If they do a silent upgrade we won't see a great increase in performance; if they do a launch in a major show then we will see major things like the upcoming Haswell and Thunderbolt 2
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Will the next MacBook retina be a lot better?
- Thread starter bballaz
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The 2011 Macbook Pro was the first with quad core processors (Sandy Bridge) and was the original introduction of Thunderbolt. They were released with an update page on the website and a press release.
Umm.... no. But how could it be? The revolution was moving a pro-spec machine to something far closer to a Ultra Portable without loosing the performance and gaining that ridiculous screen. That was only possible because the relevant tech lined up (suitable display available, GPU and CPU capable of driving that panel, flash storage becoming cheap / reliable enough to replace hard drive, app store to allow removal of optical drive etc).
There just isn't any real big technology on the horizon right now. You'll see a move to PCIe storage and 802.11ac wireless but while both are faster than the current options in the real world most people won't notice a vast difference. Haswell will provide a noticeable GPU boost but may actually drop CPU performance slightly (looking at what's available I'd expect the i7 in the 13" rMBP to go from a 3Ghz / 3.7 Ghz part to a 2.8Ghz / 3.3Ghz part f'instance).
When you get right down to it the laptop market is a pretty mature one and is limited by certain factors (battery size and display size being the main ones). Until you see a breakthrough in those areas real revolutionary products won't come along very often.
HandBrake is probably up to ≈ 60 % faster on Haswell hardware, compared to Ivy Bridge hardware, because the x264 H.264 encoder uses the AVX 2.0 instructions on Haswell and newer processors.
Better support for OpenGL and OpenCL should improve the performance of certain applications like Photoshop, Final Cut Pro X or Premiere Pro.
In the end, yes, it will be a lot better. Let me explain:
Usually you want to keep your laptop for a few years, so it makes sense to look back a bit further. Take my late 2011 15'' MBP (antiglare, SSD, 8 GB RAM). Compared to the rMBPs it looks old, but even compared to the 2012 cMBPs you see some lack of performance: USB 2.0 vs 3.0, slower graphics, slightly slower CPU. But it is close enough to not warrant even thinking about replacing it.
Now instead consider a 2010 cMBP: dual core only, no thunderbolt, outdated graphics, 8 GB RAM max, SATA 2 only, etc...
So, going to the rMBP: The fall 2013 model will not be substantially better than the 2012 model. But in 2014, the 2013 model will still look competitive, while the 2012 model will start to look dated - new features accumulate over time, and after a few generations the older machines are just that: old
Just think about not having:
PCIe SSDs
TB 2
Haswell style battery life
less fan noise/heat
powerful integrated GPU
Then add 4-5 new features the 2014 model will bring
Usually you want to keep your laptop for a few years, so it makes sense to look back a bit further. Take my late 2011 15'' MBP (antiglare, SSD, 8 GB RAM). Compared to the rMBPs it looks old, but even compared to the 2012 cMBPs you see some lack of performance: USB 2.0 vs 3.0, slower graphics, slightly slower CPU. But it is close enough to not warrant even thinking about replacing it.
Now instead consider a 2010 cMBP: dual core only, no thunderbolt, outdated graphics, 8 GB RAM max, SATA 2 only, etc...
So, going to the rMBP: The fall 2013 model will not be substantially better than the 2012 model. But in 2014, the 2013 model will still look competitive, while the 2012 model will start to look dated - new features accumulate over time, and after a few generations the older machines are just that: old
Just think about not having:
PCIe SSDs
TB 2
Haswell style battery life
less fan noise/heat
powerful integrated GPU
Then add 4-5 new features the 2014 model will bring
handbrake is not 60% faster on the MBA then it is on the rMBP. I also use it and to encode the same video it takes the MBA a few minutes longer. Its a fast process on both but on the MBA the fans kick in and battery life dips drastically.
No matter what you hear, it will be better. I have some empathy for those early adopters who spent ~$3000 on retina 1st gen and faced all the issues related to new retina technology, but that was the price to pay for, and most people were aware of it.
Apart of CPU, Wifi, Battery, PCI-e flash, iGPU & dGPU improvements, I believe the upcoming retina gen will have a better manufactured quality screen with much less ghosting and lag. Apple learnt the hard way...
Apart of CPU, Wifi, Battery, PCI-e flash, iGPU & dGPU improvements, I believe the upcoming retina gen will have a better manufactured quality screen with much less ghosting and lag. Apple learnt the hard way...
I woder if they will still produce rMBP with the LG screens which still seems to be IR prone in the SJA2 version according to some people; they loose profit with every returned machine / replaced screen so they need to get that solved
Put it this way:
If you could by a $200K Ferrari now or a $300K Ferrari in 6 months and all the difference was that the newer one can drive an extra 100km before the tank is empty and hit a top speed that is 15kmh more than the last one which would you choose if:
You only had to drive a max of 1/5 of the fuel range each day and were never going to drive faster than 1/3 of the top speed?
Wouldn't matter would it? Both will do your requirements in excess, just enjoy what is a refined model now and will last longer than you'll want to keep it.
If you max out it's resources like I do, you then have to work out how much better you'll be with the update, in my case 100% 8 thread usage and 12GBs+ RAM usage for 8+ hours at a time, the difference of maybe 5% CPU would not help me when I leave the laptop on over night to process, and it needs to be plugged in to AC for that anyway or it will run flat in 90mins. SO Haswell for both casual user and heavy user is not a worthwhile wait, just a bonus to those who can buy at the right time.
Then there is the inevitable bugs with a new model (i.e. Haswell Airs wireless bug etc) you won't get that with a mid life cycle model.
And no i am not trying to justify my purchase because I didn't pay for it and could have spend more money elsewhere if I felt it was best.
In the end, yes, it will be a lot better. Let me explain:
Usually you want to keep your laptop for a few years, so it makes sense to look back a bit further. Take my late 2011 15'' MBP (antiglare, SSD, 8 GB RAM). Compared to the rMBPs it looks old, but even compared to the 2012 cMBPs you see some lack of performance: USB 2.0 vs 3.0, slower graphics, slightly slower CPU. But it is close enough to not warrant even thinking about replacing it.
Now instead consider a 2010 cMBP: dual core only, no thunderbolt, outdated graphics, 8 GB RAM max, SATA 2 only, etc...
So, going to the rMBP: The fall 2013 model will not be substantially better than the 2012 model. But in 2014, the 2013 model will still look competitive, while the 2012 model will start to look dated - new features accumulate over time, and after a few generations the older machines are just that: old
Just think about not having:
PCIe SSDs
TB 2
Haswell style battery life
less fan noise/heat
powerful integrated GPU
Then add 4-5 new features the 2014 model will bring
This logic is just stupid. In 2015 the 2013 model will be old and in 2016 the 2014 model will be old. It's a never ending loop and the only way to keep up is to resell and buy every year. Generally speaking, the new features to come in the 2013 model you listed are not going to be very noticeable during general use. The noticeable thing will be seeing bigger numbers on benchmarks, if you care that much about them. Just buy one. I understand waiting for the newest technology especially when it's right around the corner but it's really stupid to keep talking about this loop of new and old models.
I reckon if you participated in a blind fold test between Ivy an Haswell you'd fail. Just like every one else including me. Why? Because there will be distinguishable difference.
There is now way you'd notice the difference except battery life if you just say there and watched the grass grow while it idled. As soon as you ramped up the CPU you'd have almost no difference in battery life. It's all about down time. You can't ignore the laws of physics.
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I'm very confused on your post. Failing a blind test means I would not be able to tell the difference.
I have no problem buying just before an update/upgrade/refresh or whatever you want to call it especially when you know it will be minor.
I just picked up a 13" MBPr with i7/2.9ghz and 512mb flash for $1750 from Macmall, saved $450 paid no tax (would have been $144).
Winning!
I just picked up a 13" MBPr with i7/2.9ghz and 512mb flash for $1750 from Macmall, saved $450 paid no tax (would have been $144).
Winning!
Yes, but right now the question is whether it is a good idea to buy a 2012 machine in 2013, or whether it is worth waiting.
The point I'm trying to make is that while each individual improvement from one generation to the next seems minor, taken together and accumulated over two generations it makes a notable difference. In that sense the 2013 will be a lot better than the 2012 model... hope this makes sense.
In any case, the usual rule holds: If you can wait - wait. If you can't, don't.
A number of good points there, but it seems unlikely that Apple would raise prices by 50%, so the main factor would just be the wait.