Isn't the Price Too Close?

[tomegun]

Can someone tell me where my thinking may be flawed? Looking at 13" versus 15" retina MBP, $2,199 will get the following:

13" - smaller laptop, 2.9GHz dual-core i7
15" - larger laptop, 2.3GHz quad-core i7, discrete video card with 1GB GDDR5 memory

The SSD drive space is the same on both systems.

Is there something I'm missing or is the size of the 13" the only advantage? I am looking at the 13" because I'm not in school anymore and my 2011 15" is slightly larger than I would like. However, I have a 2GHz quad-core i7 with 16GB of Ram and the hit I would take may not be worth it. I guess I could get a SSD to put in my current system.

 

[yanksrock100]

The price is very close, as this is discussed in many other threads. An upgraded 13 rMBP is not a good deal for the reasons you state. If you want a fully upgraded 13 rMBP, you should consider a 15 first.

 

[MCAsan]

Is there something I'm missing or is the size of the 13" the only advantage?

Not meaning to heart anyone's feelings; but, that was my conclusion also. I hope all who do purchase them have every success with them!

 

[Queen6]

Nope, you nailed it, there is absolutely nothing compelling about the 13" Retina other than the size, the 15" Retina simply dominates it in every aspect, anyone looking to buy the 13" should think about it very carefully.

Apple set the standard for performance with the 15" Retina and now they are looking to cash in on those who are not able to live with the 15"s footprint. A 13" with a basic CPU upgrade (i7) costs as much as a 15" Retina base in many countries which is a bad joke to say the least.

It makes little sense to go with the 13" the CPU`s performance level of the 15' over the 13" in isolation is significant to say the least, anything CPU intensive is simply going to be completed far faster, any app that can take advantage of multicore architecture more so.

GeekBench Results

• MacBook Pro (13-inch Mid 2012) Intel Core i7-3520M 2900 MHz (2 cores) 7797
• MacBook Pro (15-inch Mid 2012) Intel Core i7-3615QM 2300 MHz (4 cores) 10799

My own base 15" Retina benchmarks at over 11K systematically (Link: just hit 11040 and 11043 and 11096) and on top of the far higher CPU rating you will have both the HD 4000 and GT 650M GPU`s, superior audio, higher resolution. If i was forced to buy the 13" Retina i would be very unhappy to say the least giving up so much, to save so little...

The bottom line is the 13" Retina is priced far too high, i applaud Apple`s ingenuity and engineering prowess, equally their greed is staggering just when will enough be enough $$$$. The 13" Retina should have a base price range of $1200 - $1300, as in general the 13" line is grossly over priced.

 

[Queen6]

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[tillsbury]

I don't know why this is a surprise. With any non-Apple laptop you expect the big ones to be either ordinary or high spec. The smaller ones are more expensive for the same spec because they're much smaller. Always have been.

 

[scarred]

There are some of us who will not touch the 15". Why bother getting a notebook at all if it isn't something "I" would not bring around with me? I'd pick an iMac over a 15" pro any day. If it makes sense for you, grats, **** and go and buy it.

The valid comparison is 13" mba vs. rmbp:

I'll do the work for you: 1699 vs. 2199 (8gb ram in each, 256 ssd in each, i7 in each). For $500 I get retina, a bit more performance , dual thunderbolt and HDMI. I give up some weight, but gain on the form factor size (rmbp is smaller). Numbers add up fine for me.

 

[Maczor]

@ Queen6 : Not to be rude or something, but benchmark scores aren't the alpha and omega... Sure, benchmarks do measure stuff, but "real life usage" is many times totally different... that being said: even if the 13" models score less, it doesn't mean they can't handle the stuff certain users throw at them ( that's why 13" has "a certain target group" and the 15", more powerful model has a slightly different target group ).

Both "get the job done", one just needs to first define what "job" is and then based on his own expectations / standards, decide which model is worth his money.

 

[willjbryan]

I think one explanation is that Apple took a lower margin than normal on the 15" macbook pro w/ retina in order to get broader market uptake, encourage development of retina-ready apps, etc. and pave the way for a broader suite of Retina models.

Also, the 13" seems plenty capable for most users. I use my 15" rmbp all the time, but rarely for anything fancier than web browsing/MS office. I am contemplating selling it and buying the 13" model for the smaller form factor.

 

[GrandPhrase]

I agree it is very close.. Still for those who desire portability will probably choose the 13 over the 15.

 

[Queen6]

@ Queen6 : Not to be rude or something, but benchmark scores aren't the alpha and omega... Sure, benchmarks do measure stuff, but "real life usage" is many times totally different... that being said: even if the 13" models score less, it doesn't mean they can't handle the stuff certain users throw at them ( that's why 13" has "a certain target group" and the 15", more powerful model has a slightly different target group ).

Both "get the job done", one just needs to first define what "job" is and then based on his own expectations / standards, decide which model is worth his money.

No not at all, and you point is valid, equally for just few hundred $$$ more you can get an awful lot more performance, which really needs to highlighted. I also agree with willjbryan`s statement regarding the pricing on the 15" Retina, i still remain that Apple should reduce the pricing on the 13" all the same i wish all who go ahead "smooth sailing" and a great experience all the same choose carefully as the 15" is an incredible machine...

 

[rworne]

I weighed the difference between a 15" and 13" today. I was really torn between the two units.

I loved the power and graphics in the 15", but the 13" was hitting the right spot for the size I would prefer.

So the only thing the 13" had going for it was the size (I was pricing the 8GB/512GB midrange 15" model vs the equivalent 13" model)

Frankly, I thought the 13" was not worth it for the smaller size and $100 price difference.

So I brought the 15" home and set it up. i was even more stoked when I found out I got a perfect LCD and it was a Sammy display too.

 

[vistadude]

I think it makes almost no sense if you have a 15 inch notebook of your specs and only less than 2 years old to buy a 13 inch just because of the screen. Add a ssd to your notebook if you want, but I doubt it will make much difference except for boot times - most people just leave their macbooks in sleep mode anyways so the difference is small.

Edit: I've seen the 15" retina macbook pro and couldn't tell any difference in screen quality over a regular 15" macbook pro. I asked my friend to show text and it looked exactly the same to both of us. Then he said something about the dashboard icons looking better and I couldn't see anything different. It seems that apple prevents you from actually running at full resolution, so the differences are almost trivial.

Can someone tell me where my thinking may be flawed? Looking at 13" versus 15" retina MBP, $2,199 will get the following:

13" - smaller laptop, 2.9GHz dual-core i7
15" - larger laptop, 2.3GHz quad-core i7, discrete video card with 1GB GDDR5 memory

The SSD drive space is the same on both systems.

Is there something I'm missing or is the size of the 13" the only advantage? I am looking at the 13" because I'm not in school anymore and my 2011 15" is slightly larger than I would like. However, I have a 2GHz quad-core i7 with 16GB of Ram and the hit I would take may not be worth it. I guess I could get a SSD to put in my current system.

 

[rworne]

I think it makes almost no sense if you have a 15 inch notebook of your specs and only less than 2 years old to buy a 13 inch just because of the screen. Add a ssd to your notebook if you want, but I doubt it will make much difference except for boot times - most people just leave their macbooks in sleep mode anyways so the difference is small.

Edit: I've seen the 15" retina macbook pro and couldn't tell any difference in screen quality over a regular 15" macbook pro. I asked my friend to show text and it looked exactly the same to both of us. Then he said something about the dashboard icons looking better and I couldn't see anything different. It seems that apple prevents you from actually running at full resolution, so the differences are almost trivial.

The difference for me is the text. It is far more smoother than lower resolution devices. Photos, not so much (to me). It also probably depends on your eyesight and how well you can focus. If you are far-sighted and need minor correction for reading, it may not make any difference. I'm fighting that now, but my reading distance for a laptop is still fine without lenses. My iPhone 5, not so easy. iPad is OK.

 

[terraphantm]

I think it makes almost no sense if you have a 15 inch notebook of your specs and only less than 2 years old to buy a 13 inch just because of the screen. Add a ssd to your notebook if you want, but I doubt it will make much difference except for boot times - most people just leave their macbooks in sleep mode anyways so the difference is small.

Edit: I've seen the 15" retina macbook pro and couldn't tell any difference in screen quality over a regular 15" macbook pro. I asked my friend to show text and it looked exactly the same to both of us. Then he said something about the dashboard icons looking better and I couldn't see anything different. It seems that apple prevents you from actually running at full resolution, so the differences are almost trivial.

It really perplexes me how some people can't see the difference. For me it was night and day - much like going from SDTV to HDTV. The difference is so striking to me that I wouldn't believe people who say they look the same if my own mother didn't express the same sentiment with the iPad 2 vs iPad 3.

 

[throAU]

If a 15" machine is too big for your purposes, it doesn't matter how close the pricing is between 13" and 15".

If portability isn't a huge issue for you, yes the 15" machine is better value in terms of hardware spec.


However if you need a 13" machine with pixel density that high, there's nothing else on the market...


edit:
I agree with one of the posters above, benchmark numbers for portables are not quite so relevant. I mean sure faster is better, but a portable machine, being used on battery is spending 90% of its CPU time idle anyway - or the battery will be gone in 45 minutes...

It really depends if you want a machine as a portable, or a desktop replacement.

I want a desktop replacement so i'm attracted to the 15" form factor, but others place more priority on portability...

 

[Purant]

I agree with one of the posters above, benchmark numbers for portables are not quite so relevant. I mean sure faster is better, but a portable machine, being used on battery is spending 90% of its CPU time idle anyway - or the battery will be gone in 45 minutes...

I could forgive the price of the 13" if the battery life was amazing. It's not though. It's the same as the 15", which isn't that great anyway.

 

[vistadude]

iPad 3 vs iPad 2 is a huge difference, same with iphone 4 vs iphone 3GS. But those devices are really close to your face. A laptop typically sits much farther away. True, if you use a retina mbp and regular mbp for many days, I'm sure you can tell the difference, but I can't even see the pixels or blurring on my 13" macbook non-pro at a normal distance, even close up, and I just got new glasses 2 months ago and I'm young

It really perplexes me how some people can't see the difference. For me it was night and day - much like going from SDTV to HDTV. The difference is so striking to me that I wouldn't believe people who say they look the same if my own mother didn't express the same sentiment with the iPad 2 vs iPad 3.

 

[tomegun]

I think it makes almost no sense if you have a 15 inch notebook of your specs and only less than 2 years old to buy a 13 inch just because of the screen. Add a ssd to your notebook if you want, but I doubt it will make much difference except for boot times - most people just leave their macbooks in sleep mode anyways so the difference is small.

I think I agree with you and I will probably just stick with what I have. Yes, I would like to have a 13" again - I sold a 13" uni-body (I think they only made those for a short time) before I got the 15" - but what I have is a really nice system. My plan all along was to keep my system for 2 years before considering something else.

I appreciate all the responses and if I was to upgrade right now I would probably get the 15" just because it seems like the most bang for the buck unless size is critical. Really, the 15" is not that big and I'm saying that about the classic MBP.