Which rMBP should I buy?

[ord6]

Hello,

I want to buy rMBP and I am not sure which one will suit my needs.

Mostly I will use it for developing apps (Xcode), movies (HD), music and web browsing (no games).

I also intend to use a monitor at home so I can connect the rMBP to it.

1. Should I buy the 13" or the 15"? is the GPU that only the 15" model has is crucial? the 8GB ram is also an issue with the 13".

2. The recent upgrades (Early 2013) are not yet available where I live, so should I wait for the upgardes or they're not that significant and worth the wait?

Thanks for your help.

 

[maflynn]

I'd go with the 15" because you'll get a larger screen during the times you won't be connected to the external monitor. Plus as you mentioned the GPU and the 15" is a quad core cpu as opposed to the dual core.

The 13" is nice but I think the larger screen trumps it - but that's just my $.02

 

[ord6]

What about upgrading the ram to 16GB?

And should I wait for the upgraded rMBPs?

 

[maflynn]

What about upgrading the ram to 16GB?

And should I wait for the upgraded rMBPs?

I went with the 16gb because the ram is soldered onto the logic board.

If you're prepared to wait until August or later (if Haswell is delayed) then wait, but if this is something you need or want now, then I'd say go for it.

 

[ord6]

I meant, should I wait for the upgraded macs that was in early 2013 to arrive to where I live?

Does the bump in CPU speed is that significant (from 2.3 GHZ to 2.4GHZ)?

 

[Trubbles]

I would go 15" all the way!

I use it for gaming sometimes, and I realize that is not your concern, but there are other uses for a strong GPU. There is talk of UI lag on the 13" (not sure if it was fixed at all with 10.8.3).

I love the fact that I can comfortably work at 1920x1200 (HiDPI). I can have 2-4 documents on my screen at once (I use "SizeUp," a great $13 screen management utility, you can try it free...) and it is honestly the most useful computer I've ever carried to work every day.

I went with 8GB of RAM in mine and I've never used it all - even with the full office suite with dozens of documents open + Parallels with 2GB ram allotted + iPhoto + a bunch of other misc. My page ins and outs is 0!

 

[Barhen]

I meant, should I wait for the upgraded macs that was in early 2013 to arrive to where I live?

Does the bump in CPU speed is that significant (from 2.3 GHZ to 2.4GHZ)?

why ignore the slight bump in speed? I believe it got better quality parts and fixed the first gen's problems.. mostly.

I'd wait for the 2013 models (the one released last month) to arrive in your area or order from apple online.

Good luck.

 

[wolfpuppies3]

You may wish to read "MacBook Pro with Retina display: Problems in every dimension" on today's 9to5Mac.com before making a final decision.

 

[Queen6]

13' rather a basic machine and the 15" is a very much a mobile "powerhouse" ignore the naysayers i have have a 2.3 15" Retina for over six months with no issue at all, and highly likely neither has the vast majority of owners.

One the things with forums in general is people mostly come to solve issue, in some case complain, and a minority just to whine about hardware they have little or no experience with, barring ten minutes hands on at "BestBuy" which is clearly the case with some posts...

Best advice i can give is go look for yourself, take time, don't hurry, read the reputable reviews, and above all else don't use a post by a kid with ten minutes hands on in Best Buy as the basis for a significant tech purchase

 

[JeffiJers]

15R no question about it.

I am a Semi power user and feel almost lost on my gf's cMBP 13 (which is basically the same as the 13R)

 

[ord6]

Thanks everyone for your replies, you really helped me.

You may wish to read "MacBook Pro with Retina display: Problems in every dimension" on today's 9to5Mac.com before making a final decision.

I read it the other day and wanted to ask if it really is happening to most users?

All I heard by now is that people are really happy with the rMBP.

It's really worrying to spend that much money on a laptop and have these issues..

 

[maflynn]

Just to add my $.02 on the rMBP, I've owned one since they came out and let me say I think this is the best laptop apple has produced. I'm not diminishing what that article states (I haven't even read it) but rather my experience has been that this laptop is the best from apple. I love it

 

[aman20177]

Hello,

I want to buy rMBP and I am not sure which one will suit my needs.

Mostly I will use it for developing apps (Xcode), movies (HD), music and web browsing (no games).

I also intend to use a monitor at home so I can connect the rMBP to it.

1. Should I buy the 13" or the 15"? is the GPU that only the 15" model has is crucial? the 8GB ram is also an issue with the 13".

2. The recent upgrades (Early 2013) are not yet available where I live, so should I wait for the upgardes or they're not that significant and worth the wait?

Thanks for your help.

 

[troy14]

The lowest spec rMBP was enough for my daily tasks. I would highly recommend a purchase of Applecare. As already my logic board has been replaced twice and monitor has been replaced once.

Ditto. I bought a 13 rMBP and I love it. It comes down to do you need the power, do you want the (more) portability. Also, I have no issues with mine.

I would recommend setting an alert/calendar reminder to purchase the Applecare right before the 1 year is up (don't forget!) that way in case you lose, break, laptop is stolen...the Applecare isn't a waste!