Quick Specs
Screen Size: 15.6-inches
Processor: Core 2 Quad
Graphics: NVWeDWeA GeForce
Total power, total performance, best ever...but not for all.,June 25, 2012 - Pros: A total powerhouse, best notebook display ever made, perfect for professionals, AppleCare, portability, quad core Ivy Bridge processors in a notebook, USB 3.
Cons: You pay for quality, expensive for casual use.
Who its for: Professionals, designers, media-heavy users, video and photo editors, travelers, students, performance-minded users, anyone needing both performance and portability.
Who it isnt for: Casual or light users, those who think theyll need to expand, people who hate Apple and just dont like their products regardless.
Why 5 stars: Its easy to criticize a device for its shortcomings, but in the end Apple has designed one of the best notebooks ever sold. Its performance and value are off the charts, and it would be disingenuous to penalize it for the minor "wish list" we could draw up for it. It succeeds in the most important areas (like CPU power), sacrificing in relatively unimportant ones (no ethernet connection).
The new Macbook Pro Retina
This is a review from a real owner, not opinion...not discussion. I work in a design company (web, print, video, apps). What I look for in a system is reliable, efficient performance at the best value. The new MacBook scores off the charts in these areas - lets look at why.
POWER: I had two designers whod outgrown their iMac i7s, running 90% CPU capacity (three words: Adobe Master Suite). The new machine represents a massive performance boost with the new CPUs. And its nice to see Apple include the quad core Ivy Bridge on these...at times theyve been slow to update the CPUs on the MacBooks. And although the display gets all the press coverage, its really the other hardware that makes the system. It SCREAMS, and can handle a massive amount of abuse (we tested editing video AND using Photoshop AND streaming Netflix AND running a dozen other programs in the background - try that with most machines and watch them curl up and die). If youre animating the latest Pixar release you might want to look at alternatives, but for anything else this is a perfect business machine, and we really like the added "oomph" when editing video or running intense graphics.
DISPLAY: When I upgraded my iPad from gen 1 to 3, I immediately wondered how Id ever lived without the twenty centillion pixels of retina. Same here. The display is amazing, but more importantly its useful. You can now edit video in full 1080p while leaving room on the desktop for any necessary toolbars, etc. And my designers tell me that this is the first MacBook they can design on in terms of display correctness - previous models didnt really live up to their standards for that, and theyd have to double-check designs on their desktops.
Some nerdy talk about the display: Mostly for pros, here are some features of the display as reported by independent sources. This unit diplays 99% of the sRGB color space, a significant spike from earlier MacBooks (71%). It also incorporates a new LCD surface, doing away with the cover glass and substantially decreasing glare while preserving contrast. Users will want to be extra-careful since damage to the display surface is now to the LCD directly, but the tradeoff is that this system is massively anti-reflective (something we noted right away). And Apple has left the viewing angle very wide - most other notebook brands use a narrow angle to save battery, but this makes them less reliable for design since the image distorts as you move to the side, even by a couple of inches. They like to report their specs based on the narrow viewing cone, which falls into a gray area of "truth in advertising." The designers here confirm that you can rely on the display without having to constantly shift around to ensure its not distorting - they report that you have to move pretty far to the side before it changes. Overall...for a designer...the new display is a bar above anything else, even the high-end monitors we have here (including Apple and other brands).
DESKTOP/LAPTOP HYBRID: We were also sold on the portability. We liked that these truly have the power to be a desktop replacement (and we needed that power), but we also love the portability. My designers like the ability to easily move workstations, and I like being able to send their work home with them (dont tell them I said that, ha.)
UPGRADABILITY: Some will gripe that you cant easily open this machine. Theyll moan that youll want to expand and upgrade. I dont presume I can build a better system than Apples design team, and the iPad has been wildly successful without upgrades.
The future of computers seems to be systems that wont allow for much in the way of hardware upgrades, which really raises the ire of some. But when I do the math, its evident that weve reached a price point in computers where it almost never makes financial sense to upgrade. We press our computers into service for about two years, and almost universally Ive found selling an older machine and buying a new one to be about 40% less costly than upgrading...and this option gives us the latest CPU, display, etc...not just a RAM boost.
VALUE: With an entry-level price tag of $2199, the new MacBook is spendy. This price point seems to be based on the usual Apple value, adjusting upward for the primary new features (display, CPU, slim form factor). In order to warrant the expenditure, a buyer needs to have a use for all three of these. The bottom line is that this system isnt cost effective for casual users, who would be better suited with the other MacBooks in the lineup, but its a steal if you can use the power.
And thats the biggest caveat with this system. I see several reviews criticizing the cost of this machine. This isnt logical, and their complaints are largely the result of buying (or offering opinion on) a system they dont really need. They should be buying and reviewing the entry-level notebooks or the iPads, which will meet 99.9% of what they need a computer for. For the design work we do, we need the power, display and portability, and for us these systems are a superb value.
Summary
Overall, this is a fantastic computer, but its not for everyone. This system fills a gap in the Mac lineup for users who work above the current iMac capabilities, or those who need portability with desktop power. Those who dont require this performance might want to look at other Macs, but if you run graphic-intense programs, do video editing, watch a lot of media via your computer, Apple has really delivered.
In many ways, this system feels like a distinct footnote in the evolution of Apple products, leading to a point where unbelievably thin and light notebooks rival desktops in performance and price. Apple is certainly hopeful that this will bring new customers their way, as the iPad has, although it remains to be seen whether this new system will attract new Mac users, or simply encourage existing customers to move over from their iMacs and Mac Pros. Regardless, Cupertino has put together a heck of a machine, once again.
In the month of January we saw a ton of new notebooks enter our Top 10 list, including the Lenovo ThinkPad T400, Lenovo ThinkPad X200, Dell Studio 17, HP ProBook 4510s, and the 13-inch Apple MacBook Pro. The biggest change this month is the Lenovo G550 which took the lead spot, bumping the Acer Aspire One to #2.
1. Lenovo G550 (Previously #8) - The Lenovo G550 is an update to the Value Line G530 with the primary difference being the shift from a 16:10 to a 16:9 screen. Configurations include either Intel Pentium or Core 2 Duo processor and up to 4GB DDR3 installed memory. (55,506 unique views) | |
2. Acer Aspire One (Previously #1) - The Aspire One is the latest "netbook" from Acer, offering a convenient, compact design at a budget price. The Aspire One features an Intel Atom CPUs, 8.9" WSVGA TFT LCD, and a choice of either Genuine Windows XP Home Edition or Linpus Linux Lite version. (37,844 unique views) | |
3. Dell Studio XPS 16 (Previously #4) - The Studio XPS 16 features premium design with genuine leather accents, anodized aluminum, edge-to-edge display and backlit keyboard, 16" ultrawide 16:9 aspect ratio with 1080p HD support & optional RGB-LED for brighter and more vivid colors, the latest Centrino 2 platform for blazing fast performance, amazing battery life and go anywhere wireless connectivity and premium ATI 512MB graphics delivers incredibly lifelike videos, movies and gaming. (31,888 unique views) | |
4. Lenovo ThinkPad T400 (Back in the Top 10) - The ThinkPad T400 features an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 14.1" LED-backlight widescreen, up to 8GB of PC2-8500 and integrated Intel X4500 or ATI Mobility Radeon HD 3470. (26,262 unique views)
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5. Dell Studio 15 (Previously #7) - The Dell Studio 15 is a 15.4" screen multimedia laptop offered in multiple colors and configurations. The Studio 15 can be equipped with an Intel Core 2 Duo and dedicated ATI graphics. It comes with a slot-loading DVD drive, backlit keyboard, sleek drop-hinge design, widescreen glossy display and touch sensitive buttons. Software wise the Dell Studio 15 includes a unique Apple Mac OS X launch dock. (25,816 unique views)
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6. Lenovo ThinkPad X200 (Back in the Top 10) - The Lenovo ThinkPad X200 is a 12.1" ultraportable featuring an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, and up to 4GB of DDR3 Memory. (22,092 unique views) | |
7. Dell Studio 17 (New to the Top 10) - The Dell Studio 17 is a 17" screen multimedia laptop offered in multiple colors and configurations. The Studio 17 can be equipped with an Intel Core 2 Duo and dedicated ATI graphics. It comes with a slot-loading DVD drive, backlit keyboard, sleek drop-hinge design, widescreen glossy display and touch sensitive buttons. Software wise the Dell Studio 17 includes a unique Apple Mac OS X launch dock. (19,866 unique views) | |
8. HP ProBook 4510s (Back to the Top 10) - The HP ProBook 4510s offers a 15.6-inch diagonal 16:9 HD widescreen LED backlight display and optional HP Mobile Broadband connectivity with built-in Gobi technology or standard Wi-Fi certified and optional integrated Bluetooth wireless technology. Choose from integrated or dedicated graphics and 6 or 8-cell lithium ion battery. (19,607 unique views) | |
9. Apple 13" MacBook Pro (Back in the Top 10) - This 13 inch notebook is the smallest of the Apple MacBook Pro family. It features an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, NVIDIA GeForce graphics with 256MB of DDR3 SDRAM shared with main memory, up to 8GB DDR3 system memory, and 160 or 250GB SATA hard drive. This system is also equipped with a FireWire 800 port, two USB 2.0 ports, and SD card slot. (17,856 unique views) | |
10. Toshiba Satellite L500/505 (Previously #2) - The Toshiba Satellite L500 and L505 share a 15.6 inch HD display. Configurations are available with either Intel Core 2 Duo, AMD Athlon X2 or AMD Turion X2 processor. Other features include DVD SuperMulti drive and up to a 320GB hard drive. (17,361 unique views) |
And heres the rest of em rounding out the top 20 most viewed and popular on NotebookReview.com for the month of January:
11. Dell Inspiron 11z - 15,722 unique views
12. Asus G51 - 13,314 unique views
13. Lenovo IdeaPad S10-2 - 12,526 unique views
14. Asus UL30 - 12,027 unique views
15. Lenovo ThinkPad T500 - 11,292 unique views
16. Lenovo ThinkPad X200 - 10,955 unique views
17. Dell Studio XPS 13 - 10,154 unique views
18. HP ProBook 5310m - 8,565 unique views
19. Dell Inspiron 15 - 8,434 unique views
20. Lenovo IdeaPad Y550 - 8,382 unique views
Remember, to get advice on which notebook to buy dont just go with whats popular, visit our What Notebook Should I Buy forum to ask what everyone else thinks you should buy based on your needs. Check out how the current standings for this weeks most popular notebooks looks.
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