My review: 2012 Retina Macbook received but still prefer (VS) my 17" Macbook Pro

[Romeo604]

Hey Guys

I don't want to gloat but somehow my July 12th order was shipped on the 21st and I received it this morning (after work at London Drugs since I was not home). (London Drugs post office actually opens till 11pm in Vancouver for my location).

I did a lot of research and I was waiting patiently for a new laptop, not just from Apple but from Asus, Toshiba etc and was also researching the best parts to build a PC tower.

After using the Retina Macbook for almost an hour now, it has lived up to its hype and is fast and beautiful in every way. But somehow I can't justify it at the moment since my 2007 Macbook Pro 17" is still going on strong. My 17" is my only computer since 2007 and I have an external display.

My 17" has a 1920x1200 glossy display and looks just as phenomenal, along with my SSD upgrade. My 17" is blazing fast for the average user. My boot time is around 30 seconds or so too. I can play and have finished Diablo 3 and Starcraft 2 on this thing.

I can edit videos in iMovie/Final Cut X, web design online, create what I need in Indesign and edit photos in Photoshop/Aperture... all with no problem. Rendering is not a problem on this thing and the longest processing is just from uploading my work to Youtube or online somewhere.

I can bring this 17" anywhere I like because it is not that big, it just looks big, contrary to all the 15" owners already and weighs the same IMO. Its a portable desktop in HD I can bring to work, home, library, friends, on my bed.

The reason I bought the Retina Macbook was perhaps just the sake of buying it because in my mind I just thought my 2007 Macbook is old and slow. But really comparing this thing to whats out on the market right now it still blows them away. When I pull this thing out everyone stares not because of its size (not that size) but because of its design.

For the Retina Macbook it does everything above (I am confident it can and much better) but it seems like I have no use for a second computer. Reasons for this purchase is for leaving my 17 inch at home since it was my only computer and have the Retina on the go.

But my 17 is just as portable. The pros of the Retina was the battery life because I would have to plug in my 17" after an hour use. I dropped my 2nd battery that I use for backup on this thing and I didn't want to buy another one. Also my superdrive is funky sometimes and doesn't read dual layer discs so I can't burn with the new blank DVDs. Not a big problem but would prefer it to work.

The Retina I am using the 1920 x 1200 setting because that is the setting I am used to. Played around with the other settings as well and they all look amazing. No gripes about the display.

The new stereo speakers on the Retina are decent but my 17" are just as decent as well. In either case I use headphones so it was not a factor in my purchase.

At the end of the day I believe this is more of a love for my old Macbook than an actual comparison and that I am just not used to the new Retina yet and I need to give it some more time. I will try to make a decision soon before the 30 day return policy kicks in. And since Apple does not charge restocking fee anymore (can someone confirm?) I am not worried about losing money by returning it.

I hope this review helped some fellow switchers who want to buy the new Retina.

Thanks!

 

[kdoug]

I'm not sure how you can make a comparison after only owning for an hour. I really skimmed through your post but the one thing that stuck out is how you compared speakers and said both we're decent. My iPad 3 speaker sounds better than the cMBP speakers, are you kidding me? The rMBP speakers are some of the best I've ever heard. I'll let others comment on the rest but this is simply fail.

 

[pgiguere1]

Why don't you sell your existing 17" and hook the rMBP to your external display instead of keeping both?

I'm sure design, screen and speakers are very good on your 2007 MBP, especially considering it's a 5 year old laptop, but the performance should be significantly better on the rMBP for demanding applications.

I just checked the Geekbench scores and the CPU in the rMBP is around 4 times as powerful as the one in your 17", and I assume the GPU is probably close to that as well.

Of couse if you don't notice any significant real-word productivity boost with the rMBP it's not worth keeping it though.

No, the Apple Store doesn't charge restocking fees anymore.

 

[Romeo604]

I do hope you read the entire review because for example I did not even consider the speakers of the new Retina a factor before purchasing, thus why I did not review it or emphasize it. Any speakers on a laptop is restricted because of its size and will never sound or be on par with a pair of quality headphones. I was comparing the Retina to the 17" and not just the Retina itself.

I also have been visiting the Apple store numerous times to test the machine with the same programs and I technically have spent a lot more time on it than what I stated physically having. There is no way any reveiw can include every single detail about what I observe or else it would be as long as a book.

I'm not sure how you can make a comparison after only owning for an hour. I really skimmed through your post but the one thing that stuck out is how you compared speakers and said both we're decent. My iPad 3 speaker sounds better than the cMBP speakers, are you kidding me? The rMBP speakers are some of the best I've ever heard. I'll let others comment on the rest but this is simply fail.

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Thats exactly the situation I am in because in real world performance for an average user the speed is negligible while surfing/movies/photo editing.

The reason I don't want to sell my 17" is I can only get around $400-$500 for it and would rather keep it for that selling price. But the most important thing is that it performs great still and the Retina is a luxury item

Why don't you sell your existing 17" and hook the rMBP to your external display instead of keeping both?

I'm sure design, screen and speakers are very good on your 2007 MBP, especially considering it's a 5 year old laptop, but the performance should be significantly better on the rMBP for demanding applications.

I just checked the Geekbench scores and the CPU in the rMBP is around 4 times as powerful as the one in your 17", and I assume the GPU is probably close to that as well.

Of couse if you don't notice any significant real-word productivity boost with the rMBP it's not worth keeping it though.

No, the Apple Store doesn't charge restocking fees anymore.

 

[mac jones]

A lot of people are in the boat as the OP. Had a 17, moved on to a smaller design, but a better screen.

Save a few bucks and keep you 17 if you are happy.

Be happy