In some sense, they harken back to the days of the "luggable" computer rather than laptops.
FWIW, the original "portable computer", the Osborne 1:

And the first "portable Mac"

In some sense, they harken back to the days of the "luggable" computer rather than laptops.
On the regular MBP it most likely will be when 16GB SODIMMS are available just as 4GB and 8GB modules could be fitted to legacy MBPs. With rMBP no chance! Without upgradable RAM, it looks like the lifespan for professional use has been intentionally shortened!RAM may not be upgradeable on the MBPR, but RAM isn't upgradeable on any MBP with 16 GB either.
I suppose you can take Dell, Acer, HP and so on for the "right" direction. These seem to be companies that are highly successful compared to Apple
Reminds me: I did a Google search on "Dell Quad core laptop". The cheapest Dell with an equivalent CPU (2.4 GHz), upgraded to 8 GB RAM, 256 GB SSD was one of their "Alienware" desktop replacements for something over £2050 instead of the MBPR's £1799. 18.4" 1920x1080 screen, I did not manage to find the weight anywhere, and I didn't find the battery life anywhere, and I really looked for it, but it does have a 200 Watt power supply, where the MBPR only has 95.
There are two knocks on it. The first is price, which I don't think is a legitimate argument because the market is the market. There is a market for $2100 laptops, it's just that the reviewer may not be in it.
The second knock - which is very legitimate - is that third-party applications that haven't been optimized for retina look atrocious. If you're spending $2100 on a laptop, you shouldn't have to deal with Firefox or Thunderbird or any of hundreds of other programs looking like crap.
What? A computer that costs twice as much can outperform it? Go figure.Apple is really selling the Retina and "thin" factors, performance wise, spending $4000 on the PC side for a new laptop, the new MBP will get blown out of the water.
The whole "expensive" argument is strange to me. The Retina MBP is actually pretty aggressively priced for what you get. Try pricing any other high end Ivy Bridge laptop (Mac or PC) with similar GPU, RAM and flash storage and you'll see that the MBP is actually a decent deal.
Of course you can argue that a platter HD laptop would cost less. But that's not a direct comparison.
Precisely.They sacrificed too much for such a small improvement in size and weight.
The fact that it doesnt have a standard 2.5" SSD drive, upgradeable memory, a proprietary SSD drive, etc. will make this thing a pain in the ass to use down the line. The first thing I do whenever I buy a new mac is throw out the internal drive replacing it with my own and upgrading the RAM on my own.
I've been saying Apple is obsessed with imposing limitations on the end user, but this is just insane.
Upgradeability is moot.
RAM
RAM - 8GB if use non professional software
RAM - 16GB if you use professional software
Apple offers additional 8GB for $200, even if is more expensive (by about twice) still not a great expense when you purchase a $2000 machine.
If you are a professional user you are likely to know whether you need that extra RAM or not, and if you would need more, you like to be on the "edge" of technology you are likely to buy a new machine within 2-3 years, if not earlier.
If you are not a professional user, you wouldn't care regardless.
Funny question, but it just demonstrates that you don't understand the difference between including what's critical on a portable computer (e.g., a competent CPU/GPU/RAM, adequate storage space, and a display and keyboard) to what no longer is (e.g., legacy ethernet/serial/parallel ports for, floppy disk drive, etc.).Why do laptops come with displays and keyboards? Wouldn't it be lighter and cheaper to use externals?
Funny question, but it just demonstrates that you don't understand the difference between including what's critical on a portable computer (e.g., a competent CPU/GPU/RAM, adequate storage space, and a display and keyboard) to what no longer is (e.g., legacy ethernet/serial/parallel ports for, floppy disk drive, etc.).
Dude, it wouldn't be a "regular MBP" if it had a RETINA screen!
Funny question, but it just demonstrates that you don't understand the difference between including what's critical on a portable computer (e.g., a competent CPU/GPU/RAM, adequate storage space, and a display and keyboard) to what no longer is (e.g., legacy ethernet/serial/parallel ports for, floppy disk drive, etc.).
I think you're wrong. The rMBP is one big compromise since its in such a short product range. I use my current Mackbook pro plugged into two different sets of external keyboard and screens. i.e. generally a portable desktop replacement and hardly ever use the built in screen and keyboard. So in actual fact for my use a detachable screen and keyboard would be ok. But for the majority I'm sure plain daft!
My general impressions of the rMBP are beautiful machines. But too much compromise to save a couple of mm in thickness!
Why do laptops come with displays and keyboards? Wouldn't it be lighter and cheaper to use externals?
Precisely.
Here's a translation of a comment I posted on a geek blog:
«I'm not convinced by the new MacBook Pro Retina. At least not really.
To me the MBP Retina looks more like a "public beta" than a really optimal, ready-to-use machine. Only its screen (and possibly disk speed) are superior. This machine doesn't deserve the "Pro" moniker, considering what's missing. "Pros" need the fastest network connection they can use, and 802.11n isn't part of this club. Whatever some may say, there are a number of data sets and applications in the "Pro" world that are exclusively available on optical media. That, and the previous loss of the expansion port, which was useful for those "exotic" peripherals. Adding adapters and dongles here and there doesn't help getting a simple and convenient machine. Call me nostalgic, but I now find the pre-unibody MacBook Pro had a lot of class and was really the most polyvalent Apple laptop to date. As in "retro-chic".
SSD getting more and more common.....
Thunderbolt?...
Still 7 hours battery...
Mountain Lion....
Also, there has been no word on supporting captive portals or RADIUS authentication during installation. These so-authenticated networks are usually the fastest by far, and thus, the most desirable for downloading a large installation file.
Strangely, still no 3G inside to tout the computer as "ultra-mobile"...
All in iCloud? ...
I feel deceived. What is still pro-oriented in that new MacBook Pro?»
I actually think this Wired article is more on the money:
THE NEW MACBOOK PRO: UNFIXABLE, UNHACKABLE, UNTENABLE
http://ifixit.org/2763/the-new-macbook-pro-unfixable-unhackable-untenable/#comment-1293
Oh, and NY Times article about it being superfast, enough memory to keep lots of apps open (LOL) and storage space probably havent used a good PC laptop by Asus, Alienware or MSI. Apple is really selling the Retina and "thin" factors, performance wise, spending $4000 on the PC side for a new laptop, the new MBP will get blown out of the water.
Upgradeability is moot.
RAM
RAM - 8GB if use non professional software
RAM - 16GB if you use professional software
Apple offers additional 8GB for $200, even if is more expensive (by about twice) still not a great expense when you purchase a $2000 machine.
If you are a professional user you are likely to know whether you need that extra RAM or not, and if you would need more, you like to be on the "edge" of technology you are likely to buy a new machine within 2-3 years, if not earlier.
If you are not a professional user, you wouldn't care regardless.
STORAGE
External storage is cheap to buy and now there is USB3 and Thunderbolt which allow you fast transfer speed.
BATTERY
Battery last more than use to be on previous Macs, and generally better than most PCs. The glued battery last up to 5 years according to Apple and hold 3 times as much as industry standards. The price to change the battery is gone up $70 but it last 3 times more.
Are you going to keep your Mac for more than 5 years?
If yes, you will spend less in battery replacement in a year-by-year scale.
If no, all the above don't matter to you.
OK, you know that old saying about how you can't be too thin or too rich? Well, the new RMBP is too thin and too rich.
I want a 17" Retina-display MBP that is the same size, shape, especially not-too-thin-ness, weight, fixability, and hackability as the 2007 MBP (the one with its swap-able removable battery, FW800, Gigabit hardwired Ethernet and 802.11n wireless, and 1920 x 1200 matte display).
Love the RMBP Retina display, love the fast CPU, SSD, and 3D graphics (would have preferred AMD graphics though), but too thin and too expensive.
That's what I meant by "regular".![]()
I agree wholeheartedly, but sadly you should know that Apple is going to take the rest of the lineup down that road. When the 17" comes back, Apple would have basically sealed the entire thing shut, and may even leave off the screws on the bottom case.
The 17" was just a sheer beast and a nice desktop replacement!! Hopefully it shows back up in a year or so? Does anyone think it will be showing back up in the next couple of years or is it gone for good?
no, the pricing on SSDs was the same for the 2011s, when there was no need to "justify" anything.
No. Battery life is the same.And better battery life.
It has not. Far from it. We'll talk about that when real-world 1Gb/s WiFi appears.(...) but now that WiFi has taken over
That's valid, though.If you're using ethernet you're chaining yourself to a desk anyway.
Optical media, along with USB keys, precisely have a use while on-the-go since net access should be assumed to be non-existent, or a MBP user is a guest somewhere with no access to a network, or access is very limited and it's cheaper and faster to burn a coaster than trying to make two completely unrelated computer communicate with each other.And if you need frequent access to optical storage while on-the-go, then I hate to break it to you, but you're in the extreme minority. And even there, it's not like sticking that external drive in your laptop bag is going to add considerable bulk/weight, as Apple's external drive is very slim.
Why do laptops come with displays and keyboards? Wouldn't it be lighter and cheaper to use externals?
Even when pros have some storage device in their line of work, they may well be far from this storage media for some time, and, taking the example of image professionals, shooting in HD would quickly cram the internal drive before having a chance to back it up. An Euro 2012 photographer shoot around 90GB a day. With stock SSD capacity in that Retina MBP, he would only be able to shoot for 2 days-and-a-half before having to stop if he can not reach his drive. Keeping an external HDD with one self should be considered first-line working device, not backup. Carrying around a TB HDD defeats the weight gain on the laptop. Having a distant backup is surer, but hampered by slow access speed. Connecting to a distant drive just isn't feasible with common access speeds.All good points but I'd really like to point out that there are still a few assumptions in your post as well.
Not every content creator stores ALL of their files on the main machine, especially not the main disk. It will either be the current project only, or a bunch of projects with the main media on a second drives. Now, I would've like Apple to given us the option of a boot SSD and 1TB 7.2k drive as scratch, but I'd rather have a thin machine and TBolt my scratch drive.
This is dependent upon constant connectivity, which is far from being achieved. Many Pro users don't necessarily work in places where 3G, 4G or WiFi coverage is available. Many users use their machine both for work and leisure, such as I do, and had trouble keeping a moderate iTunes collection, but especially a large documents collection I use as reference, as well as tons of papers. Simply put, I never knew which file I may need for a given project or if I would be able to connect to a WiFi network (e.g., the Second Cup SSID is notoriously Mac-unfriendly, and may not connect at all for hours at a time + 3G tethering gives only a GB a month), and kept all of them as reference. Consequently, I, and probably many people using their Mac for true mobile use, everything was hard to keep on 160GB HDD, same on 250GB HDD, and thus didn't make the jump to SSD yet, since only the 256GB fell into my price target.In the end, I don't see too many people having issue with even 256GBs if it means speed. Store the basic files in Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud and store the larger ones on a USB3.0 drive mobile/desktop and you're good to go.
In my naïve mind, more modern processors go along with lower consumption. Hence, what was excellent 3 years ago should now be average.Having 7 hours of battery is nothing to sneeze at really. It may have been 7 hours of life 3 years ago, but that was with processors that were 3 years old. Now, we have Ivy Bridge and we are still getting 7 hours of battery life.
We're not buying in the same stores, it seems. Despite its age, FW800 is still not widely available. Sure, Apple didn't make the jump to FW1600. But I still disagree with your statement, because:There are actually quite a bit of FW800 drives on the market, especially at Apple Stores and the price is usually only $10 or so more than the USB2.0 only counterparts. I expect to see the same with TBolt after a few years . . . 3 or 4 years maybe. Remember, FW800 is about 9 years old.
From a north american consumer, it is only understandable. But it keeps you tethered to a smartphone, preferably a jailbroken iPhone. Removing the choice NOT to use a smartphone doesn't seem a very smart move since 3G coverage or iPhones are not available absolutely anywhere. The no-contract model from the iPad 3G proves there's a market, and not a marginal one, for non-iPhone 3G internet access. If Apple assumed everyone "should" have an iPhone, why did they built the 3G iPad? Seems illogical.I am glad there's no 3G personally. Having it built in was always something I never wanted for any of my devices. I'd rather have the hotspot or my phone be my source so I can pay just one bill and connect 5+ machines, rather than have to pay a bill for the iPad, iPhone, MBP, etc.
Of course you can only reduce form factor up to a point if you want to keep everything integrated. But what's the point in removing technologies that haven't been replaced yet?Again, I still would've like to see Apple give us everything but the kitchen sink like Sony used to do with their TT series of ultra-portables but that's just not Apple. Personally, I'd like to see a 17" RMBP with four USB 3.0, dual TBolt, SDXC slot and some serious speakers. And traditionally, the 17" allowed for more cooling, so the machine wouldn't get hot very fast.
You don't need to win the lottery, you just need a decent job. $1999 (with student discount, and I am sure you have a student in your family somewhere) is just $83 per month.
If you work a full time job, you need a raise of about 48 cents per hour to pay for it without hurting your budget at all.
Or you can mow 4 neighbors lawns for $20 each on weekends, and you're just about there.
I know what you meant by the quote, but its gets a little annoying when people try to perpetuate the myth that Apple products are just for the ultra rich. If a computer is important to you, then even lower to middle class people can find room in their budgets for it.