Retina display question, do you use best for retina?

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do you guess leave the default 1440x900 (Best for retina display) or the view more 19x12 setting?

i tried the "best for retina" for a while and just found it was like looking at my old macbook air with sharper picture

just curious, you'd assume most would want the more space over the best for retina, the apps optimized for that are ok but sometimes working on such a low res seems silly on a 3k$ laptop
 
it is like looking at an old macbook with a sharper picture (more resolution)...that's the point :)

that said, I prefer 1680x1050
 
I actually was wondering the same thing. I am holding onto my 17 mbp from late 2011, just because I love 1920x1080
 
I actually was wondering the same thing. I am holding onto my 17 mbp from late 2011, just because I love 1920x1080
You should use the native 1920x1200, it would look better.

(I am officially mad at you for putting "17 mbp" and "1920x1080" in the same sentence)
 
I tend to do a lot of multitask work so having workable area is more important to me, so I have it maxed out.
 
1920x1200 most of the time, 1680x1050 sometimes if I'm just reading or browsing.
 
I wandered into the Apple store today to get my opinion on this, since I'm waiting for my rMBP to show up. I tested both "best for retina" and max res, and found them equally easy to read on text. I'll probably go max res for my day to day work, but play games in "Best" mode.
 
I have the 13 rMBP and bump it up to the 1440 equivalent setting. I hate how little space you get on best for retina and normal 13 MBP. Was one of the main reasons I got the rMBP.
 
I use Best for Retina, have since I got my rMBP. Tried changing it but my eyes can't take it (getting old sux).
 
I tried some of the other options but found that the desktop rendering performance suffered. The "best for retina" option is basically pixel doubling so it's the easiest for the GPU to render. Other options have to do partial scaling and then smoothing. Hopefully in the future this performance hit will be less noticeable.
 
Wait, the newest ones still run like ass when you run at the equivalent of 1080 workspace? Pathetic.
 
I actually turned off the scaling.

I find the text scaling on programs on most programs ugly and pixelated no matter which scaling option is selected. As others have said the "best for retina" setting is just pixel doubling so it suffers from the least distortion... but then everything is quite large on the screen and I'm not making good use of the resolution.
 
My non retina 15" macbook pro is 1680x1050, the low res version is just too big, if I got a rMBP I would run it at 1920x1200
 
It may be a placebo, but is it true that if you up the resolution it'll drain the battery life faster? I feel it does, thus why I keep it on the default, best for laptop whatever.

Also check out Retina Display Menu or RDM, it lets you change to a variety of resolutions. I have a late 2013 retina and pure 2880 x 1800 everything is so small but so sexy sharp, I love it. RDM also lets you go even higher, I think it interpolates or whatever, I can take my resolution all the way up to 3840 x 2400! It's insane!
 
Not that long. I should admit I up the magnification in chrome all the time but for coding it's perfect. I can rdp to my work which is two 1280x1024 monitors with no scrolling needed.

I LOVE it.
 
How do you use that high of a resolution? I just tried 2560x1600 and can't read any text without pretty much putting my nose to the screen :eek:
 
You get used to it. But I sit with it on my lap so whatever distance that is.

Do note that for whatever reason when playing YouTube videos on the full retina battery life tanks and the built in gpu sucks lots of power
 
How do you use that high of a resolution? I just tried 2560x1600 and can't read any text without pretty much putting my nose to the screen :eek:

You get used to it, and good eye sight is a must :)

I stick around 1440x900 most of the time, but when needed amp it up ;)
 
You get used to it. But I sit with it on my lap so whatever distance that is.

Do note that for whatever reason when playing YouTube videos on the full retina battery life tanks and the built in gpu sucks lots of power

Hmm, I can't do it, although I guess maybe some apps are worse than others. (My IRC client doesn't allow zooming it seems)

Curious, do you have HBO? If so have you tried HBOgo? I'm getting some weird stuttering every now and then on my new rMBP 13". Youtube seems to work fine, I guess Flash is still pretty meh.
 
Hmm I'll have to try netflix. I don't have hbogo though sorry.
 
That's the great thing about the Retina. You choose what you want and it looks amazing at any "resolution".
 
That's the great thing about the Retina. You choose what you want and it looks amazing at any "resolution".

So not true. We buy these for work, and when I setup them up they don't look that good. Not much better then the Macbook pro from 09 they are replacing. Even set as high as they go, you still can't use the full resolution. Install bootcamp and windows then it looks great.
 
So not true. We buy these for work, and when I setup them up they don't look that good. Not much better then the Macbook pro from 09 they are replacing. Even set as high as they go, you still can't use the full resolution. Install bootcamp and windows then it looks great.
I can't disagree more with you. I've been using MBPs since 2008 and think the retina models are the best, yet. Install a utility like Retina Display Menu and crank up the resolution to 2800x1880. Looks amazing.
 
I've noticed for general usage the "Best for Retina" is probably the best. The only time it gets funky is when I try to move around files from multiple locations.
 
So not true. We buy these for work, and when I setup them up they don't look that good. Not much better then the Macbook pro from 09 they are replacing. Even set as high as they go, you still can't use the full resolution. Install bootcamp and windows then it looks great.

What the heck are you doing when you set them up?

It is a noticeable difference, and very sharp at other resolutions when using something like RDM.
 
So not true. We buy these for work, and when I setup them up they don't look that good. Not much better then the Macbook pro from 09 they are replacing. Even set as high as they go, you still can't use the full resolution. Install bootcamp and windows then it looks great.

Uh..what?! The idea isn't to use the "full resolution". It's to make almost all usable resolutions so clear you never see a pixel. The point isn't "OMG, LOOK AT ALL THE DESKTOP!".
 
I love the real estate. there's just so much of it.
 
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