Scratch

The rMBP. According to some people if,you,scale the size of the windows down it is fine and some say Mountain Lion will fix it. Also, to commit to the rMBP is to commit to only retina timised programs, everything else looks bad.

jji7skyline wrote:

16Skittles wrote:

The rMBP. According to some people if,you,scale the size of the windows down it is fine and some say Mountain Lion will fix it. Also, to commit to the rMBP is to commit to only retina timised programs, everything else looks bad.

I find this hard to believe considering the powerful GPU on the thing, but then again, it's working with a display that is many times larger than Full HD.

And yes, only retina optimised apps are retina but that's like saying only Metro optimised apps are Metro. You don't need to use Retina all the time.

What else CAN you use? You can use it scaled (normally it renders as 1440*900 then scales it) or you can use it native res, but that would have everything tiny.

Edit: It may not be a total hardware issue, it may be that apple released some software too early. Some people are saying that they should have just waited to release it until mountain lion. The amount of custom drivers Apple needed to roll out was incredible.

Last edited by 16Skittles (2012-07-10 22:53:36)

Dear Apple,
this is how to take all of my money. First, start out with the normal 13" MacBook Pro. First off, lost the optical drive. The only thing I would use that for is to install Windows 7 with BootCamp anyway, so I can use an external drive for that. Instead of the optical drive, give it a real graphics processor, not just the (albeit much improved) integrated option. Add an actually good screen. It doesn't even need to be retina. It is unimaginable why a laptop aimed at professionals (particularly photo and video editors) has a lower screen resolution than what was originally a low-powered ultraportable. Shave off a bit of weight and thickness as well, just like the current 15" retina MacBook pro compared to the previous generation. If the size can be reduced too thin that it absolutely can not hold a 2.5" (or even 1.8") SATA drive, then use Flash Memory like the MacBook Air and Retina MacBook Pro, but if it can fit (these drives are not very thick) then allow standard hard drive and SSD configurations. That means that even with a thin laptop, one of the most obvious barriers to purchase, the small storage space, is removed.

Please let me give all of my money to you,
Alex "Skittles"

jji7skyline wrote:

http://store.apple.com/us/configure/MD103LL/A?

Not 13", but 15", and you can choose the high-res screen option for just $100 more, which is a 1680 by 1050 resolution, apparently 38% more than the default.

Quad core i7. Dedicated NVIDIA graphics with 512MB memory. You can choose between storage options, 500GB HDD is default, can configure up to 1TB SSD.

Don't say it isn't thin enough because the Vaio S is 23mm. This is only a little over 10mm. Optical drive included. Get rid of it and install a second SSD if you like.

ifixit.com has some great guides.

I'm perfectly capable of upgrading a laptop, I have upgraded the RAM and HDD in my ten-year-old Sony. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I would immediately scoop up a powerful 13" notebook. There is no upgrade screen resolution option even available for the 13. Before I came to the realization that I would need a Mac for development, one of the notebooks I was looking at was the ASUS U36SD. For just barely over the height of the Retina MacBook Pro it squeezed in an nvidia GPU, Core i5 Processor, and a standard 2.5mm HDD. It also achieved 8+ hours of battery life. Its tragic flaw was the display, a standard (and hated) 1366*768 LCD. Seeing what they have done with the 15" pro, they could also easily do it on the 13". Throughout my search for the perfect laptop, one of the things I have been telling myself is that I need to take it practically anywhere. My current school laptop is a terrible 12" 2003 Sony VAIO with a 20GB HDD, 512MB of RAM. It is at least two inches thick and is extremely heavy. To top it all off I need to carry my charger with me at all times, as it's likely to just die in the middle of a class. I have been searching for the best blend between portability and power, and the rMBP might be the one to do it, if I ever became obscenely rich overnight.

Edit: To kind of drag this (slightly) off topic, I keep seeing people who say the 13" pro has more power for games, etc. than the Air. However, I still feel skeptical as they both use Intel 4000 as their GPU and the pro has only slightly faster processors. Your thoughts?

Last edited by 16Skittles (2012-07-12 08:49:58)

jji7skyline wrote:

16Skittles wrote:

jji7skyline wrote:

http://store.apple.com/us/configure/MD103LL/A?

Not 13", but 15", and you can choose the high-res screen option for just $100 more, which is a 1680 by 1050 resolution, apparently 38% more than the default.

Quad core i7. Dedicated NVIDIA graphics with 512MB memory. You can choose between storage options, 500GB HDD is default, can configure up to 1TB SSD.

Don't say it isn't thin enough because the Vaio S is 23mm. This is only a little over 10mm. Optical drive included. Get rid of it and install a second SSD if you like.

ifixit.com has some great guides.

I'm perfectly capable of upgrading a laptop, I have upgraded the RAM and HDD in my ten-year-old Sony. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I would immediately scoop up a powerful 13" notebook. There is no upgrade screen resolution option even available for the 13. Before I came to the realization that I would need a Mac for development, one of the notebooks I was looking at was the ASUS U36SD. For just barely over the height of the Retina MacBook Pro it squeezed in an nvidia GPU, Core i5 Processor, and a standard 2.5mm HDD. It also achieved 8+ hours of battery life. Its tragic flaw was the display, a standard (and hated) 1366*768 LCD. Seeing what they have done with the 15" pro, they could also easily do it on the 13". Throughout my search for the perfect laptop, one of the things I have been telling myself is that I need to take it practically anywhere. My current school laptop is a terrible 12" 2003 Sony VAIO with a 20GB HDD, 512MB of RAM. It is at least two inches thick and is extremely heavy. To top it all off I need to carry my charger with me at all times, as it's likely to just die in the middle of a class. I have been searching for the best blend between portability and power, and the rMBP might be the one to do it, if I ever became obscenely rich overnight.

Edit: To kind of drag this (slightly) off topic, I keep seeing people who say the 13" pro has more power for games, etc. than the Air. However, I still feel skeptical as they both use Intel 4000 as their GPU and the pro has only slightly faster processors. Your thoughts?

If you want FPS for gaming, the GPU is what counts, so I guess they'd both perform about the same.

For anything else though, the Air would be quite a bit faster because of the SSD storage for basic things like starting up and loading apps, but you sacrifice storage, and loss of performance in cpu-intensive applications like video editing/rendering and things, but you're not very likely to do that on a laptop if it is your second computer.

I have the 512MB AMD graphics on my iMac and it can play pretty much any game I've thrown at it at full settings and full resolution, full FPS. These aren't crazy games like CoD but they're still pretty good games. VDrift and Rigs of Rods are just 2 I've tested on it.

Considering the lower resolution and the SSD, and as long as you don't want to play games like CoD, a dedicated 4000 should be ok. Not great but ok. I heard the 4000 is a great improvement though.

I think in my quest for a laptop I will hold out for a 13" retina MBP with (hopefully) an Nvidia GPU.
My gaming needs are pretty limited. Minecraft, TF2 and Portal 2. Both Portal 2 and TF2 are based on the old Source engine and aren't that demanding. The one game I actually see issue in us Minecraft, which often lags behind in multiplayer. Besides just playing games, I want to be able to end up with an effectively futureproofed notebook which I can maybe eventually make more demanding games and 3D modeling. I also want to do basic "movie" production somewhat (completely) inspired by CooridorDigital (look them up on YouTube), although to be honest that alone is not enough to make or break a selection of a laptop.
Most importantly, there is currently no funding for said laptop. 

jji7skyline wrote:

I guess if (when) they make the 13" Retina Macbook Pro, it would be perfect for you, but I don't see how you would need a powerful GPU for the uses you highlighted there. I know that the HD 4000 is approximately half the power of my current GPU (yes, my GPU is a loser, only two times the power of a integrated graphics  ) and mine runs any game fine. It ran Rigs of Rods, 1920x1080 full settings at around 30fps, which was hardly noticeable. It runs 1280x720 at around 120fps so I'm guessing the 4000 would run it at 1280x720 at around 60fps which is very good with full settings. Minecraft lagging in multiplayer is problems with network, not CPU or graphics.

Movie editing and 3D modelling (as far as I know) is mostly CPU intensive, not GPU intensive, so I don't think you would need to look beyond the 13" Air. If the 13" Retina's price is anywhere near the 15" (I'm guessing it will be around $1700 min.) the Air is going to be much better for price, considering you don't really care for a Retina.

If you can save up for the 13" Retina, I guess that would be perfect for your needs (despite being expensive).

One thing I don't understand is why the Vaio laptops are so prized as the best in the PC world, despite being so ugly, thick and unintuitive?



I've checked out CooridorDigital, they're videos are funny 

I don't see how Vaio's are in anyway un-intuitive when they run on an OS they don't even make. And personally, I don't find them ugly, and they don't seem particularly thick.

Also, even though he only states wanting to play Minecraft, Portal 2, and Team Fortress 2, I would go for a pretty good GPU just because gaming is going to get better rapidly and need more and more to run it.

Last edited by soupoftomato (2012-07-12 20:47:16)

soupoftomato wrote:

jji7skyline wrote:

I guess if (when) they make the 13" Retina Macbook Pro, it would be perfect for you, but I don't see how you would need a powerful GPU for the uses you highlighted there. I know that the HD 4000 is approximately half the power of my current GPU (yes, my GPU is a loser, only two times the power of a integrated graphics  ) and mine runs any game fine. It ran Rigs of Rods, 1920x1080 full settings at around 30fps, which was hardly noticeable. It runs 1280x720 at around 120fps so I'm guessing the 4000 would run it at 1280x720 at around 60fps which is very good with full settings. Minecraft lagging in multiplayer is problems with network, not CPU or graphics.

Movie editing and 3D modelling (as far as I know) is mostly CPU intensive, not GPU intensive, so I don't think you would need to look beyond the 13" Air. If the 13" Retina's price is anywhere near the 15" (I'm guessing it will be around $1700 min.) the Air is going to be much better for price, considering you don't really care for a Retina.

If you can save up for the 13" Retina, I guess that would be perfect for your needs (despite being expensive).

One thing I don't understand is why the Vaio laptops are so prized as the best in the PC world, despite being so ugly, thick and unintuitive?



I've checked out CooridorDigital, they're videos are funny 

I don't see how Vaio's are in anyway un-intuitive when they run on an OS they don't even make. And personally, I don't find them ugly, and they don't seem particularly thick.

Also, even though he only states wanting to play Minecraft, Portal 2, and Team Fortress 2, I would go for a pretty good GPU just because gaming is going to get better rapidly and need more and more to run it.

Most Vaios are 2-3 cm thick, which I think is pretty thick for a modern portable laptop. I guess you're right, it's harder to get intuitive when the OS is built by someone else.

jji7skyline wrote:

16Skittles wrote:

jji7skyline wrote:

I guess if (when) they make the 13" Retina Macbook Pro, it would be perfect for you, but I don't see how you would need a powerful GPU for the uses you highlighted there. I know that the HD 4000 is approximately half the power of my current GPU (yes, my GPU is a loser, only two times the power of a integrated graphics  ) and mine runs any game fine. It ran Rigs of Rods, 1920x1080 full settings at around 30fps, which was hardly noticeable. It runs 1280x720 at around 120fps so I'm guessing the 4000 would run it at 1280x720 at around 60fps which is very good with full settings. Minecraft lagging in multiplayer is problems with network, not CPU or graphics.

Movie editing and 3D modelling (as far as I know) is mostly CPU intensive, not GPU intensive, so I don't think you would need to look beyond the 13" Air. If the 13" Retina's price is anywhere near the 15" (I'm guessing it will be around $1700 min.) the Air is going to be much better for price, considering you don't really care for a Retina.

If you can save up for the 13" Retina, I guess that would be perfect for your needs (despite being expensive).

One thing I don't understand is why the Vaio laptops are so prized as the best in the PC world, despite being so ugly, thick and unintuitive?

I've checked out CooridorDigital, they're videos are funny 

The VAIO Z is thinner than the thickest point of the Air (although not a tapered design) with what I would call an attractive design with a 1080p display. It's kind of scary though that it includes stickers warning you to not put it on bare skin. 

But yeah, in my opinion a pro with a higher resolution display, removing the junk that I will never use and slimming down would be perfect, in my opinion. According to the rumors found in the internet (although obviously most of the WWDC rumors were not what was expected) the pro retina will be shipping Q3 or Q4 with higher pixel density (less resolution though) than the 15". Nothing could be better than a blend of portsbility and power. The current 13" pro may be powerful as is, but has lower screen resolution than the universally hated resolution that shall not be named on the x axis and just the 16:10 screen size means that the y axis is higher. Also, while not truly too fat, it just seems chubby compared to the Air. Although to be fair the Air makes everything else look fat.

My discovery: people complain about how PC trackpads aren't as big as Mac trackpads, but it all comes down to how Macs use a taller screen, thus allowing more room on the palm rest for the trackpad.

You're right, the Z is a hair thinner than the Air, but I don't think it's a 1080p display. Very expensive though, almost as expensive as the Retina 

Specs aren't very special, compared to the price either.

1080p used to be an upgrade option but is standard as of the ivy bridge refresh. Currently I am seeing if it is in any way possible/practical to replace the MBP LCD with one from an MBA (really I suppose the normal pro isn't too thick compared to what I have used, and thanks to Apple's styling it looks even thinner than it really is) but it seems impractical and risky.

jji7skyline wrote:

16Skittles wrote:

jji7skyline wrote:

You're right, the Z is a hair thinner than the Air, but I don't think it's a 1080p display. Very expensive though, almost as expensive as the Retina 

Specs aren't very special, compared to the price either.

1080p used to be an upgrade option but is standard as of the ivy bridge refresh. Currently I am seeing if it is in any way possible/practical to replace the MBP LCD with one from an MBA (really I suppose the normal pro isn't too thick compared to what I have used, and thanks to Apple's styling it looks even thinner than it really is) but it seems impractical and risky.

The 13" Air is better than the 13" Pro though 

Late night rants and flip-flops.    Reports of the rMBP13 are for October, maybe I can get funds for that from my birthday. 

jji7skyline wrote:

16Skittles wrote:

jji7skyline wrote:

The 13" Air is better than the 13" Pro though 

Late night rants and flip-flops.    Reports of the rMBP13 are for October, maybe I can get funds for that from my birthday. 

Maybe you can do work around the house, mow the lawn, wash the car, that kind of thing? That's how I bought my camera 

At the moment I do no chores and get no  money. My current plan has been to finish and sell my game, but I  have no clue if that will be successful or not. 

jji7skyline wrote:

16Skittles wrote:

jji7skyline wrote:

Maybe you can do work around the house, mow the lawn, wash the car, that kind of thing? That's how I bought my camera 

At the moment I do no chores and get no  money. My current plan has been to finish and sell my game, but I  have no clue if that will be successful or not. 

Is it an Android game or something?

Currently Windows-only, to be ported to OSX and mobile upon obtaining the XCode IDE. That is one of the main points of my planned KickStarter

jji7skyline wrote:

16Skittles wrote:

jji7skyline wrote:

Is it an Android game or something?

Currently Windows-only, to be ported to OSX and mobile upon obtaining the XCode IDE. That is one of the main points of my planned KickStarter

Do you have a Mac to build it on?

No, that is why I want one    I may be able to build it on my school's Hackintosh though

jji7skyline wrote:

16Skittles wrote:

jji7skyline wrote:

Do you have a Mac to build it on?

No, that is why I want one    I may be able to build it on my school's Hackintosh though

Your school has a hackintosh? Sounds like a cool school.

You know you can install Snow Leopard on a VM now as well.

My computer teacher is pretty epic. He isn't afraid to tell a student to shut up (he just says what everyone is thinking) and is a great help. The computer club (he is in charge) at our school has two custom desktops, one is broken, and the functioning one tri-boots Windows 7, HackOSX and Ubuntu. Of course I could just use someone else's Mac to compile (I just have to face it, it's a private school with some rich students, or at least rich parents), but it is much simpler to have my own so I don't take away their computer.