The Retina display, or "ultra-HD display" if you're one of those people, is definitely the way of the future. It enhances the digital experience better than any piece of technology has in years. Even 4K displays aren't at its level. There are a lot of benefits to using a Retina display, but there are also a lot of drawbacks, especially when it's on your regular computer. Rather than posting a traditional review of the new MacBook Pro with Retina display, I've decided to round up what I do and don't like about it after a week of use.
Pros
- Apple includes some nifty little details in apps, like numbers 1, 2, and 3 in iTunes' Up Next menu.
- It's absolutely amazing for photography, provided you have Photoshop and Bridge CS6 or later.
- IPS technology makes the viewing angle spectacular, and the brightness is sufficient even in the sun.
- The 13-inch 2013 model feels far faster than the previous year's Air.
- Battery life, despite the power going to graphics processing, is a solid eight hours on the 13-inch.
- The speakers sound far better than ones in average notebook computers and are especially good on a desk.
- It feels more hefty than a MacBook Air, but not so much that it's strenuous to carry.
Cons
- You will become spoiled by a high-density display and run from pixels forever; they will chase you.
- Even 1080p video doesn't look good enough, unless it's very high quality (MKV), which takes up way too much space.
- Of all things, Apple's iTunes app lags, and that's the least of my problems with integrated Intel graphics. A lot of websites lag and Rdio's Mac app jumps around.
- Games, despite being known for their benchmark-worthiness, don't look good unless they're optimized for the display.
- Most of the Internet is not optimized for such a high pixel density, and it will look fuzzy.
- Mavericks is buggy and has annoying graphical glitches.
- Adobe Bridge CC, despite being "optimized" for a Retina display, is very slow at rendering previews on this model.
Score: 8/10
Papermail looks good on it!