Are there any cosmetic issues when doing this with the Retina as from what I read you initially weren't able to swap out any parts?
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Stick with MBP or switch back to Windows?
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Are there any cosmetic issues when doing this with the Retina as from what I read you initially weren't able to swap out any parts?
No cosmetic issues, pretty easy to do, just need right torx screwdrivers, you can see procedure on Youtube. I did it on my previous rMBP, wont take more than 10-15 minutes.
Hmm - so really, as you said - taking the 2.7Ghz + 16GB RAM would be the best bet for now as I can upgrade the SSD later..
Lastly, how do you find the glare on the retinas vs the classics?
OP If I were you, I would not take the retina, but rather the most powerful regular version either by upgrade or by refund/repurchase.
Then you can upgrade to 16GB Ram and there are now 1TB SSDs for around 600$ you can buy, or even choose to take out the DVD drive and put ANOTHER hard drive in.
Isnt that amazing? Imagine 2TB SSD in Raid 0 just waiting to be loaded with Logic Pro plugins!!!!!!!!!
Logic is on sale for 200$ direct download btw. You can only get it on OSX
Then you can upgrade to 16GB Ram and there are now 1TB SSDs for around 600$ you can buy, or even choose to take out the DVD drive and put ANOTHER hard drive in.
Isnt that amazing? Imagine 2TB SSD in Raid 0 just waiting to be loaded with Logic Pro plugins!!!!!!!!!
Logic is on sale for 200$ direct download btw. You can only get it on OSX
OP If I were you, I would not take the retina, but rather the most powerful regular version either by upgrade or by refund/repurchase.
Then you can upgrade to 16GB Ram and there are now 1TB SSDs for around 600$ you can buy, or even choose to take out the DVD drive and put ANOTHER hard drive in.
Isnt that amazing? Imagine 2TB SSD in Raid 0 just waiting to be loaded with Logic Pro plugins!!!!!!!!!
Logic is on sale for 200$ direct download btw. You can only get it on OSX
Hey Bobby,
Thanks for the response! I've had a little look at the top specced cMBP that I could get via Apple and the specs are as follows;
2.7GHz, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD + Antiglare Screen = £2579 - Somehow this spec is working out more expensive than the Retina they have offered me (If this is the case, I don't believe I will be able to get this spec no matter how much I want it as it comes out at a considerably higher cost)
Do you not think the Retina w/ 2.7Ghz, 16GB Ram and initial 256GB SSD is a good deal considering it can only be pushed up to 2.8Ghz and that I may only be missing a little bit of SSD space initially?
Well, do this.
Get the 2.6 for a few hundred less (youre allready in the big leagues as far as CPU, no need to overdo it for no reason) and then just choose the CHEAPEST 5400 RPM drive and RAM.
Bam. Youre talking hundred of tracks, loaded with plugins. All mobile. Just plug in a Midi Keyboard and your golden.
You can also get keyboard covers with Logic shortcuts to put on your keyboard...
The retina does not shows significant glare in my honest opinion, would still recommend you to go for the retina over any other model.
If you're going to stick with Mac, get the retina. I've been through the same things as you, roughly - except that apple refused to refund me and therefore made me lose a thousand dollars - and the Retima is the only thing winning me back.
The screen is the component you use the most on a computer - no reason to get the worse one.
The screen is the component you use the most on a computer - no reason to get the worse one.
Take this option. 2.4 to 2.7 is a worthy upgrade (even that isn't night and day differences), but the 2.7 to 2.8 is a couple of points in a geekbench test - nothing anyone notices using it at all.
As for the RAM, you have to remember this is soldered in and can't be upgraded, so should there be a time where you want to run a VM or something like that, then that extra RAM would be well worth it!
The SSD was the bit I left at 256. I actually have a NAS drive with 6TB of space at home to play with, but also knowing it can be upgraded in the future unlike the other 2 components made the most sense.
As for the older models over the Retina. Yeah, you can set it all up in RAID and upgrade the older versions (only to the same spec as the retina minus RAID), but take a look at that Retina screen and tell me you could go back to a normal one after that
Last I checked the rMBP still has noticeable sluggishness at the high resolutions and feels "heavy" in its behavior sometimes due to the res.
Battery life.
Less hard-drive space and upgradability.
Thats kind of too many functional downsides for an upside that is only aesthetic.
Cmon, the MBP screen has been the best up until the retina era. Its still good enough lol.
I recommend next year as the year of the Retina. Maybe the SSD industry will be a better value by then and there will be more hi-res content out there in the wild.
Get rMBP the next time around
My first hand experience with Mavericks? It's gone.
If 30-ish minutes is the issue, Haswell is around the corner.
Less potential maximum, that is. Of course, 768 gigabytes is usually fine for a boot drive and Luckily there are network attached storages available.
Being able to change the RAM isn't exactly massive upgradability.
Uh, more potential working space, better panes and four times the resolution = "aesthetic"?
Uh, as a professional photographer I can tell you instantly that it isn't "the best up until the retina era".
I'm glad it's good enough for you.
Notice what I'm saying. I'm not saying that the retina is the best solution for everyone. For some niches, the classic is a better choice. I'd take you way more seriously if you merely described the changes as "aesthetic" - some of us have days where we eye the screen twelve hours in a day.
Oh, you're one of those hard drive users. Enjoying your three minute boot up? Gosh, my 15" MBP feels so slow in real world usage compared to my Air of the previous generation.
A lot of the stuff you mentioned just SCREAMS get it later. Wait for Mavericks, wait for Haswell... I agree.
And he is doing music and editing, not photography. Higher res or panes doesnt help Logic or most people who have external displays attached..
An EXTERNAL display is almost always a factor as well. Or should be ideally.
As for the screen up until retina, I am aware of IPS screens but I was talking about laptops without some special niche market mods.
Thanks everyone for all of your responses so far, they've all been really helpful!
So just to confirm, out of the below options, for quality and performance you'd go with Option 2 (The Retina Spec)?
1) cMBP 2.6GHz, Mid 2012, 8GB, Nvidia GeForce 650m 1GB (Current)
2) Retina MBP 2.7Ghz, Early 2013, 16GB, 256SSD, Nvidia GeForce 650m 1GB (Potential)
I've taken onboard what everyone has said earlier and feel that If I go for the Retina its best that I take the 2.7Ghz + Ram Upgrade and stick with the 256GB SSD otherwise I will be losing out. Apple initially offered me 1 upgrade on the replacement system which would have either been;
1) 2.4GHz CPU -> 2.8GHz, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD
2) 8GB RAM -> 16GB RAM + SuperDrive, 2.4GHz, 256GB SSD
3) 256GB SSD -> 512GB SSD, 8GB RAM, 2.4GHz
I can eventually upgrade the SSD which Is why I'm keen to take their offer of the 2.7GHz + 16GB Ram + 256GB SSD as long as you guys believe that performance wise it will be the best/most logical choice!
Have you actually owned a rMBP? Your claims does not makes sense unless you are just repeating what others argue. The cMBP is a great machine, but not in the same leage as the rMBP's
Most of the things lost from cMBP to rMBP is basically the first generation kinks that need ironing out.
While I do agree to most extent, and only have basic experience of DAW:s, the few electronic musicians I know that have switched to rMBP:s have been very content due to them being able to scale up to 1920x1200, as well as the increased clarity.
It's not a full-on upgrade such as raw processor power and render times, or the screen for design work, but since the screen is always used unlike GPU and CPU power, no matter your profession, I'd say it helps.
In most cases, yes - but in most cases, if you're stuck external you should have at least one external drive or NAS attached.
Dell and Lenovo, for example, has offered spectacular panels in their laptops - of course, I'm not talking about the plastic $700 ones.
Thanks everyone for all of your responses so far, they've all been really helpful!
So just to confirm, out of the below options, for quality and performance you'd go with Option 2 (The Retina Spec)?
1) cMBP 2.6GHz, Mid 2012, 8GB, Nvidia GeForce 650m 1GB (Current)
2) Retina MBP 2.7Ghz, Early 2013, 16GB, 256SSD, Nvidia GeForce 650m 1GB (Potential)
I've taken onboard what everyone has said earlier and feel that If I go for the Retina its best that I take the 2.7Ghz + Ram Upgrade and stick with the 256GB SSD otherwise I will be losing out. Apple initially offered me 1 upgrade on the replacement system which would have either been;
1) 2.4GHz CPU -> 2.8GHz, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD
2) 8GB RAM -> 16GB RAM + SuperDrive, 2.4GHz, 256GB SSD
3) 256GB SSD -> 512GB SSD, 8GB RAM, 2.4GHz
I can eventually upgrade the SSD which Is why I'm keen to take their offer of the 2.7GHz + 16GB Ram + 256GB SSD as long as you guys believe that performance wise it will be the best/most logical choice!
That is the wat to go, take the 2.7 /16 /256 rMBP before they change their mind again!
Definitely! Not only is it way faster (assuming the classic has a HDD), its screen will blow you away in a way the classic MBP cannot.[/QUOTE]Thanks everyone for all of your responses so far, they've all been really helpful!
So just to confirm, out of the below options, for quality and performance you'd go with Option 2 (The Retina Spec)?
1) cMBP 2.6GHz, Mid 2012, 8GB, Nvidia GeForce 650m 1GB (Current)
2) Retina MBP 2.7Ghz, Early 2013, 16GB, 256SSD, Nvidia GeForce 650m 1GB (Potential)
Thanks for the response
The only thing is that If I was to take the money and then re-invest it in a new rMBP then I would be at a loss since when I purchased my current classic it was on interest free finance during the Xmas sales
I think the best thing for me to do is take the Retina offer as if worse comes to worse I will still have a brand new system, with retina display that is worth £309 more than my original system at at no extra cost
I'm due to speak with the adviser on Saturday, I might see if there is anyway at all to get the SSD bumped up to 512GB but if not I think the initial offer will do as it will be Early 2013 Retina, 256GB SSD, 16GB Ram and 2.7Ghz... all a + on my current system except for the disk space which can easily be resolved ^ ^
I think the best thing for me to do is take the Retina offer as if worse comes to worse I will still have a brand new system, with retina display that is worth £309 more than my original system at at no extra cost
Just there you answered the question! the rMBP is the way to go, if you are not sure, just get it, don't open it and put it on sale sealed, you will be able to easily get back what you paid for the old cMBP.
I have no problem with Compaq when I paid for 800.00 5 years ago..Good machine anyway Remember Compaq owned by HP.
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OP the retina display is awesome you should try it. I just got rMBP 2 months ago after using 2007 MBP for 1 1/2 years. I really love it.