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MacBook Pro with Retina display, full review

updated 03:30 am EDT, Thu June 28, 2012

 

Has Apple delivered another winner with the next-gen MacBook Pro?


Apple has attempted to redefine the full power professional notebook with the next-generation MacBook Pro. In doing so it has delivered a notebook that is incredibly thin and light for the performance it offers. However, as is often the case with Apple products, certain design choices and feature exclusions have stirred up some controversy. So is the new MacBook Pro a notebook with compromises, or is it an uncompromising high performance notebook? Read our full review of the next-generation MacBook Pro (mid 2012) with Retina display to find out.


By Electronista Staff

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MacBook Pro, computers, Apple, Retina Display

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Previous Comments

  1. Jeronimo2000

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    +5
    06/28, 11:59am | report spam | (2 replies) | reply

    @bobo

    Dude, you're hilarious. So you're still using AppleWorks (which has been discontinued ages ago), but are whining that the new Retina MBP doesn't run it?

    You must be the kind of guy who returns his iPad because it doesn't play shellac discs. If you're *so* against progress of any kind - please, do stay with your current setup that apparantly serves you well.

    But I must say, I did love the bit about business "having to reinvent their workflow" which is such a "disruptive force potentially far riskier & costlier". Any business who loves to stay in the past, ignores changing demands and doesn't constantly "reinvent their workflow" and religiously train their staff is bound to die a slow, horrible death sooner rather than later. A bit like AppleWorks, really.


  1. facebook_Skeeter

    Via Facebook

    Joined: Jun 2012

    +2
    06/28, 12:58pm | report spam | reply

    Performance Testing

    I find it very interesting that you compare this Ultra High End Laptop to a Mac Mini and a 2010 MBP. When I compared it to my 2011 MBP with 2.3 here is what I saw

    Cinibench for 2011 MBP was 37.25 fsp verse 34.80 fps
    Geekbench 223 for 2011 MBP was 10012 verse 11058

    I am honestly surprised that my 2011 outperforms the 2012 Retina when it comes to graphics by 4 fps


  1. Jeronimo2000

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    0
    06/28, 01:08pm | report spam | (1 reply) | reply

    @Skeeter

    Well, that's the problem with benchmarks: your mileage may vary. Check out this test by Bare Feats, where they test using real games instead of rather theoretical Cinebench benchmarks:

    http://barefeats.com/mbp12gx.html

    Still, especially when you look at the Portal results, the speed gains of the new Retina MBP don't seem too impressive, compared to the 2011 MBP, which (in this test at least) is even faster than the non-Retina MBPs from 2012.


  1. testudo

    Forum Regular

    Joined: Aug 2001

    -2
    06/28, 03:08pm | report spam | reply

    Re: @Skeeter

    Yeah, but 'real game' benchmarks are only good if you care to play games on your computer, so they're arbitrary as well.


  1. Jeronimo2000

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2001

    +3
    06/28, 07:40pm | report spam | reply

    @testy

    And your point is...?

    Of course game benchmarks are only of value to those who actually do play games (duh). Same goes for iTunes ripping or video transcoding benchmarks - they're only any good to you if that somehow represents what you are planning to do with your computer.

    But since nobody on this planet wants to buy a computer to run Cinebench day in and day out, I figure that this kind of benchmark was the least useful of all.


  1. SwissMac

    Fresh-Faced Recruit

    Joined: Aug 2006

    0
    06/29, 09:43am | report spam | reply

    Reviewed by a PC fanboi

    What a rubbish review.

    Apparently it's suitable for it's "target audience" of "professional photographers, musicians and filmmakers on the go". Just like all Apple products, right? Wrong. Your reviewer is deliberately underplaying the MBPR - 'damning with faint praise' as the saying goes, and seeking to pigeonhole the product as a niche product - and thereby not suitable for general use.

    The closing paragraph sums it up "For its target audience, it's hard to think of any notebook that can be recommended over the next-generation MacBook Pro." So, if you aren't a "professional photographer, musician or filmmaker on the go" the reviewer is saying it cannot be recommended. Anything good your reviewer says about it is caveated by reference to the reviewer's categorisation of the device being a niche product.

    As for this petty remark: "use of the marketing term 'Retina display' might annoy some people" why on earth is that helpful in a review? All it does is reinforce the obvious irritation the reviewer feels about Apple. That's just like his "giving the appearance that the text and images are much closer, as indeed they are". Well, if they are closer, why imply some sort of Apple trickery is involved by saying they 'appear' closer?

    Your reviewer is a donkey.


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