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Returned the 13" rMBP

A

Aspen

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 11, 2009
105
4
I am writing this in the hope that Apple reads this as well as posts by others. I do know that other companies read forums such as CNET, etc.

The screen on the 13" rMBP is mind boggling beautiful. Everything about the computer is fantastic except the scrolling lag that others have noted here. There was no issue with speed from tab to tab, open sites, continuous streaming etc., it was just the scrolling lag on several websites that I must use.

My two year old 13" MBP runs everything fine. I presume that the retina issue is due to the integrated graphics.

Sadly, I mailed the rMBP back to Apple today.
 
No scroll lag on mine. Scrolling is smoother than on my 2009 macbook pro.

What browser did you use?


I presume that the retina issue is due to the integrated graphics.
Click to expand...

Contrary to the common opinion, it actually has very little to do with the GPU, and a lot more to do with single-threaded CPU performance. The 15" version has a higher maximum clock speed (turbo boost) and so it performs a bit better for UI tasks. Read Anand's analysis:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6409/13inch-retina-macbook-pro-review/5


That said, chrome is WAY worse than Safari on retina macs. Safari has much better optimizations for the retina screen.
 
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Thanks for that CP. I used Safari. Unfortunately Chrome doesn't work (requires Microsoft Silverlight). Firefox would work but the words are too fuzzy until it's updated.

I wonder why my older cMBP wouldn't have lag? I was thinking that the 2.3 i5 and the retina's 2.5 i5 were both dual core. Maybe the single threading is different?

The lag was very noticeable but only on certain websites. I suspect that 99.99999% of users don't frequent some of the sites required and wouldn't see it. Boy I hated to send it back; just spectacular to look at.

I'd sure like to give it another try in 6 months or so.

CausticPuppy said:
No scroll lag on mine. Scrolling is smoother than on my 2009 macbook pro.

What browser did you use?




Contrary to the common opinion, it actually has very little to do with the GPU, and a lot more to do with single-threaded CPU performance. The 15" version has a higher maximum clock speed (turbo boost) and so it performs a bit better for UI tasks. Read Anand's analysis:

http://www.anandtech.com/show/6409/13inch-retina-macbook-pro-review/5


That said, chrome is WAY worse than Safari on retina macs. Safari has much better optimizations for the retina screen.
Click to expand...
 
^^^^

What's a web site that shows the lag? I'm one of the people that's never observed a lag problem -- even before Apple started patching ML. I'd love to see the lag problem I've heard so much about at last.
 
Aspen said:
Thanks for that CP. I used Safari. Unfortunately Chrome doesn't work (requires Microsoft Silverlight). Firefox would work but the words are too fuzzy until it's updated.

I wonder why my older cMBP wouldn't have lag? I was thinking that the 2.3 i5 and the retina's 2.5 i5 were both dual core. Maybe the single threading is different?

The lag was very noticeable but only on certain websites. I suspect that 99.99999% of users don't frequent some of the sites required and wouldn't see it. Boy I hated to send it back; just spectacular to look at.

I'd sure like to give it another try in 6 months or so.
Click to expand...

I've just got a replacement 15" rMBP and guess what? UI was somewhat laggy and definitely as smooth as my previous machine (which had Mountain Lion installed by myself) especially under load, even though it came with 10.8.2 onboard.

I did a clean install and voila! it's fast and smooth as before.
I don't know what was it, but I'm always on Intel HD when doing basic stuff. I'm pretty sure this card is capable of lag-free performance.

If you're interested, you can give me a list of sites you had a bad scrolling on, and I'll test them on a properly installed "clean Mountain Lion" that I'm running now. On a HD 4000 of course.
 
These are public, well known, but work related sites related to stock trading that all require user logins. After the log in is where I see the issue. I use a desktop 5 monitor setup normally but use the laptop when I'm traveling for basic work.

Thus, I can't let you see the specific websites since one has to be logged in to see them.

Also ran up against a lot of issues with Microsoft Silverlight on Safari that after speaking with Microsoft and Apple, was able to resolve by reinstalling OSX. Still can't tell you why that solved the problem but it was solvable after about 6 hours of research, phone calls, etc.

No issues whatsoever with my cMBP.
 
Aspen said:
My two year old 13" MBP runs everything fine. I presume that the retina issue is due to the integrated graphics.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure you're aware of this, but your older 13" MBP also has integrated graphics. The HD4000 in the rMBP is, by a large margin, faster than what you've got in your cMBP.

From everything I've read, the lag issues on the rMBP are software related.
 
No lag here.

These are good laptops, but only under one condition IMHO:

You pay no more than $1500 for the base model. For this, they are worth it, and this price is not that hard to find on EBAY. I got one for this.

Apple needs to bump off $100....like yesterday.

Of course, if you really need the configuration, than the $1700 price is fine.
 
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Aspen said:
These are public, well known, but work related sites related to stock trading that all require user logins. After the log in is where I see the issue. I use a desktop 5 monitor setup normally but use the laptop when I'm traveling for basic work.

Thus, I can't let you see the specific websites since one has to be logged in to see them.

Also ran up against a lot of issues with Microsoft Silverlight on Safari that after speaking with Microsoft and Apple, was able to resolve by reinstalling OSX. Still can't tell you why that solved the problem but it was solvable after about 6 hours of research, phone calls, etc.

No issues whatsoever with my cMBP.
Click to expand...

My Mac Pro lags when I scroll through some of those sites. I don't think it's a rMBP issue.
 
T5BRICK said:
I'm pretty sure you're aware of this, but your older 13" MBP also has integrated graphics. The HD4000 in the rMBP is, by a large margin, faster than what you've got in your cMBP.

From everything I've read, the lag issues on the rMBP are software related.
Click to expand...

you are forgetting that the 4000 is running a resolution much higher than the previous gen. = worse performance
 
The 13" rMBP will be a killer machine...next year. I'll be first in line when the Haswell model is released. We may even be able to hope for IZGO displays next season. Imagine a Haswell - Retina IZGO display - 13" form factor! My 15" rMBP arrives tomorrow, and if I receive an LG display or find during my return period that it's too large for everyday use I plan on waiting until the next 13" rMBP refresh. Hopefully the outrageous price will come down a bit as well.
 
ssn637 said:
The 13" rMBP will be a killer machine...next year. I'll be first in line when the Haswell model is released. We may even be able to hope for IZGO displays next season. Imagine a Haswell - Retina IZGO display - 13" form factor! My 15" rMBP arrives tomorrow, and if I receive an LG display or find during my return period that it's too large for everyday use I plan on waiting until the next 13" rMBP refresh. Hopefully the outrageous price will come down a bit as well.
Click to expand...

Sure it will be... NOT. Same story each year: "Ooohh, just wait until next year cause it's gonna be awesome, this year sucks! [... next year comes ...] THIS IS A RIPOFF!!! WHAT WAS APPLE THINKING ?! [... 1-2 months later ...] Wait for next year cause it's gonna be awesome, this year sucks! [...] :rolleyes:

Keep on dreaming, we'll most likely be around to read your complains / whining next year too. ;)
... the entertainment never ends. Thank you for that! :cool:
 
darkshadow121 said:
you are forgetting that the 4000 is running a resolution much higher than the previous gen. = worse performance
Click to expand...

No i was just pointing out that the HD4000 is 40-60% faster than the HD3000 and the nvidia 320m(which is funny because the HD3000 was supposed to be an upgrade from the 320m, but they were roughly the same performance).
 
Returned mine also.

Nice machine, shame about the price and the lack of ethernet (required in my work world).
 
Enkidu-I had no heat issues with the rMBP at all. It was simply the scroll lag on a handful of websites that are needed that was the issue.
 
T5BRICK said:
No i was just pointing out that the HD4000 is 40-60% faster than the HD3000 and the nvidia 320m(which is funny because the HD3000 was supposed to be an upgrade from the 320m, but they were roughly the same performance).
Click to expand...

320m (or was it 330m?) was faster than the HD3000.
and yes the HD4000 is about 50% faster than the HD3000 but it would need to be ~200% faster to run a res thats 4 times as large.
 
A mistake

The Mac mini's now all use the 4000. They are designed to run multiple monitors at this resolution.

I can understand how a very small handful of people may have an issue, but the problem is that the rest of us read a post like this and begin to worry.

Also, I own one of these and notice nothing. Perhaps yours has a problem?

I'm prone to believing that if there was any kind of issue, however small, I would notice a subtle change in performance. I notice nothing like that.
 
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calderone said:
No point, no sarcasm. Just an observation.

I will be sure to add rolleyes if I am going to be sarcastic, should be easily recognizable to you.
Click to expand...

Why bother making it? Unless, of course, you couldn't quite believe I'd buy a rMBP just to try out . . .
 
extra things to carry?

Ccrew said:
That's what the $20 thunderbolt to GigE adapter is for.
Click to expand...

umm, hmmm -- when i think portability i think less to carry around, when everything is built in, that is really sweet, when you have to now pay to carry around extra dongles and ***** i dunno mang... i love the innovative and zen concept of the retina line of macbooks, but you can't be telling people who need built in I/Os that they should get something extra to carry around to use that feature.

so some people still use legacy this or that and still really love the current or classic macbooks, its their right, all you retina line lovers seem to get all worked up and feel so defensive about a technology and innovation that isn't even all its cut out to be. so easily sold on anything that apple pushes out, sheesh.
 
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