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Returned rMBP, Bought cMBP. Couldn't Be Happier!

D

Dre180

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 14, 2012
31
3
NY
First things first. This is not meant to be a thread to bash the rMBP so please don't jump down my throat.

The rMBP is a very very nice machine. The screen is by far the best I've seen, it's quick, and has a beautiful form factor. With all that being said, I had UI lag and couldn't overcome it. This was on a 2.7 i7 with 16 gb ram, and 256 SSD. I tried but couldn't make it work. Back it went to the apple store...

Now i'm sure not all rMBP are experiencing lag like I did, but judging by the amount of posts I've read it does exist. I didn't have image retention even with the LG screen. I truly wanted to like the retina, and in many ways I did. It is a fantastic piece of kit. Maybe the lag I experienced is hardware related, maybe software, but I couldn't take the chance that it may or may not get fixed. Here's hoping by the time I'm ready to upgrade next time, retina's will be in full force, more apps will be optimized and the hardware will catch up to that gorgeous screen!

Initially I told myself no way I buy the cMBP because i'd feel like I was buying an "outdated" computer so to speak. However, I wound up taking the plunge and it is absolutely fantastic. I bought the 2.7 i7 model with 8gb of ram and a crappy 5400 1tb HDD that I will be replacing with a Samsung 830/840 pro. Even though I'm using it stock this thing is still quick. I can only imagine how it will fly once i upgrade the ram and put in an SSD. I'm excited to say the least.

Again, this isn't meant to bash the retina model. I hope those of you using it are enjoying it the way I had hoped to. I just wanted to show a little love for all of us classic owners. Maybe this model will be going by the waste side soon enough, but it is a refined product, tried and true, and works like a champ for me.
 
I'm just curious as to why you got the model with a 1TB HDD when you intend to replace it with an SSD. Why not just save the $100 and get the 750GB version?

In any case, good luck with the cMBP. The important thing is that you're in the Mac family. Eventually we'll all have Retina Displays, but in early 2013 it is still a niche and not something everyone can justify. :apple:
 
The cMBP is an awesome computer. You switched from an awesome computer to an awesome computer. Nothing to see here.
 
KPOM said:
I'm just curious as to why you got the model with a 1TB HDD when you intend to replace it with an SSD. Why not just save the $100 and get the 750GB version?

In any case, good luck with the cMBP. The important thing is that you're in the Mac family. Eventually we'll all have Retina Displays, but in early 2013 it is still a niche and not something everyone can justify. :apple:
Click to expand...

Simply put, I didn't feel like waiting for a new mbp to get shipped from the online store, and that's the only 2.7 model my local apple store had. Also, I get an education discount so I believe it's only an extra $50. I agree, kind of a waste but so be it.

And thanks! I've been part of the Mac family since 2004 now. Never looked back!
 
I also had tried out both the 13" and 15" rMBP models, but that lag was just unacceptable to me. I'm looking at the 13" uMBP now which seems faster since it doesn't lag. Hopefully the 2013 rMBP machines later in the year will be much improved. I did like that screen and form factor.
 
wow i got both a mid 2009 mbp and a new rmbp i havent really notice any lag and i'm on it almost 24/7 ^^ when i look at my "old" screen now i'm getting a headache. all i see is pixels :D so going back would have been a no go for me as well as the thinner form factor which is awesome

good for you tho, everyone should get what they need ;)
 
Also bought a 15" rMBP (i7 2.6 + 512 SSD) and returned it because of the various lags. I think the combination of HW+SW/drivers is just not ready yet to drive the retina display. Hope the next generation will fix the issues because it's really a nice machine.
 
I don't understand the "UI" lag. I've never ever had it and my brother did, but as soon as he reinstalled osx with a free install it went away and it hasn't come back. It's been 3 months now lol.
 
Orlandoech.com said:
I don't understand the "UI" lag. I've never ever had it and my brother did, but as soon as he reinstalled osx with a free install it went away and it hasn't come back. It's been 3 months now lol.
Click to expand...

Well I know many were complaining when it was first shipping with lion. A lot of it seems to be much improved with mountain lion, but still not where I need it to be. Particularly general UI lag (again, my experience) , graphic intensive websites (FB, The Verge etc), and the IR stuff. Also I'm very keen on having the option of a matte screen, and while the new glossy's are a big improvement, i'd still take the matte option any day of the week. I find it much easier on the eyes for prolonged periods of time. If those things get fixed, either via software updates or in the next revision, I will have a very hard time not purchasing a retina.

To me, the rMBP is THE nicest mac apple has ever made, without question. Hopefully most of the early revision kinks get worked out and i'll be able to own one soon enough...
 
Dre180 said:
Well I know many were complaining when it was first shipping with lion. A lot of it seems to be much improved with mountain lion, but still not where I need it to be. Particularly general UI lag (again, my experience) , graphic intensive websites (FB, The Verge etc), and the IR stuff. Also I'm very keen on having the option of a matte screen, and while the new glossy's are a big improvement, i'd still take the matte option any day of the week. I find it much easier on the eyes for prolonged periods of time. If those things get fixed, either via software updates or in the next revision, I will have a very hard time not purchasing a retina.

To me, the rMBP is THE nicest mac apple has ever made, without question. Hopefully most of the early revision kinks get worked out and i'll be able to own one soon enough...
Click to expand...

Webkit = 0 lag for Safari


I know its not the same, but i got a nice matte screen protector and I can't tell the difference in quality with or without it! However no glare :D
 
Dre180 said:
First things first. This is not meant to be a thread to bash the rMBP so please don't jump down my throat.

The rMBP is a very very nice machine. The screen is by far the best I've seen, it's quick, and has a beautiful form factor. With all that being said, I had UI lag and couldn't overcome it. This was on a 2.7 i7 with 16 gb ram, and 256 SSD. I tried but couldn't make it work. Back it went to the apple store...

Now i'm sure not all rMBP are experiencing lag like I did, but judging by the amount of posts I've read it does exist. I didn't have image retention even with the LG screen. I truly wanted to like the retina, and in many ways I did. It is a fantastic piece of kit. Maybe the lag I experienced is hardware related, maybe software, but I couldn't take the chance that it may or may not get fixed. Here's hoping by the time I'm ready to upgrade next time, retina's will be in full force, more apps will be optimized and the hardware will catch up to that gorgeous screen!

Initially I told myself no way I buy the cMBP because i'd feel like I was buying an "outdated" computer so to speak. However, I wound up taking the plunge and it is absolutely fantastic. I bought the 2.7 i7 model with 8gb of ram and a crappy 5400 1tb HDD that I will be replacing with a Samsung 830/840 pro. Even though I'm using it stock this thing is still quick. I can only imagine how it will fly once i upgrade the ram and put in an SSD. I'm excited to say the least.

Again, this isn't meant to bash the retina model. I hope those of you using it are enjoying it the way I had hoped to. I just wanted to show a little love for all of us classic owners. Maybe this model will be going by the waste side soon enough, but it is a refined product, tried and true, and works like a champ for me.
Click to expand...


What is a cMBP? sorry, I am not tight on the lingo.
 
Spink10 said:
Classic MBP - (non-retina)

I returned my rMBP and purchased the cMBP in my sig. My main reason was for $$ - saved a ton since I purchased my cMBP on CL.
Click to expand...

How is the speed of the macbook after you put in the 830? I'm thinking of either the 830 or 840 pro. After 1 day i've already had enough of the 5400 rpm lol.


Originally Posted by peapody
What is a cMBP? sorry, I am not tight on the lingo.

[c]umbersome [M]acook [P]ro
Click to expand...


LMAO!
 
Dre180 said:
How is the speed of the macbook after you put in the 830? I'm thinking of either the 830 or 840 pro. After 1 day i've already had enough of the 5400 rpm lol.
Click to expand...

Amazing! Boots faster than the rMBP did. Seems to be snappier than the rMBP in all its tasks. Dont know if that is normal or my rMBP was not functioning at 100% it was an open box from BB.
 
tiguanito said:
I think the combination of HW+SW/drivers is just not ready yet to drive the retina display.
Click to expand...

How can you say that. It either works or it does not. It seems to be working with the vast majority of the machines, most certainly works on mind.
 
I'm thinking... if apple goes all retina next refresh and maintains the current design (e.g. limited upgradability); 2012 cMBP notebooks are going to fly off the shelf. I'm all in for choice.
 
peapody said:
I thought classic MBPs are the pre-unibodies. You kids with your new fangled lingo.
Click to expand...

I agree. I dunno why we can't just say 'non-retina' or even just call it what it ACTUALLY is, a MacBook Pro, and a Retina MacBook Pro. That's the distinction Apple uses! Why complicate things?

But anyway, sounds like it worked out for you OP. I hemmed and hawwed and went back and forth but ultimately decided on the non-retina. The main reason was cost for performance. I needed more storage and more RAM than the base model, and Apple BTO upgrades aren't cheap. So, when you weigh the costs, I found that the same configuration rMBP was close to $1000 more than me customizing my own MBP. I had ALSO been wanting an Apple Cinema Display for a while but could NOT afford both an rMBP AND an ACD. So, in the end, for me, I thought my money was better spent on a non retina, 16 gigs of RAM, an SSD, and an Apple cinema display. On the go the resolution doesn't do much for me. I played with them in the store and found that anything other than the 'best for retina' setting was hard to use (for my eyes anyway) so I don't gain any screen real estate. And when I'm at home, I'd much rather have a 27" high resolution display than a smaller notebook high resolution display!

That's the route I took anyway! I honestly don't notice a REAL difference in weight and size. Yes it's different, yes side by side you can tell they are different. But, in real world practical terms, I don't think there is any actual difference in portability. Not as drastic as say a MBP and a MBA.
 
I own a rMBP 15", a Mac Mini with 27" Cinema and MB Air 11" which I take to meetings.

Having owned this rMBP 15" since June, I now use it for day-to-day work over the 27" Cinema. That's too grainy for me. Sure you'll probably get used to it after a couple of days, but this rMBP is simply incredible. I took my 11" Air to the folks over Christmas and used that for 3 or 4 days. Got back home, turned on the rMBP and it felt like a revelation. Screen is incredible, even after months of use.

Sure there's some lag. That's a Flash-based website issue though. I can live with that. As I spend most of my time working and not idly browsing websites, the bigger priority is the screen and this screen makes the cMBP look dated in comparison.

Not forgetting the cMBP is much thicker and heavier than the 15" rMBP. No way would I move back to the old cMBP.
 
moxxey said:
Screen is incredible
Click to expand...

I'm ready for an upgrade, I have some time, but really can't go beyond a year, preferably 6 months. I need some portability, but not daily, more like monthly. I do try to extend the life of my hardware for as long as possible.

Just starting to see the way apple is moving and it is concerning me. I would love a retina display, it would be great for photographic work and reading technical documents (PDFs, epubs,....). But, not at the expense of upgradability/repairability, need to be able to upgrade RAM, and until price for ssd comes down, room for two drives (ssd, hdd). Of course, if there wasn't so much price gouging on BTO options......
 
Fair enough. I have a 13" Retina MacBook Pro with the base i5, and I can't say I've noticed UI lag at all. Maybe a little bit with flash and image heavy websites but not to the point that its a problem. The clarity of the display is worth any millisecond hiccup while scrolling on one of those sites.

I run iLife, Safari, Mail, and EyeTV simultaneously and the i5, 8GB of RAM and 128GB SSD handles all with ease.
 
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