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Roundup of Retina MacBook Pro Reviews

Awesome ! I love everything about it.

However I find the new Air to be a letdown.

The new ASUS UX31 with 1080p looks like a winner for me.

Hackintosh is a trivial thing and that sucker has 1080p, 1 gig dedicated NVidia graphics , backlight keyboard, 5-6 hour battery, Bang & Olifson speakers, slick copy of the Air with better RAM and ...... did I mention 1080p :)

But seriously , this new Retina MacBook Pro is fantastic.
 
I'm very curious about the benchmarks.

This new rMBP looks like a winner.

In regard to the comments about text size on an ultra-high resolution screen like this: one of the reviews mentioned that this is being handled by the rMBP so text will not appear secret spy message size small ;)
 
Mr. Gates said:
Awesome ! I love everything about it.

However I find the new Air to be a letdown.

The new ASUS UX31 with 1080p looks like a winner for me.

Hackintosh is a trivial thing and that sucker has 1080p, 1 gig dedicated NVidia graphics , backlight keyboard, 5-6 hour battery, Bang & Olifson speakers, slick copy of the Air with better RAM and ...... did I mention 1080p :)

But seriously , this new Retina MacBook Pro is fantastic.
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The new macbook air is much faster than last year macbook air and better.You are comparing two different things. The macbook air is for you average college and university kid . The macbook pro like the high in iMac is for pros .

If you thinking the macbook air is going be be just as powerful has the macbook pro or iMac you are dreaming.
 
AppleInMyBlood said:
... but they are expensive and far more accessible to the wealthy than less fortunate people. They're worth the money, but in a perfect world they would be cheaper so more people could enjoy them.
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OK. EVERYTHING that is sold rather than given away is far more accessible to the wealthy than less fortunate people. Paper clips, 2% milk, everything.

In a perfect world, everything would be free, and distributed by altruistic mega-trillionaires.

These seem to be superb machines, and I will soon be retiring my current 15" MBP to get one ... and I'm not even a billionaire.
 
rikscha said:
People these days are not too bright anymore. There is a big difference between expensive and something that has a high price tag.
The new MBP is not expensive, you paying exactly what this kind of machine is worth, although it does require to put a lot of money on the table. These two things are different, otherwise buying a house would be expensive by definition.
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No, the retina MBP is expensive (dictionary definition: costing a lot of money). Most houses are expensive, too, otherwise most people wouldn't need loans to be able to buy one. Not everyone can afford the retina MBP, and most people can't afford to buy a house outright (let alone get approved for a loan these days). Most people have to spend years saving up just to be able to make a down payment on a house. I have enough money to buy a retina MBP, but $3500 for the configuration that would satisfy my needs is a lot of money.

You are confusing "expensive" with "overpriced". When people talk about Macs being expensive I usually say "they are expensive but not overpriced, at least if you buy right after release." You get what you pay for...
 
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nick_elt said:
HDMI? +1 Apple!
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I was happy to see this included on this update as well. HDMI has been standard on quite a few laptops for a number of years. That said, my 2008 15 inch MBP that I still use today just uses a mini display port to HDMI adapter, no issues...still would rather just be able to plug an HDMI cable right in, though.

Anyway, off topic, as I understand it, even though the display is super high DPI, the workspace is effectively the same as the current "standard" res displays. Not knocking that, I'm just wondering what effect, if any, that will have on my web development/graphics work. Maybe someone with a clearer understanding of DPI "issues" can set me straight?
 
Although people should have read the entire quote before complaining about the "inexpensive" comment, I will say that the way in which MR quoted it was really awkward.

Here's the very first line of the review, right before MacRumor's quote clipping:

"If you could design your dream laptop, how would you describe it?"
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Puts it in better context, doesn't it?
 
epiksol said:
I want one, but I'll wait for 17" version and wait for them to work out all the kinks.

Lets not forget giving the developers some time to optimize their apps for the retina display. Apps on the New iPad are slowly being updated to support this so we'll see how long it takes for desktop developers to get on board.
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A 17" with Retina panel will be very expensive - the manufacturing process to get even a 15" display (with no dead pixels!) is a pretty sensitive process, never mind 17"...

I've heard that there is better airflow within the chassis, but I still am holding off for proper reviews covering full load specs, temps, CPU throttling, and other issues...

And, until Crucial and others drop their RAM prices to $100, Apple's current pricing to upgrade the Retina MBPs from 8 to 16GB is actually very reasonable. (But not the SSD...)

By this time next year, I'll have saved enough and while I'm borderline in upgrading so quickly (it's the IPS panel in the MBP that's the crux), by then most of my apps will be Retina-approved (think Adobe) and I'll get the CS6 upgrade then as well...
 
I hope these are a bit more reliable than the other Mac books, all I hear from my friends with Macbooks are things breaking such as optical drives, hard drives and keys dropping off :(
 
1. The resolution os adjustable; toggle as needed.
2. People that spend 5 to 6 grand are not going to want to open them up.
3. Phil said the screen has a new coating that dramatically decreases glare.
4. Like the retina on the iPad, people won't "get it" until they see it.
5. !!!!! The towers won't be updated until the LED display (also used for TV) can also be retina and easily handle 4k footage
 
CalWizrd said:
OK. EVERYTHING that is sold rather than given away is far more accessible to the wealthy than less fortunate people. Paper clips, 2% milk, everything.

In a perfect world, everything would be free, and distributed by altruistic mega-trillionaires.

These seem to be superb machines, and I will soon be retiring my current 15" MBP to get one ... and I'm not even a billionaire.
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In a perfect world, the value of work would not be forgotten (as a Republican once reminded people of some time ago...), people would be astute to the conditions of their society and not be bamboozled in the first place by people who take advantage of their natures and then spit on them behind their backs... still, watching reality shows is more fun, which is why millions of people prefer to do that...

(PS, I disagree with your amusing sig line... I'd rather vote for somebody who understand and appreciates the value of labor and, ironically, that person is the same one you mock in it... since without laborers and the money they earn to spend, who would become mega-trillionaires to begin with?)

Your sig line, just to remind folks of the context:

__________________
If you voted for our current President in 2008 to prove you weren't a racist,
please vote for someone else in 2012 to prove you're not an idiot.
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JohnDoe98 said:
There won't be any 17" version. The 17" line is dead, time for you to face that fact.
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cleanton said:
17" version is discontinued. It will not come any more.
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And you guys are basing this off of what... rumors or low sales numbers? If that's the case, then you might as well throw the Mac Pro in the mix as well...

The MBP 17" unibody didn't come out until some time after the 15" unibody was announced.
 
Inflation and improving tech

ctdonath said:
~$2200 isn't bad. That's the same as I paid years ago for my last computer, an ultraportable (1.7GHz 512MB 50GB 10" Pentium M Sony, still crawling).
Between non-trivial inflation and big industry price drops, that's a helluva machine for a quite reasonable price.
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Agreed. In real terms, this machine is cheaper than my previous two computers; the 2006 Macbook pro I'm typing on cost $2500 with Applecare, and my 2002 Powerbook was $2799 (IIRC). Obviously, the profusion of personal computing devices has changed our ideas of what is 'reasonable,' but with a 3 week wait, it's clear that there are still people able and willing to buy this (myself soon to be included). Prices will come down more with time, and while Apple will still charge a hefty markup, it will be doable for most consumers in the long run. Hooray for economies of scale and supply and demand!
 
nyc-mac said:
1. The resolution os adjustable; toggle as needed.
2. People that spend 5 to 6 grand are not going to want to open them up.
3. Phil said the screen has a new coating that dramatically decreases glare.
4. Like the retina on the iPad, people won't "get it" until they see it.
5. !!!!! The towers won't be updated until the LED display (also used for TV) can also be retina and easily handle 4k footage
Click to expand...

1. The monitor has only one optimal resolution, stray from that resolution and you end up with blurrier text (a typical issue for LCD monitors, but made lesser of an issue due to the PPI density of the screen)

2. I've spent $25k on a car and I open it up... I don't care for generalizations, one way or the other

3. But does not eliminate it

4. People could see it and still need to have it explained to them, at which point they're probably thinking about their favorite vice or addiction

5. No doubt. Now wait for Apple to demand wireless broadband carriers to subsidize the extra workload for 4k content...
 
AppleInMyBlood said:
That's a pretty arrogant response, IMO. A computer may be important to someone, but giving his or her children an education may be important too, or getting medical treatment, or buying healthy food, etc. etc. To say that "even lower to middle class people can find room in their budgets for" a Retina MacBook Pro is very condescending.

I love Apple products, but they are expensive and far more accessible to the wealthy than less fortunate people. They're worth the money, but in a perfect world they would be cheaper so more people could enjoy them.
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Everything, including medical treatment and food, is more accessible to the wealthy. That doesn't change the point, which is people should stop whining (on the internet, no less) and go do something.
skywalkerr69 said:
It's like saying "Wow that 2012 Ferrari is amazing....but its $125,000."
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Damn, I'll find a way to get the money if I only have to pay $125k for a 2012 Ferrari. 10 minutes later I'll sell it for retail, pay off my bills, and buy a MBPR.
skywalkerr69 said:
What? You go on newegg and spend .00000000001% of the cost of Applecare for a replacement part for a PC.
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3 ten millionths of a penny? I don't recall seeing those parts at Newegg.
 
cecildk9999 said:
Agreed. In real terms, this machine is cheaper than my previous two computers; the 2006 Macbook pro I'm typing on cost $2500 with Applecare, and my 2002 Powerbook was $2799 (IIRC). Obviously, the profusion of personal computing devices has changed our ideas of what is 'reasonable,' but with a 3 week wait, it's clear that there are still people able and willing to buy this (myself soon to be included). Prices will come down more with time, and while Apple will still charge a hefty markup, it will be doable for most consumers in the long run. Hooray for economies of scale and supply and demand!
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I've seen Windows laptops costing more...

BTW, before you cheer for anything, when the price of RAM goes down but the company does not reduce the price for its product in return, that is an example of how "supply and demand" is a myth. Not just because nothing trickles down to you in the process...

The next time prices skyrocket, I'll keep an eye on the pertinent Mac models and see if their price magically goes up...

----------
JAT said:
Everything, including medical treatment and food, is more accessible to the wealthy. That doesn't change the point, which is people should stop whining (on the internet, no less) and go do something.
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Including you? :) What are you doing here, being paid to guard and respond to people you believe are whining (on the internet, no less)?

What happens when the value of work gets stomped down? (You might know that the middle class' ability to earn wealth has been going down since 1979 or so, and at a faster clip over the last few years. At some point, even you won't be able to work enough hours in a day... will you be whining then?)

http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2...income-inequality-Take-our-quiz/Growing-since

http://www.realitybase.org/journal/2009/3/10/the-american-dream-died-in-february-1973.html

http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2010/01/vicious-cycle-stagnant-wages

So, yes, if you haven't been affected yet, which is highly unlikely... you might be at some point.

Those articles aren't whines. They are posting facts.


3 millionths of a penny? I don't recall seeing those parts at Newegg.
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RAM, CPU, and other components can be found there. It's not hard to find them. Granted, the price point you'd mentioned is a tad far-fetched...
 
epiksol said:
And you guys are basing this off of what... rumors or low sales numbers? If that's the case, then you might as well throw the Mac Pro in the mix as well...

The MBP 17" unibody didn't come out until some time after the 15" unibody was announced.
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I'm basing it on the fact that Apple no longer sells them and didn't update them as they did all the other MBPs.
 
bharatgupta said:
frankly speaking i love all the software updates, but ever since 4s i m not liking the way apple is rolling out hardware, the loss of steve is imminent here.

firstly they call this era as "post pc", on the second side they price their stuff way beyond average consumer's reach, its a computer, apple "now" shud win market share, steve would have focused n done that if alive.

They r move more n more away from average consumer, this is rich boy's toy clearly the ones who dont even need that extra power, there is no proper "fragmentation" too, this is not what most of apple fans expected
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Since when has the average consumer been able to afford the top of the line apple machine. My dad spend over 5k on a Mac 20 some years ago. I spent over 3300 on my 17" Mbp 4 years ago.

People act like this is not a top of the line device or apple used to make their top of the line device affordable to everyone. That had not been the case for close to thirty years.

People need to recognize what this device is and that apple has plenty of devices more affordable if you want one. If you want top of the line fully specced technology you will pay for it.
 
epiksol said:
And you guys are basing this off of what... rumors or low sales numbers? If that's the case, then you might as well throw the Mac Pro in the mix as well...

The MBP 17" unibody didn't come out until some time after the 15" unibody was announced.
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Based on not being able to order one right now I guess. Before the unibody came out, one could still order an alu 17", I think.

We will see who is right, but right now it looks a bit like the 17" is not coming back.
 
K42 said:
Based on not being able to order one right now I guess. Before the unibody came out, one could still order an alu 17", I think.

We will see who is right, but right now it looks a bit like the 17" is not coming back.
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It's hardly a big reach to declare the 17" models as retired. It was never a big seller, so Apple doesn't have much reason to keep it around.

With the hi-res screens coming into play, you simply don't need as much screen real estate as you used to. With the higher pixel density, 15" is plenty big for a laptop, and more portable.

Personally, I'm a desktop guy, and would love to see a redesigned retina version of the iMac. At that pixel density, even the 20" model would look amazing. I have the 24" version now, but the extra resolution would make the smaller screen size perfectly usable.

I suspect it'll be a bit of a wait before we see retina displays in these larger sizes though. Waiting is such sweet sorrow. ;)
 
The new MacBook Pros are definitely one of the best laptops on the market right now, but still have severe limitations. I wouldn't get a laptop with less than 16 GBs of RAM unless it was upgradeable, so that's an additional $200, and 256 GBs of SSD space still isn't enough for me without having to have an additional 64 GB SD Card to hold my music, videos, files, etc.
 
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