He's unsatisfied with his 'old' MBP 15" (previous gen) because "it always made me feel like the old fogey at tradeshows where everyone else had something 13-inches or smaller".
That's signature style of a lot of great, obsessive reviewers. Connecting to what a particular product ultimately "means" to you is something that differentiates reviews from spec-sheets.
This reminds me of Jeremy Clarkson on Porsche Boxster - "The only reason you would buy one of these is because you can't afford a 911... so what you're doing as you're driving around is advertising the fact that your life hasn't worked out quite as well as you had been hoping"
Sure, it's a little ridiculous, but I think it's the equivalent of being a hardware fashionista. If you review hardware for a living, it's not (only) about being practical.
You are correct that it offers little insight to the rest of us, but that sort of obsession is what gets you a review like this.
I don't think it's parody-defying so much as burying the lede. Why don't they use a 13"? If it's because their eyes don't like it, then maybe they are an old fogey.
I appreciate those saying this is a matter of feelings, but it's also a reviewer's blind spot, their personal circumstances which affect their technology choices. They probably don't want people to think they're just writing reviews for old people (which would probably actually be a money-maker), so they hide it behind tradeshow one-upmanship.
You mean the mentioning-his-actual-feelings part? Should he have lied to seem more "deep" and "above all that"? Or is mere fashion and consumerism absent from the general public at large, so that a journalist admitting to it would be hilarious?
Not to mention that that is just a tongue-in-cheek single phrase from a multi-thousand words review.
The "glare handling" pictures makes me wonder why anybody would buy a portable device (=to sometimes be used outdoors) and be happy with those outrageous reflections. I mean, you can barely see the content!
Glossy displays are exclusively better in controlled lighting, because their black levels are actually good. Controlled lighting is not difficult to achieve and is already a necessity for graphics work.
Actually, it can even be better outside. A screen with reflections on it is not as bad as a screen that you can't see due to low contrast.
(I'm currently using a matte desktop LCD, but wasted tons of time looking for a model with an 8-bit screen and good contrast.)
Considering the 13" Pro doesn't have room for a discrete GPU, I doubt we're going to see a retina Air until a few more revs of Intel's integrated GPUs.
The most interesting section for me was the performance issues of the retina display ( http://www.anandtech.com/show/6023/the-nextgen-macbook-pro-w... ). I wonder if waiting for a next generation mbp to really be able to push those pixels would be a smart choice. I had noticed a few stutters when playing around with one in the store, though if Mountain Lion will optimize it as claimed then that could fix it.
What I'm surprised about is that people are just realizing that retina uses a lot more processing power. I bet most people still don't realize that a "retina-optimized" game should should have half the performance on iPad 3 compared to the "low-res" version on iPad 2, if everything else is equal, even though the GPU in iPad 3 is twice as strong.
you're always advised to skip Apple's first generation products. Sure, If they're faulty, they'll change them for you; but it's still a hassle and you can bet 400 dollars the second iteration would be much more powerful and much cheaper (like Air). So if you're like me and your old computer still works reasonably well, skip this generation.
I'm allergic to the "best product x Apple has ever built" line, it is such an obvious manipulative marketing spin. Of course every new device should be the best they ever built. All the components have been improved - it is just the way computer technology has progressed for a long time now.
Also, it is just a slightly slimmer notebook with a higher resolution. It is not "changing computing as we have known it".
Even as a lifelong PC user, I tend to disagree somewhat. It's hardly just 'a higher resolution and thinner design' by a long shot. There is a lot more here, and I was a huge Apple sceptic in the past.
First of all, this is a powerhouse of a machine in a relatively small form factor. It's also one of the first 'mainstream' laptops to feature full-flash storage as stock and not as an available upgrade (ultra books excluded here - I'm talking laptops with serious power, not portable form). Also, there is nothing on the market even remotely close to the Retina display (yet). I'm blown away by its clarity. Its also the quietest laptop I have ever owned, has the best input (trackpad) device, decent battery life, and really good sound. The OS is first-rate, too and beats Windows in form and function handily (although, with a few minor complaints).
Full disclosure: The Retina MacBook Pro I'm typing this on is the first Apple computer I have ever bought in my 12+ years of professional IT experience. I've never owned an Apple device prior to this dating all the way back to the 80's. I also own three other PCs, most are relatively new, and for mobility I only own three or four Android devices thus far. Have been running either Windows or Linux for as long as I have been computing.
Also, it is just a slightly slimmer notebook with a higher resolution. It is not "changing computing as we have known it".
Wow. This is like saying "the iPad is just a tablet you can touch." You're completely trivializing the rMBP's benefits.
It's not just "slightly slimmer," it's a 15" laptop that weighs 4.6 pounds. I see one laptop in that range (Sony Vaio S series), and it has an i5 and a spinning platter. A "higher resolution" is also too hand-wavey, since the screen has 220 ppi. I couldn't find a 15" screen that comes within 80 ppi of that mark. [0]
Apple's ridiculous marketing ("the most magical, splendiferous touchscreen device since the last touchscreen device we produced!") can be too much, but, I mean...have you used one of these? They're amazing in person--it weighs less than my 13" MBP, the screen is infinitely nicer, and apps launch so fast...[1]
I don't recall anybody saying the first macbook air was the "Best product Apple has ever built" - it was _clearly_ a concept piece that i wasn't even tempted to purchased. Too Expensive. Too Slow. Too little storage. No Optical Drive. - it missed the mark on _everything_ except for being small and light. It took a few years before the price came (way) down, it got faster, storage started to recover (a bit) and the lack of optical drive became as irrelevant as not having a floppy.
On the flipside - I'm tempted top purchase the 15" MBPro - and, where it not for the still-to-expensive storage and overall too great price, as well as having a display that's probably two years ahead of content/applications capability of supporting it - it would be a great device.
Also - nobody got that excited about the MacPro update - it was widely lambasted as too little, too late.
I didn't realized until now that the
Ethernet port is gone. I need that! That might actually be the main and only reason for me to not buy this. How sad, I really like the device otherwise.
The ethernet port, much like the optical disk/Firewire is gone forever from Apple laptops. I use an ethernet cable at home/work with a permanently connected dongle, and carry one in my bag while travelling.
It's never been a problem, and, as soon as they start rolling out 802.11ac, I expect you'll have even less need for one at home/work (though may still be useful in hotels/remote offices without wireless)
I only use wired Ethernet on my laptop at work, so I would look for some kind of Thunderbolt dock if I got one (like the Belkin one coming out in September [1]). They're really pricy at the moment though so I hope we see more competition leading to cheaper devices in the Thunderbolt device area soon.
I didn't realize Apple was pushing graphics so hard the past few years just to get to a point where retina-level resolution was possible at these sizes.
Funny, it reminds me a bit of the big push Vista caused in hardware manufacturers to stop stagnating on the amount of RAM considered 'normal' in computers.
That is the issue I am having. Eclipse-based IDEs are not ready for Retina. The text is legible, the IDE is usable, but its noticeably blurry. I've logged a ticket with Aptana Studio and Eclipse, but they have no solution to this issue, just workarounds which don't really work.
If you are using Vim or a simple text editor, however, there is no issue with the appearance of the text.
Yes, they will need to be updated, for the most part. I am fairly sure that Sublime Text 2 was Retina-ready after a couple of days from Apple's announcement, though.
It would have been great if apple introduced a regular macbook pro with an IPS screen. I have a hi-res 15.4" macbook pro and a 1080p Dell XPS 16. Both are non-IPS. I recently picked up a Lenovo 12.5 HD IPS screen which is lower DPI than either the mac or the dell. However after using the lenovo for a couple of days I'm blown away how shitty both the mac and the dell screens looked (dull, like someone had put a film on top). Given many applications are not ready for retina display, apple could have used their supply chain prowess to get an IPS display on their regular macbook pro line.
I find the desktop performance bit ridiculous. I mean, a (very) high-end hardware manages only 20FPS while browsing Facebook? It would have been interesting to see similar benchmark on Windows.
i'm so tempted by the weight and the screen resolution, but thrown off by the glossy display and the sluggish frame rates at > 1440 resolutions. i tried a glossy in 2010 and returned it for a highres antiglare because the reflections created a serious eyestrain problem for me. i doubt the new one will be much better, but look forward to seeing one. and i wish he'd try the framerate tests on mountain lion.
i really need the performance increase over my 2010 but may go w the old style until they work out the bugs in a year.
[+] [-] rfrey|13 years ago|reply
Stuff like that defies parody.
[+] [-] arihant|13 years ago|reply
This reminds me of Jeremy Clarkson on Porsche Boxster - "The only reason you would buy one of these is because you can't afford a 911... so what you're doing as you're driving around is advertising the fact that your life hasn't worked out quite as well as you had been hoping"
[+] [-] phren0logy|13 years ago|reply
You are correct that it offers little insight to the rest of us, but that sort of obsession is what gets you a review like this.
[+] [-] rhizome|13 years ago|reply
I appreciate those saying this is a matter of feelings, but it's also a reviewer's blind spot, their personal circumstances which affect their technology choices. They probably don't want people to think they're just writing reviews for old people (which would probably actually be a money-maker), so they hide it behind tradeshow one-upmanship.
[+] [-] tvon|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] batista|13 years ago|reply
You mean the mentioning-his-actual-feelings part? Should he have lied to seem more "deep" and "above all that"? Or is mere fashion and consumerism absent from the general public at large, so that a journalist admitting to it would be hilarious?
Not to mention that that is just a tongue-in-cheek single phrase from a multi-thousand words review.
[+] [-] Gring|13 years ago|reply
http://www.anandtech.com/show/6023/the-nextgen-macbook-pro-w...
With the new decice, Aplle again tries to makes those unusable mirrors the only display you can order. I'll pass.
[+] [-] astrange|13 years ago|reply
Actually, it can even be better outside. A screen with reflections on it is not as bad as a screen that you can't see due to low contrast.
(I'm currently using a matte desktop LCD, but wasted tons of time looking for a model with an 8-bit screen and good contrast.)
[+] [-] tedunangst|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] wmf|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] scott_s|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] dhughes|13 years ago|reply
It's like trying to read a glossy magazine and you keep having to shift around to see it avoiding the glare off the page.
Whether it makes blacks blacker or colours sharper the end result is it's annoying.
[+] [-] untog|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] pvidler|13 years ago|reply
I expect this to be the main differentiator between the 13" Air and Pro models going forward.
[+] [-] ConstantineXVI|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] rhizome|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|13 years ago|reply
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[+] [-] axxl|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mtgx|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] pooriaazimi|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] rhizome|13 years ago|reply
It's always fixed in the next version! :)
[+] [-] Tichy|13 years ago|reply
Also, it is just a slightly slimmer notebook with a higher resolution. It is not "changing computing as we have known it".
[+] [-] mwhawkins|13 years ago|reply
First of all, this is a powerhouse of a machine in a relatively small form factor. It's also one of the first 'mainstream' laptops to feature full-flash storage as stock and not as an available upgrade (ultra books excluded here - I'm talking laptops with serious power, not portable form). Also, there is nothing on the market even remotely close to the Retina display (yet). I'm blown away by its clarity. Its also the quietest laptop I have ever owned, has the best input (trackpad) device, decent battery life, and really good sound. The OS is first-rate, too and beats Windows in form and function handily (although, with a few minor complaints).
Full disclosure: The Retina MacBook Pro I'm typing this on is the first Apple computer I have ever bought in my 12+ years of professional IT experience. I've never owned an Apple device prior to this dating all the way back to the 80's. I also own three other PCs, most are relatively new, and for mobility I only own three or four Android devices thus far. Have been running either Windows or Linux for as long as I have been computing.
[+] [-] achompas|13 years ago|reply
Wow. This is like saying "the iPad is just a tablet you can touch." You're completely trivializing the rMBP's benefits.
It's not just "slightly slimmer," it's a 15" laptop that weighs 4.6 pounds. I see one laptop in that range (Sony Vaio S series), and it has an i5 and a spinning platter. A "higher resolution" is also too hand-wavey, since the screen has 220 ppi. I couldn't find a 15" screen that comes within 80 ppi of that mark. [0]
Apple's ridiculous marketing ("the most magical, splendiferous touchscreen device since the last touchscreen device we produced!") can be too much, but, I mean...have you used one of these? They're amazing in person--it weighs less than my 13" MBP, the screen is infinitely nicer, and apps launch so fast...[1]
[0] http://sortable.com/find-laptops/high-PPI-laptops-15-to-16-s...
[1] Granted, I don't have a SSD in my laptop, but still.
[+] [-] ghshephard|13 years ago|reply
On the flipside - I'm tempted top purchase the 15" MBPro - and, where it not for the still-to-expensive storage and overall too great price, as well as having a display that's probably two years ahead of content/applications capability of supporting it - it would be a great device.
Also - nobody got that excited about the MacPro update - it was widely lambasted as too little, too late.
[+] [-] rayiner|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] wolf550e|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] albertzeyer|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] efraim|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ghshephard|13 years ago|reply
It's never been a problem, and, as soon as they start rolling out 802.11ac, I expect you'll have even less need for one at home/work (though may still be useful in hotels/remote offices without wireless)
[+] [-] stephen_g|13 years ago|reply
1. http://www.engadget.com/2012/06/05/belkin-thunderbolt-expres...
[+] [-] unknown|13 years ago|reply
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[+] [-] radley|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Kerrick|13 years ago|reply
Funny, it reminds me a bit of the big push Vista caused in hardware manufacturers to stop stagnating on the amount of RAM considered 'normal' in computers.
[+] [-] mikelbring|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mwhawkins|13 years ago|reply
If you are using Vim or a simple text editor, however, there is no issue with the appearance of the text.
Xcode works just fine, too.
[+] [-] Historiopode|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] schwabacher|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|13 years ago|reply
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[+] [-] npalli|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] eli|13 years ago|reply
I need to upgrade, but I'm seriously considering a fully loaded Air instead because it'd be nice if this came in under $3k.
[+] [-] zokier|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] forgetcolor|13 years ago|reply
i really need the performance increase over my 2010 but may go w the old style until they work out the bugs in a year.
[+] [-] tftmon|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|13 years ago|reply
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[+] [-] fa_il|13 years ago|reply
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[+] [-] ibisum|13 years ago|reply
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[+] [-] fabiandesimone|13 years ago|reply
How is this on the front page?
[+] [-] jaems33|13 years ago|reply
[+] [-] mrcapers|13 years ago|reply