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Who really needs a Retina screen? or is it just the new cool thing
- Thread starter whoknows87
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Do you need it? No.
Could you enjoy it? Possibly.
In fact, depending on your work or what you do with your computer, most of us don't need anything but a basic laptop. We could all get heavy plastic laptops with mechanical hard drives that are about as powerful as a MBA, but cost a fraction of the price, and it could still get the job done.
You'd be surprised to see what skillful programmers from emerging countries can come up with programming only from a netbook or and old Pentium 4 computer.
I see some people here hate on rMBP owners and their inflated ego and all. Don't try to justify not owning a rMBP. It's fine if you think it's not worth the money, no need to insult anybody.
The same could be said by the average $500 Windows notebook owner to a MBA owner. You don't need a super thin and light laptop. You don't need your laptop to boot in 15 seconds. You're just owning a MBA for ego blah blah. It's too easy to judge someone based on his purchases.
Just buy what you think reflects your needs, wants, and budget, and respect those who do the same.
Could you enjoy it? Possibly.
In fact, depending on your work or what you do with your computer, most of us don't need anything but a basic laptop. We could all get heavy plastic laptops with mechanical hard drives that are about as powerful as a MBA, but cost a fraction of the price, and it could still get the job done.
You'd be surprised to see what skillful programmers from emerging countries can come up with programming only from a netbook or and old Pentium 4 computer.
I see some people here hate on rMBP owners and their inflated ego and all. Don't try to justify not owning a rMBP. It's fine if you think it's not worth the money, no need to insult anybody.
The same could be said by the average $500 Windows notebook owner to a MBA owner. You don't need a super thin and light laptop. You don't need your laptop to boot in 15 seconds. You're just owning a MBA for ego blah blah. It's too easy to judge someone based on his purchases.
Just buy what you think reflects your needs, wants, and budget, and respect those who do the same.
I think it goes on a person by person basis. I got an iPod touch 4th gen and after staring at its retina display for hours I would notice the pixels on my MacBook Pro's display. But its not critical for my stuff to have a retina display. I have an iPhone 3GS and I find its display to be just fine for using the web and whatnot. I think if they made the rMBP cheaper, and made it so it wasn't using 75% of the GPU just to run that many pixels, then I would get one. I think they introduced it a but ahead of what mobile graphics cards can do. I'm sure in a few years we will have GPU's fast enough and cheap enough to make it work well enough for everyone to use it.
If the retina display on the 13" MBPr is going to double 1280x800, then you'd have to take a long hard look at whether the "sharper" pixels are really going to make a difference with the 1440x900 MBA display. Right now I am not seeing the reason for existence for a 13" MBPr vs a 13" MBA outside of the screen.
My background:
Had several 15" models, moved to the 17", then to the 13" Air (gasp!), and I'm not onto the 15" Retina.
I love it. To me, the Retina model combines the light weightiness & thinness of the 13", with the comfortable display of the 15", with the high pixel count of the 17" (I don't use it on retina mode, I have it set on 1920*1200) all in one model.
Had several 15" models, moved to the 17", then to the 13" Air (gasp!), and I'm not onto the 15" Retina.
I love it. To me, the Retina model combines the light weightiness & thinness of the 13", with the comfortable display of the 15", with the high pixel count of the 17" (I don't use it on retina mode, I have it set on 1920*1200) all in one model.
Except Retina refers to being able to see pixels at the normal working distance.
I've found using retina screens on iOS has reduced eyestrain massively. So I'd love the same on OS X, but as I use a big screen, I might have to wait a while.
'Normal' for one person is not 'normal' for another. So basically, Apple products are for average people. I'm not normal, or average.
I'll stick to my Blackberry, that way I'm always disappointed and have nothing to look forward to...ever.
Nobody needs it, but it sure is cool to have. Videos, pictures and text especially look great. Looking at a retina screen and non-retina screen side by side, the difference is night and day.
Right now having Retina is too big of a money, battery life, thickness, performance and/or longer charging tradeoff. Similar deal with the iPad retina.
I'll wait another generation or two until they better get these tradeoffs under control.
But who doesn't want Retina? I've seen the benefits. On the Ipad it means being able to clearly read a webpage in portrait mode which is straining to do on the Ipad 2 without zooming.
I see the benefit. But waiting for the next cpu on the Ipad.
On the MBP the premium is too great. Also sounds like performance in some cases can not be as smooth as before.
And don't forget generation 1 of these things. I'll let them perfect it before I buy in.
I'll wait another generation or two until they better get these tradeoffs under control.
But who doesn't want Retina? I've seen the benefits. On the Ipad it means being able to clearly read a webpage in portrait mode which is straining to do on the Ipad 2 without zooming.
I see the benefit. But waiting for the next cpu on the Ipad.
On the MBP the premium is too great. Also sounds like performance in some cases can not be as smooth as before.
And don't forget generation 1 of these things. I'll let them perfect it before I buy in.
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Apple needs it. innovations to stay infront of the game.
Without these features, worth it or not, they are just a notebook or a ultrabook and wont turn heads of those who are not familiar with MacOs. The name retina to describe a resolution is marketing gold. Most of the people i know, think retina is a whole new screen, Plasma > LCD > LED > Retina!
Without these features, worth it or not, they are just a notebook or a ultrabook and wont turn heads of those who are not familiar with MacOs. The name retina to describe a resolution is marketing gold. Most of the people i know, think retina is a whole new screen, Plasma > LCD > LED > Retina!
the retina display:
-increases weight (of the screen)
-increases power consumption
-requires more gpu resources (linked to power consumption)
and all of this in a mobile device to grant us
-better text readability
in my opinion its just not worth it. the 11" air I have looks fine. yes, the retina does look better, but its too big a tradeoff right now.
i would rather see apple use a 120hz display instead of more pixel DPI.
-increases weight (of the screen)
-increases power consumption
-requires more gpu resources (linked to power consumption)
and all of this in a mobile device to grant us
-better text readability
in my opinion its just not worth it. the 11" air I have looks fine. yes, the retina does look better, but its too big a tradeoff right now.
i would rather see apple use a 120hz display instead of more pixel DPI.
Is it needed? Of course not. But I absolutely see the difference coming from the iPad and would love it on the MBA. Unfortunately I'll have to wait for the prices to go down, which is just as well since the laptops will be better equipped to handle it in the coming years. But in my eyes, it's genuine progress and far from some cool gimmick.
Retina is nice, but not when it is with an Intel 4000, 128 gigs of ram, for $1700. Same specs as the $1199 Air which is a great computer at a reasonable price. In a few years, Retina will be cheaper and better, and that is when I will consider buying one. For now, I am set on getting the 13 MBA soon.
I think you are spot on here! I just pulled the trigger on a rmbp 13" (first mac) and I get mixed responses. Some people are actually happy for me, but others just keep telling that I "probably don't know anything about value for money and computers in general".
Well, I have been in the process of selecting my first Macbook for over a year now and this machine suits my requirements. Ofcourse it's a lot of money, there's no denying that. But luckily I am in the position of being able to afford it and I am thankful of that. But please people don't judge me on making a well-thought over decision.
I purchased the "retina" iPad and Honestly I can tell a difference. With that being said I am a Computer major and Find myself Looking at tons of different computer screens each day. To me the Difference isn't a Big a Everyone makes it to be. For everyday use I see no instance where a "Retina" Display is Required. Its all personal Preference.
I can definitely tell the difference on my iPhone and iPad. For the MacBooks I have a harder time. Maybe if I bought one and used it for a while I would see the difference, but when I play around with one in the store, I don't find myself noticing it quite as much.
I know with the iPad 2 I would notice the pixels quite a bit and was really glad to hear that the iPad 3 would have a retina display. I don't really ever notice pixels on any of my laptops.
I think it's kind of like the iPad - if you have the money to burn, get it. If you don't, you probably won't miss it that much.
Now, on the phone, I don't know how anyone can use a low-res display. The difference is night and day for that device size.
I know with the iPad 2 I would notice the pixels quite a bit and was really glad to hear that the iPad 3 would have a retina display. I don't really ever notice pixels on any of my laptops.
I think it's kind of like the iPad - if you have the money to burn, get it. If you don't, you probably won't miss it that much.
Now, on the phone, I don't know how anyone can use a low-res display. The difference is night and day for that device size.
I noticed the difference when I changed from an iPhone 3GS to a 4S, and again from an iPad 1 to an iPad 3. I would buy an 11" Retina Air in a heartbeat if it was available. I've been avoiding the Apple Store since the 15" Retina was released, in case I catch sight of it, and realise that I can't live without it.
For those who, in 5 years time, raise this zombie thread, I haven't mentioned the Retina EyePods because they didn't exist back here in 2012, so I didn't know I couldn't live without them.
For those who, in 5 years time, raise this zombie thread, I haven't mentioned the Retina EyePods because they didn't exist back here in 2012, so I didn't know I couldn't live without them.