Which new MacBook Pro to get

[strode420]

Also worth pointing out that the new MacBook Pro laptops do not include an ethernet port.
That means DJs must have a dongle to connect to CDJ-2000s.

This is just the retina model that doesn't have ethernet. the non-retina model still has ethernet. Although i have yet to meet one single person who actually runs their setup this way.

Only the hardest of the hardcore fanboys will be buying the retina model (i hope). There's no real point in owning one. The screen resolution on the standard pros is already high enough as it is.

Why would you be a fanboy for going for the retina version? It's the same price as the high end 15" non-retina.

No firewire, no ethernet, no CD drive, can't fix/replace the ram, the memory drive, the screen, the battery, or any other part of the computer yourself. All that in exchange for some uber-high screen resolution that you don't even need? Not to mention Apple blatantly trying to fool the average consumer by telling them they can't fit 16gb of ram in the non-retina but they can in the retina (both will hold 16 but Apple only says the retina will). Not to mention Apple marking up the price for the RAM by like 400% over retail.

Screen resolution that high is completely unnecessary, especially with audio applications.

[synnack]

No firewire, no ethernet, no CD drive, can't fix/replace the ram, the memory drive, the screen, the battery, or any other part of the computer yourself. All that in exchange for some uber-high screen resolution that you don't even need? Not to mention Apple blatantly trying to fool the average consumer by telling them they can't fit 16gb of ram in the non-retina but they can in the retina (both will hold 16 but Apple only says the retina will). Not to mention Apple marking up the price for the RAM by like 400% over retail.

Screen resolution that high is completely unnecessary, especially with audio applications.

Personal needs:

Haven't used CD drive or ethernet in years. don't care.
Would need to get USB instead of Firewire interface. Sucks but eh
RAM Upgrade: don't care. by the time i'd need more RAM i'd want a new laptop anyway.

What I get? don't really care about Retina display. I care that I can power 3 screens at once. That's amazing for a laptop. Plus price point for SSD drive cheaper to get that model than the other one and buy the same size SSD drive.

[JMFOne]

[/quote]

No firewire, no ethernet, no CD drive, can't fix/replace the ram, the memory drive, the screen, the battery, or any other part of the computer yourself. All that in exchange for some uber-high screen resolution that you don't even need? Not to mention Apple blatantly trying to fool the average consumer by telling them they can't fit 16gb of ram in the non-retina but they can in the retina (both will hold 16 but Apple only says the retina will). Not to mention Apple marking up the price for the RAM by like 400% over retail.

Screen resolution that high is completely unnecessary, especially with audio applications.[/quote}

I agree with alot of this. I think for 90% of the time the high resolution will be a hindrance rather than a feature. Until the gpus get better it is just going to be a drag on performance. It's a step in the right direction but it could be at least a year until applications have started taking advantage of it. And by advantage of it I mean making it as fast or pretty as the non-retina version with half the resolution 2 years ago.

In all honesty it's barely any thinner or lighter. It does have much less glare though which is nice.

Slightly more relevent is that "Ableton looks like shit" on it apparently to quote gearslutz.

I'm definitely going non-retina lol.

[strode420]

Also, with 2880-by-1800 resolution, aren't all your vst's going to be like a square inch? My Imac has 2560-by-something and even at that resolution on a LARGER screen, i can hardly see some of my vst's (often i'll drag them onto my 32" monitor that is only 1500x800 ish and then they are HUGE), so how tiny are they going to be when you have higher resolution on a smaller monitor? I'm picturing a bunch of fan boys squinting at their screen from two inches away because the vst windows are so tiny.

[JMFOne]

Also, with 2880-by-1800 resolution, aren't all your vst's going to be like a square inch? My Imac has 2560-by-something and even at that resolution on a LARGER screen, i can hardly see some of my vst's (often i'll drag them onto my 32" monitor that is only 1500x800 ish and then they are HUGE), so how tiny are they going to be when you have higher resolution on a smaller monitor? I'm picturing a bunch of fan boys squinting at their screen from two inches away because the vst windows are so tiny.

Actually it's abit of an unknown. There is coding that keeps text at an adequate size (Apple are obviously aware that everything could end up being tiny)so potentially VSTs too.

[chasting]

There is currently a compatibility issue with 10.7.4, 2012 Macbook Pro and USB 2.0 sound interfaces.

There are a couple work arounds:

1. The non-retina version come with 10.7.3 which works fine with USB 2.0 sound interfaces
2. Using KEXT Wizard, some have been able to "downgrade" the 10.7.4 IOUSBFamily kext to a 10.7.3 version to get USB 2.0 interfaces working. (search on Native Instruments Forums for a detailed steps).

Apple and Native Instruments (my interface) are aware of the issue and are supposed to be working on a solution (been a couple weeks since reporting and no word yet)

Curt

[dysanfel]

I have never seen so much hate over a stupid laptop. If you don't want it don't buy it....geez.