Is retina display MBP worth upgrading to?

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I am a proud owner of a late 2011 Macbook Pro 2.4 GHz Intel Core i5. But i just saw the new macbook pro with retina display. There is also problems with the new one: longer to charge and fewer ports but it also has better processors and such so is it worth it to sell my 2011 one and get a retina display mbp?
 

pigoo3

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Go to a local Apple Store (if you have one)...and compare the display's of the MacBook Pro's with & without the retina display...then you decide if it's worth the upgrade.

Beauty (or necessity of a retina display) is in the eye of the beholder!:)

- Nick
 
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check out the ipad section at apples website. they have an interactive thing that shows the difference of retina with text and such. its a pretty good demostration really.
 
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It's a subjective judgement call. Only you can decide if it is worth it. Figure it will become standard in a few years, and them something else will come along to top it. If you have the cash, go for it and give us a review! ;)
 
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Any downsides of retina display?

I have been due for an upgrade to my MBP after partially tearing the screen off about 6 months ago. (thankfully it still works with a bit of duct tape!).

I am inclined to opt for the next generation MBP, but want to make sure I am fully informed.

Can someone tell me what happens if I use software that has not been upgraded to accommodate retina display ? I use Microsoft Office a lot.

Thanks
 

pigoo3

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Can someone tell me what happens if I use software that has not been upgraded to accommodate retina display ? I use Microsoft Office a lot.

Thanks

Same answer if someone asked..."What if I use iPad apps not written to take advantage of the retina display on the "new" iPad (iPad 3)?"...no big deal.

So if you have apps. not written to take advantage of the retina display on the new top end MBP...no problem...everything will operate normally. Of course all your apps. need to be compatible with OS 10.7.4 (which is what the shipping OS will probably be with the new retina display MBP).

If you're not currently running OS 10.7...then you need to check your apps. for 10.7 compatibility.

- Nick
 
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patmor.
your question 'Can someone tell me what happens if I use software that has not been upgraded to accommodate retina display ? I use Microsoft Office a lot.'
retina display has nothing to do with software, the retina display give you the sharper picture, it is physical aspect of the mac.
 
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Same answer if someone asked..."What if I use iPad apps not written to take advantage of the retina display on the "new" iPad (iPad 3)?"...no big deal.

Thanks for the reply - and the tip. I will check for compatibility.
 
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check out the ipad section at apples website. they have an interactive thing that shows the difference of retina with text and such. its a pretty good demostration really.

FYI they also added that tool to the retina display mac website. It compares it to the regular 15in mpb. Though with my current monitor it still makes the 15in retina look crappy. My gut feeling is you'd need to actually go to the store to check it out.
 
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Going to add this link for people curious about how the retina display operates on the MBP. From what I can tell, the OS can't see the retina resolution by default. The max you can do is 1920x1200, which is rendered @2x and then scaled down to fit the display, the same process works for other resolutions. In short, the "default resolution" on the mac is 1440x900, no different than the current mbp resolutions, it's just a lot crisper, but no gains in usable space. Games are a different though.
AnandTech - MacBook Pro Retina Display Analysis
 

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