Linked by Thom Holwerda on Thu 14th Jun 2012 02:49 UTC
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RE: Baseline models are getting better
by Beta on Thu 14th Jun 2012 11:14
in reply to "Baseline models are getting better"
I used to have to order (at-least) a fast HD and extra ram, but looking at the specs for the new Retina MacBook Pro, if I bought one today, I wouldn't need to change anything
The graphics card is terrible if they’re hoping to push out native resolution 30fps gaming. However, most PC gaming is 60fps, so… you’d need to replace the whole thing in a year or two.




Member since:
2009-02-19
Something I've noticed over the space of almost 20 years of using PCs and Macs: The baseline models are getting more powerful relative to my needs as a developer. I run Windows in a VM in order to use Visual Studio, while also running Mac apps. Whenever I bought a new Mac laptop, I used to have to order (at-least) a fast HD and extra ram, but looking at the specs for the new Retina MacBook Pro, if I bought one today, I wouldn't need to change anything (although the size of the SSD would be a bit tight).
So what I'm saying is that the trend towards less user-serviceable parts is (in part) driven by a decreasing need to replace components (at-least, for the purpose of making a computer more powerful when initially purchased).
Of course, I'm just talking about initial customisation, and that's different from keeping a computer up-to-date by replacing components. I've looked at the bottlenecks for compiling on my current (4.5 year old) MacBook Pro, and it's pretty evenly spread between memory/HD speed and CPU. The former two are upgradable, but the latter isn't, and is never going to be on a laptop. So I'm better off using my laptop for as long as I can with the components it has - even though they are upgradable, there's not much point in me doing so.