I will jump in =)
I have a 13'' mid-2010 MBP and since it is starting to lag and the HDD is failing, I am going to replace it. I considered buying a PC laptop to save money, but I simply couldn't live without OS X (my work computer has Windows 8, and although I can install some apps I can't on the Mac, I can always boot it in Windows if I need to).
That decided, I waited for the new computers to be announced, and now I have a major problem: deciding between the Macbook and the rMBP.
If the Air had a decent screen, that would be my choice (I mean, nobody really needs a computer that is even thinner than the Air). But it hasn't.
Also, if the Macbook had a 13'' screen, that would be my choice. But it hasn't.
Now, of course I would like to have the new rMBP, but the entry-level option only has 128 Gb of storage, using similar specs this one is the most expensive option.
Things that to me are not an incovenience: lack of ports (I actually would prefer the Macbook, I really don't mind to be an early adopter of USB-C, in fact I never used both the firewire and ethernet ports on my MBP, and now I don't even use the SD card slot because my Canon 7D camera uses CF cards. I do use a lot of the USB ports, however, but wouldn't mind buying an wireless keyboard (and I already have a wireless mouse). The ONLY thing I will really miss portwise is the display port, because I use projectors a lot (I'm a PhD student and have lots of presentations), but since I need a dongle for it to actually display on a projector, I don't mind not having this one as well).
Now the usage I give my Mac: Keynote (a lot of it), Pages, Word and Excel, Lightroom and the occasional Photoshop to handle some gigs of RAW photos, ocasional video editing (like once a month or even less), full HD video playback (perhaps even 4K playback, because my Meizu MX4 photo records video in 4K), Dreamweaver to keep updating my web page, SPSS, and the ocasional game. I would like to play some games such as the "new" Tomb Raider (it could be in low settings, though).
What I am thinking is this:
1. On the new rMBP I won't be able to play modern games at all, on the Macbook same thing. Will I be able to play <2013 titles at low graphics on both at least? Because if this is true, I really won't gain a lot by buying the rMBP.
2. Considering fast flash memory and newer processors, will the Macbook be considerably faster than my current mid-2010 Core 2 Duo 2.4 Ghz MBP? And by much? Or it will eventually lag within a year or two? (I won't replace it for another 5 years at least)
3. When editing photos I sometimes wish I had a laptop with a bigger screen and thinner bezels, but will I notice the change between a 13'' and a 12'' screen? Even if I do, will the higher resolution trick me into believing I can edit my photos with more ease?
Thanks a lot, and sorry for the long post. But Apple made it really hard for consumers who are not just interesting in a browsing computer but that also don't need huge power.
Thanks
