11/3/13
I've been itching to upgrade my 17” MacBook Pro (2010 model) for quite a while now, but have been unable to pull the trigger. I use it as my primary work machine. For me, the 17" MBP is the best compromise between screen usability, portability, and upgradeability.
Alas, you can't buy a 17” MBP anymore, and your choices are either to go in the direction of more portability, or a larger screen. The three best options I see are to get either:
- A 15” Retina MacBook Pro, or
- A 13” MacBook Air or Pro + a Thunderbolt Display, or
- A 27” iMac
Neither of them feel like a great deal right now:
I've spent a long time comparing the screen of the 15” rMBP to the older 17”. It's quite a toss up. The retina display is absolutely gorgeous. As good as on an iPad. Not only are the fonts tack sharp, but the color and viewing angles are better.
But, no matter how you spin it, a 15” screen is still smaller than 17”. Yes, I know you can crank up the “effective resolution" to the same 1920x1200 as on the 17" MBP. Even though the fonts are much sharper, my eyes can still only see so well at regular viewing distances.
Unlike with an iPad, you can't simply move closer to the screen to compensate. Viewing distance is a factor of arm length and basic ergonomics. With an iPad, you can move it closer to your face without even realizing it, but it isn't the same with a laptop.
The secondary problem is the price of basic upgrades. Yes, I realize this is a premium product. But if you are using it as your primary machine as I am, storage is a major concern. I currently use close to 500GB, including around 100GB of photos and video in iPhoto, another 30GB of music.
This means that I would be looking at the top of the line $2,599 model.
Earlier in the year, I had considered getting this year's new 13” MacBook Air. With 12 hours of battery life, it's as close to the perfect mobile laptop as I can imagine. Though I don't travel that much, the MBA is a very capable work machine spec-wise, and is the cheapest way (relatively speaking) to replace my current setup. $1,699 buys a 13" MBA with 8GB RAM and a 512 GB HD.
The newly released 13” Retina MacBook Pro is even more compelling, for $100 more at $1,799, I can get the same specs, but with the faster 2.6GHz i5 and the retina display.
Here's the problem: I can't use a 13" screen all day. I wouldn't mind getting a 27” Thunderbolt Display, but those haven't been updated since 2011, and still come with the ridiculously glossy screen. Everyone knows that a new model is overdue, ever since the 27” iMacs came out. Somehow Apple has chosen not to release them yet. My guess is they would rather use the production to make the iMacs instead.
Another problem with the Thunderbolt Display: You can’t use one with a non-thunderbolt computer. Yep, I didn't believe it at first, but you can't use it with the older displayport MacBook Pros for example. For me, this means I will have to upgrade my computer at the same time.
It's either some very cleverly calculated marketing, or lazy engineering.
Speaking of the 27" iMac. That screen is indeed gorgeous. Even though it isn't a retina display, that matters less at that size, and I would certainly prefer to be working with that display vs. the 15” retina.
The problem is that the iMac isn't upgradable (at least
not in a way I would want to do). That means I would have to pay Apple up front for an SSD. An iMac with a 1TB Fusion Drive runs $1,999.
I think of this as a $1,000 display + a $1,000 computer. But when the computer becomes obsolete in 1-2 years, it's just deadweight that's stuck on the monitor.
If the display existed stand-alone, I would rather spend more and buy one plus a Mac Mini, knowing that the effective life of the screen will be much longer (4-5 years at least). A Mac Mini with the same 1TB Fusion Drive runs $1,099 right now. It has outdated HD4000 graphics, and a slower processor, but the storage is much more easily upgradeable.
So, if I wanted to upgrade this year, my options are:
- $2,599: Top of the line 15" rMBP
- $2,799: 13" rMBP + Thunderbolt Display
- $1,999: 27” iMac
Price aside, the problem is that all of these compromise
either screen-size or mobility. And all of them have far worse upgradeability.
But maybe the choice isn't so hard at all, if you don't go with Apple. A
Dell 2713HM currently runs $600, and is comparable to the Thunderbolt Display in terms of screen quality.
The fact that this is a difficult decision, even for a committed Mac user, explains a lot about why Mac sales
haven't been so hot lately. My guess is that a lot of other folks are holding off upgrades as well, as they know better stuff is coming.
Related: Tech.