I sold my air last night to get the pro that best buy had on sale. Best buy told me it would still be on sale today but the sale apparently just ended. So now the pro and MacBook are close in price. This will be my only laptop. I don't do anything intense. I'm getting my Master's degree so it will be mainly for college stuff and web surfing. I don't like how the new MacBook got rid of the glowing logo and MagSafe. The size though is appealing. Would I notice speed differences for what I'm wanting to do?
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Should I get the MacBook or the MacBook Pro with retina?
- Thread starter Jacoblee23
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rMBPs are still on sale on their website. You wouldn't notice a performance difference for what you'd use it for.
Do you need the portability of the rMB, or do you want the potentially greater flexibility of the rMBP? I have been using a 13" rMBP side by side with a new rMB for almost two weeks and from my own experiences and a great majority of the posts from actual users here I doubt you'd notice a speed difference.
I am trying to figure out whether I need both - they overlap a lot in most respects. The ports obviously differ significantly. One other thing that might matter to you - it matters to me - is that the 12" display may be just on the other side of the usability divide compared to the 13.3" if you want to read/compare/revise two documents side by side on the laptop's display (i.e., no external display available). The rMB is noticeably smaller in that context, and my eyes have not gotten sharper with the years.
I am trying to figure out whether I need both - they overlap a lot in most respects. The ports obviously differ significantly. One other thing that might matter to you - it matters to me - is that the 12" display may be just on the other side of the usability divide compared to the 13.3" if you want to read/compare/revise two documents side by side on the laptop's display (i.e., no external display available). The rMB is noticeably smaller in that context, and my eyes have not gotten sharper with the years.
I want this to be my computer for a few years and invest apple care in it. This being a first gen product makes me hesitant a bit.
Which One
MBP is better but heavier. I had the MBP 13 and sold it for the MB to use while traveling.
MBP is better but heavier. I had the MBP 13 and sold it for the MB to use while traveling.
Yeah, there is that risk, or set of risks. Nothing horrible has developed yet but any Gen 1 product has a risk that there's some unexpected design or manufacturing problem. On top of that, there's the risk that Gen 2 (or, realistically, more likely Gen 3 or 4) comes out during your expected ownership period and you find yourself really wishing you'd waited. No help for those, unfortunately!
Probably better off getting the base and selling it in two years or even one if they bump the specs and take the small loss. Because isn't the 1.2 $1599? I don't need a lot of storage and just use my laptop casually so the base always suits me fine with a external HD to store things on at home.
This is what I plan to do. Use the base for a year, maybe a little longer and upgrade to skylake gen 2 next year. To be totally honest, I do not know if the gen 1 is a 3-4 year laptop. Only time will tell. It can go both ways...OSX can make the machine last longer or OSX could kill the machine of in a few years.
I agree and don't think this is a 3-4 year laptop. I am somewhat expecting these to drop pretty fast in price in 6 months or so when there is a full supply. Also, the 13 rMBP is less expensive buying on sale at Best Buy.
I do not see a price drop happening. They are still selling them, possibly better than any laptop in recent time. I really think OSX will determine the life of this product. If they optimize it and fix the UI lag, the average user can easily make it a 4+ year machine with 8gb of RAM and a 256gb SSD.
Yup. Take a $200 ish loss but upgrade to the more powerful machine. Essentially a "trade in" and pay the difference. Even better if you can get it from Best Buy and save another 10%.
Here's what I did. As I plan to upgrade to the 2nd gen MBR since I'm hoping they add a 2nd screen size like a 14" with the same sexy skinny design.
I bought a 2015 13" MBA for $799 on sale at BB. And used a 10% movers coupon so basically $700 for a $999 MBA. I can live with th screen for that price "calibrated" of course. And than if they release a 14" MBR next year sell the 2015 MBA for a minimal loss and upgrade to the MBR with either bigger screen or Skylake. I'm a bigger guy with big hands I REALLY need that extra wrist space or I cramp up. I couldn't type on a 11" air I would cramp. I really enjoy the 1.3" screen bump. Here hoping for a 14" MBR with that extra wrist rest area! It's not so much the text that bothers me on the non retina but the contrast and color. But that can be helped by a good calibration. I'm ised to TN panels from my gaming PCs. Since most gamers use TN panels because of their low MS response time and input lag. IPS has the better color reproduction but lacks fast panel responce times and input lag.
And I have a 4k monitor that I hook the Air up too. The 2015 MBA can output 4k at 60hz on a external
There is also the Gen 1 risk (risks, plural, actually): some horrible design/engineering/manufacturing flaw could become apparent; Gen 2 could make Gen 1 look like a dog, either in terms of performance or features. It won't make this one a worse computer, but it would affect resale.
true, and there is something to be said about a product at the end of its life (macbook pro current design). I am sure the Pro will steal some design cues from the rMB. I personally hope it keeps the same style of keyboard though. I just like the old style much better.
I will admit that although I expected to get used to the keyboard immediately, it hasn't really grown on me. The trackpad, on the other hand, is a literal revelation. If I were >||< that much less rational I'd replace my rMBP just for the trackpad.
Your only laptop, or your only computer?
I wouldn't get a rMB as a primary computer. It's too limited in connections and the screen is on the small side for some kinds of work.
It is however an amazing mobile machine if you have a desktop to do the heavy lifting. I have a Mac Pro to do the big stuff and for my mobile machine I just want portability for writing and light stuff. I loved my rMBP but I didn't use it for more than a fraction of what it was capable of (because I have the Mac Pro).
It's my only computer. I went with the MacBook Pro with retina. This will be my only computer. Seemed like the wisest decision to me.
I think you made a wise choice, and it will last you a long time if you want it to.
The 2015 13" pros have the new trackpad
As I type this from that.
I know - but replacing my late 2013 rMBP for the trackpad along is just plain nuts.
A morning later, the only thing that I dislike really about the Pro is the weight. I know on paper it isn't much but I definitely feel the difference between my old 13" Air and this.
It's sad that I have a maxed out air that runs better than all the retina MacBooks (pro included) b.c the display is so taxing. The Samsung screen on the Air is good and there is no UI lag. Part of me just wants to run it until it dies!
I have noticed some beach balls on the pro and I never had any on the air. I noticed it when updating Yosemite and while changing my lock screen picture.
MacBook user since 2007. Have owned five MacBooks myself and my wife has owned two.
I am going to give my two cents here. From what you're saying you do not need a MacBook Pro. The MacBook Pro is geared towards more productivity. The Pro has more processing power for more demanding work. Things such as heavy graphic design, heavy photo editing and any type of development work. Anything else short of that you do not need a MacBook Pro, at least for the processing power. The biggest difference between the Retina MacBook in the MacBook Pro is that the Retina MacBook is not as powerful. The thing people need to realize is probably 90% of users do not need (or use) the fu processing power of the MacBook Pro. I can perform all the features of a full Adobe Photoshop and Bridge install on a MacBook Air, which means if I can do that on a MacBook Air imagine what you should be able to do on a MacBook Pro.
If all you are using the laptop for it is to surf the web, stream video/movies/TV/music and using Office (or any word processing software) then the MacBook Pro is overpowered for your use. I can do all those things and then some on a MacBook Air.
The advantage I see with the Retina MacBook is that you have a full HD screen which has the same screen space as a MacBook Pro (I can see more on this screen than on my 2014 11" MBA), however it is extremely light even compared to a MacBook air. It is more portable. It has the same battery life as a MacBook Air. So, unless you are doing something with your laptop that requires high processing power there was no need for MacBook Pro. List out the things you do on your laptop then you can get a better understanding of which laptops suit your needs.
For me I do not perform intensive graphic design or development work anymore which is why I do not have a MacBook Pro. For me the retina MacBook is my perfect machine because it gives me the HD screen I want along with a 9 to 10 hour battery life. It also has a full size keyboard, and while it is slightly different than the normal Apple keyboard it is not something you cannot become accustomed to within today at typing.
The only major downside to the retina MacBook is if you need ports. If you use a lot of USB connections, connect to an external monitor or television set, or things of that sort then the Retina MacBook is going to be a hassle for you. This is probably the biggest trade-off with the Retina MacBook for most users.
On any given day I typically have a browser open with 4 to 5 tabs, one tab is always streaming music. I also have office Word and Outlook open. I have a Twitter app open. I will also have Adobe Photoshop open. I have never experienced up to this point any sort of lag or issue with performance. This shows you what type of workload this laptop can handle. If you ask anyone who actually owns this laptop and has used it for several days they will tell you this laptop can handle much more than people assume.
The issue is people go to the stores and test this laptop for 10 minutes and assume they know exactly how it works and how it feels (and this is on those crappy very low Apple store tables). That is like going to a car dealership test driving a car for 5 miles and assuming that everything you feel about that first test drive is how the car will always feel. Anything that is new to a person will take a few days or even a week to get accustomed to. This includes laptops, phones, and even cars.
My advice to you, the OP, is to figure out what you use on your laptop 90% of the time. If it falls within the range of basic laptop use where you do not need heavy processing power then the Retina MacBook is probably a good choice for you. However, if you want the processing power of the MacBook Pro just in case you need that processing power then I would move forward with a MacBook Pro. The only other thing I would reiterate is the need for cords. If you connect a lot of things to your computer via cable then the Retina MacBook will become a hassle for you.
One other point I want to make about the Retina MacBook and the 11" MacBook Air. There is little room for your palm or wrist. Therefore, if you have big hands or long fingers in may be a little difficult to type. When I first started using the MacBook Air in 2011 I had issues with my wrist due to the lack of palm resting space. But after a little while I got very accustomed to it and I no longer have any issues. However, I would urge anyone who has large hands or finder to test out this laptop before purchasing it.
At the end of the day Apple seemingly has enough laptop models to fit every person's need. This new Retina MacBook is not supposed to replace the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro. So if what you're using a laptop for doesn't fit this laptop then I would advise you look at the other models which may fit your needs better. And this goes for everybody.