OMG. Please reserve all judgement on rMBP until you see it in person.

[leman]

Most cMBP owners are techies while most rMBP owners are casual users who remind me those people, either wealthy or poor, who buy an expensive car and whenever they need to change the oil or the windshield wiper fluid, they take it to the repair shop . They probably have never opened or would never open their car bonnet . Not to mention, they are susceptible to positive criticism, especially if it comes from cMBP owners...

Total nonsense... I am clearly a techie and that's the reason why I prefer the technically superior (IMHO of course) rMBP. Fir someone who works with programming, it's hard to beat the rMBP with its excellent text rendering. You are confusing techies and tinkerers. And getting the rMBP is like getting a car that does not need any oil change at all btw

----------

Surveys are used to make statistical inferences about the population. You don't need to target the 50M Mac users to perform the survey...

People who post at the forums are hardly a representative subset of the population.

 

[wethackrey]

Don't you feel embarrassed about claiming in your recent posts that you are an architect.

Actually no. It's what I do. No need to be embarrassed about it.

Talking about architecture, are you certified in these programs: OpenCA, OpenCITS, TOGAF?. Based on my personal experience, most people who claim they are architects are not certified. They are pre-sales guys who do powerpoint presentations and product demos...

Interesting that you'd presume to know what the requirements are to do what I do for a living. I'm hired based on my resume and reputation. I actually do support pre-sales from time to time. Mostly I lead delivery teams.

Whether you or your friends work on cloud or nosql databases, you already know that your deployments, IAAS and PAAS are on remote machines stacked in racks. You only need a browser and a terminal window to run an SSH to do your job. Honestly, do you require an rMBP to do your job? Do you use an rMBP at work and did your company purchased it for you?

Again you presume to know what it is that I do, yet you clearly do not. As I type this I have eight VMs on this machine, two of which are running: a Scientific Linux instance and a W2K8R2x64 instance. I have two concurrent RDP sessions open over VPNs to cloud orchestration stacks in two cities. I have NetBeans running looking at some Java we're working on. I have BMC Atrium Orchestrator Development Studio running and I have Keynote running working on a deck for a client project status review next week.

You seem to think this thread has turned into wether or not I NEED a retina display. Probably not, but it's what I choose to use. As for who owns this particular MBPr, I'm not sure that has any bearing on the point, which you may recall is to refute your claim that most MBPr owners are not techies. But since you asked, I own it.

If your retina is that crisp, you should have read that I used the adjective "Most".

Yes, you said "Most", based on what, none of us have any idea. And I said that, in my experience, at least three out of four of the MBPr owners I know are techies by any definition of that term.

Probably. However, because of the issues observed in this first release of retina, I do not consider it as a success story...

To Tim Cook's great relief, your opinion doesn't seem to matter to a great many people.

Good for you . Based on my own observations, people who drive Jaguar cars are not that young

And now suddenly the ad hominem argument swings to my age. You got me. I am definitely old enough to know what I find value in. And included in that vast set of things I care about, I don't seem to find your opinion listed.

 

[nickbarbs]

I'm not sure why this has to get so personal.

If you want to upgrade the ram and play with the drives all the time get the MBPC. If you want an ultra thin next gen device get the RMBP. Are you opening the laptop all the time or actually using it?

Pretty much everything is better in the RMBP, size, weight, speakers, screen, etc. Cooling is the best I've ever seen on a laptop and I mean that.

I used to open up my laptops all the time and i got nothing out of it but wasted time and money. The CPU/GPU make the computer outdated before any drive or RAM does, generally, and those are the same on the RMBP and the CMBP, so when Ivy Bridge/650M becomes useless, so will your CMBP's. Laptops are not upgradeable as desktops are. Get over it, this is the direction of the industry. The days of replacing CPU's in laptops are more or less over (I used to do that in the core2duo penyrn days).

External Storage is easy now thanks to USB 3.0 and SSD's in a 3.0 enclosure running @ 200mb/sec.

Ram is easy, if you want to max out at purchase just do it for 16gb.

If you don't want to jump into it then leave it. But I dont get the vitriol for those who have taken the plunge.

The lag /choppy UI issues have been largely addressed in Mountain Lion, and denying this just seems silly. Further optimisations are sure to come also. This has proven itself to be largely squared around software optimisations and they're already coming.

Best way to describe RMBP is "nerd jewellery". You need more than a day with the RMBP to appreciate it. Once the whole thing comes together for you... well its just nice to be the first one in the HiDPI world

 

[Dangerous Theory]

I've seen both, and in my opinion the hi-res anti-glare screen wins, hands down. The glossy display on the MBPR is a deal-breaker for me. While I know many love it, I'm not impressed with it at all.

What about an antiglare film on the retina? I bet it still looks much nicer.

 

[wethackrey]

...I don't care much for 2 TB ports, but that may change when there's more things out that use it.

Yeah... I think you'll find the pace of TB product releases is really starting to pick up. It's a vastly more flexible bus than we've seen before, supporting just about any kind of I/O. FireWire came closest I suppose, supporting audio, video and storage. I miss FireWire 800 since I have quite a lot of FW devices here from an audio mix board, to video cameras to storage. [Apple: Please. Release the TB to FW adapter you've promised!] Seagate's releasing their GoFlex stuff in TB was a big turning point for me.

[Here's something that will put some perspective on my age, for those in this thread who seem to feel it should devalue my input. I was at the WWDC when Apple introduced FireWire. I hesitate to even think what year that may have been. 1995 I think. I'd actually been introduced to it earlier in the year by Michael Teener who was the chief FireWire "plumber" at Apple at the time.]

2. Does it look cheap because it doesn't say MBP? If so, I find that funny...reminds me of the people that will only buy a Honda because it says Acura on it.

Exactly

7. I actually prefer the T style. This newer one always gets caught in the hinge, never happened with the T style. And this one doesn't pull out as easily, almost had it fall because of it.

Interesting. I found the right angle one to be much more secure for the way I work. The MagSafe 2's body is longer than any of the previous designs, including the original. As a result, when I'm sitting here on the couch with the machine, the connector gets tilted up and disconnected sometimes. I actually had to go in an un-check the "Slightly dim the display on battery power" preference because the damned thing would dim every time the MagSafe hit the couch cushion. I know. Sounds like a pretty ridiculous concern.

I agree with you that it is more difficult to disconnect by pulling directly on the cable. As for the "caught in the hinge" problem, I did see that a couple of time on my previous MBP's. The hinge design on the MBPr is different though. I don't see any way for a right angle adapter to get caught.

 

[wethackrey]

What about an antiglare film on the retina? I bet it still looks much nicer.

Any antiglare film is, by definition, a diffuser. Which means it would make the display less sharp.

I was actually a big believer in matte finish displays. I've only had one glossy MBP and I hated it. The two layers of glass on the glossy display seemed to always be reflecting something from somewhere. I replaced it with an anti-glare display within a few months.

The retina display is an entirely different animal. It significantly reduces glare without diffusing the image. Take a look at the Anandtech review.

 

[Pompiliu]

I like almost everything about this laptop, except the glossy screen. It's not usable outside. Too bad.

For now i'll use it on my home office/studio (basement) and on the field i use my old 2011 17-inch MacBook Pro with matte display.

Hope the next generation offers a matte option.

 

[larzy]

Yesterday I returned my base 2012 Macbook Air 13 for the base Retina model - couldn't be happier.

I was amazed by the screen the times I've visited an Apple retailer and played around with it, but it just blows me away working on it at home. Really a good machine - quiet, fast and gorgeous screen.

 

[Dangerous Theory]

Any antiglare film is, by definition, a diffuser. Which means it would make the display less sharp.

Yeah I know, but I still bet 2880x1800 with antiglare film looks better than 1680x1050 antiglare display.

 

[wethackrey]

Yeah I know, but I still bet 2880x1800 with antiglare film looks better than 1680x1050 antiglare display.

Have to agree with you there.

----------

I like almost everything about this laptop, except the glossy screen. It's not usable outside. Too bad.

For now i'll use it on my home office/studio (basement) and on the field i use my old 2011 17-inch MacBook Pro with matte display.

Hope the next generation offers a matte option.

Until last week I had a 17" matte MBP (which I loved, by the way). I live at the beach and have several times tried working outside on the sand. Even with the matte display, there's just too much glare. Do you actually work outdoors with yours?

 

[PEN10k]

Then you must be one of the lucky ones. Our store's rMBP has lag everywhere, and judging by the state of this section of our forums + Apple's own support communities, I'm not the only one who sees it and thinks its just plain awful.

Dude, I think it's the other way around...

I think it's more likely people who are unlucky, who really experience these lag issues...

I've seen it in our Apple store, and there wasn't any noticeable lag, other than a slight lag on theverge (on OS X Lion)

And of course people posts on these websites if they have lag issues? Why should thousands of people post on these sites, if their rMBP's were working flawlessly? Then it's obvious that these sites will be dominated by disappointed consumers, who has experienced issues with their computers, and who is seeking help.

 

[Tibits]

I like almost everything about this laptop, except the glossy screen. It's not usable outside.

Rubbish. There is more glare than on my HRAG, but except in direct reflected sunlight I have had no issues using my rMBP outside.

 

[stevelam]

My experience is the same. I went to an apple store with my MBP and spent lots of time doing side by side comparisons. Everything looks much better on the rMBP for me, including non-retina optimized content (web images etc.). As for the lag, I didn't notice anything substantial (there is slight lag, but it was also present on any other apple computer I tried)

Um...web images look better on the RMBP? By the very definition of retina display, the majority of web images look WORSE. This isnt even an argument about subjective perception. Its just fact. Please don't make up random baseless things to say.

 

[kevink2]

I looked at the retina model in the store, and didn't really notice an improvement.

But when I got my iPad 3, I didn't really notice the improvement at first. But after first looks, I started to notice the subtle improvements, and now I wouldn't want to go back.

I figure it would be the same with the retina macbook pros. Actually using it, the improvements would be noticeable. Then I would adjust and it would be the new normal.

The difference is I'm not in the market for a new laptop. I'm trying to enforce a 4 year upgrade cycle on laptops, and I purchased my existing computer in November 2010, so I have to wait until at least November 2014, maybe a little later depending on what rumors are out at that time. And by then, the video card performance should better support the number of pixels.

 

[sofianito]

Total nonsense... I am clearly a techie and that's the reason why I prefer the technically superior (IMHO of course) rMBP. Fir someone who works with programming, it's hard to beat the rMBP with its excellent text rendering. You are confusing techies and tinkerers. And getting the rMBP is like getting a car that does not need any oil change at all btw

Great developers do not depend on specific devices to write great code. Bugs will still be present, and won't surrender under the crispiness of the retina...

People who post at the forums are hardly a representative subset of the population.

This is an affront to the people who are having lag/ghost issues and seeking help in the different forums... Apple must provide an official answer to these complains...

 

[Feed Me]

Great developers do not depend on specific devices to write great code. Bugs will still be present, and won't surrender under the crispiness of the retina...

it's like you're making an effort to misunderstand people

 

[iMacFarlane]

Making the Magsafe 2 a T-Style would be like Ford putting the Pinto 3dr back into production without making a single change to it's fuel system. Bad idea all around.

ftw!

 

[mac jones]

An Anti-galre film layer on this would be an abomination. If you need one, you can always add one after the fact.

It's amusing about the AG trends. Just a few years back it was all glossy, from Apple's influence . Now they seem to have swung the other way with outrageous AG films that give you lovely sparkly effects.

But the AG can be really cool looking with some graphics as it can look painted on, where without the AG layer your mind registers depth.

 

[Zorn]

I was hoping for a retina in a MBP body. The new design is a sore spot for me, they take away the superdrive, ethernet for a slimmer sleeker body. I find no real innovation in the rMBP body! The screen is nice but the pro should be just that a professional grade hardware, if something breaks or it needs to upgraded well you have 2100+ dud.

I will stick with the MBP and the new iPad for which i use all the time!

My experience/hope was the exact opposite; I wanted a slimmer, lighter machine without the obsolete optical drive or the nearly obsolete Ethernet port.

 

[sofianito]

As I type this I have eight VMs on this machine, two of which are running: a Scientific Linux instance and a W2K8R2x64 instance. I have two concurrent RDP sessions open over VPNs to cloud orchestration stacks in two cities. I have NetBeans running looking at some Java we're working on. I have BMC Atrium Orchestrator Development Studio running and I have Keynote running working on a deck for a client project status review next week.

For dev environment, it is fine to run them locally in VMs. Though, you still would have to test your POCs on Pre and Prod environments.

You seem to think this thread has turned into wether or not I NEED a retina display. Probably not, but it's what I choose to use. As for who owns this particular MBPr, I'm not sure that has any bearing on the point, which you may recall is to refute your claim that most MBPr owners are not techies. But since you asked, I own it.

Your company, BMC if I understand it from your words, is allowing you to use a personal notebook at work, but probably won't provide you a replacement if your rMBP suffers any damage or is stolen (no security lock ) at work... I am just curious to know what are the default laptops your company provides to their employees?

And now suddenly the ad hominem argument swings to my age. You got me. I am definitely old enough to know what I find value in. And included in that vast set of things I care about, I don't seem to find your opinion listed.

Sorry if you took it personal. It was an off topic comment. I didn't mean to devaluate you argumentation.
But really, I think all the jaguars I have seen til now are driven by mature people

 

[Passante]

My experience/hope was the exact opposite; I wanted a slimmer, lighter machine without the obsolete optical drive or the nearly obsolete Ethernet port.

I totally agree. Coming from a 13 Inch black MacBook I have a bigger, better screen and the rMBP is thinner and lighter.

 

[flipnap]

Um...web images look better on the RMBP? By the very definition of retina display, the majority of web images look WORSE. This isnt even an argument about subjective perception. Its just fact. Please don't make up random baseless things to say.

this is a web problem, not a retina problem. Standard def broadcast programming looked like garbage when HDTVs came out. you see how that went. in three years pretty much every monitor or laptop screen will be 4k. the web will adapt.

 

[gentlefury]

this is a web problem, not a retina problem. Standard def broadcast programming looked like garbage when HDTVs came out. you see how that went. in three years pretty much every monitor or laptop screen will be 4k. the web will adapt.

Yes, thank you. At least someone gets it!! I work in production. Back in the day I was amazed at the clarity of digibeta. Then when hdcam sr came around I was blown away, then when I worked on my first 4k feature I realized hd looked like garbage. It is a progression!

 

[wethackrey]

For dev environment, it is fine to run them locally in VMs. Though, you still would have to test your POCs on Pre and Prod environments.

Yes, obviously. I don't believe I suggested that I was using the MBPr as a production, or even lab environment. This was in answer to your suggestion that I only need a browser and a terminal window for my work.

Your company, BMC if I understand it from your words, is allowing you to use a personal notebook at work, but probably won't provide you a replacement if your rMBP suffers any damage or is stolen (no security lock ) at work... I am just curious to know what are the default laptops your company provides to their employees?

No, you don't understand correctly. I am an independent consultant. I have often served in the role as a senior solutions architect for BMC and have run cloud projects for BMC Professional Services. I've done the same for Cisco Advanced Services and others. Both companies issue both WinTel laptops and Macs, though BMC favors WinTel and Cisco favors Macs. In either case I am responsible for my own computer. Which is why I paid for my own 17" MBP when mine was stolen outside a restaurant near Cisco Richardson last year. A security lock would not have prevented thieves breaking into the rental car and stealing three briefcases.

Sorry if you took it personal. It was an off topic comment. I didn't mean to devaluate you argumentation.
But really, I think all the jaguars I have seen til now are driven by mature people

Well this one is electronically limited to 155MPH so it's probably not like most of the Jaguars you've seen. But yes, in most parts of the States, Jaguars are usually purchased by people "mature" enough to be able to afford them. Then again, I live in Southern California. Lots of rich kids out here.

 

[minnus]

And getting the rMBP is like getting a car that does not need any oil change at all btw

Erm, it is more like not having the option to if you wanted to...