available aftermarket SSD's are pricey and limited.

The RAM is actually soldered to the logic board, so that *cannot* be changed.
 
Okay thanks everyone, 8GB RAM should definately be enough for me anyway, might just take the blow and go for the retina! Hmm decisions! Dont know if I have the patients to wait a few months for the release of the new line thats why!

Thanks again.
 
WWDC is in a month. Rumor has it they'll announce updates to their Mac(book) lines. Just wait. I'm waiting myself. It's too close to get burned, especially if you're going for a 13in rMBP (as the integrated graphics in Haswell should be delicious compared to Ivy Bridge).

EDIT - Also, it's very unlikely MBA's will get Retina displays. The battery power just isn't there yet, and the part of the chassis that houses the screen is just too thin for these displays (from my understanding).
 
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