Macworld Forums

It's official! Apple has updated its MacBook Pros, MacBook Airs and Mac Pros, and has introduced a new, thinner MacBook Pro with Retina display.

We'd love to know what new Mac hardware you're planning on buying (or have already ordered!).

Ashleigh Allsopp,
Nothing. Except iPhone 5 or just iPhone. iPad and that's it. Was going to buy three 17" MacBook Pros (no longer a product line). Mountain Lion, yep. iMac for next year, maybe. Wouldn't mind a 30" iMac. Loved iOS 6, loved Mountain Lion. Not impressed with new MacBooks, nor their pricing.

fonejacker,
I would have been buying a Mac Pro at some point - if I'd been able to raise the funds - but I'm not going to spend that kind of money on technology thats already 2 years out of date. Even if they couldn't, for whatever reason, design a new case or put the new processors inside it there's no excuse for not including faster RAM, Thunderbolt, USB 3, significantly better graphics cards or higher capacity hard drives. The money they're asking or what is essentially a Mac thats 2 or 3 years out of date Apple are having a giraffe!

I really couldn't care less about 'Retina' MacBook Pro's and the fact that Apple chose to continue the 'old' style Pro's alongside it suggests to me that Apple aren't all that sure about it either. Its a 'proof of concept' at best and I really don't see many people plonking down that kind of cash when the non-retina version is perfectly good...not to mention a lot cheaper and compatible with Apples own external displays!

I'm also rather annoyed that the 1st generation iPad is going to be completely left out of iOS 6. If they've been able to get it working, to some degree, on the 3GS then surely they could have got it running on the 1st generation iPad? And while I'm on the subject of feeling left out (sighs as a solitary tear runs down cheek) I still see no reason why Siri can't be made to run on the 1st generation iPad or, more importantly, the iPhone 4. The 4S has more than enough over the 4 that it simply doesn't need Siri exclusivity to make people buy it. The 'jailbreak' community has been able to run Siri on the iPhone 4 from the start I believe...although I could be wrong on this one! Then again, unless they actually make Siri work - and outside of the USA - then its really a moot point anyway.

I also would have loved the chance to purchase and install Mountain Lion but it appears that my 2007 White MacBook's invitation to the party got lost in the post...with all the problems I'm hearing about with Lion I have to say that I'm more than just a little nervous of it. Sadly, a lot of software now requires it to run so I may not necessarily have that much choice in the matter.

Other than that the new line up looks good!

grumpygiraffe,

I’m not buying anything at the moment. I am a bit tempted with the new MacBook Air rather than an iPod.
I was also quite dismayed that there was not mention of Mac Pro at the WWDC. I hope that Apple has not dumped it for the laptops. I suppose you could use the new all singing all dancing 15” MacBook Pro with a large monitor, external hard drives connected via Thunderbolt and external keyboard, but it would be a bit of a pigs breakfast. Not suitable for large editing studios. Apple had already lost some editors with the introduction of FCPX which is only now getting better for the Pros.

arnoldr,
They did upgrade the Mac Pro but I use the work 'upgrade' in, quite possibly, the most loose terms imaginable! They barely tickled at it frankly and left it almost indistinguishable from its 'predecessor. So much so that Apple has in fact removed the 'new' badge from the Mac Pro on the website. For what ever reason they didn't put the new processors in the box or upgrade the design of the box itself but its unacceptable for them to have not even bothered adding USB 3, Thunderbolt, faster RAM or much better graphics cards. It was frankly a bloody insult to Apples high end pro users. They would almost have been better off if they hadn't upgraded it at all.

I for one was really hoping for a significant upgrade to the Mac Pro as I'm going to be in the market for a new desktop Mac in the next year or so. The MacBook Pro is and always has been a superb piece of kit but I've always regretted selling my old PowerMac years ago as the sheer grunt offered by the high end machines versus a laptop is amazing and the Mac Pro makes the PowerMac (mine was a G3!) look like its steam driven! The longevity of the hardware is also extended by several years by the ability to very easily upgrade the hard drives and graphics cards as well as the ability to add truly ridiculous amounts of RAM as and when your needs require.

They are apparently promising a complete redesign and upgrade as of next year which will be perfect for me - assuming that it ever happens - but thats not much good for those that were clammering for a new one now. Particularly frustrating for those with hardware thats now several years old. As you say, its not good for anyone with higher end needs!

As nice as the 'Retina' enabled MacBook Pro is I do see it as more of a 'proof of concept' that was done purely because they wanted to do it. When the technology matures along with the apps and online content that can take advantage of it it is probably the future of things but as it currently stands I think most people looking for a new MacBook would probably be better off sticking with the non-retina MacBook Pro and MacBook Air - both of which are superb laptops.

grumpygiraffe,

I think you're right about all the omissions from the new Macbook Pro - it does make it sound like it's 'not quite there'. Given that the lighter form factor is also already available in the Airs and they're now amongst Apple's cheapest laptops it looks like they're charging a staggering premium essentially just for the Retina display. Whilst I'm sure those aren't cheap the fact they can fit [albeit smaller/lower res] ones to a £399 iPad would suggest it's not THAT expensive - unless of course the wafer yield at that size is small/prone to wastage. Again that perhaps suggests now wouldn't be the best time to buy in.

Having said that, early adopters with lots of cash are obviously willing to pay that premium and Apple's never been the sort of company to get embarrassed about high margins.

I think the idea of print-equivalent resolution is very exciting for my line of work, but at the moment this seems too expensive with too much missing for my liking. Still, there's cause for optimism that we'll reap the benefits of these improvements somewhere down the line.

Apple very frequently have a frustrating tendency to couple startling innovation with conservative under-specs.

I think the new Macbook Pro is probably the best laptop on the market, but it could so easily have been much better. And cheaper.

Xhris2210,
Seen a retina MBP in the flesh today. Was distinctly underwhelmed, for two reasons. Firstly whilst the retina display is good, it didn't seem that good. Maybe it is because I am used to a retina iPad, but you get closer to an iPad screen than you do a MBP one.
Secondly because where I saw it, in the biggest Apple Store in the country, they didn't have any of the updated software running on it. No new Aperture and no new FCP. These are the kind of apps that I'll need to work well on the computer if it is going to replace my 17".
Certainly looks like Apple are abandoning the pro market. What a shame.

Jaded,
I agree with you regarding being underwhelmed with the retina display, although I was taken by how thin it is. I'm in a bit of a dilemma because I would like the 1920*1200 display on the 17", but it's no longer available. Refurb ones exist, but they don't have USB 3, and I don't want to buy a new mac that does not support faster external disk access. I know there is Thunderbolt, but I find the prices of these to be far too high.

I know its all about marketing, but configuration of the base product always seems to push you up to the next model. For example, for the retina Macbook pro the SSD storage is limited to 256GB for the slower model. If you need more memory then you have to go for the faster model, compounding the extra cost.

Ashleigh Allsopp,
Wasn't planning on buying anything anytime soon but some excellent deals on MacBook Pros came up in the refurb section of the Apple Store so I'm now the proud owner of a 15" MacBook Pro with the hi-def, anti glare screen. I am well impressed and so is Mrs. B as she gets my old 13" MacBook.

Well,

I've now had a chance to see a Retina Display with the new Aperture and FCP running and I have to say I have a much better view of the machine now.

Once you have got over the understanding that a chunk of video that takes up less than a quarter of the screen IS HD at 100%, then it makes sense.