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Level 1

7 points

Ordering a Retina Display 15" MBP but have Some ?? Before I Order

Is the turbo boost something that brings the installed processor up to the stated speed and really works as if that processor was installed? why not just have the higher processor available for install?

Is there anyway to get the Samsung Display opposed to the LG? I do not think so and I have not tried to call the Apple order phone number, but I am hoping that if I call and ask they might help me get the Samsung retina display. I can feel the "NOs" coming with this question but I thought I would ask anyway.

I have tried to look through these posts and see if there is anything else I should be aware of when configuring the retina MBP 15" If anybody has any suggestions I would appreciate it. I am upgrading the SSD and adding iWorks, or the 3 programs need to be added seperately.

Does the 15" retina display get 2880x1800 Retina display?

Is there anyway to get the machine with the SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) or do you have to order the SuperDrive? Does this take advantage of the USB 30 connection?

Finally, any good personal expereinces with added speakers that really make the sound beyond beleif? I wil be using this machine for teaching and many of the DVDs are produced by a guy who puts a lot of work into the sound. I would like to take full advantage of this with a great set of external speakers. Are they making any speakers that use the thunderbolt cable technology to connect the speakers into the retina MBP? what about the USB 3.0?

O, one more. this machine uses USB 3.0. If I purchase some of these cables to use for various connections, does the Apple MBP retina dispaly require any special kind of this cable?

thanks!

Posted on Nov 21, 2012 12:45 AM

Best reply

clintonfrombirmingham

Level 7

30,100 points

Posted on Nov 21, 2012 12:57 AM

Is there anyway to get the Samsung Display opposed to the LG?

Nope - it's luck-of-the-draw - like the lottery. Some people have had no problems with either display - some have had problems with both.

Does the 15" retina display get 2880x1800 Retina display?

Yes - that's twice the native resolution of a non-Retina standard 15" MBP.

Is there anyway to get the machine with the SuperDrive 8x (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) or do you have to order the SuperDrive? Does this take advantage of the USB 30 connection?

No, you can't order an internal SuperDrive. But Apple does make a USB 2.0 SuperDrive (about $80) that you can order - doesn't take advantage of USB 3.0 speeds because optical drives are so slow anyway that you really don't need the speed bump.

Are they making any speakers that use the thunderbolt cable technology to connect the speakers into the retina MBP? what about the USB 3.0?

Not that I know of - there are plenty of good third-party speakers out there that connect via the headphone port or via USB.

one more. this machine uses USB 3.0. If I purchase some of these cables to use for various connections, does the Apple MBP retina dispaly require any special kind of this cable?

No - no special cable. USB 2.0 and 3.0 cables are backward compatible.

Good luck,

Clinton

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23 replies

Nov 22, 2012 11:50 PM in response to NObodE

FWIW = For What It's Worth...

There are thousands of posts here from rMBP owners - but you don't read the ones that are happy with their purchased because most people come here with problems - and that's what this forum is for: solving technical issues that may arise. So, here, you're just going to see complaints from folks for the most part - not real world reviews, but rather real world problems.

Today is Black Friday - should be a good day to buy!

Clinton

NObodE Author

Level 1

7 points

Nov 23, 2012 12:01 AM in response to clintonfrombirmingham

clinton-

thanks for your earlier post.

Yea I came her to buy but the Store is down for now. 😮

You misunderstood my complaint. On other forum sites people can freely state their expereince with the Apple machines they have-both negative and positive. On here people are too scared to post their negative comments about Apple products, but that is why I come here. I have done a ton of research and read a ton of positive points about the rMBP, but I am interested in what some people who have used this machine and have some complaints. There are always problems posted, because as you stated people come her with problems in hopes they can be worked out. But when someone comes here like I am asking for people to weigh in who have not had the best expereince with the rMBP machine. this will not cause me to purchase one or not to purchase one. However it will give me a heads up on some issues that people might have had with their machines. some negative points about the rMBP are just things that people will have to deal with, some can be worked out, but most problems people do not feel comfortable listing the problems they have had with the rMBP because those posts are frequently removed.

anyway, hard to explain what I am trying to say, but I still have not decided what machine to get. I am diappointed that the rMBP does not have the SuperDrive installed. As far as I know Office and Photoshop cannot still are installed with a DVD. Maybe the Cloud can be used to install some programs and some can be downloaded, but still I do not like the fact that the rMBP does not have the installed drive.

Nov 23, 2012 12:14 AM in response to NObodE

It depends on which version of Office and PS you have - I know that when I actually purchased Office it came with a disc, but I had already downloaded and installed the fully-functional 'trial' version and simply needed the activation key from the disc sleeve - same with Adobe CS6 Design and Creative Premium - yeah, I have a box and a DVD disc, but I had already downloaded it from Adobe and just bought the 'box' with the disc to have it - no real need for it any longer.

As most software companies move away from physical media to downloadable files, the need for an optical drive decreases. That said, I still use my optical drive to burn archival discs and have been doing so for over ten years now - so I use mine maybe once every two weeks. I could do without it and simply purchase an external optical drive.

People really just share their 'bad' experiences here - they're having problems, they come to this forum. For all of those posts about image retention on the Retina display models, there are likely 10,000 people who aren't having any IR or tinting issues. Believe me, if you read the rMBP 'burn-in' posts, people aren't scared to post negative comments at all.

But sometimes - most of the time probably - people have no problems with their MBPs (such as myself) and will recommend setups similar to their own. You've read in this thread from some rMBP owners who have no problems - they're out there.

Once the store comes back up, go ahead and get your rMBP and just order an external SuperDrive with it - they're pricier than some third-party optical drives but they're guaranteed to work with your rMBP.

Good luck,

Clinton

NObodE Author

Level 1

7 points

Nov 23, 2012 12:44 AM in response to clintonfrombirmingham

clinton-

I wish I could have a one to one with you before this purchase but realize that is out of the question. I want to make sure I do not get in a bind with tis purchase because I am behind the times as far as technology goes. Fro example I have a basic Internet service. When I try to swith the YouTube videso to pay in the top HD replay mode I just get the stop and start throughout the whole video. with that said I do still use an ethernet cable. I have an old Airport Extreme but being 4-5 years old I am not sure of it is up to daye with the security. Also my knowledge about how to use these USB 3.0 ports the thunderbold ports, etc so I can still use this machine at work and home, one needs that extra knowledge to work around what this rMBP does not have and I have become used to (without the knowledge of how to get around not having some of the basic things or utilizing the advanced parts of the rMPB)

For example, if you get a chance, will you translate this paragraph for me (and if you have the time tell me how I can use the thunderbolt cable when both ends have the same size small thunderbold ends) Here is what I need translated incase I need to use my ethernet cable.

The absence of an integrated Gigabit Ethernet port will surely bother some, but Apple offers a Thunderbolt to GigE adapter for $30 to accommodate. Since Thunderbolt effectively offers an external PCIe interface, there’s no performance loss if you go this route vs. the old integrated GigE connector. I was able to sustain nearly 930Mbps between the rMBP with the Thunderbolt GigE adapter and last year’s MBP:

Finally if I do get the external drive, can I use the thunderbolt cable (like the one that came with my Phone 5) to plug the external drive to the rMBP or do I need an adapter if I decide not to use the USB 3.0? I would like to use the lightening to lightening cable but what devices uses this on both ends? make sense?

NObodE Author

Level 1

7 points

Nov 23, 2012 12:53 AM in response to clintonfrombirmingham

Clinton-

In the other post you said to wait on the rMPB. I was going to put my order in but I just read that post so I am confused now. Here you said to order it. Hopefully I can get some clarification by the am and order the std or rMBP.

Did you upgrade your current MBP that you like so much with the current OS?

the one machne I am replacing is 3 years old and has so many things wrong with it I am anxious to get it out of my life. Not sure how I ended up with so many problems, but I think a lot were transferred over from the previous MBP when the Apple Store set it up.

Nov 23, 2012 12:55 AM in response to NObodE

OK - first - the bold type indicates that you can't use an Ethernet port (because the Retina MBP doesn't have one) but rather have to use an Thunderbolt to Ethernet adapter in order to plug in your MBP to an Ethernet router. That's a big minus for me (although I use the Ethernet port on my Apple Thunderbolt Display - not the one on my MBP - primarily).

You should take a look at this Thunderbolt FAQ - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5219 - you can't use the TB port for much other than TB hard drives (I've one coming in January - having budgeted to get it!) and displays (I've the Apple Thunderbolt Display, which acts as a 'dock' as well). The drives are supposed to be super-fast. I can't wait to get mine and retire some of my older FireWire 800 drives.

If you're going to plug in TB drives to your TB port(s), you need a TB cable (sold separately in most cases - $49). But it's a screaming fast connection and your only limitation is the speed of the spinning platters. The LaCie that I'm getting has two 2 terabyte 72000 rpm disks - the fastest available for the consumer, right now (other than SSDs, but that's a different story).

Don't know if I answered all your questions - I'm sure that we've done nothing but confuse you about which MBP to get but, as I said in another thread you started, I would, were I you, go for the fastest processor and best GPU in a non-Retina display MBP.

Good luck,

Clinton

Nov 23, 2012 12:58 AM in response to NObodE

I wouldn't get the Retina - I'd go with the standard 15" with the fastest processor and best GPU that you can order. You can later install more RAM and, if you wish, a SSD to make it as 'speedy' as a Retina model.

And, yes, I'm running the current OS - 10.8.2 - have been running it since before it was released to the public. Love it. No problems at all.

My recommendation, again, is above. I just wouldn't take a chance with the Retina display models just yet.

Clinton

Nov 23, 2012 1:09 AM in response to NObodE

I'm using rMBP 15" late 2012 with 16GB of ram. Luckily I got mine with Samsung display. So far no issue, running eclipse for java and nodejs programming and occasionally playing Diablo III.

Ordering a Retina Display 15" MBP but have Some ?? Before I Order