June 14, 2012 
Following the Apple hoo-ha on Monday, I checked out the new MacBook ‘Retina’ model at an Apple Store. Noticeable things: it’s lighter but not as astoundingly light as an ‘Air’, it’s blazing fast (full reboot in 15-20 seconds), the screen is indeed crisp and lovely for text and photos which just about jump out of the screen if they are taken in bright light with strong contrast, but look completely ordinary with more typical shots. The case is precisely machined, there’s a bit of a sharp edge on the screen, which is half the thickness of a normal MB Pro. Annoyingly the power button has been made into a keyboard button and the return key made smaller as a result. I kept bashing the delete key instead which is now above it, or something like that.
Doing a price comparison using this spec: 2.6GHz processor, 8Gb RAM, 512Gb SSD
Standard MB Pro: £2,519
Retina MB Pro: £2,364 (including optional extra outboard DVD drive)
Apple must think these things through, as a result for less money you’d get a machine which is much faster, a bit lighter and has a way better screen. I’ve nearly persuaded myself, until I realise that it won’t make more productive, and will leave a fair sized hole in my wallet. Anyone else got thoughts on this? My disappointment was they didn’t make a 15″ Macbook Air, cheaper than a full fat MB Pro, without the Retina screen.
Oh and another bummer, Apple released a new maps app, and forgive me for choking, but my iPhone 4 is apparently unworthy of their turn-by-turn navigation feature, and the 3D flyover feature. The iPhone 4 being obsolete within a year is quite annoying, and we do know that TomTom runs perfectly on an iPhone 4, so what magic property is it missing? A load of pants in my opinion.
Amir Khwaja
Ben Larah
Michael Beaton
corinaki24
Jon Skinner
Mihir Vaidya
Maria Leontiou
Martin Schuhmayer
samihodgson
Bill Hodgson
Tom Riesack
The continuos problem of technology, when to jump in, and how often to upgrade. We cannot blame apple for this. I take a 2yr policy per product line so a new iMac I am due (when it comes out), then the phone, then the iPad, and so on. It does mean I fungo my timetable rather than theirs and I always have one of the latest items
My wifes stolen the MacBook air and so she can stay in 2011 for as long as she wants…
From what you saw of the MacBook- could it replace a n iMac?
Btw, got apple tv recently, for £99 it’s a worthy extra.
Written on iPad. Hence ‘fungo’!
I think the MBA 13″ will have Retina display in 12-15 months. That’s what I’m holding out for but if I had a bigger wallet I might jump now.
With the iPhone I’ve jumped models and waited until the supply of 2nd hand units on eBay is sufficient to save some money. I think it will be a while before we see second hand MBP Retinas on eBay though!
I would like to fungo your timetable, but in this case my current MBP is a few years old but still perfectly good, I can’t even sneak a justification into my head for the cost of the Retina mac at the moment. Maybe if S&H get me a good six month contract