The next-gen MacBook Pro with Retina Display Review
by Anand Lal Shimpi on June 23, 2012 4:14 AM EST- Posted in
- Mac
- Apple
- MacBook Pro
- Laptops
- Notebooks
Ports & Expansion
Port layout has been greatly simplified on the next-gen MacBook Pro. Along the left side there’s now a MagSafe 2 connector, two Thunderbolt ports, one USB 3.0 and one 1/8” jack for mic/headphones. The right side has the other USB 3.0 port, a full sized HDMI port and an SD card reader.
MagSafe 2 is a thinner version of Apple’s MagSafe connector, and it’s used on both the Retina MacBook Pro and the 2012 MacBook Airs. The rMBP still ships with the same 85W power adapter as before, but now with an integrated MagSafe 2 connector. In order to deal with the change in connector, Apple offers a $10 converter that allows you to plug MagSafe 1 power supplies into MagSafe 2 systems. All new Thunderbolt Displays shipping from here on out will include the MagSafe 2 converter.
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:
At a price of $30 Apple is most certainly using Intel’s Port Ridge Thunderbolt controller, a cost effective single-channel TB controller without any support for DisplayPort passthrough.
USB 3.0 is provided courtesy of Intel’s 7-series chipset. Apple supports the USB Attached SCSI protocol which should allow for even better performance than what I’m showing below (with all of my focus on Thunderbolt I actually don't have a 6Gbps UASP enabled USB 3.0 dock in house):
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seapeople - Sunday, June 24, 2012 - link
Wow, is that the Sony everyone here has been harping about "outdoing Apple" years ago?Reading that review basically says that while the general specs of that Sony are outstanding, every other possible aspect of user experience (keyboard, hinge design, trackpad, thermals, and noise) is completely terrible.
Oh, and it looks like it costs more than the rMBP and comes loaded with bloatware.
There's a reason that didn't get an Editor's choice award, and it's not some great conspiracy...
OCedHrt - Monday, June 25, 2012 - link
Not really. You can buy it without the bloatware, you just need to select Windows Pro. They got a review unit from Sony, and Sony shipped them their "consumer" version which is loaded with bloatware (although I agree, that is even more reason to not have bloatware).The hinge is by design and something Sony engineers are quite proud of. Not everyone likes it when something is different, especially when it comes to keyboards.
Simply read the comments (http://www.anandtech.com/Show/Index/5530?cPage=5&a... and you can see only the reviewer had an issue with the hinge that he couldn't even explain very well.
I have been using the Z1 for 2 years now and the experience is awesome. It may just take some time to get used to a small laptop.
Trackpad can glitch every once in a while and for noise you can make it silent in the Sony control center (change fan from performance to silent).
There is always going to be fan noise in a high end laptop when stressing the system. This applies to the rMBP as well (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=13918...
Spunjji - Tuesday, June 26, 2012 - link
Moron.mlambert890 - Thursday, November 29, 2012 - link
Were you two on the design team of the Z? LOL!You just called the guy a moron for pointing out why *ANAND* didnt like the Z.
OK you guys are right. The Z is amazing and it is a crime against humanity that only you and your fellow crusader "get it". Sony should be the #1 PC maker rather than approaching junk bond status and it is only Apples "marketing hype" their ability to "buy off" guys like Anand and the "stupidity" of everyone on earth (except you two) that keeps Apple profitable. What an amazingly arrogant pile of crap that is
Im a huge Vaio fan and Im 100% sure Ive spent more on them than you two have combined over the years and even *I* think the two of you sound nuts.
UltraTech79 - Saturday, June 23, 2012 - link
You're talking out your ass.KoolAidMan1 - Saturday, June 23, 2012 - link
Amazing argument.Truth hurts dude, sorry
KoolAidMan1 - Saturday, June 23, 2012 - link
Nothing you noted is cutting edge, and it is also thicker and heavier than Apple's machinesOCedHrt - Sunday, June 24, 2012 - link
How is 2.5 lbs and 0.66" thick thicker and heavier than Apple's machines? Apple does not have a single laptop lighter and thinner than Sony's Z. Not even the ridiculously slow MBA can compete.KoolAidMan1 - Monday, June 25, 2012 - link
Since when were Ivy Bridge i5 and i7 CPUs ridiculously slow?Spunjji - Tuesday, June 26, 2012 - link
Comparatively? Since forever. Stop trying to undermine people's valid arguments by failing to read them, jackass.