Which Macbook Pro Retina or Not???????

ArthurGuinness

Well All

Need a new laptop and need it this week decided on a Mac but cant decide which one, It needs to be a 15" I will be doing a mixture of things, video editing, graphic design, audio editing and recording etc.

Was thinking this one over the entry level retina model as its the same price and the lack of storage space on it although the retina is suppose to be a lot faster.

Which one do all you experts reckon out of these three

15-inch: 2.6 GHz - €2349

2.6GHz quad-core Intel Core i7
Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz
8GB 1600MHz memory
750GB 5400-rpm hard drive1
Intel HD Graphics 4000
NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M with 1GB of GDDR5 memory
Built-in battery (7 hours)2


15-inch: 2.3GHz Retina display €2349
2.3GHz quad-core Intel Core i7
Turbo Boost up to 3.3GHz
8GB 1600MHz memory
256GB flash storage1
Intel HD Graphics 4000
NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M with 1GB of GDDR5 memory
Built-in battery (7 hours)2

Is this model really worth the extra €2979
15-inch: 2.6GHz Retina display
2.6GHz quad-core Intel Core i7
Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz
8GB 1600MHz memory
512GB flash storage1
Intel HD Graphics 4000
NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M with 1GB of GDDR5 memory
Built-in battery (7 hours)2

Any help would be greatly appreciated

Foxhole Norman

With that budget? None of the above. I'd have this:

http://www.pcspecialist.co.uk/notebooks/VortexIII-15/

i7 Quad Core Mobile Extreme 3940XM
16GB RAM
Full HD Screen
GeForce GTX680M 4GB DDR5
512GB SSD
Blue-Ray player or Extra HDD

3k

All top of the range hardware.

Torqay

When you're buying an Apple and asking yourself if they're worth it, you're getting off on the wrong foot. You pay what they ask for and feel good about it.

The sneaky folks at Apple don't mention the CPU models, but the 2.2 GHz has to be an old Sandy Bridge. The 2.6 GHz is an Ivy Bridge. Interesting enough, the retail price is the same for both processors, so Apple is charging a premium of 630 yoyos just for the bigger SSD? Good one.

Edit: I got that wrong, they're both Ivy Bridge processors, the 2.60 GHz model has 8 MB L3 cache and costs $190 more than the 2.3 GHz CPU, still Apple's SSD pricing is outrageous.

Media999

3k for a laptop with a 650m How do Apple get away with it?

PCspecialist all the way. Their 1080p screen is far better than a Macbook pros. Ive had them beside each other and it really is a lot better.
Thats the standard screen. Not the retina.

RUCKING FETARD

Torqay wrote: »

so Apple is charging a premium of 630 yoyos just for the bigger SSD? Good one.

They'll need the dough to pay for this lawsuit for using a pic of an eye,

The photographer's New York-based agency, Factory Downtown, issued the copyrighted "Eye Closeup" photo to Apple after the company reassured the Swiss photographer her image would be used only for "layout purposes," according to Cult of Mac. "The photographer was then surprised when Apple did exactly what it said it wouldn’t do," PetaPixel writes.


Liewald doesn't just want retribution for copyright infringement; she also wants a portion of Apple's profits. Considering the tech giant's overall wealth, we can assume if the court favors Liewald's argument, she'll be receiving a pretty hefty payout.

Portion of profits aswell, fecking greed, probably be thrown out for asking for that.

Torqay

RUCKING FETARD wrote: »

They'll need the dough to pay for this lawsuit for using a pic of an eye,

Portion of profits aswell, fecking greed, probably be thrown out for asking for that.

In the quiet words of the late Steve Jobs, "We've always been shameless about stealing".

Irlandczyk

So, the guy comes on to Boards.ie looking for advice on an APPLE computer, and - since it's an Apple - people simply cannot give advice whatsoever. Instead, we get recommendations for random PC's, Apple's business model, and talks about a lawsuit in another country. Nice. Can't help but think if the guy had come and asked a simple question about any other non-Apple related piece of technology he might actually have gotten an answer...

In my opinion, no. I wouldn't pay that much extra just for the retina display. I'd go for option number 2. The retina display would be gorgeous for doing graphic-type work on, but having owned a late 2011 MacBook Pro for almost a year now doing graphic work myself, you can't really go wrong with the non-retina display either!

Torqay

Irlandczyk wrote: »

people simply cannot give advice whatsoever.

While others give advice without reading the OP...

Irlandczyk wrote: »

In my opinion, no. I wouldn't pay that much extra just for the retina display. I'd go for option number 2.

Option number 2 is a retina display!

You'd have to "pay that much extra" for an 8 MB L3 cache processor (Intel RRP difference €150) and a bigger SSD (a Samsung 830 Series 512GB which costs €220 more than the 256 GB version at a decent retailer). And yet Apple has the nerve to ask for 630 yoyos more...

Irlandczyk

Torqay wrote: »

While others give advice without reading the OP...



Option number 2 is a retina display!

You'd have to "pay that much extra" for an 8 MB L3 cache processor (Intel RRP difference €150) and a bigger SSD (a Samsung 830 Series 512GB which costs €220 more than the 256 GB version at a decent retailer). And yet Apple has the nerve to ask for 630 yoyos more...

My first point remains quite valid, I would think, no?

But as for my choice, you're quite right, chalk it up to being up much later than I should be, I guess. I realised and as such made an edit to my post, although why my post remains as it was originally is beyond me...

ArthurGuinness

Thanks for the advice guys, don't know an awful lot about computers and this will be my first mac, nearly every shop I have went into to look at computers I have been advised to buy an apple. I wouldn't imagine this has anything to do with the cost, because from what I have been told retailers have very little margin on them. So what's the verdict option 1? 2 or 3? From what I have been told even though the non retina display has a faster processor the retina 2.3ghz is still alot faster due to the solid state drive.

redman85

ArthurGuinness wrote: »

Thanks for the advice guys, don't know an awful lot about computers and this will be my first mac, nearly every shop I have went into to look at computers I have been advised to buy an apple. I wouldn't imagine this has anything to do with the cost, because from what I have been told retailers have very little margin on them. So what's the verdict option 1? 2 or 3? From what I have been told even though the non retina display has a faster processor the retina 2.3ghz is still alot faster due to the solid state drive.

I would go for the retina. You will barely notice the 8% increase in the processor in the 2.6ghz non retina but you will definitely notice the SSD in the retina. It loads much faster. The downside is it's only 256gb but with cloud storage becoming the norm this isnt a problem for me.

My 3 year old macbook pro died after taking a nasty fall recently and I upgraded to the retina. By far the nicest computer I have ever used. 1 thing I would definitely get the 16gb ram as it cant be upgraded (they solder the ram onto the motherboard). Yes its alot of money for a computer but if its your business its money well spent.

Feel free to ask me any questions

Media999

ArthurGuinness wrote: »

Thanks for the advice guys, don't know an awful lot about computers and this will be my first mac, nearly every shop I have went into to look at computers I have been advised to buy an apple. I wouldn't imagine this has anything to do with the cost, because from what I have been told retailers have very little margin on them. So what's the verdict option 1? 2 or 3? From what I have been told even though the non retina display has a faster processor the retina 2.3ghz is still alot faster due to the solid state drive.

So your telling me a shopkeeper who actually makes a living from you encouraged you to buy the most expensive item in the shop? I wonder why they did that. :pac:

Very little margin on a 2.5 k laptop? What planet are you living on? :pac:

Irlandczyk

Media999 wrote: »

So your telling me a shopkeeper who actually makes a living from you encouraged you to buy the most expensive item in the shop? I wonder why they did that. :pac:

Very little margin on a 2.5 k laptop? What planet are you living on? :pac:

I mostly agree with this, without the unneccessary snide comments. But yes, unless you really want to use OSX and the Apple ecosystem (which is a fine choice, imo), there are much more cost-effective machines out there for you to choose.

I will assume you have made up your mind that you really want a Mac though, and my personal choice would still be number 2.

ArthurGuinness

Media999 wrote: »

So your telling me a shopkeeper who actually makes a living from you encouraged you to buy the most expensive item in the shop? I wonder why they did that. :pac:

Very little margin on a 2.5 k laptop? What planet are you living on? :pac:

No they didn't they to encourage me at all to buy a 2.5k laptop they simply informed me that they would recommend an Apple computer for their operating systems, ease of use and build quality etc, etc, all on the recommendation that they used them themselves, most of the advise I received was non pushy and to be fair seemed pretty impartial.

They nearly all recommended that I go for the cheaper 13" model as well and to be fair 90% of them told me to buy it on-line from apple to avail of a student discount that they did not offer. And again yes all of them told me that the margin on apple products was significantly lower than the mark up on PC's.

So I am on this planet and I am far from an Idiot as you implied, I obviously intended to shop around and get the best price and I took delivery today of the 15" retina display with 2.6ghz 512 Flash which I paid €2250 for. But thanks for your helpful and pleasant comments.

Xpro

Retina Mac would be my choice.
Its much much faster then the old macbook pro, no comparison really.
The only disadvantage is the low storage and big price tag, but nothing that external HDD wont handle.

Dee_1982

Nothing comes close to Apples build quality. And alot less viruses and problems with there system.
If you have the money go with the retina, but if you have the cash go for the extra ram now that's if you need it. You can't add extra later as its soldered to the motherboard.

Dinarius

In the market for a new laptop for photo editing (occasionally very large files, so a lot of grunt required) and admin.

Have been PC up to now.

Am considering a MacBook Pro, but I just can't justify the huge price premium when I can get the computing equivalent of a Porsche from the likes of PCSpecialist for hundreds of Euros less.

What am I missing?

D.

Ps. I have to have Firewire (for camera connectivity) and since it is as good as dead in the water (PCSpecialist offer it on only some laptops) my choice is limited. If I buy an MBP, I could use the Thunderbolt to Firewire adaptor. But, the price............!!! Gggrrrrr....!!!!

Media999

PCspecialist all the way. I spent 1500 and it puts a MBP to shame speedwise and screen. Mate has a MBP and we sit beside each other in college. He regrets forking out 2k big time. Nice playing any game on Ultra when he cant.

Xpro

Media999 wrote: »

PCspecialist all the way. I spent 1500 and it puts a MBP to shame speedwise and screen. Mate has a MBP and we sit beside each other in college. He regrets forking out 2k big time. Nice playing any game on Ultra when he cant.

Dont think theres any laptops out yet that will put macbook to shame screen wise.
The screen res on mbp retina is amazing. I think the highest the laptop can go is 1920x1080 vs mac 2880x1800

It really depends what you need a laptop for. For Graphics, speed,start times,live span, mac is just unbeatable.

Now you would have to try the new retina mac to see for your self, as old MacBooks pro just dont compare.

I use both Pc and macs.

Media999

Xpro wrote: »

Dont think theres any laptops out yet that will put macbook to shame screen wise.
The screen res on mbp retina is amazing. I think the highest the laptop can go is 1920x1080 vs mac 2880x1800

It really depends what you need a laptop for. For Graphics, speed,start times,live span, mac is just unbeatable.

Now you would have to try the new retina mac to see for your self, as old MacBooks pro just dont compare.

I use both Pc and macs.

Not true.

Also im not comparing Retina as they are not in the same price bracket.

edit

€2,979.00 with a GT650M. No thanks.

Dinarius

I've speced an laptop with PC Specialist.

I've posted it here> http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=82416694#post82416694

Any feedback appreciated.

Thanks.

D

ArthurGuinness

I got the 15" Retina with the 512gb flash drive tht thing is awesome rocket fast and screen is amazing I managed to get mint for around 2250 so shop around at some businness dealers you will pick up a bargain

Xpro

ArthurGuinness wrote: »

I got the 15" Retina with the 512gb flash drive tht thing is awesome rocket fast and screen is amazing I managed to get mint for around 2250 so shop around at some businness dealers you will pick up a bargain

For anyone buying macs best place would be in dublin airport. I got 13" retina for 1501€ brand new.
Nearly worth getting a cheap return flight with ryanair just to pick one up