Very well said, this should be made a sticky, then we can just point all the people to it who come on here slagging the MB off when they don't even own one or know much about it or understand what it is for.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Picked up a MBr for $860 and a MBA 13 for $727. Which would you keep?
- Thread starter MrXiro
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
+1
Every month, same thing. Someone reads a tech blog or sees a video on YouTube and they're Moses coming down from the mountain, they're going to educate actual RMB owners on how we've purchased some awful machine and how Apple has lost its mind based on their theoretical, second-hand "experience" which is usually limited to 30 seconds in an Apple store.
BJ
That's just delusional. Even the MBA has far more ports than the rmb.
I strongly disagree with your opinion that the keyboard is "amazing." Key travel is very short and they bottom out harshly. It doesn't take very long to figure out it's uncomfortable for typing.
The retina display is nice. I'm not sure how critical it is for a 12" display however.
I do like the light weight, and the cute, boutique esthetic, but functionality is significantly compromised.
I'm always amazed that adults can't state their opinions about inanimate objects without stooping to personal attacks. Perhaps you should change your screen name to ad hominem?
The claim that 99% of the world prefers an rmb is outlandish exaggeration.
Many people are interested in word processing and require a comfortable keyboard. The rmb is a massive failure in this regard.
Also, the sd card slot is a terrific storage option, imo.
Neither the mba nor mbp have a VGA port. Perhaps you should read the spec sheet before you post?
A 13" display is not exactly "oversized."
My mba is completely silent. Fan noise?
I'm glad you enjoy your rmb. It's really quite sad however that you lack the facts to marshal anything resembling a coherent argument. Facts are important. Better get used to it.
LOL, you really need to calm down. Your childish name calling is quite embarrassing. Not everyone wants, much less lusts after a rmb. 99%? What a joke. How is demoing the rmb in an apple store "second hand experience?" The dictionary is your friend.
The rmb as a "sports convertible?" That doesn't even make sense. MBA and MBP as minivans? These are bizarre analogies. "Cute toy" vs actual computer makes more sense.
I think the op if he is using it as a writing tool and values battery life then the Mba is probably the one to keep.
I really think the rmb is a nice machine. But I've said before it should've had a 2nd usb c port. Or at least the USB c port and the MagSafe for charging.
And a better than 480p camera. On a retina screen. Smh
I really think the rmb is a nice machine. But I've said before it should've had a 2nd usb c port. Or at least the USB c port and the MagSafe for charging.
And a better than 480p camera. On a retina screen. Smh
The RMB subscribes to the following lifestyle and satisfies those of us who believe in it and live it every day:
1. Carrying a Swiss Army knife of ports 365 days a year for the 5 days a year you actually need them is a waste of thickness, weight, and battery life, and increases cost.
2. Carrying a processor powerful enough to manufacture and render Star Wars Episode 8 when all you do is check email and Skype is a waste of battery life, creates heat, creates the need for heat-sinks, creates the need for fans, creates noise, creates weight, increases cost.
3. Carrying a notebook primarily for visual purposes such as Powerpoint, Skype, iTunes Media, and Browsing demands a crystal-clear retina display.
4. Carrying a notebook primarily for portability demands a form factor that is world-class for thinness and weight which means revolutionary battery design, re-thought keyboard design, and the removal of that which is not used every day.
In that context, the functionality is not "compromised". The "functionality" of the RMB is to be as thin and light as possible and have just enough performance to create the most portable experience possible. It's like those of us who fit everything we need for a two week business trip into a 22" rolling carry-on bag. There are compromises on the quantity of shirts and underwear but that doesn't matter much to those who want to get space in the overhead bin.
Savvy?
BJ
You've posted meaningless jibberish before and continue to embarrass yourself with this additional post.
Where is your citation for that "99%" of the population who prefers the rmb? Yeah, that's right, it's a figment of your imagination.
Projecting your weird, particular, personal desires onto the rest of the human population = fail.
Read English much? The exact quote:
"The RMB is not designed for someone slaving away in a cubicle developing code or assembling video projects. It does not exist for power users massively multitasking and straining processors to the max. The RMB is for the other 99% of the world that uses a computer for email, browsing, slideshows, video conferencing, and media consumption."
I didn't say that 99% of the world prefers the RMB. I said that 99% of the people who buy notebooks don't need the horsepower found in the likes of the MacBook Pro as all they do is send email, browse websites, give Powerpoint presentations, chat with the kids on Skype, and watch a few TV shows. And for that behavior, for the vast majority of people who never come close to straining the capabilities of their heavy, outdated, bloated notebooks, the RMB's spec's are what they should be.
Savvy?
BJ
The mba and mbp are designed for people "slaving away in a cubicle?" Ridiculous.
The mba and mbp CAN'T be used for "email, browsing, slideshows, video conferencing, and media consumption."
Last edited by a moderator:
yeah, I did not know that.. somehow I assumed they have IPS.. what a shame. I refrained from voting on this thread, but now I incline to vote for rMB.
Preventing downtime sounds like K&M or Merlin, either way - awesome job to have. If you were thinking about taking advantage of paid ticket to KL during time off, I think the best place to visit in that region is Maldives. It is a hell of a flight from U.S., but it is "only" 3 or 4 hours away from KL. Nothing is as beautiful under water as Maldives are.
I ended up keeping the MRr. Typing on it right now. I'm pretty much used to the keyboard now, battery life isn't as amazing as the 13 inch MBA but it's not horrible for the size of the laptop itself. For the $ off I got on the MBr, it's a deal I couldn't walk away from. Even if I sold this off around next Xmas I probably would be closer to breaking even. While with the MBA I'd probably be losing $100-$200. The only worry I have, which might effect MBAs as well is the quickly declining battery health.
The MBr was built 6 months ago, while the MBA I had was built 2 months ago. The MBA battery was at 104% health while the MBr is already down to 96.5%... we will have to see how quickly the health declines on this guy.
The travel on the keyboard has been noted by macbook_21 a few times. While I still do notice the shallow travel, you definitely get used to it and it's not bad after a week or so. You adjust to it... I mean the MBP/MBP/MB keyboards have always had a more shallow keyboard compared to desktop keyboards that aren't Apple and we are now use to that.
The MBr is a $1299 device. I saw an open box deal for $860, which is $440 off of retail price. I think for this price point it's definitely worth it. Though I wasn't looking for a mini laptop. This computer is a very good computer considering it has a very low powered CPU and is as thin as it is.
I think all the analogies are a little off. This isn't a boutique item as that would imply that it's specialized for a smaller audience. If anything a gaming laptop is a boutique item. The MBr isn't a sports car either... it'd be like a Miata if anything... I won't elaborate.
But the MBr is for the type of person where owning a tablet is "good enough" for their uses but they want a more productive tool. It's good for writing, doing some small photo edits and to surf the internet/stream videos. It does all this well for the size of an iPad air... it actually does all this this very well. It's not for a power user for sure... but I think in a few generation it'll be tiny non-pro Macbook Pro for users who can make do with less ports. I have to admit the only time I've used my USB adapter was to back up my HDD to do a restore... which I didn't end up needing because I started over from scratch...
On a side note... I was able to play L4D2 from STEAM with no problems on the MBr using a Xbox 360 wired controller. That'll be nice to kill some time if I'm ever stuck somewhere and bored.
I think all the analogies are a little off. This isn't a boutique item as that would imply that it's specialized for a smaller audience. If anything a gaming laptop is a boutique item. The MBr isn't a sports car either... it'd be like a Miata if anything... I won't elaborate.
But the MBr is for the type of person where owning a tablet is "good enough" for their uses but they want a more productive tool. It's good for writing, doing some small photo edits and to surf the internet/stream videos. It does all this well for the size of an iPad air... it actually does all this this very well. It's not for a power user for sure... but I think in a few generation it'll be tiny non-pro Macbook Pro for users who can make do with less ports. I have to admit the only time I've used my USB adapter was to back up my HDD to do a restore... which I didn't end up needing because I started over from scratch...
On a side note... I was able to play L4D2 from STEAM with no problems on the MBr using a Xbox 360 wired controller. That'll be nice to kill some time if I'm ever stuck somewhere and bored.
Last edited by a moderator:
Good post, and I'll add that in the year I've been active in this forum I've yet to come across anyone for whom the RMB was their sole, workhorse computer. To date, I've interacted with people who purchased the RMB as their secondary machine, the notebook to take on the plane or the boardroom. We have fully-featured notebooks given to us by the companies we work for, the RMB is our situational personal luxury item.
And this concept of "power user" means what really? My son is a "power user" with a MacBook Pro because he's an app developer and crunching serious code and animations. I am a "power user" with a Retina MacBook because I am a busy senior executive flying around the world making important decisions on Excel and presentations on Powerpoint. Different machines for different tasks. "Power user" isn't defined by what our machines are capable of, it's defined by what we need them for.
Each time we get one of these people in here it always starts the same and ends the same. It starts by them saying that the RMB is a toy that they could never make work and then we find out that they wanted an RMB but couldn't afford it, so they got the cheap Air instead. That's cool, just don't understand why they feel the need to come in here and crap all over our machines. Not everyone gets to date the prom queen.
BJ
The MBr is a $1299 device. I saw an open box deal for $860, which is $440 off of retail price. I think for this price point it's definitely worth it. Though I wasn't looking for a mini laptop. This computer is a very good computer considering it has a very low powered CPU and is as thin as it is.
I think all the analogies are a little off. This isn't a boutique item as that would imply that it's specialized for a smaller audience. If anything a gaming laptop is a boutique item. The MBr isn't a sports car either... it'd be like a Miata if anything... I won't elaborate.
But the MBr is for the type of person where owning a tablet is "good enough" for their uses but they want a more productive tool. It's good for writing, doing some small photo edits and to surf the internet/stream videos. It does all this well for the size of an iPad air... it actually does all this this very well. It's not for a power user for sure... but I think in a few generation it'll be tiny non-pro Macbook Pro for users who can make do with less ports. I have to admit the only time I've used my USB adapter was to back up my HDD to do a restore... which I didn't end up needing because I started over from scratch...
On a side note... I was able to play L4D2 from STEAM with no problems on the MBr using a Xbox 360 wired controller. That'll be nice to kill some time if I'm ever stuck somewhere and bored.
It's $1200, not especially expensive. Certainly not a luxury item.
I don't consider the rmb good for writing. The keyboard's short travel and harsh bottoming out is really the antithesis of what's necessary for a nice, comfortable keyboard designed for extended use.
None of the car analogies really works.
I consider the rmb to be a tablet with a keyboard. Kind of a fun novelty, but not really a full fledged computer.
Last edited by a moderator:
Properly configured, it's a $1600 notebook. And even at $1200 it's 3x as expensive as a similarly spec'd HP or Toshiba one can get at Best Buy any day of the week. It's not a good value. Therefore it's a 'luxury'.
I've been using notebooks since 1993, you? The RMB's keyboard takes a week to get used to and then you're off to the races. Quoting hater-blogs and YouTube videos means nothing to us in here. See, we own these machines, we actually use them, we don't pretend we know what we're talking about after 10 minutes in an Apple Store.
You: "Your convertible can't carry gravel, it sucks!"
Us: "Wow, we didn't know that. You saved us. Boy, are we stupid."
And we consider the Air a notebook designed in 2006 that's aged badly past its prime, kind of a charming antique, but not really a modern computer worthy of the Apple name. Then again, the iPhone 5C sold well in third-world countries and it would be nice if my 10 year old daughter was given the choice of an Air instead of the Chromebook her junior high school gave her for free so there's that.
BJ
I base myself in southern Asia and look to maintain a work presence their. So am very familiar with the region, equally due to the current downturn EU and some of the old Soviet countries are also now on the list.
Air`s TN display kills it for me, have owned both 11" & 13" gave them to family members solely due to the poor quality of the display. Inversely I find the display of the rMB to be one of very best in the portable "space" with the rMB being far more versatile than some would belive. The strength of the system is the sum of its`s parts, not it`s specifications...
Absolutely spot on regarding the Maldives
Q-6
Open item at best buy during the $999 sale the other week. I walked in expecting to pay $909 for it. They checked the price on 2 of the machines and they said $999, which was full price for unopened and the 3rd one they checked was $859.99. I told them I wanted the most recent returned one and they price matched it down to $859. Looking at the receipt it looks like they sold me the Like New one for the price of the "good" condition one. I scored big on this guy.
$1300...you're missing another $100, but the point is that it's not "cheap" in any sense of the word.
You haven't owned this Macbook Retina so you haven't allowed yourself to become accustomed to it. While it isn't my favorite keyboard it's fine for writing after a little bit of getting used to. Not everyone types like they're bringing down the hammer of Thor onto someone's head. You really can't judge it from the 10 minutes you played with it at a store.
It depends what you consider a "full fledged computer" Does it do word processing? Internet? email? Have a keyboard? It can even handle light video editing and non-complex photo editing.
The only thing it CAN'T do is render 4K efficiently which the Air models can't really do either. This is why I own a Mac Pro.
Honestly, you really can't judge this device since you don't own it. It's a fine secondary writing computer, I don't understand your constant bashing of it with no actual knowledge of the device... is it a full fledged computer? Yes. Is it worth $1300? No. This is why I was debating between this and the Air. The air has slightly more power (2.4ghz vs 2.6ghz at full throttle) but for "bang for my buck" I got the better deal getting MBr for my uses. You can't tell someone who owns one that their computer isn't a computer. That's some weird elitist net-jerk thing to do. Don't be a Net-Jerk.
Thanks for all your comments but please stop bickering.
Last edited:
Well for me a "Power User" is someone who needs a lot of processing power. Not to belittle the amount of work that you do. It's more the power of the computer IMO. That's all.
Heh, well I wouldn't call the MBr a prom queen.
It's a good machine. But it's about as powerful as a 2011 MBA. Which is fine for what you and I are using it for. But not for some. Macbook_21 seems to be taking this a little too personally now.I actually liked the 13 inch MBA a little bit more as a computer. But for bang for buck and being the tech nerd that I am, I went with the newer flashier design, that and the MBA I got had a casing flaw and kept making a clicking noise when I pushed down on the palm rest.
If this was my primary computer I would have consider a rMBP over the MBr, but since I have a Mac Pro for my heavy lifting this works great for going out and writing a blog, script or whatever I'm working on that doesn't involve video editing. I'd bet this would be a good machine to record podcasts on too.
But you said yesterday, "The RMB is the future of personal computing, a notebook whose emphasis is on portability and usability; better get used to it."
I can't keep up wit your Mitt Romney-eque flip-flopping!
Such a good deal, enjoy your rMB. Thanks for sharing that.
I will consider Best Buy open box when it comes to Apple laptops and iPads going forward.
In other words, the retina Macbook is a Facebook computer. It's a glorified iPad with a keyboard and a weak processor to match.