MacSparky has spoken. And MacFilos has duly taken note. David Sparks has lived with his new MacBook Retina for ten days and is pretty smitten:
I ordered one with the idea that I’d try it for a week or so and then decide whether I keep it and sell the MacBook Pro or return it and stick with my existing laptop. I bought the second tier model with the 1.2GHz dual-core processor, 8GB of Ram and 512GB SSD in space gray. It’s been a lot of fun kicking the tires.
The question is whether the new MacBook, with its limited performance, single port interface and short-travel keys, is a suitable road-warrior companion. Obvious alternative, as David says, is the 13in Retina MacBook Pro:
In a lot of ways, I think the 13 inch MacBook Pro is the best laptop that Apple currently makes. It has plenty under the hood along with a retina screen and is more mobile than the 15 inch MacBook Pro. My wife has a 13 inch MacBook Pro and I’ve spent plenty of time using it. However, that machine still comes with many of the same issues I experience with its bigger sibling, including weight and heat.
As David readily admits, the new MacBook isn’t for everybody. He argues that it isn’t for most people because of the large number of compromises. But are these compromises worth it for David?
Stuck at the Apple Store in Covent Garden trying to decide between the 1.2GHz MacBook and the higher-spec MacBook Pro retina at £1,729. It’s an impossible choice. The little MacBook is gorgeous, although the space grey is far lighter than I imagined. I had expected it to be near black. The keyboard takes a bit of getting used to but after five minutes I was feeling more at home. Then straight over to the MBP and it is familiar territory: Lovely keyboard, great display with more screen-estate. The main downside is the weight, not the footprint, while the price of £1729 is not a great deal more than the 1.2GHz MacBook. You certainly get a lot more for your money. While I rather like the idea of the single port on the MacBook, the pethora of ports, including SD card) makes the MBP a more complete road warrior. The MacBook is still on backorder whereas the MBP is in stock, even with the higher specification. It’s a tremendously difficult choice. I want the MacBook but probably need the MacBook Pro.