So close to buying a Macbook....Should I?

[Drawmonster]

I want a laptop. Don't really NEED one, but I've been wanting one for a while. Occasionally I travel with work, and would love to be able to do some gaming and regular computer stuff in the hotel. Love my Ipad Air for laying in bed or messing around while watching TV, but I really want something that I can have upstairs for full computer tasks so I don't have to run downstairs to my office all the time.

Tons of research has brought me to one conclusion. The Macbook Pro Retina is the best laptop you can get. I've never used OSX or any Apple computer aside from a few minutes with an older Macbook at Worst Buy. I was impressed. Part of my research was to look at resell value of 3 year old laptops. There's no comparison. People are getting 75% or more return on Macbooks. PC laptops are closer to 25%. Please correct me on that if I'm wrong.

I'm planning on getting the top of the line Macbook Pro Retina. 2.6ghz. 16gb. 1 TB SSD. Gt 750 and Iris Pro. Here's my questions.

1. Should I get the top of the line or go lower down the totem pole? Money not being an issue. I care about bang for the buck, performance, longevity, and resell value.

2. Are there any glaring issues that a PC user is going to face when going Mac? Light gaming (Dota 2). Mostly surfing and productivity.

3. Is there any reason, not including money, that I should go another route?

4. Is there a better laptop on the market today?

5. Buy now or wait until the next refresh?

Thanks for the help.

 

[Dreamerbydesign]

I stopped reading when you said a Macbook is the best laptop you can get.

Sound like your mind is made up.

I sold mine and put a hackintosh macbook pro together (see my sig). I pocketed over a grand, and everything is user serviceable.

If I need battery its simple to install. My ram isnt soldered to my mainboard. The list goes on.

I am much happier with my build after owning both.

 

[Drawmonster]

I stopped reading when you said a Macbook is the best laptop you can get.

Sound like your mind is made up.

I sold mine and built a hackintosh together (see my sig). I pocketed over a grand, and everything is user serviceable.

If I need battery its simple to install. My ram isnt soldered to my mainboard. The list goes on.

I am much happier with my build after owning both.

All I stated was that nearly everything I read stated that the Macbook was the best laptop money could buy. Believe me, I wish it was different. I've been lurking in here, reading amazon and best buy reviews, and on reddit and there's an overwhelming majority that swear by Macbooks.

Are you saying, money not being an issue, you would go another route? If so, please elaborate.

 

[Dreamerbydesign]

All I stated was that nearly everything I read stated that the Macbook was the best laptop money could buy. Believe me, I wish it was different. I've been lurking in here, reading amazon and best buy reviews, and on reddit and there's an overwhelming majority that swear by Macbooks.

Are you saying, money not being an issue, you would go another route? If so, please elaborate.

Lol reading and trusting reviews from isheep retail sites. Try looking up some independent reviews. Many sites do NOT praise the mbpr.

money wasnt an issue for me either. Which is why I bought the mbpr first.

Basing your review experience on Amazon and Best Buy.. lol you fall right into the isheep mentality.

Enjoy your new Macbook. Its not a bad machine. But I would base my decision on more than Best Buy and Amazon reviews.

 

[Drawmonster]

Lol reading and trusting reviews from isheep retail sites. Try looking up some independent reviews. Many sites do NOT praise the mbpr.

money wasnt an issue for me either. Which is why I bought the mbpr first.

Basing your review experience on Amazon and Best Buy.. lol you for right into the isheep mentality.

Enjoy your newMacbook.

Then show me some negative reviews or some proof to what you say instead of the self righteous BS. You sound bitter if you want the honest truth.

 

[Colonel Sanders]

Spouting the "isheep" nonsense is every bit as bad as the Apple elitists who think nothing can ever compare.

officer921, having spent a few months now with my rMBP I can highly recommend it. Take a look at a couple of threads here, there's some good info. Basically someone summed it up quite nicely. When you factor in EVERYTHING you want in a laptop - battery life, display quality, performance, weight, package side/footprint, OS, aftermarket support, and so on, the rMBP can't be beat. That is NOT to say there aren't other laptops out there that are also VERY nice, but the rMBP is a great combination of the above.

Also, and I say this because I wasn't really aware of this before I started researching my purchase, but you can install Windows 7/8/8.1 on a Macbook using Bootcamp, and it's essentially every bit as functional as a regular Windows laptop, including gaming (if that's your thing.)

 

[Erebus]

If you can wait at all, I would...2014 will see a retina MBA and most likely a thinner MBPR with larger battery or that IGZO display everyone's been hoping for. The IGZO display could increase running time quite a bit. That being said...With Intel's roadmap leaked there won't be anything super compelling spec wise changing in 2014. Depends on your needs and desire to get something on the cutting edge or being happy with this gen if something newer is released in a few months..

 

[mope54]

I agree with everything you wrote in your first post but there are at least two things you should be aware of: 1) you can install an aftermarket SSD from OWC so you could save money there and it might even be faster than the stock one (it was for the older retinas not sure on the current generation) and 2) you never get as much resale value from upgrades as you do from stock configurations. the more add-ons you buy the more you lose at the resale end. but if you are prioritizing the other factors you listed it doesn't much matter...you'll still get around 75% of your purchase price back. The stock configurations can pull around 80% and there's a larger market for them when it comes time to sell.

what I usually do is buy one that is about 6-10 months old from craigslist. extend the apple care. sell it at around the 1.8-2.6 year mark and rinse and repeat.
I don't always get the $150ish back on the apple care but mine is always the first to sell. I do always end up using it usually for a screen imperfection or something tends to go awry.

 

[Deinos]

If you can wait at all, I would...2014 will see a retina MBA and most likely a thinner MBPR with larger battery or that IGZO display everyone's been hoping for. The IGZO display could increase running time quite a bit. That being said...With Intel's roadmap leaked there won't be anything super compelling spec wise changing in 2014. Depends on your needs and desire to get something on the cutting edge or being happy with this gen if something newer is released in a few months..

I agree with this if you are in no particular hurry. WWDC in June might see some of these upgrades (e.g. IGZO, Retina Air, etc.).

 

[munkle]

So I have the $2600 retina pro, basically what you want but 1 cpu tier lower and 512gb ssd.

Here are my thoughts on what you have listed.

1. Bang for buck is definitely not on apples side. I only bought this model because I get a 25% discount + $500 off on top of that. I priced it out and you can get a similarly specced dell for over $700 cheaper. If you don't really need one I see no point in blowing alot of money on something you don't need. I use mine for school so it was a fairly necessary purchase for me.

2. If you want to game plan on bootcamp, dota 2 is terribly buggy on osx it will crash probably every 20 min when I try it in osx.

3. You don't need it.

4. better in what way? You can get a cheaper laptop with same specs, you can get a faster laptop that costs more. Really hard to answer that question. For the size I would say there is no better laptop but I haven't seen dells high end in person so I wouldn't know how they really compare size wise.

5. Wait because you don't need it.

 

[Drawmonster]

http://www.dell.com/us/p/xps-15-9530/pd?oc=dncwx1566h&model_id=xps-15-9530

That seems to be the main competitor to the Macbook Pro Retina. And it actually wins in several categories based on the reviews and comparison articles I've read. Unfortunately, I can't find any place that carries them in stock, so I can't check one out in person. Also, I don't like the gimmicky touchscreen or Windows 8, so that's a major detractor. Who like fingerprints on their screen???????

And my main concern would be the resell value of the Windows based laptops. In 3 years, I'd take it in the ass when I sell it, and that's a big deal for me. Just with like all other tech items, I like to sell my old device and pay a lesser amount to get the latest and greatest. I do it with my phones and computers, and would like to do it with my laptop. Yeah yeah, I spend a lot of money on tech, but I spent a lot of years getting my financials in a solid place where I can spend money on luxury items, trips, etc. so take cost and "need" out of the equation.

Like I said, I don't "need" it per say, but I want a laptop and would use it all the time if I had one. The Ipad Air would stay on the night stand, and I'd use the laptop in front of the TV, upstairs, on trips, and when I'm staying out of town for work. I like the Air, but I find myself having to go to my main PC a lot as I get tired of touch typing and the like. So I want the most laptop I can get, in the lightest package, and with the best resell value. And now Windows 8. So there aren't a lot of options.

As some of the others have posted here, I may wait a while and see what's coming out for Apple. Or I may get the itch and order it in an hour, lol. But at least I know I'll be able to sell it in 6 months and get the new model without spending another $2700. I could probably get what, $2300 out of it in 6 months?

 

[mope54]

I would be skeptical of people who post things like gaming is buggy in osx and about cheaper dells with the same specs. I've have to use my laptop every weekend and dota2 and diablo3 have never crashed on me in osx. I have windows installed in parallels because of two titles: vagcom (vw/Audi diagnostic) and Respondus (exam/test bank creation).

If you can find a demo of anything you think is a contender then make sure you run some io tests. My 2012 retina can't even keep up with the current air io so I would be extremely surprised to find a budget computer keeping up with a current retina

 

[Cheetoz]

I would recommend buying from the refurb store

 

[Krazy925]

I tell all my windows based laptop friends the same:
"The build quality is most excellent on my macbook air, but to do over again? I would definitely just buy a nice ultrabook. They make a really nice laptop but the price premium isn't worth it."

If you plan on re-selling it in six months you can normally get back out what you spend on Apple products as long as you don't wait too long. You wait 2/3 generations and they do take a hard hit (see Iphone 4/4s, mbp from before mid-2012, ect ect)

 

[Ruoh]

If you're going to do light gaming, stick with the Iris Pro. It's more than enough to handle Dota 2 etc at an acceptable resolution.

 

[Drawmonster]

If you plan on re-selling it in six months you can normally get back out what you spend on Apple products as long as you don't wait too long. You wait 2/3 generations and they do take a hard hit (see Iphone 4/4s, mbp from before mid-2012, ect ect)

That's my goal, is to be able to stay up to date within 1 generation or so. So keep it no longer than a year, sell, then update to latest model. Same thing I do with my Ipad's and phones. Used to do it with my PC's, but they last way longer than they used to. Getting 3+ years out of every new build these days.

If you're going to do light gaming, stick with the Iris Pro. It's more than enough to handle Dota 2 etc at an acceptable resolution.

I may do some Titanfall or more intense gaming if I am out of town with work, so I'm looking to get the 750m just in case. Dota 2 is my current addiction, but it pisses me off all the time, and I uninstall it at least once a month. So need to have other gaming options, lol.

 

[Ruoh]

I may do some Titanfall or more intense gaming if I am out of town with work, so I'm looking to get the 750m just in case. Dota 2 is my current addiction, but it pisses me off all the time, and I uninstall it at least once a month. So need to have other gaming options, lol.

Fair enough. Don't forget, you'll also get less battery life and more heat with the 750. For example, I get about 45-90fps with medium settings (1920x1200) in WoW during an LFR. Except on Elegon, that bastard drops my fps to like 9.

 

[Aurelius]

I tell all my windows based laptop friends the same:
"The build quality is most excellent on my macbook air, but to do over again? I would definitely just buy a nice ultrabook. They make a really nice laptop but the price premium isn't worth it."

If you plan on re-selling it in six months you can normally get back out what you spend on Apple products as long as you don't wait too long. You wait 2/3 generations and they do take a hard hit (see Iphone 4/4s, mbp from before mid-2012, ect ect)

I vehemently disagree. In the case of a MacBook Air, you're getting 12 hours of real-world battery life without having to get an extended pack or a thick system... what Windows Ultrabook manages that?

For that matter, there aren't many ultra high-res laptops in the Retina MacBook Pro's category that are as powerful or as long-lasting on battery. Samsung offers Ultrabooks (which means ULV chips) in that price class, and so does Acer.

 

[Drawmonster]

Another question: Apple Mouse or Apple Magic Mouse?

 

[mope54]

neither. use the trackpad

 

[Drawmonster]

neither. use the trackpad

For gaming? I need a mouse.

 

[mope54]

oh for gaming. I tried using a magic mouse but it sucks for something like dota. you'll want to just use whatever gaming mouse you're using now--nothing from apple is going to suffice in my experience.

 

[munkle]

I would be skeptical of people who post things like gaming is buggy in osx and about cheaper dells with the same specs. I've have to use my laptop every weekend and dota2 and diablo3 have never crashed on me in osx.

So are you calling me a liar....? I would be skeptical of anyone who is so pro Apple that they dismiss other options. You have said nothing to why a cheaper Dell with same specs is bad. This is a discussion forum not aa only good news about Apple forum. I'm speaking from real world experience with my Mac I use everyday. If you don't like info that puts an Apple product in a negative light then maybe you shouldn't join a discussion forum.

What you posted is the same as a Windows user saying to be skeptical of people who say Windows has bugs. All os's have bugs, you have to be ignorant to dismiss that. Every os does something better than another os. Osx may be better than Windows in certain aspects, gaming certainly isn't one of them. There are strengths and weaknesses to every Os/platform.

 

[Aurelius]

So are you calling me a liar....? I would be skeptical of anyone who is so pro Apple that they dismiss other options. You have said nothing to why a cheaper Dell with same specs is bad. This is a discussion forum not aa only good news about Apple forum. I'm speaking from real world experience with my Mac I use everyday. If you don't like info that puts an Apple product in a negative light then maybe you shouldn't join a discussion forum.

What you posted is the same as a Windows user saying to be skeptical of people who say Windows has bugs. All os's have bugs, you have to be ignorant to dismiss that. Every os does something better than another os. Osx may be better than Windows in certain aspects, gaming certainly isn't one of them. There are strengths and weaknesses to every Os/platform.

I think you're right on bugs... but I would also disagree that the Dell is cheaper for "the same specs," because it doesn't have the same specs.

A Dell XPS 15, for example, is awesome if you're looking for an Ultrabook-like PC with decent dedicated graphics (on higher-spec models) and sharp screen... but you're stuck if you want long battery life and an SSD that isn't just there as an OS cache. You're not paying the mythological "Apple tax" -- you're paying for what Apple values in a PC.

As for mice? I'd likely get a good Logitech mouse with Mac support (they all support OS X on a basic level). Apple is focused on multi-touch and other things that don't really help with gaming.

 

[mope54]

If you are experiencing bugs in the DOTA2 beta post them in Steam's dev forum where they belong. Using bugs in a beta game as an argument for gaming on a specific platform is asinine. I posted that I haven't experienced any bugs playing the game. Our experiences differ but the main difference is that I don't make general, sweeping statements about OS X (or Windows for that matter) based off that personal experience. Dota2 and Diablo3 are native OS X game clients. BF4 does not have a native OS X client. He'll have to install Windows to play it but that's a limitation from EA not something inherent to OS X. I use a Logitech G9x when I game on my retina. If you want to map certain functions to various buttons there are special (free) programs to do so beyond native OS support or Logitech driver support.

What should I post in response to the dell equivalent drivel? I specifically suggested the op compare disk IO.

Here is the speed test results for my 2012 retina SSD

and here is the speed test results for the 2013 air SSD

Please post screenshots of your comparable Dell's disk speed. I didn't see munkle support his claim that similarly spec'ed dells cost over $700 dollars less. If cautioning others that such claims are dubious, at best, is calling munkle a "liar" then so be it. I'm comfortable that the posts I made are completely factual and level-headed in regards to this topic. I notice rather than simply supporting his claims he went all "anti-apple" spiel. That's a curious response from someone claiming to have the "facts" on his side at his fingertips.

 

[munkle]

Which bugs are you experiencing in dota2? It's a beta so I suggest you post them in the dev forums.

Well now I know the kind of responder I'm dealing with there is no point in continuing this conversation with you. Beta's been over a while now, coming up on a year in july. Obviously you care not to be informed on what you post.

What should I post in response to the dell equivalent drivel? I specifically suggested the op compare disk io.

As long as both disks are ssd's that would the last thing you should compare or do you run benchmarks all day on your ssds?

I mean seriously, are you seriously saying sit down with two computers with ssd's and compare disk io to choose between the two, is that what you are really suggesting? If so...

Right now the dell 15" touch with 512gb ssd is $2350, not $700 cheaper right now, but does go on sale and you can get coupons to drop that by quite a bit, still $250 cheaper right now no coupon not on sale for pretty much the same specs as 15" retina pro. Does it beat the retinas ssd in speed? probably not, does all that speed matter if you are not benchmarking? no.

oh and you want a screen shot here is one of pretty much the same thing I get, if you want and exact one from me I can fire up dota later tonight and give you a crash report. Some times mine doesn't open some times it crashes randomly during game. But I must be lying.... The fact that you don't even know a beta has been out of beta for over 6 months is quite telling about how informed you actually are about your so called knowledge of facts, and a "beta" that you play so often according to you. And I didn't go any where anti apple, I even said in my original post for the size you probably aren't going to get anything better. Obviously anything to you that isn't "BUY APPLE" is anti apple.

 

[mope54]

As long as both disks are ssd's that would the last thing you should compare or do you run benchmarks all day on your ssds?

I mean seriously, are you seriously saying sit down with two computers with ssd's and compare disk io to choose between the two, is that what you are really suggesting? If so...

This is [H]ardforum, right?

You know that "The Beta is Over" is in regards to Windows version, right?
You were talking about the OS X client. It's still in development...like I said, post your crashes on dota2.dev not here. I can't help you with whatever issues you're experiencing with a client in active development :|

Because Dota 2 is so popular, Valve is rolling out the official version in waves. The server infrastructure behind the game is being updated to prepare for the expected influx of new players, and Valve doesn't want those servers to be swamped. I just tried to download Dota 2 and was told that I'm number 1092 in the launch queue. Apparently, I'll get an email when my turn is up. No time estimate is provided, though.

We've seen high-profile game launches distrupted by server issues, so I can understand why Valve is taking a slower approach here. The developer is adding server capacity for an additional 450,000 concurrent players, but figuring out exactly where to deploy all that new hardware is challenging, according to the release FAQ. Valve wants to ensure players in various regions all have a good experience.

Now that the beta is over, what's next? Mac and Linux versions. Both are "currently in testing and will be available soon." You should be able to access early builds through the Dota 2 Test program. The Linux version is particularly intriguing given Valve's apparent interest in using that OS to power its own console.

 

[munkle]

You know that "The Beta is Over" is in regards to Windows version, right?
You were talking about the OS X client. It's still in development...

I don't know what your quoting but it certainly isn't the dota release page, and a google search brings up only three sites... Dota page is pretty clear that it is released and the mac and linux versions are released as well and doesn't mention anywhere that they are beta. But I'm done with replying to you.

 

[mope54]

I don't know what your quoting but it certainly isn't the dota release page, and a google search brings up only two sites... Dota page is pretty clear that it is release and the mac and linux versions are released as well and doesn't mention anywhere that they are beta.

well whatever...it's still in beta. I'm a beta tester and I report issues to dota2.dev
If you want to bitch about it here then go ahead. If you want help with your experimental client then go to the site that Valve created to handle bugs with their client.
http://dev.dota2.com/forumdisplay.php?f=447

"Right now the dell 15" touch with 512gb ssd is $2350, not $700 cheaper right now, but does go on sale and you can get coupons to drop that by quite a bit, still $250 cheaper right now no coupon not on sale for pretty much the same specs as 15" retina pro. Does it beat the retinas ssd in speed? probably not, does all that speed matter if you are not benchmarking? no."
So it's $250 dollars cheaper and not $700 dollars like you claimed earlier?
700MB/s is a hell of a lot faster than my 300 MB/s in real world performance and not simply benchmarks. But whatever...if the specs aren't the same then you can't claim they're the same even if you now want to say the specs are different but they don't matter to you.

 

[munkle]

well whatever...it's still in beta. I'm a beta tester and I report issues to dota2.dev
If you want to bitch about it here then go ahead. If you want help with your experimental client then go to the site that Valve created to handle bugs with their client.
http://dev.dota2.com/forumdisplay.php?f=447

"Right now the dell 15" touch with 512gb ssd is $2350, not $700 cheaper right now, but does go on sale and you can get coupons to drop that by quite a bit, still $250 cheaper right now no coupon not on sale for pretty much the same specs as 15" retina pro. Does it beat the retinas ssd in speed? probably not, does all that speed matter if you are not benchmarking? no."
So it's $250 dollars cheaper and not $700 dollars like you claimed earlier?
700MB/s is a hell of a lot faster than my 300 MB/s in real world performance and not simply benchmarks. But whatever...if the specs aren't the same then you can't claim they're the same even if you now want to say the specs are different but they don't matter to you.

HAHAHAHA are you serious? Ok this is my last reply I promise. The official page says no where its a beta for linux or osx but actually released, and you still insist to claim its a beta? Oh man that's grand. Oh I thought you don't have issues with dota 2 but now you are saying you report issues? So you do have issues? Which is it? I thought you said to be leary of people saying dota crashes, yet here you post a forum with bugs where people say dota crashes randomly in osx? I guess I wasn't so crazy was I when I said dota 2 crashes randomly on me.

I guess you missed coupons and on sale part but what ever you like to selectively reply, and like I said unless you benchmark the ssd's all day long, not going to matter. But have fun living in your world...

 

[mope54]

Oh I thought you don't have issues with dota 2 but now you are saying you report issues? So you do have issues? Which is it? I thought you said to be leary of people saying dota crashes, yet here you post a forum with bugs where people say dota crashes randomly in osx? I guess I wasn't so crazy was I when I said dota 2 crashes randomly on me.

despite having released an official client there are still gameplay (balance/hero/item) issues to be ironed out that are separate from the issues you are having specific to the OS X client currently under development.

I said be skeptical of people claiming that "gaming sucks" in OS X. Dota2 on OS X is still in development and not indicative of the platform's capability to handle "gaming." You took one example of a single game client crashing (currently in active development, no less) and applied that to the entire OS platform and made the sweeping generalization that Windows was simply "better" at gaming than OS X.
I gave you the links so please voice your concerns in the appropriate place rather than taking this thread further off-topic.

@officer921,
this is exactly why I posted the warning about listening to advice from people who seem to have an axe to grind. it's less than helpful, in my opinion, it's basically trolling in a thread like this.
btw, my bang for buck recommendation is to get the retina model I have--the 2012 retina with 650m. you can get them for roughly half the price of the newest iteration. But I posted my gf's air's SSD speed compared to mine so you could better assess the speed differences between the years. My jaw dropped when I compared her 2011 Air to the 2013 I upgraded for her (sold the 2011 256gb for 750, got the 2013 for 800 with a $100 dollars iTunes card). I wasn't sure if it was an "upgrade" or a sidegrade until after I ran that test (her 2011 was roughly around 200MB/s, close to my 2012 retina) and her battery life is a few hours longer.

I imagine the 2013 retina has a similar performance bump and battery life...just not convinced that the thousand dollar difference is worth it yet. I *almost* sold my 2012 and was ready to upgrade to a 2013. If money was no option I would have upgraded but you have to really put some cash down to get up to the 750m and the Iris Pro can't contend with my 650m for gaming. But remember, as far as SSD's are concerned, OWC has an upgrade path for the retinas that claim to be faster than the stock SSD!
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/SSD/OWC/Air-Retina/Apple-MacBook-Pro-Retina-2012-Drive-Internal-Flash

I would rank the retinas like this in terms of gaming performance: 2013 iris pro < 2012 650m < 2013 750m

 

[Ruoh]

2013 model got a bit of a speed bump... And with an iGPU the OP wouldn't need to worry about heat throttle.

 

[Deleted whining member 223597]

I like my 13" MBPr, but it does take a bit to truly learn the OS. I know basic things, and some shortcuts, but there are still things that I don't really know how to do. There are some good videos on youtube to help though, would make sure to check some out.

 

[mope54]

that is awesome; that blows mine away and doubles the write speed of the same generation of Air.

your processors is also stronger than mine and the 750m has twice the vRAM. if I had the money I would definitely upgrade without a doubt.

 

[Deleted whining member 223597]

It's hard to actually take advantage of those speeds though. You would need really expensive thunderbolt gear, and even that only goes up to like 300mb/s for external SSD's. In normal day to day usage, you don't really notice the speed increase. My Desktop with regular SSD's feel's about the same.

 

[mope54]

I thought it was a perceptible difference between my gf's 2011 and the 2013.
I tested the hard drives because the processor is clocked lower on the 2013 Air so I was curious for the source of the difference.

It's just bonus, though, the real reason to upgrade from the 650m is the 2GB 750m.

 

[Krazy925]

I definitely wouldn't buy a dell.
Also DOTA2 works wonderfully on my 13" air.
Aurelius May have vehemently disagreed with me that battery life is 12 hours. I'd like you to come over and use it and get 12 hours. You won't trust me. Maybe like 8

 

[polydiol]

I bought a macbook pro 15" about 2 weeks ago. Its the core i7 2.3 quad with 16gb ram and the separate Nvidia gt750m video card and the 512gb ssd.

I carry it nearly every day to work and the university as I'm an engineering student in the computer science department. Its heavier than my ultrabook that it replaced but its definitely higher quality.

Its a great computer, was it pricey - yep but I've never had a mac and I wanted to find out for myself instead of let a bunch of strangers on a messageboard (that probably have never owned a mac) decide for me.

 

[BiH115]

Not to hijack the thread, but I'm debating grabbing a laptop in the $2k range as well, just to have for on the go. My thoughts are either the new Dell XPS 15" with the touchscreen, or the 15" Retina (base model).

Cool thing about the Dell is that it's not only got a great screen, but comes with the 750M for $1,899, which is basically the price of the 15" Retina. Sure, it doesn't come with a bigger SSD, but it does come with double the RAM (16GB) for the price, so that's something else to think about.

It's a dilemma of whether or not you really want the OS X experience, or not. I think that's honestly what it boils down to, with me at least.

 

[mope54]

Not to hijack the thread, but I'm debating grabbing a laptop in the $2k range as well, just to have for on the go. My thoughts are either the new Dell XPS 15" with the touchscreen, or the 15" Retina (base model).

Cool thing about the Dell is that it's not only got a great screen, but comes with the 750M for $1,899, which is basically the price of the 15" Retina. Sure, it doesn't come with a bigger SSD, but it does come with double the RAM (16GB) for the price, so that's something else to think about.

It's a dilemma of whether or not you really want the OS X experience, or not. I think that's honestly what it boils down to, with me at least.

in your case it should probably come down to the ecosystem you're already in. the OP has an iphone and ipad so system integration is going to be that much more seamless for him.

it does become somewhat of a pain in the ass to keep Windows store, icloud, and Play store apps, docs, and contacts all synced compared to just being in one domain.

if the dell has removable memory you might be able to shave costs by buying aftermarket memory modules instead of the 16gb. the reviews I read suggested the touchpad is subpar, not due to how it's built, but rather due to the software support available for it. OS X gestures are central to UI operation by now.