[PCWorld]

Post your comments for Retina MacBook Pro vs. PC Laptops: Who Wins? here

[waldojim]

I think the author is missing a few key aspects of the comparison when he decided to drag the Asus machine into this battle. For example, you can lug two of the Macs in the same bag as one Asus. The Macs will still be lighter, still require less space, still run quieter, and have hours upon hours more battery life.

Apple did well with this machine. I am a bit disappointed that they removed the optical drive, as I still need it, but it is obvious this machine isn't catering to my needs. That machine has a wonderfully powerful video card though, and is more tempting than ever for me.

[DlBetty]

The refresh of the Macbook Pro that does not have the retina display is phenomenal if you don't want the retina display check that out along with the lower pricing and storage configurable to 3TB. That is not a hard sell. That being said the new MBP with retina display is as you said drool-worthy. ( I hate that term)

[DavidJefferson]

waldojim, on 12 June 2012 - 09:12 AM, said:

I think the author is missing a few key aspects of the comparison when he decided to drag the Asus machine into this battle. For example, you can lug two of the Macs in the same bag as one Asus. The Macs will still be lighter, still require less space, still run quieter, and have hours upon hours more battery life.

Apple did well with this machine. I am a bit disappointed that they removed the optical drive, as I still need it, but it is obvious this machine isn't catering to my needs. That machine has a wonderfully powerful video card though, and is more tempting than ever for me.

Not quite sure what you're talking about. Asus laptops weight 9lbs?

I'll keep my Asus ux31a Zenbook Prime that weighs 3lbs and full HD IPS display. Thanks.

[mknippen]

It's people that make and read articles like this that are making Asus and other computers.

Comparing specs of a standard HDD to a SSD?
How about weight? thickness?

Try taking a look at the new MBP, and then look at the ASUS. Which one would you want to carry, hold or even use?

Didn't PCWorld also say that the iPad was going to fail a couple years ago?

[icpaul]

mknippen, on 12 June 2012 - 10:10 AM, said:

It's people that make and read articles like this that are making Asus and other computers.

Comparing specs of a standard HDD to a SSD?
How about weight? thickness?

Try taking a look at the new MBP, and then look at the ASUS. Which one would you want to carry, hold or even use?

Didn't PCWorld also say that the iPad was going to fail a couple years ago?

Let's not lose the forest for the trees, here folks. Perhaps the Asus comparison was too extreme and I should have picked lighter and even cheaper examples like the HP Envy 15 or a Toshiba Satellite. But the overall point, I think, still stands: the new Retina MBP will be an aspirational device for most people due to the price tag, but as these Air-like systems become the norm for MacBooks the prices will drop and then other PC makers better watch out.

[WilMartin]

DavidJefferson, on 12 June 2012 - 10:01 AM, said:

waldojim, on 12 June 2012 - 09:12 AM, said:

I think the author is missing a few key aspects of the comparison when he decided to drag the Asus machine into this battle. For example, you can lug two of the Macs in the same bag as one Asus. The Macs will still be lighter, still require less space, still run quieter, and have hours upon hours more battery life.

Apple did well with this machine. I am a bit disappointed that they removed the optical drive, as I still need it, but it is obvious this machine isn't catering to my needs. That machine has a wonderfully powerful video card though, and is more tempting than ever for me.

Not quite sure what you're talking about. Asus laptops weight 9lbs?

I'll keep my Asus ux31a Zenbook Prime that weighs 3lbs and full HD IPS display. Thanks.

The asus laptop mentioned in the above article is the g74 -- which is a desktop replacement gaming laptop. It is a true power house but accordingly it is ~2.3" thick and weighs 8.2 lbs. Along with the estimated battery life of just under 2 hours. In comparison to your zenbook ultrabook, the new MBP is significantly more powerful. (edit: wanted to make sure to mention how the mac costs more than twice as much as the zenbook for that power)...

This post has been edited by WilMartin: 12 June 2012 - 10:27 AM

[SamDovels]

Windows PC's have a problem when it comes to ultra high resolution displays, and that is that everything get's so small that you can barely use it. It will be good for pictures and HD videos, but that's about it. I don't know about Mac's OS, but the iOS on the iPhone & iPod's are much better designed, that regardless of screen resolution, the OS still looks the same, just with a sharper image. Same is with Android phones.

It does has one advantage that if you take a monitor big enough, you can fit more icons and see more information at once.

But - A Windows laptop with a retina display will be just unusable.

Let's see if Windows 8 will be better in that regard.

[StevenClauson]

DavidJefferson, on 12 June 2012 - 10:01 AM, said:

waldojim, on 12 June 2012 - 09:12 AM, said:

I think the author is missing a few key aspects of the comparison when he decided to drag the Asus machine into this battle. For example, you can lug two of the Macs in the same bag as one Asus. The Macs will still be lighter, still require less space, still run quieter, and have hours upon hours more battery life.

Apple did well with this machine. I am a bit disappointed that they removed the optical drive, as I still need it, but it is obvious this machine isn't catering to my needs. That machine has a wonderfully powerful video card though, and is more tempting than ever for me.

Not quite sure what you're talking about. Asus laptops weight 9lbs?

I'll keep my Asus ux31a Zenbook Prime that weighs 3lbs and full HD IPS display. Thanks.

Not quite sure what you're talking about, because the Asus G75VW (which was made as a comparison in the article above) doesn't weigh 9lbs, it weighs 15lbs. The point being, it is a hulking beast, and the Macbook is similarly spec'd (albeit with a 650m rather than a 660GTX, because it's not a gaming laptop like the Asus is) and ONE THIRD of the weight, to say nothing of the 2880x1800 IPS LCD which itself is worth a significant portion of that pricetag, in my opinion.

This post has been edited by StevenClauson: 12 June 2012 - 03:15 PM

[StevenClauson]

SamDovels, on 12 June 2012 - 11:56 AM, said:

Windows PC's have a problem when it comes to ultra high resolution displays, and that is that everything get's so small that you can barely use it. It will be good for pictures and HD videos, but that's about it. I don't know about Mac's OS, but the iOS on the iPhone & iPod's are much better designed, that regardless of screen resolution, the OS still looks the same, just with a sharper image. Same is with Android phones.

It does has one advantage that if you take a monitor big enough, you can fit more icons and see more information at once.

But - A Windows laptop with a retina display will be just unusable.

Let's see if Windows 8 will be better in that regard.

Right-click desktop, screen resolution, make text or other items larger or smaller, set custom text size (DPI), profit. And if you need pretty icons then bust out Photoshop. Problem solved. Don't put the OS down just because you don't know how to use it.

[Evildave]

That works for 'most' applications, but not all. Lots of stuff (especially things with custom UIs) don't play well with the font DPI settings.

You can change that, if you like, but a lot of things will go all wonky as a result.

[Evildave]

BTW, (admittedly self-projecting as 'most people'), 'most people' who are interested in this computer are keenly interested in the retina display.

I mean, that's even higher resolution than my 27" 2560x1440 (1440p) monitors. Double the resolution in both directions (4x) of my very serviceable 13" Macbook Air.

So comparing it with 'regular' notebooks isn't really applicable to the customers who are looking at BUYING this machine.

People mostly ALREADY HAVE 'regular' notebooks. But here's a smallish, lightish one with a super-duper display, and relatively kick-ass specs. By the time you get most notebooks configured near that level, they're well nigh as expensive, if not more expensive. Minus the pretty display, battery life, and/or slimness.

But it can't be had. 2~3 weeks if you order it. Nobody, not even the local Apple Store, has one to even demo, yet. As there were other people asking about it in the brief time it took me to walk in and ask someone, I project that even when the local Apple Store gets some, they will all be gone, PDQ.

And in the article, comparing a smallish SSD to a hard disk? Really? SSD isn't only the downsides of less storage and more expensive. It's SUBSTANTIALLY faster and more resistant to shock, too. Get a cheaper, bulkier, bigger, more fragile mechanical drive in there, and you're going to have to get a computer that can do RAID 0 on a pair of them, just to get HALF the performance.

And I somehow doubt that by the time notebook displays with at least 150DPI eventually show up for other brands, that those notebooks will be 'inexpensive', either.

[waldojim]

DavidJefferson, on 12 June 2012 - 10:01 AM, said:

waldojim, on 12 June 2012 - 09:12 AM, said:

I think the author is missing a few key aspects of the comparison when he decided to drag the Asus machine into this battle. For example, you can lug two of the Macs in the same bag as one Asus. The Macs will still be lighter, still require less space, still run quieter, and have hours upon hours more battery life.

Apple did well with this machine. I am a bit disappointed that they removed the optical drive, as I still need it, but it is obvious this machine isn't catering to my needs. That machine has a wonderfully powerful video card though, and is more tempting than ever for me.

Not quite sure what you're talking about. Asus laptops weight 9lbs?

I'll keep my Asus ux31a Zenbook Prime that weighs 3lbs and full HD IPS display. Thanks.

Interestingly, you managed to ignore the machine in the article that I was referencing, and bring in a completely different beast that has nothing to do with the discussion at all and pretend it was relevant.

Go look into the Asus GAMING machine lineup, you know, like the one brought up in the article.

[Liftline]

Thank you, Ian ... for being among the first writers to observe that the new MacBook Pro is a tad overpriced. In my view the entire Mac lineup is STILL much to expensive compared to the Windows machines, so their prices have to drop a LOT before I'll consider replacing my present lineup of a MBA and a workhorse Windows laptop.

It's all very nice if you want (and can afford) the latest bling. But at a certain point some of the snazzy new specs aren't really all that meaningful in daily use.

[OZZWiiLLD]

Well it seems as though the company is moving in a direction that Steve Jobs would have wanted it to...

[JordanMoore]

waldojim, on 12 June 2012 - 09:12 AM, said:

I think the author is missing a few key aspects of the comparison when he decided to drag the Asus machine into this battle. For example, you can lug two of the Macs in the same bag as one Asus. The Macs will still be lighter, still require less space, still run quieter, and have hours upon hours more battery life.

Apple did well with this machine. I am a bit disappointed that they removed the optical drive, as I still need it, but it is obvious this machine isn't catering to my needs. That machine has a wonderfully powerful video card though, and is more tempting than ever for me.

Perhaps you could purchase an external optical drive to use when you need it, and to leave when you dont?? That is what I plan on doing when I purchase mine. Just my opinion!

[RobertoRecine]

Macbook Pro: no USB 3.0, no SATA III support, no faster RAM, no Thundebolt...only a bit faster processor and a retina display. Typical Apple product, only the price remains consistent. Fanboys will only be worried about where the line starts and how to pay off the credit card. Good luck.

[nonseq]

RobertoRecine, on 13 June 2012 - 06:00 AM, said:

Macbook Pro: no USB 3.0, no SATA III support, no faster RAM, no Thundebolt...only a bit faster processor and a retina display. Typical Apple product, only the price remains consistent. Fanboys will only be worried about where the line starts and how to pay off the credit card. Good luck.

Roberto you might want to invest a couple of seconds of your time and do some actual research. Your information seems to be partly or mostly faulty.

MagSafe 2 power port
Two Thunderbolt ports (up to 10 Gbps)
Two USB 3 ports (up to 5 Gbps)

[RobertoRecine]

nonseq, on 13 June 2012 - 06:06 AM, said:

RobertoRecine, on 13 June 2012 - 06:00 AM, said:

Macbook Pro: no USB 3.0, no SATA III support, no faster RAM, no Thundebolt...only a bit faster processor and a retina display. Typical Apple product, only the price remains consistent. Fanboys will only be worried about where the line starts and how to pay off the credit card. Good luck.

Roberto you might want to invest a couple of seconds of your time and do some actual research. Your information seems to be partly or mostly faulty.

MagSafe 2 power port
Two Thunderbolt ports (up to 10 Gbps)
Two USB 3 ports (up to 5 Gbps)

Sorry read it on Engadget http://www.engadget....o-refresh-2013/, not my fault. What about the SATA III and RAM?

[RobertoRecine]

nonseq, on 13 June 2012 - 06:06 AM, said:

RobertoRecine, on 13 June 2012 - 06:00 AM, said:

Macbook Pro: no USB 3.0, no SATA III support, no faster RAM, no Thundebolt...only a bit faster processor and a retina display. Typical Apple product, only the price remains consistent. Fanboys will only be worried about where the line starts and how to pay off the credit card. Good luck.

Roberto you might want to invest a couple of seconds of your time and do some actual research. Your information seems to be partly or mostly faulty.

MagSafe 2 power port
Two Thunderbolt ports (up to 10 Gbps)
Two USB 3 ports (up to 5 Gbps)

Sorry read it on Engadget http://www.engadget....-refresh-2013/. What about SATA III and RAM?