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Can we talk about the Retina MBP for just one second?
Yesterday was a really weird day for me.
It was not what I expected and perhaps, I should have expected that. In my mind, I was wrong about a lot of things, and my hopes were up for at least a really smoking iMac. I was kind of resorting myself to this potential future.
I have been wrong publicly here on this forum, and I apologize for being a doofus.
I am glad the speculation can now be based in more facts before this forum dissolves in to PC switchers and their “cheap” new hardware, virus scanners, and Google Sync. Godspeed to us all.
Moving on from that, have you taken a look at the Retina MBP specs?
What is this thing? It’s as if Apple has suddenly returned to the garage and started soldering CPUs to motherboards. IN a way, I am very taken aback. There isn’t anything like this in this form facotr anywhere. In other ways, it’s very limiting.
The bad: The Ram is not replaceable, hell, the whole thing is not replaceable. This isn’t good for a mobile beast. And what about developers? Don’t they usually run a few different OSes? I run a few different OSes and I am a video plebe. If we decide to stick with OSX all the way
The good: This is beyond SSD where you shove all the data down some sort of pipe. This is attaching the nitrous tank right to the carburetor. On Apple’s website, they are claiming to play 4, 8bit Uncompressed HD streams of video and 9 ProResHQ (both 1080p24) from the boot “drive”. That is pretty insane.
Nvidia of some sort
HDMI out
The rest is a Thunderbolt adaption, or if you’re in to USB3, then it’s also a USB3 hub.
The point: Didn’t Apple buy a flash chip maker a year or so ago? Is THIS, then, the future of Apple hardware? All flash all the time? They control the internals, and intel/Thunderbolt gives control to the externals? Next year we will see a flash based desktop with perhaps some PCIe slots, or maybe, just maybe, a new revision of thunderbolt?
I’m exhausted about thinking about this stuff. I have less idea of what to do then on June 21st, 2010. Part of me doesn’t care about what Apple’s future may entail, and then I start to think about a facility switch to Windows, and I start to care a little more again.
I need a truly mobile workstation until about the fall. The Retina MBP might just fit that ticket, but it makes me a little uneasy at how inaccessible it is, and unproven, but it sure seems to be a powerhouse in a small form factor.
Jeremy
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31 Replies
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I’m sure Apple would love to make the iPhone-replacement-equivalent in their traditional computing line, where people update every 1-2 years.
I just ordered the 16GB RAM upgrade for my 17″ (price dropped to $160 at OWC) and recently replaced the spinning mechanical drive with an SSD. I think the new MacBook Retina looks interesting, but I would have to purchase it fully stocked up front because there is no upgrade option. Therefore, if I do end up with a similar model in the future, it will probably be 1-2 revisions from now, depending on how things shake up.
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I’m in the same boat – a little shell-shocked still. I’m sitting here thinking the same thing about the new MacBook – trying to total all the stuff I can sell to get one – MacPro 2,1, 30″ Dell, my Dreamcolor? Kona 3, ioExpress? I really have to see the retina display and determine if I can work on it – since it has HDMI out you can attach just about any monitor including my Dreamcolor – or just grab a new Apple 27″? Maybe the display is easier on the eyes than current dual LCD set-up?
Head spinning, need sleep…
Lance Bachelder
Writer, Editor, Director
Irvine, California -
[Jeremy Garchow] “I have been wrong publicly here on this forum, and I apologize for being a doofus.”
What are you, a newbie or something. Nobody apologizes on this forum, not now, not ever. Plus I haven’t seen or heard the word doofus since I got out of high school – is the plural doofi or doofusses or doofusi?
“Never apologize, it’s a sign of weakness.”
John Wayne, “She Wore A Yellow Ribbon”Herb Sevush
Zebra Productions
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nothin’ attached to nothin’
“Deciding the spine is the process of editing” F. Bieberkopf -
[Jeremy Garchow] “Part of me doesn’t care about what Apple’s future may entail, and then I start to think about a facility switch to Windows, and I start to care a little more again.”
Yup.
[Jeremy Garchow] “I need a truly mobile workstation until about the fall. The Retina MBP might just fit that ticket, but it makes me a little uneasy at how inaccessible it is, and unproven, but it sure seems to be a powerhouse in a small form factor.
“Its a cool looking thing. I want one. I just don’t know the degree to which I’m on board any more. Of course, even if you order today, it looks like it will take a couple of weeks to a month to get it. My personal choice, with something like that is to wait awhile, for there WILL be bugs.
But, yeah–in general I’m feeling about how you are. Which way is up? I think its a little to the left. The Usher album is pretty good.
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I apologize for apologizing?
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[Jeremy Garchow] “PC switchers and their “cheap” new hardware, virus scanners, and Google Sync.”
In reverse order…
Google Sync works great on Macs.
I haven’t loaded anti-virus software onto a Windows machine ever. I’m sure that people here have. I haven’t met anyone face to face who has. OS-level protection is fine.
Both a new 15″ MBP and HP8560w will run you $4000-ish loaded for bear. Of course you can buy RAM and upgraded drives from non-mfr sources and come out ahead, and the HP at that price includes the Dreamcolor display, and you can get a nicely configured 17″ in a similar price range…and me being a dick aside, there’s a ton of Mac stuff that an HP doesn’t. I’m just saying that I think we’ve clearly established in this forum that there’s no cheap lunch with a pro machine from anyone. Nobody talking about building their own laptop.
And part of the debate is where you can find a better future. Everything’s fair game. LOL
But generally speaking, just looking at the MBP on its own terms, without reference to anything but itself… I agree with you that it’s a unique combination of “Unreal!!” and “Really?”
I certainly agree that the future is all solid state, especially in that form factor. Is a spinning drive even possible? Even if so, you’d torch the weight and battery life. Having lived with SSD drives for a while now, they’re so fast it looks like a mistake. Reboot? Blink and you miss it. I think you’re gonna go nuts for it.
[Chris Harlan] “Which way is up? I think its a little to the left. The Usher album is pretty good.”
Ha! I SWEAR I was about to start and Usher thread!!!!
Tim Wilson
Associate Publisher, Editor-in-Chief
Creative COW Magazine
Twitter: timdoubleyou -
[Jeremy Garchow] “I apologize for apologizing?”
No. Its Herb that needs to apologize. And, since we know he won’t do it, I’ll apologize for him. And THAT is something I will NOT apologize for.
I think I covered all bases there.
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[Tim Wilson] “and me being a dick aside, there’s a ton of Mac stuff that an HP doesn’t. I’m just saying that I think we’ve clearly established in this forum that there’s no cheap lunch with a pro machine from anyone.”
It’s not only that. I will need FCS3, probably FCPX, and CS6. The first two aren’t possible on Windows, the last I would need to repurchase, or upgrade something to Creative Cloud. Then I will need all the other OSX stuff that I don’t have Windows upgrades for and repurchase that shit. Then all of a sudden, it’s not so cheap. Although, these days, I think pretty much everything I have is cross platform save a few bits and bobs.
Portability is key this time around as I’ll need to work from where ever is convenient.
By the time that period is over, I will have to think about desktops again.
[Tim Wilson] “Even if so, you’d torch the weight and battery life. Having lived with SSD drives for a while now, they’re so fast it looks like a mistake. Reboot? Blink and you miss it. I think you’re gonna go nuts for it. “
I have one SSD machine, it’s awesome. I expect this to be even faster as it’s not locked to SATA. 4 streams of UC HD on an internal chipset? WTF? Too bad I can’t stick 4 arrays in there and get a couple of TBs out of it.
Hmm, sounds kind of like a NYTimes 2013 iMacPro possibility. I really wonder if these flash chips are Apple made.
I will have to go see one of these Retina’s first. One month lead time will be just about perfect. If not I’ll slum it out for a 17″ quad core MBP if I can find one.
Jeremy
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[Chris Harlan] “The Usher album is pretty good.”
Ha! Sweet!
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[Jeremy Garchow] “I am glad the speculation can now be based in more facts before this forum dissolves in to PC switchers and their “cheap” new hardware, virus scanners, and Google Sync. Godspeed to us all.”
Yes, it’d be tough to switch to a Windows platform and have to deal with malware like this.
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