Macbook to replace PC laptop

[casjohnr]

I currently have a 3 year old Dell laptop with a Intel i7-3632QM and 6GB RAM.

It is quite large to carry around, and the fan drives me up the wall! (Especially since I like to leave my laptop running overnight).

How would this compare to a retina Macbook? And would I get used to the smaller physical screen size? (My Dell only has a 1366x768 resolution).

 

[jesusplay]

it all comes down to what are you going to be using it for.

 

[Hastings101]

For just web browsing, very light gaming, office work etc. all things of that nature it should be fine for anyone. The screen is going to be small if you're coming from something like 17"

 

[wchigo]

I currently have a 3 year old Dell laptop with a Intel i7-3632QM and 6GB RAM.

It is quite large to carry around, and the fan drives me up the wall! (Especially since I like to leave my laptop running overnight).

How would this compare to a retina Macbook? And would I get used to the smaller physical screen size? (My Dell only has a 1366x768 resolution).

What jesusplay said is correct, it all comes down to what you're using it for.

Web browsing, emails, editing documents (word/excel) and watching movies on it is all fine; I'm speaking from experience as that's what I am using it for at the moment. I've also heard from people on these forums as well as reviews online that you can do some photo editing on it as well, but don't expect it to be that fast. The main thing is that video editing will be considerably slower than what you can do on a MBA or rMBP due to the slower processor and 4K videos will be a bit of a struggle.

Your current processor will definitely be faster but you'll get a bit more RAM out of the rMB and if you don't already have an SSD in your Dell, you'll see a substantial speed increase due to that as well. The screen size is fine for what I need it for (don't know what screen size you're working with now) and the 1440x900 resolution is great and will give you more real estate to work with. Ultimately though, it comes down to your workload to know if it will be the right tool for the job for you.

 

[brookter1]

For just web browsing, very light gaming, office work etc. all things of that nature it should be fine for anyone. The screen is going to be small if you're coming from something like 17"

I've just replaced my 2010 MBP 17" laptop (non-retina) with the 1.2Ghz rMP, and the biggest worry for me beforehand was the reduction in screen estate -- I take a lot of notes on documents, so the ability to have two programs running side by side is very important for me.

However, when I tried the rMP out at the Apple store, I found that the retina display was so sharp compared to the older screen that I could comfortably read text at a much smaller size and hence can still fit both windows side by side.

Yes, of course I could fit more onto the 17" screen, but the disparity between the two was vastly less than I expected and for my use, it was more than acceptable. The compromises are not that great that they outweigh the sheer delight of the retina screen and the other benefits. (This is a second machine for me; I don't need it as a workhorse.)

So, if the OP can, I would suggest they spend some time trying an rMP out -- perhaps they also will be surprised at just how much it's possible to fit onto the screen comfortably.