I really wanted to buy this 13 rMBP but

[yano729]

I want to buy the 13 inch retina so bad, but I'm not gonna give into Apple on this one. Its just not a smart buy. I refuse to buy anything non retina after having a retina iPad, i just couldn't do it. I have a late 2006 c2d black macbook that has lasted me 6 years. I love this thing but its getting long in the tooth and I can't upgrade it anymore.

Im not one of those people who have a 2011 mba and for some strange reason need to upgrade to the new rMBP. I like to value items and squeeze every penny out of them. I made a conscious decisions even before the 13 inch retina came out to wait until Haswell because, well because I don't want the bridge processors when I know Haswell is right around the corner.

I also am wondering if Apple expected this to be a hit (or even a bigger hit then the 15 inch retina) and maybe compensated for it by A) increasing the price B) increasing the stock volumes. This is one of the few apple mainstream items that I can remember that hasn't been sold instantly. Im not sure whether the fact that I can go to the store now and pick up a 13 inch retina is a good or bad sign for Apple.

I just don't like that Apple has turned into a fad these days and its always about having the newest and shiny products and people have to upgrade their iPhones from the 4S to the 5, or 2011 mba to the retina MacBooks. Apple is getting greedy and this is not a good sign (I am a stock holder btw). Not to mention the lack of control the buyer has on being able to update their computers with what they want. Apple has everything they could ask for in terms of popularity and their closed ecosystem but continue to push the button on forcing the buyers hand. That my friend is a terribly rotten bad apple.

 

[Maczor]

No one is forcing anyone's hand.
If you dislike it or don't agree with it, buy something else.
Blaming Apple for your decision of buying their product is just silly.

PS: By "you" / "your" I mean consumers in general.

 

[1member1]

I wanted to buy it too but the price is too much for me right now :Z i'm also dissapointed with the dual core i7 instead of quad and the fact that others pay so much for i5 in 2012.

we'll see in february. but maybe i'll change my mind untill then

 

[pgiguere1]

I expect it to be a hit, just not right now.

Remember the MacBook Air when it launched? Nobody bought it because it was way too expensive. Then it become cheap enough to produce and Apple could sell it at a lower price, and people bought it.

Now the difference with the 13" rMBP is that it's an artificially inflated price. The MBA cost more when it launched because it used a very uncommon (at that time) 20W CPU. The 13" rMBP does have an uncommon Retina display but its pricing makes no sense when you compare it to an iPad or 15" rMBP which also have a Retina display.

My guess is that Apple doesn't want to sell too much on purpose. They have low yields of Mac Retina displays and they knew if the 13" rMBP was priced aggressively ($1599 for 256GB, following what the 15" did), it would sell in much larger amounts than the 15" rMBP. And even the 15" had supply problems at launch. It took me over a month to get mine.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (that guy that was right so many times this year) said the 13" Retina displays actually have an even lower yield than the 15". That's the reason it's releasing later than the 15" too, since 35W Ivy Bridge CPUs were already available this summer.

So basically, the 13" rMBP was guaranteed to sell out because of low yields and Apple though they might as well increase their margin if sales numbers are going to be limited by supply anyway.

I'm sure price will be decreased next year, once they can make Retina displays in large amount. Once they will be confident with their yields they will discontinue cMBPs and price rMBPs aggressively.

 

[Mrbobb]

I am not going to blame Apple, never forget they are in it for the business no matter that their priests tell you.

However, I sympathize, the 13" rMBP is indeed a very desirable format.

Hold strong men. Stop reading about it. Get away, enjoy what you have, you have 1 year of devil-may-care, until Haswell.

 

[idunn]

Not so fast

Disappointing, if not entirely unexpected. One may have to wait until Version B to receive the price ratio and performance this 13" rMBP should have had (as well as hopefully by then less teething problems with screens, etc.).

One might have to wait longer. With Version B, Apple may deign to offer 256GB of SSD as base for such a high price, so some start there. The introduction of the Haswell CPU offers significant promise as well, if perhaps one not fully realized. Intel says it will provide "up to 2x" the performance of the Ivy Bridge HD 4000 in graphics.[1] However, that would be in GT3 configuration, which may not be offered in the 13" rMBP.

Haswell CPUs will be offered in three variations: GT1, GT2, and GT3. The latter two, being most capable, will be offered in quad-core desktop and mobile applications. GT1, with lowest performance, will be reserved for dual-core applications. The GT3 may be released in March, 2013; the GT2 in April, 2013; the GT1 probably released in the June-August, 2013 timeframe.[2]

If Apple remains true to form in crippling the performance of 13" models in relation to their 15" brethren, then quite possibly refusing to provide either discreet graphics or anything more than dual-core architecture. The marketing promise then could be that with the advent of Haswell discreet graphics are more of a nicety, with this chip now able to handle that task well. Which if a GT3 model it might well do. But if the 13" rMBP remains dual-core, true performance increases will mostly be smoke and mirrors on Apple's part.

This might be a long frustrating wait towards the realization of a promise of something that already (with some—present—distinct downsides) already exists.

1) 'Intel’s Haswell is an unprecedented threat to Nvidia, AMD,' ExtremeTech
http://www.extremetech.com/computing/136219-intels-haswell-is-an-unprecedented-threat-to-nvidia-amd

2)'Launch schedule of Intel Haswell processors,' CPU World
http://www.cpu-world.com/news_2012/2012071001_Launch_schedule_of_Intel_Haswell_processors.html​

 

[yano729]

Are you trying to say that you could see apple releasing a quad core 13 retina to be able to accomdiate Haswell

 

[ob81]

I looked at the 15" and 13" retina long and hard. I really wanted a 13" computer but the 15" retina wasn't out of the picture. I ended up grabbing the 13" without retina i7 chip. I like the retina 13". I love the 15" as well. I can't help but think that Apple will ultimately discontinue selling the DVD/CD version very soon, with the retina coming in at the same price point as the current MacBooks without retina.

The overall goal is selling content. Apple sells nothing that is on a DVD. I am typically an early adopter with Apple products. I personally can't justify the extra money for the retina screen when I see the future on this one. I don't knock people for buying it though. It is a great computer.

 

[idunn]

Sadly . . .

Are you trying to say that you could see apple releasing a quad core 13 retina to be able to accommodate Haswell

No. That while Apple should offer a quad-core configuration and most powerful Haswell CPU, in the GT3, that they probably will not. At least in Version B, the 13" rMBP will likely remain dual-core, and thus at a significant disadvantage.

Frustrating, as the present 13" rMBP holds such promise. But in capability and value no match for the 15" models. If with some concern in resale value, etc., one might wish to adopt a wait and see attitude. Otherwise, spend the money and enjoy the 13" rMBP for what it is, ignoring what it might and could be—and may not for who knows how long.

 

[iScreamSanWitch]

Guys, since when did apple offer the latest and greatest in their macbook line? People always seem to forget they go for the form factor and battery life first and foremost. The 15 inch offers it because it has the space and battery life to sustain the apple 'way', but if you are after a quad core and dedicated graphics in the 13 inch form factor then look elsewhere! It's as simple as that.

I was waiting for this release for ages and the price is not an issue for me. I was looking long and hard for ANY alternatives in the AU2k price range which will give me what I need and couldn't find them, so this is it!

For those of you who are saying wait for Haswell I just have to laugh, There is ALWAYS something better around the corner. If you get into that sort of thinking you're never going to buy anything ever. Plus there will always be a detail you don't like and consider it to be the 'dealbreaker'. Be it pricing, specs, some problem a few people are experiencing ETC.

At the end of the day I looked at what I needed, what I could spend and this computer was the perfect fit! Don't be shocked that quite a few of us exist that consider this computer to be perfect in those aspects. I'm saying this last bit because all I can read anywhere is 'WHO WOULD BUY THIS?!'..

 

[bubbleboyjones]

Frustrating, as the present 13" rMBP holds such promise. But in capability and value no match for the 15" models. If with some concern in resale value, etc., one might wish to adopt a wait and see attitude. Otherwise, spend the money and enjoy the 13" rMBP for what it is, ignoring what it might and could be—and may not for who knows how long.

Pretty much people need to ask the question "Does this laptop suite my needs?" and not obsess on benchmarks and whats a 'value' and whats not. Tech is always advancing and the speed on these computers have come so far today that they're on pare with Mac Pro's from 5 years ago in many areas. Its really incredible what we can get today.

If a 13" rMBP only has a dual core Haswell you shouldn't disqualify it because the 15" has the quad core and a better value. If you want a 13" laptop and the rMBP is fast enough then by all means buy it and use it instead of obsessing over benchmarks.