I give up, you win rMPB, you win...

I have always been a pc advocated, and hated how apple tries to control EVERY aspect of your machine (god I hated my non-jailbroken iphone 3gs).

I'm in the market for a very portable machine for the girlfriend, and I have gone through pretty much every ultrabook available.

Sony T13 -washed out screen (579 after all my rebates)
Sony S15 - orange gate and it's pretty thick, great hardware though (1350 with a free vita)
Samsung Series 9 -again, orange gate (verified by myself at the microsoft store) (1299+20% discount)
Asus ux31a Prime- light bleed, no gpu unless i go for the rare ux32vd, fan loves to rev up for no good reason (got this for 1060+free xbox360).
Sony Z- really portable but no dedicated GPU for the price (rmbp price).
Vazio - track pad doesn't work right at all, great screen (no orange gate) but 2.5 hours of battery life when watching 1080p youtube.
Gigabyte - TN panel, nuff said

So you can see, I have bought or used everyone one of these machines(except the gigabyte) and EVERYONE of them has something I am not happy about. I also got these machines at an AMAZING price too!

Now I went back to the drawing board and looked at the macbook pro retina. 0.7 inches thick, 4.4lbs(one thing I don't like), great screen with no orange gate, and a geforce 650m that's overclockable to 660m performance.

Macbook pro retina= 2129(after tax) - 100 dollar apple gc, -2% fatwallet cash back...So in the end it's barely 2k.

Yes the price is more than TWICE the current asus ultrabook I have(and about to return). But I feel like it's also twice the computer (SSD 128 vs 256, 4gig of ram vs 8gigs, 1080p vs 1800p, core i5 ulv vs corei7 QUAD, no gpu vs a 650m@660m speed, quieter fan, same thickness, 25% heavier). So am I really overpaying for this rmbp?

If anyone has a better (and more economical) option out there without much of a sacrifice, let me know! I am looking for a computer that has everything. Portability, style, future proof(CPU+GPU), amazing screen, and good battery life.

Honestly, I rather not get a macbook..I'm a windows guy and will end up putting windows on the mac anyways..but for the price and hardware..I can't find anything else unless I sacrifice something major(like a dedicated gpu, or a quad core cpu, or a screen without orange gate)....

 

wouldn't a fairer comparison to the ultrabooks mentioned be the macbook air? but yea, for a grand more you can't beat a mbp--kind of. not really.
Sent from my PI39100 using Board Express

 

You've mentioned all the things that you are not happy about, but since you're buying this for someone else, what are the things that matter to her?

 

She could care less if I give her an abacus..but it's more like a 70/30..I'll be using it 30% of the time as well.

Again, would compare it to the air but the air has a lot of compromises too. If the rmbp was NOT 0.7 inches thick but around 1 inch thick, then the rmbp is classed with thin and light notebooks(hp envy series, or the vazio CN series)...but because it's a 0.7 inch thick notebook, it's like a mesh between an ultrabook and a thin/light...

 

I don't know about Sony, I have one once back in the P3 days, but it's not what I like either. But there are better grade non-mac notebook out there also. I had good experience w/ Fujitsu, Lenovo and Dell(business) notebook in the past. But I do agree that for the most part, many manufacturers don't pay attention to good quality screen.

 

Makes zero sense to buy this. You're paying more for something that you're not going to use.....and you're paying for a lesser experience. If you think installing Windows you're going to get the same fluidity of operation and great battery life as OS X offers on the rMBP you're sadly mistaken. Plus the keyboard is designed for the Mac OS, not Windows and the GPU is only switchable under OS X. Don't think for one minute that you will find a Windows solution for that because you won't.

Ask yourself this, what would you buy if the rMBP didn't exist? I think you're more into the "first on the block" experience rather than the real point of buying this computer. It's not even a real Windows machine. You're wasting your money. Not mentioning which one but there's nothing wrong with at least one of those Windows machines you chose. Sounds more like you were looking for a flaw so you could have an excuse to buy the Macbook Retina. Unless you're a true Mac user it's not worth it.

 

Putting Windows on a Mac is also a sacrifice in and of itself. Trackpad functionality is severely handicapped, and if you complained about lack of battery life on other Windows notebooks, it will be even worse here because the discreet GPU runs all the time.

 

Unless you want OSX to be your primary OS... you really shouldn't get a rMBP. If there was a way to use the Intel graphics for battery life... then maybe...

 

Huh, I didn't know about the trackpad being less functional in Windows, the reviews I've seen didn't mention anything.

No the 70% of when my gf uses this, it'll be mac-os. I'll use macos to do internet surfing or whatnot, but I am booting into windows for gaming ONLY. This way I can overclock the gpu with MSI afterburner and get the best out of my gaming experience..also while gaming, I don't see myself disconnecting the macbook from the wall socket.

When my gf uses the machine, it's mostly surfing the web and video watching (and she's going to carry something like this to work for those tasks hence we need someting portable). I'm more of a power user with video editing and gaming..and I mainly do these things with the laptop plugged in. I actually have an Asus 8lb (2inch thick)desktop replacement and was fine with it..but now I'm excited if I can get the same experience with something half the size.

So if anyone can find me an alternative, I'm all ears..would rather not pay 2k....

 

I accident hit the touchpad all the time in Windows and it's very fraustrating. Just about all other touchpad in windows will have some sort of driver that help in this regard. But the MBP touchpad doesn't, what make it worse is the pad is bigger than tradition touchpad also. Keyboard is something that need to get used to. And if you play game, keyboard maybe aa heavy handicap also.

 

MSI GE60-042 Gaming Laptop

Better keyboard, actual 1080p resolution with matte finish (MBPR is really just 900p with greater pixel density and a lot of glare), an honest to goodness GT 660M, and much better battery life in Windows.

 

you are aware that you can use the rmbp with 1200p, and that you can also set higher res via several apps available.

the problematic for me of the ge 60 is that it resembles too much of the msi ex 625, and the chassis on that was terrible.

 

Doesn't setting the resolution to something other than optimized for the Retina display cause the dGPU to activate? Thought I read that somewhere, though I'd love to be wrong.

I also owned an MSI GX740 and the chassis on that was great.

 

the gx series has a very different chassis than the ex, and indeed it has a much better one, If I remember correctly the gx 740 had only the problem of the coating in the touchpad peeling off, while my ex 625 had both of the hinges broken, the coating of the keyboard tray and the screen peeled off, several broken parts as well.

No if you put the at other res than the 900p it wont activate the dgpu, you can also lock it down with gfx card status

 

Thanks for the suggestion, and if I were looking for a gaming laptop, this would be an awesome system. But I am in the market for an ultra portable with the ability to game. The MSI is almost 2x as thick and 1lb heavier(the weight is actually really good for a gaming laptop). The rmpb pretty much has the same gaming performance in a MUCH smaller chassis.

The only thing that is coming close right now is the Sony Z, but it has no dedicated graphics without the dock. I am not looking for a dell xps 15 or an hp envy 15..or an asus gaming machine. I understand the value for the money in those machines are incredible, but I am looking for the smallest form factor with a beast internal.

Currently anything around 0.7 inches thick either doesn't have the full Quad core i7, or a dedicated gpu.

 

not at all.. you can run a full no scaling 2880x1800 and still run on the Intel HD 4000 fine. No resolution options.. Apple built in or third party programs... cause the GPU to be on.

 

Alrighty then.

Sager NP6110 / Clevo W110ER Custom Laptop

Full power quad-core CPU and 650M. Just a bit thicker than MBP but a whole lot smaller overall.

 

Not even close, its more than twice as thick and no one in their right mind wants a 11" screen. I just bought a rMBP after not finding a comparable windows alternative and am going to be returning it because the performance isn't great in windows and not worth the $3000. I always hated OS X so I can't say if the 2.4-3k is justified for apple fans, but I'd rather keep the twice as thick GE60 and wait till haswell update for the MBP comes and hopefully better bootcamp support .

Dell/ASUS/Sager/HP/MSI should step their game up and make a laptop in a metal chassis 0.7" thin with the power of i7 + 660M, otherwise apple's market cap will be sure to hit a trillion.

 

With all the laptops I have ever owned I still consider the Macbook retina the best laptop I have ever had the pleasure of using. Its my first real Mac OS purchase and love it. I have owned everything from a Sony VAIO z to a zenbook and m14x. The Macbook is just amazing, its super thin, performs great, and has excellent battery life.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk 2

 

If you're going to be plugged in while gaming, what's wrong with using the dock?

 

Except for all the people who own the M11x and the gigantic thread with 3,200 replies (and counting) about the 6110.

 

exactly it might not fit your needs, but there is a good market there. I do prefer 13''

 

And that target demographic has nothing to do with the 15" gaming notebook market. Hell the 17" market is much more closer of an alternative than going down 4" in screen size. Though it is perfect for anyone using a docking style solution with an external mouse/keyboard/monitor.

 

We're not talking about "target demographics" - we're talking about one specific person on this forum who is asking for:

And that's exactly what I am trying to provide. Your mentioning of a 17-inch machine is quite the opposite of what is being asked for.

 

I understand that, I'm just saying that usually someone who wants something like the retina MacBook pro might be comfortable with a 14" or even 13" but he'd be hardpressed to downgrade to the size of an entry MacBook air size laptop, let alone one that is 1.4" thick. I would've interpreted his quote more to trying to get a decent sized screen but with the smallest chassis possible. At least that's what I went through when I finally bought the MBP, realizing it had no obvious competition.

I mentioned 17" as in if I were looking at alternatives to the MBP, I'd choose the Razer Blade over the 11" clevo. Now with all the problems the OP had with it, in end I'd choose neither and just lower my expectations for what I'm trying to find.

 

Windows works great on the rMBP. With the current ML battery issues, you might even get better battery life on Windows. Also there should be an rMBP gaming thread around here somewhere and the results might enlighten you to whether its for you or not. :thumbsup:

 

And what about the Vaio S13p?

- 13,3 inch with 1600x900 screen
- fastest dual core i7 available
- carbon chassis
- dedicated GeForce 640m LE that could be overclocked via BIOS (@1000/1100 without stability issues) performing better than 650m
- 5 hr battery life in stamina mode (only IGP)
- just 1,7 kg of weight
- optical drive

Take a look at that :thumbsup:

 

you better handle the s13 before you buy it, I had the SA for a week, returned due to the keyboard and the build quality

 

The screen on the Vaio S isn't that great either. It's matte, which is nice, but the colors are washed out and the contrast is pretty weak.

 

an annoying correction its semi matte, but yes the colors, contrast and the brightness arent that good, they are pretty average

 

I just brought the SPIGEN SGP UltraFine for my rMBP, it actually make the screen look like matte finish, reduce glare, and provide little protection since rMBP have no front glass element.
It was easy to install and no bubble if you are carefull during install.

 

interesting, I hope they make a 13'' size, Im still hoping for a 13'' retina (I want to lower the weight, not the same thing)

 

Then you can try Sony VAIO S15 which has IPS 15" with 1920x1080

 

orange problems? no screen is perfect

 

I had the new S15 with Ivy Bridge for a couple of weeks. Unbeatable deal - $900 with tax for the base i5 CPU and GF640M, with a free PS3! The screen is beautiful, I personally didnd't have a problem with the weak red color. I can't believe this orange/red thing is such a huge complaint, I'll take that orangey red IPS screen over any TN display any day. But I could not stand having the number pad on my laptop, I hate it because the keyboard is offer-centered from the screen. I just sold it to a friend.

I really really like the design of the S13, but the screen is HORRIBLE.

 

It's the only thing stopping me to buy S13P right now

 

I bought a sony vaio 13p just to see how the screen fair. I have yet to see a decent review on the 1600x900 screen. If it's washed out then I will be returning it. Will do a comparison between this and the mbpr. Hoping the screen doesn't look like the T13 version, cause it's terrible.

 

I've read the earlier posts so I'm up to speed here. If you're even considering a "non-Mac" then you should just get one. If you're considering a non-Mac then you're not going to be using OS X so what would be the point in considering a RMBP? It costs a lot more money and even if you're going to use OS X, from the posts you've been posting it doesn't sound like you'd be using it much, if not at all. Your money could be better spent buying a good quality PC notebook. Another thing to consider, you're going to have to modify your computing habits if you're going to try and make the RMBP a full-time Windows machine. The keyboard is a big thing. It's a Mac keyboard inside and out. It's not designed with Windows in mind at all. Others have already mentioned the trackpad and battery life which are optimized to be used under OS X, afterall it's a Mac. You're not just buying generic hardware that's OS agnostic. I said this before and I'm not sure you missed it or ignored it , "Ask yourself, if the RMBP didn't exist, what would do?". It's not like all else sucked before the RMBP came along.

 

As a rMBP user who is keeping it and running Windows 70% of the time, I'll add my 2 cents to this discussion as well.

First, the S15 is the closest you can get to the rMBP in terms of hardware and form factor. I played with one for a while but the build quality turned me away. I can't say I noticed the red/orange issue folks are complaining about, but I'm only moderately picky about such things.

Second, I've been using the rMBP now under Windows for a few months for database/statistics, graphics, and coding work, moderate gaming, and everyday tasks. I've gotten used to most of its foibles. Some notes:

1) The battery life is not as good under Windows as in MacOS, but I still get 3+ hours. If doing serious gaming, plug it in. When gaming, the fan is equivalent to most PCs I've used.
2) The trackpad is fine. If you're used to the MacOS trackpad with all the gestures, then yes, the Windows side pales in comparison. However, if you're used to the typical click and scroll PC trackpad, the rMBP trackpad works the same. A bluetooth mouse solves all problems.
3) The keyboard is slightly different. I mapped F12 to be a Windows-equivalent Delete key. I occasionally hit Function instead of Control. YMMV, but one gets used to it pretty quickly.
4) Running Windows in 2880x1920 took the most getting used to. Now I kind of like it, and my 24" 1920x1080 desktop monitor looks blown up and grainy.
5) All of the above said, I wish there was a PC equivalent to the rMBP size, weight, quality, and performance, with a high quality 1920x1080 IPS screen. I'd gladly pay $3K for it. Sadly, such a beast does not yet exist.

 

I get exactly what you are saying, and it make perfect sense. Just one tiny problem, the RMBP does exist. I'm not saying there aren't other good 15-inch PC notebook out there. But people need are different. I wish there are other 13-15inch notebook w/ good high-res screen(over 2k res and good color representation). While it's true that for most people, they can't use the screen at that high res 2880x1800. And for them I guess it make a lot of sense, if they can't leap that benefit, it's very not making sense and the OSX that works by binding pixel kinda works. The problem is, I can use the screen at that resolution and I prefer it running at native resolution. And I don't mean enlarge text to 125% or 150%, I use it at 100%. My eye sight happen to be that good. So, I end up getting rMBP and use it for Windows because there aren't any other. And I don't feel like waiting a year for two for other manufacturer to catch up in term of high-res resolution since they are too busy playing a number game.

 

Listen to this. If you want a great screen, consider something like a Thinkpad T530 (if you don't need a hardcore GPU) or a W530 (if you do) with a 1080p screen.

Windows 7 is not meant to handle the Retina machine's resolution, and things will either be insufferably small or scaled poory.

 

^

well....you didn't exactly pay attention to his post. he said his eyesight was good and he WOULD NOT use scaling.

 

He also said that his girlfriend would be using it 70% of the time, and he'd only be using it 30% of the time. Bet she'll LOVE that.

 

Did you all know that this laptop is completely integrated, meaning you cannot upgrade or replace your memory, hardrive or battery. Once you make a choice your stuck with it. If a mem chip goes bad you would need to replace the entire board same goes for the hard drive. I'm old school I like to have the choice to upgrade my memory or replace my drives. Thats the reason I did not buy a RMBP and bought an just the regular MBP.

 

I understand what you mean, I wouldn't mind if it's thicker also if I could have use normal HDD/SSD. But at least the SSD is replacable, it would void the warranty, but it's still replaceable. As far as memory goes, well the true is I have never seen a memory goes bad over time. I mean, I have some old stuff that's like Pentium 3 age and the memory never gone bad. I had bad memory stick before, but that's at the time of purchase. I think as long as you run something like memtest to stress them out while it was in warranty it should never gone bad via normal use.

 

SSD, Memory and battery are all integrated on the RMBP. You cannot change the SSD on it. Thats why it states on apples order site that once you make a choice your stuck with it.

 

Yes, you can, and soon you will be able to do so.

OWC Announces Mercury Aura Pro as Industry

Not that you'd want to because it's likely going to be quite expensive, but it will be an option.

 

On non Retina Macbook Pro yes you can replace the hard drives with the Retina MBP NO you cannot this is from Apples website

Your MacBook Pro comes standard with 256GB or 512GB of flash storage. Please note that the flash storage is built into the computer, so if you think you may need more storage capacity in the future, it is important to upgrade at the time of purchase.

 

Did you actually read the link I posted? The SSD in the Retina model can be removed and upgraded by the end user. It's just like the MacBook Air.