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So is the 15 Inch Macbook Pro Retina worth it?
- Thread starter ThisIsMe
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Only you can decide if it's worth it to you. Any Mac model can handle video editing with FinalCut.
If you ask me, it is not worth it.
I would certainly buy the next generation, but not this version...
I played with it at apple store and boy it was lagging.
The blame is on both apple and Intel for their crappy HD 4000 graphic card.
Nvdia card can handle it, but HD 4000 isn't up for the task to handle 2880 X 1800 resolution.
I would certainly buy the next generation, but not this version...
I played with it at apple store and boy it was lagging.
The blame is on both apple and Intel for their crappy HD 4000 graphic card.
Nvdia card can handle it, but HD 4000 isn't up for the task to handle 2880 X 1800 resolution.
handle what? Web browsing? Word documents?
No one is saying the 4000 can't cope with mundane tasks
Did you play with it or not...
I opened iPhoto, Document, Web browsing, Word document and 3 more apps.
It lagged. This was done at the apple store.
It literally cannot handle "mundane tasks" when your resolution is set to the highest 1920x1200. Web browsing lags, switching between apps fullscreen etc.. When it's on the dedicated card it's fine, but on the hd4000 there is a noticeable difference.
I sure hope so. Otherwise I am going to be pretty dissapointed in a couple of weeks when it is delivered. Though this lagging business is worrying.
I like my mundane tasks to happen smoothly. If apple have to tweak the system so that the 4000 does less and the discreet chip does more, what will happen to the temp, fans and battery? Their 7 hours might be "laggy wireless productivity".
I already have one retina display that gets too hot and chews its massive battery too quickly (iPad 3).
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Scaling the workspace higher would be important to me but I'd like to keep the top end performance and 7 hour battery life. Any rMBP users care to comment?
I trust Engadget and Anand Lal Shimpi far more than anyone else on these matters, neither have mentioned what you speak of.
1900x1200 requires some kind of scaling and processing so maybe this is where the performance hit is coming from. Did you try full retina?
Didn't mean to suggest I had first-hand experience - just going by what people have posted about laggy performance. Obviously I need to try for myself in store, especially with regards to the upscaling, where I gather the GFX chips work even harder.
If the software updates kick in the discreet chip more often, I'm interested to know how this affects the battery life, fan speed, temp, etc.
The Intel HD4000 has absolutely no problems rendering 1920x1200 natively, but right now it is asked to render 3840x2400 at greater than 1 fps and then scaling down to size, that is where the lag is coming from. Apps like gfxCardStatus can force the use of iGPU / discrete GPU by the user.
You cannot do this on the shop-level display models for obvious reasons.
I think it's worth it. But I also think it's normal/okay to spend on average 2k a year on apple stuff. So for me it's a reasonable expense. But to be clear it's a want, not a need. Only can you can decide the value of an item considering your own financial situation.
If they had replaced the 15" MBP line completely with the retina MBPs then it would be worth it, but since the baseline RMBP costs the same as the high end MBP it's most certainly not worth it.
If you have a large disposable income then by all means buy the RMBP, it certainly looks nice. If, however, you're on a budget and require things to last then get the normal high end MBP. It'll serve you well for many years to come.
If you have a large disposable income then by all means buy the RMBP, it certainly looks nice. If, however, you're on a budget and require things to last then get the normal high end MBP. It'll serve you well for many years to come.
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The question of which is the best value is in the math. The high end stock 15" MBP is $2199. The stock high end RMBP is $2799, but that's with a 512GB SSD. The MBP upgraded with a 512GB SSD is now $3099. Upgrade to the 1680 x 1050 hi-res screen for $100 and you're at $3199.
Of course, the MBP could be upgraded with an aftermarket SSD. It's reported that the RMBP uses Samsung 830 chips. A 512GB Samsung 830 SSD has dropped to $700 at newegg, so that drops the MBP to $2899. The RMBP doesn't have an optical drive, so we add the USB Superdrive at $79. This brings the RMBP up to $2878 vs $2899 for the MBP with the aftermarket SSD, basically a tie, but not quite. The RMBP is much higher res, so we'll add the 1680 x 1050 hi-res display to the MBP for $100. It's now at $2999 vs $2878 for the RMBP. If you do your own SSD upgrade upgrade to the MBP you now have a spare 750GB drive worth about $100, so in the end it's a tie pricewise, except that the RMBP still has a much better screen.
The bottom line is that with otherwise equal specs, the RMBP is a better value for the money.
Of course, the MBP could be upgraded with an aftermarket SSD. It's reported that the RMBP uses Samsung 830 chips. A 512GB Samsung 830 SSD has dropped to $700 at newegg, so that drops the MBP to $2899. The RMBP doesn't have an optical drive, so we add the USB Superdrive at $79. This brings the RMBP up to $2878 vs $2899 for the MBP with the aftermarket SSD, basically a tie, but not quite. The RMBP is much higher res, so we'll add the 1680 x 1050 hi-res display to the MBP for $100. It's now at $2999 vs $2878 for the RMBP. If you do your own SSD upgrade upgrade to the MBP you now have a spare 750GB drive worth about $100, so in the end it's a tie pricewise, except that the RMBP still has a much better screen.
The bottom line is that with otherwise equal specs, the RMBP is a better value for the money.
Hah, Hah. Good one. At the end, the RMBP was still $22 ahead, so with the TB > RJ-45 adapter added to the RMBP, the MBP is $7 ahead. But then again, the RMBP does have built-in HDMI, but no firewire. I guess it depends on what you want, the RMBP with retina, and the new form factor, or the spec updated traditional MBP.