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Owners of the rMB

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MilleDav01

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 21, 2012
117
28
Who has the rMB and has an opinion? Waste or good product?

I haven't purchased a computer as of yet. But I have a $1300 gift card for Apple waiting to be used. I'd like to take advantage of their back-to-school promotion so I can at least get something extra :) I know I should get the MacBook Pro 13 inch but I absolutely love the size of the retina MacBook. I'm really upset with Apple just like many other people that they didn't give it a little more power for the price. Not that I'm going to be doing anything extreme, besides writing papers, watching YouTube videos and Netflix But I just like the idea of having that extra power. Idk why I'm so indecisive, and in all honesty I totally get that and iPad could do all of those things, but I feel like I'm getting ripped off by buying the retina MacBook.

I sold my mba and loved it but hated the screen after a while
 
Go for the rMBP 13" and if you feel the need then upgrade your RAM to 16GB. You'll be very happy!
 
I've not bought the MB yet (it will most likely be my next notebook, at some point).
If you compare features like with like, the MBs are the cheapest with their specs.
The Asus UXs and the Yogas are heavier and 13" vs. 12". But they're a bit cheaper.

Don't get me wrong: you'll be probably OK with the rMBP, too.
If what you describe above is all you do, than a MBP is probably a bit of a waste, IMO.
Do you do number-crunching, large simulations, Mathematica, multiple heavy VMware Fusion machines, large Logic, Photoshop projects?
If not, the Core i5 is nice to have but will be idle most of the time - a task which the Core M series chip in the MB is far better and much more efficient at.

In any case, I'd wait until after Apple has refreshed their lineup with Skylake chipsets (which should be by the end of the year) and then see how the different models compare to each other. Also, El Capitain will likely also have a positive impact on the perceived performance of OS X - on any hardware.
 
I have had a space Gray Retina MacBook 12" all summer and I have to say it is a great machine, especially for travel. I am able to do photo processing with it with Aperture and many other prosumer type things. It is capable but not as fast as a MacBook Pro. The screen is great as is the size and weight. I think it is ideal as a second machine (like a satellite to a 5k iMac) or on its own if you are running no more than one demanding app at a time. For productivity type tasks (email, web, word processing) it is fine. I've had many Macs going back to tank gray, black and white screened PowerBooks in the 1990s and I have to say this MacBook Retina 12" is one of my favorites.
 
I also have a space gray rMB. It's been a great travel computer that is more effective for me than my iPad Air 2 when I need "Office" apps and presentations. I got the 3 position adapter for VGA, USB and USB-C. I've had no problems for business computing applications when I'm away from my 27" iMac.
 
MilleDav01 said:
Who has the rMB and has an opinion? Waste or good product?

I haven't purchased a computer as of yet. But I have a $1300 gift card for Apple waiting to be used. I'd like to take advantage of their back-to-school promotion so I can at least get something extra :) I know I should get the MacBook Pro 13 inch but I absolutely love the size of the retina MacBook. I'm really upset with Apple just like many other people that they didn't give it a little more power for the price. Not that I'm going to be doing anything extreme, besides writing papers, watching YouTube videos and Netflix But I just like the idea of having that extra power. Idk why I'm so indecisive, and in all honesty I totally get that and iPad could do all of those things, but I feel like I'm getting ripped off by buying the retina MacBook.

I sold my mba and loved it but hated the screen after a while
Click to expand...

I don't understand how you can be upset with apple. They have created the most powerful, fastest clocked, slimmest, lightest, fanless design with a retina screen available, there is literally nothing more they could have done within the restraints of current tech. The Macbook also comes with a 256GB superfast SSD and 8Gb of RAM as standard also unheard of in similar windows products it is actually a pretty good price for an amazing bit of tech when you actually take the time to research it. But if you want more power buy the pro.
 
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in my head I know the rmbp is faster and more capable. But I love how thin and light the rMB is for transport. I'm in the same mind frame as a lot of people that apple should have just used the MacBook Air footprint, kept the fan and the ULV processor, gave a Retina display, force touch and call it a day. Sure it wouldn't have been innovative but it's what so many people wanted! I guess I'm still on the fence.

I'm being really indecisive for no reason, I could get the rMB and see if it could be my daily "workhorse" and then if not exchange it. But I guess I just hate annoying employees with exchanges, because I did the retail thing and people that wanted to exchange or return were always so needy.

Oh well..... Tbd i guess....
 
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The rMB is hopelessly overpriced and a terrible bang for your money in comparison to the 13" rMBP. (Excluding the Air in my thoughts as I wouldn't buy a non-retina screen MacBook anymore at this point.) You pay a lot more momey for a slightly smaller footprint and lesser weight which probably is insignificant for most users.

That said, I bought a rMB and love it. :)

Definitely check out if you like the new rMB keyboard, too. I was pleasantly surprised that I like it more than the "classic" one for typing, but others don't.
 
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lars666 said:
The rMB is hopelessly overpriced and a terrible bang for your money in comparison to the 13" rMBP. (Excluding the Air in my thoughts as I wouldn't buy a non-retina screen MacBook anymore at this point.) You pay a lot more momey for a slightly smaller footprint and lesser weight which probably is insignificant for most users.

That said, I bought a rMB and love it. :)

Definitely check out if you like the new rMB keyboard, too. I was pleasantly surprised that I like it more than the "classic" one for typing, but others don't.
Click to expand...
lars666 said:
The rMB is hopelessly overpriced and a terrible bang for your money in comparison to the 13" rMBP. (Excluding the Air in my thoughts as I wouldn't buy a non-retina screen MacBook anymore at this point.) You pay a lot more momey for a slightly smaller footprint and lesser weight which probably is insignificant for most users.

That said, I bought a rMB and love it. :)

Definitely check out if you like the new rMB keyboard, too. I was pleasantly surprised that I like it more than the "classic" one for typing, but others don't.
Click to expand...

I sell my computer every year and if I were to get the rMB my only concern is they will discontinue the Mba and lower the price drastically and I'll be "out" 300-400$ when I sell it.

I'm just being ridiculous, and I can see that, I guess Apple did what they they do best and mesmerized me with new shiny thing haha
 
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lars666 said:
Definitely check out if you like the new rMB keyboard, too. I was pleasantly surprised that I like it more than the "classic" one for typing, but others don't.
Click to expand...

Same here. I returned mine because it was really under powered, even for simple stuff–but I come from a topped out rMBP 13". But I loved the keyboard. Going back to the rMBP keyboard is like going back to those PC keyboards that have 30mm travel.
 
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lars666 said:
The rMB is hopelessly overpriced and a terrible bang for your money in comparison to the 13" rMBP. (Excluding the Air in my thoughts as I wouldn't buy a non-retina screen MacBook anymore at this point.) You pay a lot more momey for a slightly smaller footprint and lesser weight which probably is insignificant for most users.

That said, I bought a rMB and love it. :)

Definitely check out if you like the new rMB keyboard, too. I was pleasantly surprised that I like it more than the "classic" one for typing, but others don't.
Click to expand...

I love the keyboard. I can type super fast on it at the Apple Store after about 2 minutes. I'm leaning towards the pro and will probably sell it and reconsider once the rMB once they update it possibly with a slightly better processor OR the least likely, they update the MacBook Air to a retina screen and with forcetouch.
 
I have had the Macbook all summer and can tell you that it is more than up to the task of what you want to use it for. The extra power and ports of the Pro will literally be dead weight to you; weight that you will have to carry with you everywhere you go, so why bother? The whole point of the Macbook is to be powerful enough for the actual usage patterns of a large portion of users, while putting together the smallest, lightest package possible while also maintaining all-day battery life. And people who don't own them love to down-play the fanless aspect, but man, I have been waiting for years for a thin and light and powerful laptop that didn't spin up the fans every single time I do anything even moderately intensive.
 
zhenya said:
I have had the Macbook all summer and can tell you that it is more than up to the task of what you want to use it for. The extra power and ports of the Pro will literally be dead weight to you; weight that you will have to carry with you everywhere you go, so why bother? The whole point of the Macbook is to be powerful enough for the actual usage patterns of a large portion of users, while putting together the smallest, lightest package possible while also maintaining all-day battery life. And people who don't own them love to down-play the fanless aspect, but man, I have been waiting for years for a thin and light and powerful laptop that didn't spin up the fans every single time I do anything even moderately intensive.
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may I ask how you use it? How many tabs open in chrome or safari, how many apps open? Do you video edit?
 
MilleDav01 said:
may I ask how you use it? How many tabs open in chrome or safari, how many apps open? Do you video edit?
Click to expand...

I generally have 10-15 tabs open in Safari, OneNote and Outlook and iTunes and often either Excel, Word or both running as well. I don't edit video, but it does have a full copy of my 100GB Photos library and I edit and manage those on it as well. If video editing is something you want to do, you may want to look elsewhere. At the same time, consider what proportion it will be used that way. Do you want to edit a video on occasion? If so, the trade-off to have a bit slower experience during that rare event may be worthwhile compared to carrying around the extra weight of the Pro machine 100% of the time, just to have that capability.
 
zhenya said:
I generally have 10-15 tabs open in Safari, OneNote and Outlook and iTunes and often either Excel, Word or both running as well. I don't edit video, but it does have a full copy of my 100GB Photos library and I edit and manage those on it as well. If video editing is something you want to do, you may want to look elsewhere. At the same time, consider what proportion it will be used that way. Do you want to edit a video on occasion? If so, the trade-off to have a bit slower experience during that rare event may be worthwhile compared to carrying around the extra weight of the Pro machine 100% of the time, just to have that capability.
Click to expand...

I might be looking to edit a 720/1080p video maybe 1-2x per month. Nothing too long, maybe 8-10 minutes. Im going to a veterinary school that a lot of people aren't familiar with so I might be doing some YouTube stuff to serve as a diary/advice type of thing when I have time . So I don't see that as too demanding.

Which color did you go with? I love the gold but it might be a little loud. But it's between that and space grey.
 
zhenya said:
I generally have 10-15 tabs open in Safari, OneNote and Outlook and iTunes and often either Excel, Word or both running as well. I don't edit video, but it does have a full copy of my 100GB Photos library and I edit and manage those on it as well. If video editing is something you want to do, you may want to look elsewhere. At the same time, consider what proportion it will be used that way. Do you want to edit a video on occasion? If so, the trade-off to have a bit slower experience during that rare event may be worthwhile compared to carrying around the extra weight of the Pro machine 100% of the time, just to have that capability.
Click to expand...

Maybe I had a bad unit, it was CTO fastest CPU, but when I had mine before I returned it, having that many tabs didn't make a difference but things like opening up mission control stuttered. Scrolling complex stuff like facebook caused stuttering as well. Even small things like opening up mail and switching folders felt a little slow compared to my rMBP 2012 13".

I returned it because I couldn't imagine doing more complex things with it. I LOVED the keyboard and the touchpad though. But I do question the validity of editing 1080p movies, etc on it.
 
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Nice advice thanks everyone! Thanks for the help! Any others would be appreciated, I'm not getting it for a few days
 
Great Machine if doing simple tasks and media consumption.

Once you start doing more than that it slows down a bit, but nothing drastic and its still plenty fast.

I love mine and I too was convinced into buying it the minute i laid eyes on how beautiful it was and the keyboard is amazing.

I may switch it to the 13' rMBP because I do need 3-5 years of reliability because I use it for my 2 businesses but if you just do simple stuff on it I would say go for it you won't be disappointed.

GOODLUCK!!
 
I have a base model silver rMB. I have something of a collection of Apple computers so I wasn't really that worried about computing power as I use a maxed out 15" rMBP for anything serious. I have an older MBA 13" and while I have loved that machine I really couldn't stand the screen once I switched to retina so I would definitely echo your views there. My wife has a 13" rMBP and that thing is awesome - a workhorse, but also super easy to carry around. To get back to your core question, I use my rMB for media consumption, web surfing, light productivity work and very light data analysis, and I've had no problems. For me, it is what I actually (more or less) wanted the iPad Pro to be - though let's see what that looks like if it ever shows up... Though in all seriousness I now typically don't take my iPad on business trips - only the rMB. I've actually taken the rMB and my big 15" rMBP instead of throwing in the iPad... Anyway, my 2c would be it is a great little machine. But, if you need something more "future proof" or are concerned about the processing power - just get the rMBP 13" - you likely won't go wrong either way. Also, let's just say it, the rMB is just a super slick, sexy little machine. All of us Apple fans should find a way to justify having one. Buy one, try it for a week or so and then if you are concerned take it back. You can also pay up for the faster processor. Worst case I'm sure you wouldn't lose much if you dumped it on Craigslist post the 2 week return window.
 
LittleLuth said:
I have a base model silver rMB. I have something of a collection of Apple computers so I wasn't really that worried about computing power as I use a maxed out 15" rMBP for anything serious. I have an older MBA 13" and while I have loved that machine I really couldn't stand the screen once I switched to retina so I would definitely echo your views there. My wife has a 13" rMBP and that thing is awesome - a workhorse, but also super easy to carry around. To get back to your core question, I use my rMB for media consumption, web surfing, light productivity work and very light data analysis, and I've had no problems. For me, it is what I actually (more or less) wanted the iPad Pro to be - though let's see what that looks like if it ever shows up... Though in all seriousness I now typically don't take my iPad on business trips - only the rMB. I've actually taken the rMB and my big 15" rMBP instead of throwing in the iPad... Anyway, my 2c would be it is a great little machine. But, if you need something more "future proof" or are concerned about the processing power - just get the rMBP 13" - you likely won't go wrong either way. Also, let's just say it, the rMB is just a super slick, sexy little machine. All of us Apple fans should find a way to justify having one. Buy one, try it for a week or so and then if you are concerned take it back. You can also pay up for the faster processor. Worst case I'm sure you wouldn't lose much if you dumped it on Craigslist post the 2 week return window.
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Awesome thank you for the very detailed reply :) I guess some of my hesitation comes from some of the reviews that I've read, how weak the processor is and how even though it has 8 gigabytes of memory that that does nothing for it. I think I might try it and worst-case scenario I'll go exchange it for the MacBook Pro
 
MilleDav01 said:
Awesome thank you for the very detailed reply :) I guess some of my hesitation comes from some of the reviews that I've read, how weak the processor is and how even though it has 8 gigabytes of memory that that does nothing for it. I think I might try it and worst-case scenario I'll go exchange it for the MacBook Pro
Click to expand...


It really is based on case by case, each person needs different things. I thought the same exact way as you and so far I have absolutely loved it so much that even though I know I am going to need more cpu seed for my needs and because it is my sole laptop and i use it for my two businesses I am still trying to find any and every reason to keep it because it is just that awesome.

The only point that I can possibly make that may be able to apply to everyone is that is you are looking for a machine that will last you at least 3-5 years and still provide adequate speed and memory then I am not sure if this is the laptop for that. The only reason I say that is because most computers with even i5 processors and decent memory and storage tend to slow down a lot in my PERSONAL experience and because this has less than that and is brand new and no one knows I can not fully convince myself that because it performs great now for everyday simple tasks that it will continue to do so a couple of years down the line.... Even 1 year at that. I am just not so sure and that is why I think I will trade it in for the rMBP before my return period ends. It is so so hard to do though because it really just is a beautiful piece of artwork and machinery and I love things like that so if you are similar to me at all you will know exactly what I mean if you decide to try it out for the 14 day period.

GOODLUCK!!
 
I'm the most indecisive person on earth I think. I just like to have the newest and best haha
 
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