How long should I wait? (13" rMBP)

[nope7308]

I have an early 2008 Aluminum Macbook that's on its last legs. I'm guessing I can squeeze another year out of it (maybe). The battery is bulging, the burner/DVD player doesn't work, and the trackpad no longer clicks.

Ideally, I'd like to replace this computer with a 13" rMBP, but with the following features:
- Dedicated graphics card
- 802.11ac WIFI support
- Newer version of Thunderbolt
- 768GB flash storage
- Price of $1400 or less

Do you think this will happen within 12 months or so? I'm confident all of the above features will be introduced - eventually - but I haven't got a clue about the time frame, or the impact on pricing structure.

In my view, the current crop of rMBP are prohibitively expensive for what you get.

 

[Asuriyan]

I would give it another 3 years before you have any chance of seeing that much space on an SSD at that price point, and the move to a dedicated GPU in the 13" is unlikely given the time and money Intel is putting into making their integrated GPUs a viable solution.

802.11ac will most likely make it into next years model, and next gen Thunderbolt either this year or next.

 

[Orlandoech]

lol NOT happening.

Only thing on your list that will happen is 802.11ac WIFI support.

 

[Livewings]

I have an early 2008 Aluminum Macbook that's on its last legs. I'm guessing I can squeeze another year out of it (maybe). The battery is bulging, the burner/DVD player doesn't work, and the trackpad no longer clicks.

Ideally, I'd like to replace this computer with a 13" rMBP, but with the following features:
- Dedicated graphics card
- 802.11ac WIFI support
- Newer version of Thunderbolt
- 768GB flash storage
- Price of $1400 or less

Do you think this will happen within 12 months or so? I'm confident all of the above features will be introduced - eventually - but I haven't got a clue about the time frame, or the impact on pricing structure.

In my view, the current crop of rMBP are prohibitively expensive for what you get.

The next rMBP 13" will contain a GTX 780M and 768GB flash storage for probably around $1299 ... IN YOUR DREAMS. IT WILL NEVER HAPPEN FOR GODS SAKE.

 

[splitpea]

Arent bulging batteries a really dangerous sign that it could explode / catch fire / otherwise fail disastrously at any moment? I you're going to hang on to that for a while, you might want to replace the battery.

That or get something on the inexpensive end to tide you over until 2015 or so when the rmbp will probably have the features you want.

 

[jclardy]

Dedicated graphics seems like a possibility IMO...but I am not sure. The issue is that non-retina 13" will be going away at some point...so either the 13" MBA or 13" rMBP will have to be its successor.

Currently the 13" rMBP is too expensive, so my guess is the 13" Air will be the spiritual successor. Then the 13" can become more "pro" by getting a dedicated graphics card, but its price point will stay the same.

As for thunderbolt...does it really matter? The new interface is theoretically twice as fast...but with 10Gbps you need a 4 disk SSD RAID array to actually use the bandwidth available. And even still you can run a monitor off the same port.

The storage definitely won't be that cheap for at least another 2 years.

The most likely thing from your list is the 802.11AC.

 

[srsub3]

dedicated graphics for sure no, this is, with quadcore processor, the main difference between 13 and 15... and they will mantain it.... 1400 $ is a too much low price for a 768 ssd IMHO...

 

[nope7308]

Fack, I knew it was a bit of wishful thinking on my part.

Honestly though, how can anyone claim that 128GB SSD is sufficient for today's monstrous file sizes? I would fill that SSD in a week! I would rather have 1TB 7200RPM standard HDD, but that's not exactly an option.

What about this:
- ~500GB SSD
- 802.11ac
- $1400 or less

Think that will happen in 12 month's time?

 

[vatter69]

More and more people are using a NAS to store videos/pictures/music. Or use Cloud based solutions like Spotify etc.

I own the 256gb SSD in my 13" retina but still have 110 gig left. So if i really tried hard and removed some of the junk i installed for testing i could live with 128 gig np.

Fack, I knew it was a bit of wishful thinking on my part.

Honestly though, how can anyone claim that 128GB SSD is sufficient for today's monstrous file sizes? I would fill that SSD in a week! I would rather have 1TB 7200RPM standard HDD, but that's not exactly an option.

What about this:
- ~500GB SSD
- 802.11ac
- $1400 or less

Think that will happen in 12 month's time?

 

[splitpea]

Fack, I knew it was a bit of wishful thinking on my part.

Honestly though, how can anyone claim that 128GB SSD is sufficient for today's monstrous file sizes? I would fill that SSD in a week! I would rather have 1TB 7200RPM standard HDD, but that's not exactly an option.

What about this:
- ~500GB SSD
- 802.11ac
- $1400 or less

Think that will happen in 12 month's time?

Nope.

- ~500GB SSD
- $1400 or less

Pick one or the other.

12 months from now, a rMBP with 512GB SSD will probably cost what one with 256GB does today.

 

[nope7308]

Well, goodbye Apple, I guess.

 

[Krazy Bill]

Well, goodbye Apple, I guess.

I'd be more inclined to leave them simply based on the direction of OSX, not the hardware.

And I don't think we'll see 500GB SSD's become standard ever. It's all about the cloud these days.

 

[chrise2]

I have 128 GB SSD and its fine. Its not my primary computer for storage though. I only use it for work. If I wanted to put all my photos / music / video on it, forget it. I have that on another computer. For basic email, web and documents, 128 GB is more than enough. Not everyone has giant iTunes or iPhoto libraries.

 

[andy9l]

Well, goodbye Apple, I guess.

If you don't rely on, or prefer, Unix, more specifically OS X, why on Earth are you even contemplating a Mac? You could save yourself $100's by buying a Windows laptop, and probably get the specs you want too.

HP, Lenovo and other manufacturers are busting out Mac clones now, so you could even get one that looks like a Mac

 

[Laco]

I have an early 2008 Aluminum Macbook that's on its last legs. I'm guessing I can squeeze another year out of it (maybe). The battery is bulging, the burner/DVD player doesn't work, and the trackpad no longer clicks.

Ideally, I'd like to replace this computer with a 13" rMBP, but with the following features:
- Dedicated graphics card
- 802.11ac WIFI support
- Newer version of Thunderbolt
- 768GB flash storage
- Price of $1400 or less

Do you think this will happen within 12 months or so? I'm confident all of the above features will be introduced - eventually - but I haven't got a clue about the time frame, or the impact on pricing structure.

In my view, the current crop of rMBP are prohibitively expensive for what you get.

I don't think you are going to find this list in a mac or pc any time soon. I just checked the Dell website, for example, and their premium laptops that have 256GB SSDs and do NOT have dedicated video cards start around $1500. There's no way that you will be anything close to this anywhere from any manufacturer any time soon. You need to lower your standards.

 

[nope7308]

If you don't rely on, or prefer, Unix, more specifically OS X, why on Earth are you even contemplating a Mac? You could save yourself $100's by buying a Windows laptop, and probably get the specs you want too.

HP, Lenovo and other manufacturers are busting out Mac clones now, so you could even get one that looks like a Mac

I'd cancel my internet service before I buy a windows-based PC. Worst. OS. Ever. Even if they magically created a superior OS, I still wouldn't buy it. That's how bad my experience has been with Windows.

I tried Linux a few years back, but found that it just didn't have the plug and play functionality that I needed. I'd have to write commands just to get the mouse and wireless card to work properly, not to mention the lack of software compatibility.

Ugh, I really like Apple machines, but these prices are just ridiculous. I mean, it's one thing to charge for a premium product, but you can find similarly spec'd machines for literally half the cost. A better user experience is only worth so much.

I'm not a Jobs fanboy, but I think Apple is slowly going downhill. I don't really see the same pace of innovation, and the company seems to have lost touch with what its customers are willing to pay. I can't imagine them keeping their current sales numbers (nevermind improving them) without lowering their pricing structure. At least make the HDD user replaceable! I mean, common!

I'm beginning to see the same complacency that sunk Microsoft, but that's just my opinion.

 

[Asuriyan]

I typically buy a new 15" MBP every 2 years. I skipped 2010 to try 'the other side' for much the same reason you mentioned: half the cost for the same specs. I got an HP with i7 quad, dedicated ATI graphics, 4GB of RAM, and 500GB hard drive. It cost me 1150 including a 2 year extended warranty for accidental damage. The 2010 MBP with the same exact i7, same amount of RAM and same hard drive would have cost me literally twice as much. I thought myself very clever.

I wound up with a machine that ran so hot that it had to be serviced for throttling issues 3 separate times, a screen with the poorest viewing angles and most washed out colors I have seen to date, a Windows installation that had to be immediately stripped and replaced with a fresh copy due to all the HP bloatware, and an hour and a half battery life on a VERY good day.

I forced myself to use it for 2 1/2 years before finally selling it earlier this year. During that time I found myself using old MacBooks for most of my day to day things. I bought a new rMBP and haven't regretted it since.

I don't know what you use specifically that requires so much space, but there are so many ways to offload things from a portable hard drive that you should be able to work around it. I agree that 128GB is a little light, but 256GB is quite workable. For example, I use my media center PC (an old Dell OptiPlex minitower jammed full of hard drives) to manage my iTunes library. Add them on the Dell, upload them to iTunes Match, and I can play them on my Macs and on my iPhone, as well as through ATV. I also subscribe to Adobe Creative Cloud, which gives me 20GB online for my digital media projects, and Dropbox, which I use for photos. Total usage on my OS X partition, with AutoCAD, CS6 Master Collection, Office, and a few games, is 140GB.

 

[onirocdarb]

You should be able to get all of that this summer.
Except for the $1400 price tag.... no way. Even if they drop the price on the Haswell update you will still have to upgrade to the 768gb sad

 

[karpich1]

Fack, I knew it was a bit of wishful thinking on my part.

Honestly though, how can anyone claim that 128GB SSD is sufficient for today's monstrous file sizes? I would fill that SSD in a week!

Simple: it's a laptop... and don't put your entire iTunes library on it. 128GB isn't a huge amount, but your exclamation sounds like you want to fill it with movies.

Almost every tech-savvy friend of mine does what I do.

• Smaller SSD for fast access to APPLICATIONS
• Slower external HDD in the 1+ TB range for your movies + music.

I mean, do you NEED fast access for your movies and such? I guess if you're editing a movie or video then that one you're working on might need fast access. But for the rest, you don't. You can stream 1080p content over WiFi, so long as the signal doesn't suck entirely.

128GB is more than enough for JUST APPLICATIONS for the average user unless you have BootCamp and a bunch of games. In which case, uninstall the games you don't play often. There are only so many games you can play around the same time anyway. Like 3-5 big ones at a time, uninstall as-needed.

Assuming you have a second drive then 128GB should be fine for most "regular" users, 256GB should be fine for just about every "regular" user, and 512GB would be overkill. Obviously developers and people that work in video might want as much as possible.


Personally I just use a NAS for my movies + music; this way other machines can access it without it being plugged into a powered-on machine. And if my main computer dies spectacularly then my live-data is still readily available for another computer without having to crack open the first one.


If I'm travelling, I just copy over a small part of my collection. Like just enough to pass the time (a couple TV episodes, a couple movies, and some music).

Now, I know someone might make a joke that this sounds like the "64kb is good enough for anybody" quote. But that's not where I'm going with this. Until SSD catches up a little bit with the size, it's only really good for the speed / silence / power. Don't try using it for huge library-stores.

 

[A7ibaba]

I have an early 2008 Aluminum Macbook that's on its last legs. I'm guessing I can squeeze another year out of it (maybe). The battery is bulging, the burner/DVD player doesn't work, and the trackpad no longer clicks.

Ideally, I'd like to replace this computer with a 13" rMBP, but with the following features:
- Dedicated graphics card
- 802.11ac WIFI support
- Newer version of Thunderbolt
- 768GB flash storage
- Price of $1400 or less

Do you think this will happen within 12 months or so? I'm confident all of the above features will be introduced - eventually - but I haven't got a clue about the time frame, or the impact on pricing structure.

In my view, the current crop of rMBP are prohibitively expensive for what you get.

Wait until they make battery removable.

 

[Rocketpaul]

no 128gb isnt much but you can upgrade the ssd when it becomes cheaper.

 

[B...]

Wait until they make battery removable.

That is not going to happen. Apple is moving toward soldered RAM and battery and proprietary SSD. Why would they move backwards and make their computers more user accessable, potentially lowering their margin for profit (besides the Mac Pro)?

 

[pgiguere1]

Ugh, I really like Apple machines, but these prices are just ridiculous. I mean, it's one thing to charge for a premium product, but you can find similarly spec'd machines for literally half the cost.

I thought the rMBPs were actually priced pretty competitively for their specs.
Where can I find similarly specced machines for half the cost of a 13" rMBP?

Looking at Windows ultrabooks with 1080p (not even close to Retina), they all are around $1499 for 256GB and come with half the RAM, slower CPU, no Thunderbolt, worse battery and worse trackpad.

For only $200 more the 13" rMBP is one heck of a deal. The 1080p/256GB Samsung Series 9 is even $1,899, with only 4GB RAM and the MBA's CPU.

 

[A7ibaba]

That is not going to happen. Apple is moving toward soldered RAM and battery and proprietary SSD. Why would they move backwards and make their computers more user accessable, potentially lowering their margin for profit (besides the Mac Pro)?

So,you think its better option to replace the whole laptop because of battery,which is btw, a usual replacement part,,after a some period of time?

 

[Mr MM]

So,you think its better option to replace the whole laptop because of battery,which is btw, a usual replacement part,,after a some period of time?

I thought you were trolling, but you are serious...

This is probably not going to happen, actually the battery cost of replacement is in terms of the market (same battery wattage or very similar), however there is a extreme hassle for some, or a very big annoyance for the rest that is to send it in to have it replaced. Although with that you can get a new touchpad (on the 15) or just a new keyboard and top case

OP

dedicated gpu is not going to happen.

That kind of space alone in terms of SSD is outrageous costly, the newest SSD to have good price per capacity is the m500 with 960gb, it still costs 600, and this was launched this week, again this week, usually the price for that kind of storage are in the 1k area.

Price lowering on the rmbp 13 is bound to happen again, or so I think. I dont really believe that the mba 13 is going to be the sucessor for the mbp 13

Though if you want a true competitor for the rmbp 13 is the late sony vaio Z13, and that really was costly till it was discountinued when the rmbp 13 entered the market. They actually disputed that at price points, not only form factor and performance (that the z13 actually wins on the latter is a testament of sony capability of making great 13 machines)

thunderbolt 2.0 is going to happen on 2014