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[Dreams-Visions]

It's really just the 768GB SSD drive that cost so much there. SSD prices are insane still. That 768GB probably goes for $800+ straight up by itself. A 600GB one costs $800+ on newegg.com

That's why it's nice to be able to upgrade when you need parts instead of up front at the time of system purchase.

16GB of ram (2 sticks) used to be $1,600. Now it's what? $130 at the most? That was just 2 years ago. 2 years ago, 160GB SSD was $350-$450. Now you can get 512GB of ram for that money.

This is why I'm extraordinarily reluctant to leave the current laptop standard, where the HDD and ram are upgradable. Sure, that 768GB SSD is $800 now, but how much will it be this time in 2013? Half that price? 1/4 that price? And when it is it will also be more refined and faster. These super-thin laptops are cool and all, but fuck man...anything affordable basically has a 2-year lifespan. And dude's $3800 investment is probably only good for 3 or 4, depending on his needs and professional applications. It all just makes me a sad panda is all. I'd really like to stick with Apple, but my size (17") has been phased out and the upgradable MBP's don't have the upgraded display. As such, this is probably going to be my last MBP.

 

[Iacobellis]

That's why it's nice to be able to upgrade when you need parts instead of up front at the time of system purchase.

16GB of ram (2 sticks) used to be $1,600. Now it's what? $130 at the most? That was just 2 years ago. 2 years ago, 160GB SSD was $350-$450. Now you can get 512GB of ram for that money.

This is why I'm extraordinarily reluctant to leave the current laptop standard, where the HDD and ram are upgradable. Sure, that 768GB SSD is $800 now, but how much will it be this time in 2013? Half that price? 1/4 that price? And when it is it will also be more refined and faster.

What? I don't think 16GB costed more than the average computer in 2010. Maybe 10 years ago, when everyone had about 512MB of RAM, but not two years ago.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

What? I don't think 16GB costed more than the average computer in 2010. Maybe 10 years ago, when everyone had about 512MB of RAM, but not two years ago.

It did. I remember distinctly because I was shopping for more ram back then. The very first guy that added 16GB of ram to his MBP was posting on macrumors and the discussion was surrounding whether these MBP's could even support 16GB of ram (they could, as we all know now).

Remember: we're talking about 2x8GB laptop sticks, not multiple 2GB or 4GB sticks. In 2010, the shit was unheard of in laptops unless you had a big, thick laptop that had 4 ram slots (like Elitebook Workstations and Clevos where you could go 4x4GB). Those Elitebooks support 32GB of ram, btw. 4x8GB.

 

[Iacobellis]

It did. I remember distinctly because I was shopping for more ram back then. The very first guy that added 16GB of ram to his MBP was posting on macrumors and the discussion was surrounding whether these MBP's could even support 16GB of ram (they could, as we all know now).

And you are speaking of RAM purchased from Amazon, Newegg, OWC, etc.? Not the overpriced sticks from Apple?

 

[Dreams-Visions]

And you are speaking of RAM purchased from Amazon, Newegg, OWC, etc.? Not the overpriced sticks from Apple?

That's correct. Apple didn't offer 16GB ram upgrades in 2010. Or 2011, for that matter. Not when I bought my MBP (Spring, though I wouldn't have bought it from them anyway because I have a brain lol).

 

[Iacobellis]

That's correct. Apple didn't offer 16GB ram upgrades in 2010. Or 2011, for that matter. Not when I bought my MBP (Spring, though I wouldn't have bought it from them anyway because I have a brain lol).

Wow. I still remember when TB hard drives started showing up around 6 years ago and it costed around $300 for 1TB. Now a 256GB SSD costs less!

Also, I am surprised Apple only offers a 16GB RAM upgrade for the Retina laptops, despite the other Pros being able to support it. They could easily make more money from the less aware customers.

 

[TUSR]

I so regret getting 256GB SSD on my 15" rMBP.

 

[Iacobellis]

I so regret getting 256GB SSD on my 15" rMBP.

I felt I would be fine with it, but even with a 512GB I know I will be strapped for space in the next few years. Got my first DSLR this year, and boy do RAW files take up space quick.

 

[Emitan]

What are the odds 256GB will be the standard on the 2013 Macbook Air? I can't afford to pay $300 for it but I'm afraid 128GB will not be enough.

 

[Iacobellis]

What are the odds 256GB will be the standard on the 2013 Macbook Air? I can't afford to pay $300 for it but I'm afraid 128GB will not be enough.

I wouldn't count on it, more likely a price drop on the upgrade.

 

[CrudeDiatribe]

Got my first DSLR this year, and boy do RAW files take up space quick.

Hint: Be murderous with deleting bad photos. Once the bad are gone, only keep the very best of a set of good photos of the same subject/time.

 

[CrudeDiatribe]

What are the odds 256GB will be the standard on the 2013 Macbook Air? I can't afford to pay $300 for it but I'm afraid 128GB will not be enough.

I know you have a PC desktop, so serve big media files off your PC. iTunes on Windows will stream to the Mac, and then you only need to keep only a small collection of favourites on the Air.

Edit: whoops, double post. One thousand apologies.

 

[Emitan]

I know you have a PC desktop, so serve big media files off your PC. iTunes on Windows will stream to the Mac, and then you only need to keep only a small collection of favourites on the Air.

Edit: whoops, double post. One thousand apologies.

Good point. I didn't even think of that.

 

[Iacobellis]

Hint: Be murderous with deleting bad photos. Once the bad are gone, only keep the very best of a set of good photos of the same subject/time.

That's what I have been doing! I will eventually just keep the entire library on an external HDD if worst comes to worst.

EDIT: Question to anyone, would running a game at a scaled resolution (such as 1680x1050) on a Retina machine make the game look pixelated at all? Like, what should I run the game at so it looks fine, other than 2880x1800?

 

[Skel1ingt0n]

That's it - I've decided - I'm definitely going to sell my 2007 Alu 24" iMac, and am going to upgrade to a 15" Retina MacBook Pro.

I've been back and forth on my setup - I currently have a gaming PC, 24" iMac, and a work Windows laptop that I'm forced to use. Two desktops side-by-side is kind of silly; but I wasn't sure I wanted to do a laptop if I have to use another laptop for work all the time anyway. After many Apple Store visits, I've come to the following conclusions.

- I want Retina. I have an iPhone 5 and a iPad 3. I'm ready for a retina computer.
- I use my iMac as a supplementary computer - hosts media, I edit photos, I watch movies, etc; all things that a laptop, that I can bring around with me, would be perfect for
- The 650m isn't great by any means; but it will be nice when my buddies and I LAN every few months - it'll run the games we play just fine - TF2, CS:Go, Sins of a Solar, etc.
-I used to have Apple laptops before I got my work windows laptop; and I've always argued that Apple makes the best laptops on the market
-My desk is only so big; when I work from home, I have to unplug my iMac and set it on the floor to use my work laptop. A setup where I can simply flip laptops seems much better

Anyhoo; I'm thinking I can get about $600 for my iMac. Brings the rMBP to $1600. Still a crap-ton of money. So, while I could just charge it today; I think I'm gonna hold out for a refresh. We're all still thinking June, correct? If that's the case, I should be able to have the cash saved up.

 

[Dreams-Visions]

Refreshes typically show up in March. I'd definitely wait. Unless you need a new laptop now, of course.

 

[Iacobellis]

That's it - I've decided - I'm definitely going to sell my 2007 Alu 24" iMac, and am going to upgrade to a 15" Retina MacBook Pro.

I've been back and forth on my setup - I currently have a gaming PC, 24" iMac, and a work Windows laptop that I'm forced to use. Two desktops side-by-side is kind of silly; but I wasn't sure I wanted to do a laptop if I have to use another laptop for work all the time anyway. After many Apple Store visits, I've come to the following conclusions.

- I want Retina. I have an iPhone 5 and a iPad 3. I'm ready for a retina computer.
- I use my iMac as a supplementary computer - hosts media, I edit photos, I watch movies, etc; all things that a laptop, that I can bring around with me, would be perfect for
- The 650m isn't great by any means; but it will be nice when my buddies and I LAN every few months - it'll run the games we play just fine - TF2, CS:Go, Sins of a Solar, etc.
-I used to have Apple laptops before I got my work windows laptop; and I've always argued that Apple makes the best laptops on the market
-My desk is only so big; when I work from home, I have to unplug my iMac and set it on the floor to use my work laptop. A setup where I can simply flip laptops seems much better

Anyhoo; I'm thinking I can get about $600 for my iMac. Brings the rMBP to $1600. Still a crap-ton of money. So, while I could just charge it today; I think I'm gonna hold out for a refresh. We're all still thinking June, correct? If that's the case, I should be able to have the cash saved up.

The longer you wait, the less value your iMac continues to hold. Did you upgrade yours at all? My parents use the same machine (Intel C2D, 2GB RAM, 500GB HDD) five years later.

 

[Skel1ingt0n]

The longer you wait, the less value your iMac continues to hold. Did you upgrade yours at all? My parents use the same machine (Intel C2D, 2GB RAM, 500GB HDD) five years later.

Yeah, I think I'm going to go ahead and list the iMac on Craigslist for $600 and see if I get any bites. If I sell it early, I can certainly *survive* without it until I get something to replace it.

It's a 24" top-of-the-line from that refresh: 2.8Ghz C2D "Extreme Edition", 500GB, 4GB, ATI2600XT.

It works fine - but the screen just doesn't hold a candle to the new iMacs, let alone the rMBP. The HDD feels ancient compared to SSD. The graphics card can barely handle anything. It's fine for surfing the net, Word, music, etc. But more pro-oriented apps now chug quite a bit, especially when I start messing with large files.

 

[Iacobellis]

Yeah, I think I'm going to go ahead and list the iMac on Craigslist for $600 and see if I get any bites. If I sell it early, I can certainly *survive* without it until I get something to replace it.

It's a 24" top-of-the-line from that refresh: 2.8Ghz C2D "Extreme Edition", 500GB, 4GB, ATI2600XT.

It works fine - but the screen just doesn't hold a candle to the new iMacs, let alone the rMBP. The HDD feels ancient compared to SSD. The graphics card can barely handle anything. It's fine for surfing the net, Word, music, etc. But more pro-oriented apps now chug quite a bit, especially when I start messing with large files.

Wow, we didn't even go that all out! I agree with you on the screen, especially how dim it has gotten after so much use. The hard drive is loud, and the RAM is only 677 MHz, I think.

 

[polyh3dron]

Yeah, I think I'm going to go ahead and list the iMac on Craigslist for $600 and see if I get any bites. If I sell it early, I can certainly *survive* without it until I get something to replace it.

It's a 24" top-of-the-line from that refresh: 2.8Ghz C2D "Extreme Edition", 500GB, 4GB, ATI2600XT.

It works fine - but the screen just doesn't hold a candle to the new iMacs, let alone the rMBP. The HDD feels ancient compared to SSD. The graphics card can barely handle anything. It's fine for surfing the net, Word, music, etc. But more pro-oriented apps now chug quite a bit, especially when I start messing with large files.

At least you don't have to worry about repercussions for being sold a Mac before its release date.

 

[victreeb3l]

posting from my new macbook pro. woop! its my first mac ever and im already stumbling all over but ill spend some time learning this. but boy do i love this thing. such an incredible piece of hardware. i spent like 15 minutes just admiring this thing before i turned it on lol. i love all the little animations and flourishes in OS X.

few things:

- any tips to make this run as smooth as possible? i thought the wallpaper slideshow was awesome but it made the laptop run noticeably sluggish so i turned it off.

- can i upgrade my ram to 16gb and add an SSD? i currently have the i5 / 4 gb set up and it can definitely use a boost. this is the ram i plan on purchasing, should work fine right?

- doing so, will that void my warranty? also, any suggestions on a toolkit to take this thing apart?

- what are some essential apps i should download?

- i wanna get this cable to hook it up to my monitor. anyone have other suggestions or should this suffice?

i probably have a hundred more questions but im very excited so i cant think properly.

 

[Skel1ingt0n]

Wow, we didn't even go that all out! I agree with you on the screen, especially how dim it has gotten after so much use. The hard drive is loud, and the RAM is only 677 MHz, I think.

Yeah - it's amazing, too, how the thing felt absolutely bleeding edge when I got it. I was in awe at the *GORGEOUS* display, the immaculately thin chassis, the lightening-fast CPU, and of course, four whole gigs of RAM! I came from 1.25 on my CD 1st-gen Macbook, so I didn't even know what to do with myself. And I could play TF2 on medium settings at like 30fps.

It's still a great computer; I love it to bits. It's treated me well, and still has plenty of life - it'd be great for anyone looking for an iMac for mid-tier tasks. But for me, it's the hardware just isn't there. Outside of doing photo work on it, I rarely choose to work on it over my gaming rig. I'm still running Snow Leopard. I miss OSX and am eagerly looking forward to having all my devices in a "new" ecosystem again.

 

[Iacobellis]

Yeah - it's amazing, too, how the thing felt absolutely bleeding edge when I got it. I was in awe at the *GORGEOUS* display, the immaculately thin chassis, the lightening-fast CPU, and of course, four whole gigs of RAM! I came from 1.25 on my CD 1st-gen Macbook, so I didn't even know what to do with myself. And I could play TF2 on medium settings at like 30fps.

It's still a great computer; I love it to bits. It's treated me well, and still has plenty of life - it'd be great for anyone looking for an iMac for mid-tier tasks. But for me, it's the hardware just isn't there. Outside of doing photo work on it, I rarely choose to work on it over my gaming rig. I'm still running Snow Leopard. I miss OSX and am eagerly looking forward to having all my devices in a "new" ecosystem again.

Yep, I know exactly what you mean. Crazy how five years feels like fifty in the computer world! Even the leap from my mid 2009 15" MBP to a 2012 15" rMBP is amazing.

 

[CrudeDiatribe]

i wanna get this cable to hook it up to my monitor. anyone have other suggestions or should this suffice?

I have one, works great. It doesn't work to connect to a VGA display, as it doesn't convert to analog and provide that signal even though there are many displayport and DVI VGA adapters.

what are some essential apps i should download?

We have a thread: OS X Apps |OT| Tame the cougar

 

[Brother Sport]

- what are some essential apps i should download?

The Verge posted this list of apps a couple of days ago and it's mostly good, be sure to check out the comments section too.

 

[RBH]

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had previously outlined his expectations for Apple's 2013 plans back in June. The predictions in the top-portion of the graph above have already come true. Kuo expects that the MacBook Pro will consolidate back into a single hardware line next year. The new MacBook line will also use Intel's new Haswell chips which are expected between March and June 2013.

Haswell will incorporate CPU performance boosts as well as double the performance of the integrated GPU. This added GPU performance would be helpful if Apple does standardize on Retina Displays across the entire MacBook line in 2013.

http://www.macrumors.com/2012/12/28/apple-to-update-macbook-pro-and-macbook-air-in-june-2013/

 

[Deku Tree]

I just bought one of these... liking it so far.

 

[Skel1ingt0n]

http://www.macrumors.com/2012/12/28/apple-to-update-macbook-pro-and-macbook-air-in-june-2013/

I think it's an inevitability the Retina line will "overtake" the normal Macbook Pro models. That said, I can't help but think that Apple will be stupid and forfeit dedicated GPUs in the base-line 15" unit.

Yeah, $1799 is great for a Retina 15" laptop - but if I still have to bump up to the next model to get a dedicated GPU, then it's a worthless price reduction for me.

 

[Iacobellis]

I think it's an inevitability the Retina line will "overtake" the normal Macbook Pro models. That said, I can't help but think that Apple will be stupid and forfeit dedicated GPUs in the base-line 15" unit.

Yeah, $1799 is great for a Retina 15" laptop - but if I still have to bump up to the next model to get a dedicated GPU, then it's a worthless price reduction for me.

Well, Haswell (Intel HD 4600) is supposed to offer double the performance of Ivy Bridge. It might be good for the slightly lower resolution of the 13" model. I feel the rMBP may be like the Air for a while. That thing launched at $1799 with a minuscule 64GB SSD. Now it's the cheapest laptop from Apple and is pretty comparable to the competition.

 

[fireside]

That's why it's nice to be able to upgrade when you need parts instead of up front at the time of system purchase.

16GB of ram (2 sticks) used to be $1,600. Now it's what? $130 at the most? That was just 2 years ago. 2 years ago, 160GB SSD was $350-$450. Now you can get 512GB of ram for that money.

This is why I'm extraordinarily reluctant to leave the current laptop standard, where the HDD and ram are upgradable. Sure, that 768GB SSD is $800 now, but how much will it be this time in 2013? Half that price? 1/4 that price? And when it is it will also be more refined and faster. These super-thin laptops are cool and all, but fuck man...anything affordable basically has a 2-year lifespan. And dude's $3800 investment is probably only good for 3 or 4, depending on his needs and professional applications. It all just makes me a sad panda is all. I'd really like to stick with Apple, but my size (17") has been phased out and the upgradable MBP's don't have the upgraded display. As such, this is probably going to be my last MBP.

If you don’t care about (most likely) voiding your warranty, upgrading the SSD in the 15” Retina seems pretty easy. The RAM is still soldered to the logic board, though.

 

[killertofu]

That's a small ssd?

 

[Dreams-Visions]

If you don’t care about (most likely) voiding your warranty, upgrading the SSD in the 15” Retina seems pretty easy. The RAM is still soldered to the logic board, though.

Good to know. Still only addresses half of the problem. In a decade of laptop ownership, I've never had a machine that I didn't upgrade the memory on eventually. Having fixed memory is just...I'm not ready for that yet.

 

[Emitan]

We have a thread: OS X Apps |OT| Tame the cougar

Broken link

 

[StopMakingSense]

few things:
- can i upgrade my ram to 16gb and add an SSD? i currently have the i5 / 4 gb set up and it can definitely use a boost. this is the ram i plan on purchasing, should work fine right?

Brand new MBP? You'll need 1600 MHz RAM, that's 1333.

 

[StopMakingSense]

- i wanna get this cable to hook it up to my monitor. anyone have other suggestions or should this suffice?

Depends on your monitor. It will only support up to a 1920x1200 resolution, fyi.

 

[Sapiens]

My 2012 MacMini just prompted for a Wifi update to improve 5GHz band performance.

Hopefully, this fixes issues I have been having with streaming over Airplay and Media servers.

My Mini is my low power consumption "catch-all" device so having to cope with shitty wifi performance was a bummer (I was very close to returning it). If the problem persists into the new year, I will sell. I really don't want to have to hardwire it.

When my old Macbook (2008) acted as a better wireless server, you know something was up.

Other issues I was having with my Mini included VERY poor battery performance on my wireless keyboard and trackpad. I was able to resolve some of it using a PRAM reset, but the battery life is still less than it was before.

Is anyone else having these issues?

I'll keep you up to date with the wifi issues.

 

[CrudeDiatribe]

Broken link

Fixed. Forgot that the mobile site/main site aren't separated by merely an 'm.'.

 

[Emitan]

Fixed. Forgot that the mobile site/main site aren't separated by merely an 'm.'.

Thank you. For some reason I couldn't find that thread by searching.

 

[victreeb3l]

The Verge posted this list of apps a couple of days ago and it's mostly good, be sure to check out the comments section too.

I have one, works great. It doesn't work to connect to a VGA display, as it doesn't convert to analog and provide that signal even though there are many displayport and DVI VGA adapters.



We have a thread: OS X Apps |OT| Tame the cougar

thanks! ill check those two links out.

Brand new MBP? You'll need 1600 MHz RAM, that's 1333.

yikes, thanks for catching that. yep its a 2012 classic MBP. these should be fine however?

also, anything i need to know about SSDs? this is the model i planned on purchasing.

if not, what about the OWC 120gb SSD? also comes with a toolkit though its about $50 bucks more expensive.

Depends on your monitor. It will only support up to a 1920x1200 resolution, fyi.

okay perfect. my monitor only goes up to 1920 x 1080. hopefully a new thunderbolt display with similar ports as the 27" iMac will be introduced this year but im in no rush.

 

[Iacobellis]

My 2012 MacMini just prompted for a Wifi update to improve 5GHz band performance.

Hopefully, this fixes issues I have been having with streaming over Airplay and Media servers.

My Mini is my low power consumption "catch-all" device so having to cope with shitty wifi performance was a bummer (I was very close to returning it). If the problem persists into the new year, I will sell. I really don't want to have to hardwire it.

When my old Macbook (2008) acted as a better wireless server, you know something was up.

Other issues I was having with my Mini included VERY poor battery performance on my wireless keyboard and trackpad. I was able to resolve some of it using a PRAM reset, but the battery life is still less than it was before.

Is anyone else having these issues?

I'll keep you up to date with the wifi issues.

I hate to rub it in, but anyone that doesn't have a Magic Mouse should get one. The battery life is amazing, I only lost 5% in about twelve hours of usage.

 

[StopMakingSense]

yikes, thanks for catching that. yep its a 2012 classic MBP. these should be fine however?

Yes, that should work. SHould be able to find a pair of sticks closer to 60 dollars, though.

 

[Emitan]

Can anyone explain why the category a hotkey is in stays selected after I use it?

This stays like this after I use Command+R to refresh a page

 

[Sapiens]

I hate to rub it in, but anyone that doesn't have a Magic Mouse should get one. The battery life is amazing, I only lost 5% in about twelve hours of usage.

I'm fine with the magic trackpad and apple keyboard. I think there's something up with the combination of the two devices and the mini.

 

[CrudeDiatribe]

I hate to rub it in, but anyone that doesn't have a Magic Mouse should get one.

I find it an ergonomic nightmare. Quite happy with my MS mouse with five buttons and my Magic Trackpad on the Mac Pro.

Can anyone explain why the category a hotkey is in stays selected after I use it?

This stays like this after I use Command+R to refresh a page

Try the non-nightly version and see what happens.

 

[polyh3dron]

I hate to rub it in, but anyone that doesn't have a Magic Mouse should get one. The battery life is amazing, I only lost 5% in about twelve hours of usage.

Once you go track you never go back

 

[Quick]

I own a Magic Mouse, and I do quite like it, but I'll echo CrudeDiatribe and say that it's not very ergonomic. I'm looking into assembling a desktop set-up for my MBP (monitor, keyboard, mouse), and I might actually go for a different mouse, or different mouse/keyboard set for it.

 

[Deku Tree]

I own a Magic Mouse, and I do quite like it, but I'll echo CrudeDiatribe and say that it's not very ergonomic. I'm looking into assembling a desktop set-up for my MBP (monitor, keyboard, mouse), and I might actually go for a different mouse, or different mouse/keyboard set for it.

Try out the Magic Trackpad. It has gestures and multitouch. My favorite mouse of all time. Love gestures.

 

[Iacobellis]

I own a Magic Mouse, and I do quite like it, but I'll echo CrudeDiatribe and say that it's not very ergonomic. I'm looking into assembling a desktop set-up for my MBP (monitor, keyboard, mouse), and I might actually go for a different mouse, or different mouse/keyboard set for it.

Yeah, I will agree it took some time to get used to. I plan to do the same if my desk space will allow me, single (maybe even dual) monitor setup for my rMBP.

 

[Quick]

Try out the Magic Trackpad. It has gestures and multitouch. My favorite mouse of all time. Love gestures.

Magic Trackpad is great. I actually will add this as an alternate option + the Magic Wand:

My other option is one of many Logitech mice. I currently have the M705 (with the MK700/710 keyboard) for my PC, and I love it.

Yeah, I will agree it took some time to get used to. I plan to do the same if my desk space will allow me, single (maybe even dual) monitor setup for my rMBP.

There's something to make the Magic Mouse more ergonomic:

It's actually something being sold, but with some effort, probably doable with household supplies.

 

[victreeb3l]

i have no idea how i lived without gestures. sometimes i use the surprisingly good gestures on my intuos5 tablet but the use for that is really limited to certain applications. but man, having it for everything as well as setting custom ones with better touch tool...its amazing.

not full screening browsers and windows just feels..wrong..and sinful. but again with the gestures, it doesnt matter much if its full screened since i can just quickly navigate around on safari if i need to see some content. im thinking about buying the magic trackpad so i can use it along with my wireless keyboard when i have the macbook hooked up to an external monitor.

i still have a lot to learn about OSX but im really loving the experience.

Yes, that should work. SHould be able to find a pair of sticks closer to 60 dollars, though.

thanks! ill keep an eye out.