Apple MacBook Pro Retina 2.6 GHz Processor / 512 GB Storage Amazon $2409.54
 

*Deal is Dead*

Apple MacBook Pro 15.4 Retina [amazon.com]

Retail: $2799
Deal Price: $2409.54

Product Features
Style: 2.6 GHz Processor / 512 GB Storage
2.6 GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i7 processor
8 GB DDR3 RAM; 512 GB Flash Storage
15.4-inch LED-backlit Retina Display, 2880-by-1800 resolution
NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M 1GB Graphics
Mac OS X v10.7 Lion, 7 Hour Battery Life

I haven't seen this model so low and have been shopping it for a while logged into amazon and finally went for it!

This post can and should be edited by users like you :)
 

They also have the 2.3Ghz 256gb SSD MBP @ $2199
Reply: this is retail price,

Lowest price I've been by far. Thanks.

this is $400 cheaper than Apple site and i guess you can buy the 3-year apple care plan

Need 16GB of RAM and now that amazon charge tax, it is not much of a deal anymore.

bet 10 bucks that this thing will get extremely overheated.

what states does amazon charge tax in now?

CA and PA

You would lose that bet. I'm on this same mac (but with 2.7quad and 16gb of ram) and have yet to have an issue with overheating. Have this for about 2 weeks now. Get about 4-6 hrs of use depending on what i'm doing.

No complaints so far.

Very nice

run some stress test on it and we will see

I've been using the 2.7GHz ; 16 GB RAM ; 768 SSD Retina MBP for about 4 months and NO over-heating issue under Mac OS 10.8.2 or Windows 7 Pro running under Bootcamp and/or via Parallels 8 as a VM. I run 3 VMs simultaneously on it everyday, and temps never exceed 80* !

Windows works better on my MBP than on the Dell XPS laptop I also own!

I have temperature logs from Mac OS and Windows 7, with and without gaming.

Will gladly post the charts for reference :D

Feel free to paypal $10 as gift to golmaal@gmail.com

Thank you! :wave:

What does this have to do with selling yourself?

I'm taking you up on this. How do you want to make the arrangements and prove which way this bet will go? (I am serious). I recommend that I will post a continuous video on YouTube for everyone to see the results. Sound good?

Unlike this joker above waving like a fool, I am actually serious. I'm not providing payment details because we've not seen that I have won yet.

I can be a third-party witness to this bet.

lollll :D

Same here. Got an i7/16G/256 rMBP15 from work in July. No overheating observed so far. But I do not put any heavy work on it, maybe just some Youtube HD~

if you prefer more RAM (16GB) but less storage (256GB):

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/...0YQUZ2NYD5

$2450

ok deal, it would be much better with 16GB RAM and 256GB flash drive since you can't change them out after purchase.

I bought a 16GB 256GB and 2.3GHz retina when they came out for $2179, still available at that price. the 512GB drive is way overpriced... just get an external USB3 drive and you're good on storage. I bought a 1TB 2.5" USB 3 for like $80. 256GB will hold everything you need for day to day use.

As far as overheating it does get *very* hot and tears through the battery if you use the nvidia graphics. It doesn't crash or anything, but if you touch the area above the top row of keys when the fans are going you can burn yourself.

I use my mac to run a virtual lab using VMware Fusion 5 pro, and it handles everything from Windows server 2008 and 2012 DCs and file servers to RHEL 5/6 servers, ubuntu, windows 7 and 8 clients, a backtrack5 machine, and still has plenty of oomph to play 3d games in the osx environment. Pretty incredible and invaluable for learning and testing things in a portable lab environment.

good deal if you're not worried about the RAM and have to have 512GB vs 256. definitely get the applecare though. if anything breaks you can't fix it yourself.

Over 2.6k for a computer? I rather buy a used car for that price. Or pay my mortgage

Most of us still don't pay tax for Amazon (yet). And while 16GB sure would be nice, especially for this price range, 8GB is really plenty for most users, even many using pretty memory intensive editing and modeling software.

That said, it's my understanding that the RAM on these isn't upgradeable (at least nor very easily), so if you really need 16GB, then yeah, this isn't a deal for you.

This unit was in their warehouse section for a little over $2100 around noon today

But I didnt order it... someone did

gimme your 10.
stress tested using prime95 for 3 days, not a single hiccup.

This is a SD since it is the lowest price even offered for this machine. This isn't a place for Mac hate; it is a place for SDs regardless of brand.

I don't understand all of these people who need 16GB of RAM when you have an extremely fast 512GB SSD in the machine. If you need to start accessing the SSD for a RAM buffer, you are not going to see a major loss of performance unless you are heavy into video editing, etc. For overwhelmingly most people who buy the MBP w/retina, 8GB is fine. Just leave a nice buffer for swap.

The lowest price I could find for a MBP w/retina just upgrading the RAM to 16GB (every other spec the same) is $2894 from MacMall (w/AppleInsider discount). This equals a savings of $484.46. That's one heck of a savings for 8GB of RAM vs. 16GB.

Run FurMark at max setting (1920x1080) on your Macbook pro using NVIDIA 650M for 30 mins with no external cooling system. If the max temp of GPU can stay below 85 (Celsius), you win, is it fair? I do need some money for my college, thanks

I can buy 5 computers with this .

try FurMark for the GPU stress test

I'd first like others to chime in on wether or not >85 constitutes "overheating". Your words were "overheat".

Edit: actually you said extremely overheat. Is 85 degrees truly overheating? Room temp is 76 !!

Please don't waste my time. You offered a bet on a public forum and I'm taking you up on it in good faith.

Yes, but five pieces of junk.

Hey guys i have own a few mac book retinas they have screen problems mainly LG screen Burn in issues so think wisely overall its a great product. Apple is trying to keep this in the down low because they have been reseting the post on there forum and reply. When i bring it in store they have a burn in test that is grey and the burn in wont show but once you use black it will show and they will try to tell you its normal.

https://discussions.apple.com/thr...5&tstart=0
http://www.tuaw.com/2012/08/14/ar...en-issues/

while you might be able to buy multiple machines for this amount of money, for this machine this is a great deal. If you are looking for a top of the line machine with an awesome screen then this is the best deal on this so far. If you are looking for a machine to facebook and email on and thats all you want to do with it then this would be overkill obviously

For a laptop, yes

I am talking about Celsius degrees, so feel free to do the test

Ok, if several from SD agree with slightly above room temp meaning "extremely overheat" for a laptop then I agree to your terms.

I was talking about Celsius...I do have common sense

don't get snippy with me.

Say what you mean and move on. I double checked with you and you just responded "Yes, for a laptop". Now you're saying celcius.

So, what does SD say? 85 degrees celcius means, "extremely overheating" or not?

prime 95 already uses the gpu

Yup agreed. I much rather buy one device and less trash the world with 5 POS devices I will probably never use.

This or a used car. Decisions...

Overheating implies that a machines temperature exceeds its cooling system and has to throttle back its clock speeds and/or crashes. You can't just go making up arbitrary temperatures that you consider to be "too hot" if the system is completely stable running at those temperatures.

That said, I've gamed at 2880x1800 on mine and it didn't get to the point where it hurt (which I have experienced on a few other laptops). It was a bit uncomfortable and probably not the best for my crotch but it did not "overheat."

Trollololo. Your signature already gives away your bias.

LOL. This is not 1995. Who pays this much for a notebook?

Sheesh. Am I the only one who knows how to use Google in this flame festival?

http://www.anandtech.com/show/602...-review/12

Prime95 and Furmark are synthetic stability tests which generate more heat and power than possible anywhere else, so neither are important; this is a laptop and we're not overclocking here. As seen in the link above, the Retina MBP with i7 and GT650M peaks at 63°C CPU and 72°C GPU while running the HL2 in-game torture test -- these are the temps people will *actually see*.

The CPU doesn't get fully stressed with this test so we can expect about mid 70's for both @ max load, as both CPU and GPU share the same two heatpipes.

I'm not a fan of Apple's comically high prices, but their engineering is a different story. Case closed...

Bias against fanboyism, yes ;).

+1

85 celsius is not consider high at all for a GPU. Even desktop cards hit that temp easily in furmark. I would argue most enthusiast laptops with a 650m or above can hit 85c in furmark depending on ambient temps.

Which brings me to my next point. Several review sites don't even use furmark as a benchmark for heat anymore because it unrealistically stresses the GPU to limits it would never reach in any normal use.

I'm not arguing one way or another against the Macbook Pro, but setting convenient parameters for "overheating" that is clearly biased doesn't help to strengthen the case against it.

and TX

Small correction: those temps aren't quite made up. "Too hot" is 100°C or above for the CPU as specified by Intel and (unoffically) 105°C for the GPU -- Nvidia does not specify but that's the peak for mostly all their chips ±5°C.

The system may run fine into the 80's without throttling, but given enough heat/cool cycles, problems will inevitably develop sooner than later. It's no mystery that heat and reliability are inversely proportional, which is where I believe Chrisfover87 was coming from.

Welcome to SD ComputerDr. I see you just joined and have 3 posts. We are always glad to see new SD members.

$2400 for any laptop is a ripoff.

true dat :)

iSheeps :)

I have it. It's not bad at all. The new ivy bridge cpus run pretty cool and efficient. thumbs up!

...and Texas

Don't forget, it's on sale for $2400!

The more you pay for it, the more exciting and complete your life becomes it seems. This is the sad state of perceived quality today. Diminishing returns is a completely lost notion.

This is how Apple turned around its declining notebook sales. Just had to create a more 'premium' lineup. If you build it, they will pay...

Thanks for the welcome warsaws, long time lurker but finally joined earlier today with all these BF deals coming up :bounce:

#thingspoorpeoplesay

:iagree:

She agrees.

anything that's not a Mac is junk? :rolleyes:

You'll be ok.

I'll take that $10
 

Since I love using mine - 2.7Ghz, 16GB, 768GB, company supplied. Doesn't get hotter than my personal 2010, or my other company supplied 2011 model... :D:D:D:P

This is an amazing laptop. Sure it's not cheap, but it's a fantastic laptop. The people who nay-say it have clearly never used one.

I need the 13" Macbook Pro Retina deal..

seriously?
 

3 years ago, I bought 3 Lenovo W700s for $5,200 *each*.

Sometimes, people do pay top dollar for high quality stuff. There is a difference between a machine capable of display 2880 x 1800 and performing fine, with a speedy 768GB SSD (which you can't even find on the market), and a $300 walmart special. If you can't tell the difference, then it might be painful to try to educate you. :bulb: :shake:

Doesn't mean you have to overpay $1,000+ to do so ;)

good

proice

help me find another 15" with the specs
 

OK, I'll bite. Help me find another brand of laptop that has the following specs or better:

o cpu of 2.6Ghz or better
o 8GB Ram or more
o able to handle up to 768GB SSD internally
o able to display 2880 x 1800 on a 15" screen
o less than 4.5 lbs
o at least 2 thunderbolt or other 10 gigabit connections

and is cheaper.

Been using PC from day one. Had many laptops: first one was SD $300 one Gateway, a few HP ones, then dell xps for 1080 screen, which never look back for lower resolution. Even dell xps as a SD $600 fully loaded 2011 model.

Now I want better design, lighter and thinner with high resolution. I was excited with the new Dell 2012 model: great design ( look like MBP), thinner, lighter but more expensive. I am willing to pay more for design. After checking dell xps 15 out at the mall, I went home disappointed thinking no laptop this year. Dell got beautiful aluminum top and sides but palm rest is rubber and it is stratchable by finger.

I then went to apple store and here I am looking for MBP after reading Annandtech review. Now I can understand why some people can spend that much on a Apple laptop. Now I am willing to pay for good design/quality laptop, an idea that I thought was crazy not long ago.

No, I didn't say that. The person said he could purchase 5 computers for the price of this $2400 MBP w/retina display. At $480 a computer, you will find junk.

Sure there is a difference except those differences would matter greatly in business and/or other uses where the premium makes sense. Not in the general consumer space which is where a lot of Apple's sales come from. Ummm, so why did you buy three W700s for $5,200 *each* exactly? I Imagine you had good reason but is everyone you?

My education is fine but perhaps your argument could use a little more depth and context. Or we can pretend that everyone buying $2500-$3000 Apple notebooks really needs $2500-3000 priced notebooks and it has nothing at all to do with hype and Apple branding if that makes you feel better.

What's always funny is to hear all the people who buy an expensive product that in the end gave them little practical real world gain from the previous one, but they have to tell themselves and everyone how awesome it is in order to justify the price they paid for it. Now imagine a whole sea of these people telling each other how awesome it is and so and so on. Cha ching go the registers. You see this in the audiophile market especially. I bought a $2,000 DAC, I can hear the difference, I swear! The music is so much better!

There is no equivalent laptop, cheaper or more expensive, than the 15" Retina Macbook Pro. You have no justification for saying anyone is overpaying when there is no alternative if you're looking for a 2880x1800 display.

your car analogy here.
 

You know, I drive a 12 year old car. And if I buy another car, it'd be a second hand car. But I'd never bitch at people who buy a Camaro, BMW or Lexus since it's their money and their business how they want to spend it.

And if someone comes onto slickdeals and tells us how to get 15% off the price of one of those cars, I wouldn't be telling them how little real world gain they get and how they're just paying for marketing, and how most people would never get the benefits of driving at 200mph since the speed limit is 75mph.

Get in line kid...This contest was won before it even started!

But then, you surely need the $10 more now that unemployment has probably run out...

Well for one thing, a deal is a deal. I agree with most people here in SD that this is a pretty damn good deal. However, if a person already has a functioning laptop to do their everyday tasks, what is the point in spending this much for a laptop besides the "extremely" high specs that some people mention?

You'd probably be saying the same for a car. Why pay $80k for a car when you can get something cheaper at less than $10k, right? And take you from point A to point B?

Some people may have the "luxury" to frivolously spend their money for a higher tier product; however, I don't agree on some people who say that those who complain about this product are poor because we're not poor. We just have a practical way of thinking of spending our money in life.

:cool:

Fry's B&M has this for $2399 this week. If you are like us where amazon and fry's have tax, you can save money for a sandwich :)

> $2000 for a laptop ?

You can get a better deal on eBay...not a great deal

This is true if all you do is Facebook [ which lags on the rMBP anyway ], casual email and web browsing. Just like some people buy LSx cars, but never really use it's potential ;)

The merits of this laptop outweigh the flaws, price being one!

As a DBA, I find this machine perfect for my tasks which includes running multiple VMs in a server environment simultaneously. Dedicated Windows workstations have a tendency to hang/freeze or bog down, especially when running something like Siebel Server supporting more than 10K clients.

I also have a start-up, and since buying this Mac, I've been able to manage my work more productively working remote, and thus further seeding my small business!

This convenience and increased productivity makes this rather expensive laptop worth it for me and has already paid for itself in less than a month!!

Another perspective!
 

How about people who want a very nice laptop without the worry of which virus will be popular next month? There is a lot of value in that.

I also have to point out that I know many people with an old macbook (8 to 10 years) that is still kickin, but not so many with PC's. This is coming from a guy who is about to replace yet another PC for my wifey.

Are you seriously comparing a 300 and 600 dollar computer to a 2000 dollar one? Maybe this is why you were swayed. Marketers dream,wet dream.

Thanks!

ya that is true! screw tax in california.

There's almost no point reading Apple laptop threads anymore. The thread crappers arrive early, set up camp and refuse to leave.

Yes, we get it. Your $300 Dell craptop runs Windows XP super good and all Mac users are dumb asses with lots of money who like shiny objects and are stupid and need to get a clue. Did I mention Mac users are dumb?

Now that we've got that over with, can we discuss the relative merits of this deal?

Could you please tell me where to buy a 16GB 256GB and 2.3GHz retina at $2179? I really need one. Thanks a lot!

So how do you want to discuss the relative merits? It is but one seller only. Multiple vendors at various points of time have and will sell with just miniscule bit of discounts here and there. A $100 here and $150 there should not sour a purchase where you are shelling at or over $2,000 anyways. Rest, whatever specs you can and have to live with, as it is just a use and throw product only with zero ways of repair. As you can see from the above posts, the "merited" discussions can be a few only, as you you decline to compare with other "craptops". So enjoy your purchase.

Ah, the car analogy, haven't heard that one before. You should add this to that analogy every time you use it:

BMW market cap: 40.64B
Toyota market cap: 129.98B
Apple market cap: 496.38bn

I never "bitched" at anyone in this thread. I initially replied to a post from someone who happened to agree with me. Then someone else replied to my post, to which I then replied. Then you replied to that reply. So are you 'bitching' at me right now?

Let me restate what I wrote and which you quoted:

What's always funny is to hear all the people who buy an expensive product that in the end gave them little practical real world gain from the previous one, but they have to tell themselves and everyone how awesome it is in order to justify the price they paid for it. Now imagine a whole sea of these people telling each other how awesome it is and so and so on. Cha ching go the registers. You see this in the audiophile market especially. I bought a $2,000 DAC, I can hear the difference, I swear! The music is so much better!

This also has the CPU upgrade from i7 2.3 to i7 2.6GHz.

Mac computers are not famous among the rich people only. These are also the most favorites among some of the smartest scientists in the world. Mac platform packs the rock solid Unix OS but has the best and intuitive user interface for productivity. I can bet that more than 90% of all US Nuclear Physicists prefer and own Mac. For certain areas of science, research is impossible with Windows no matter how much money you want to spend (or save) on a computer. You must either have a dual boot system with Linux (in which case you sacrifice Office productivity and user-interface) or own a Mac. So your definition of iSheeps includes a variety of users you perhaps have never thought of. Macs sure are expensive computers but they are the best for some specific uses.

Well I think the first Macbook came out in 2006 so you may want to re-evaluate that 8-10 year range. My family has 2 windows 7 pcs, a windows 7 notebook and a macbook pro. No viruses or malware on any of them since W7. Learn to use these tools safely and wisely both at home and outside and you'll be safer than relying on something else. That's the first line of defense and the strongest. Give a man a fish...

Remember the Apple 'genius' ads which they essential tried to wipe from the internet?
Apple attempts to scrub controversial "Genius" ads from the Internet [arstechnica.com]

The idea that Macbooks or anything is bulletproof from malware and trojans is a myth and dangerous because you still have to be careful no matter what OS you use. And as Apple becomes more and more popular, there will be more and more malware and trojans targeted for their OS'. Security flaws are also a constant issue with any OS maker.

Don't feed the thread crapping trolls, people.

How many of the Mac users TODAY were once thread crappers on Apple threads? Please raise your hands NOW!

Let me guess:

1) You are a tech geek or someone very familiar and comfortable with computers and DLL files.

2) You provide FREE and UNPAID HOURS of tech support to family and friends.

3) You have family and friends who can't tell the difference between a DLL file and a MS word file and the only reason they're using defective Microsoft products is because you provide FREE and UNPAID HOURS of tech support to them.


Why don't you share with us the number of hours of free and unpaid tech support you have provided to your family and friends?

As a windows systems engineer, I'm going to call your bluff.

I can run just as many VM's, while running multiple vmware consoles, and multiple connections to vsphere just fine on a core i5 $499.99 Dell.

I'm sure I could even buy a Windows PC with the same specs as this macbook, for half or less of the price. Please tell me how a retina display is helping you run your databases?

It's pretty obvious your just a MAC fanboy, why try to hide in the closet?

I'm also not saying I hate MAC, or that MAC is not good for something, or that even MAC's don't work, it will surely get whatever your doing on it done, all I'm saying is that Apple products are overpriced for the same performance you can get elsewhere, no hate if you want to waste your money on them, that's your right ;)

I used to play BF3 on high w/o being plugged in. It only gets somewhat hot when you're doing that.

Playing CS, or any other modern game doesn't even get it that hot.

Ha!
 

You just described why my Mom loves me so much. That was my point earlier about no virus headaches. I am trying to talk her into an ipad to replace her
PC.

lol.. you're evidently new to IT or work at a very basic System's level ! I'm not getting in to a technical debate with someone on the internet who can't grasp the scope and responsibilities of a DBA in a large software corporation[ cannot reveal name due to NDA ]

But..alas, you've figured me out with that ' Fanboy ' statement :rolleyes: I'm enlightened!

lol yea right rookie. I work for one of the largest data centers in the northeast. We hold some of the equipment for the top financial and hedge funds in the world.

Your ignorance amuses me.

The feeling is mutual kid.

Data Center :lol: ..... :lmao: Have fun at the front end! :shake:

Yea, Data Center, like Managed Services, as in we manage the servers for the customer.

lol :shake: :rolleyes: You just keep these classic statements coming, I really hope there are some other engineers reading this.

I think it should be pointed out that this is a luxury item and consumer product.


If we're talking about saving money on systems, most companies are using server grade xeon processors running headless linux servers for the type of operations you're talking about. No one runs their data centers on macbook pros.... especially ones with retina displays.


You also need to consider that it's more than just hardware price. There is a cost associated with the software and operating system. As a developer, simply having a *nix based system makes interacting with other *nix systems a whole lot easier. Also, Parallels on the mac is much more seamless for virtualization.

Agreed, it is a consumer product. Which is why I found it funny it was being used for work by a DBA.

Actually saving money these days is all about buying two really powerful servers with some FC HBA's carving out a LUN, running the systems on esxi in a DRS cluster and spinning up tons of vms.

That being said it really doesn't matter what OS your workstation is running. The small gains you might have talking from similar OSX based workstation are grossly overset by price IMHO.

Thanks for the intelligent conversation on this. It was much needed.

DIck swinging title match: Dude flaunting his m5 vs dude flaunting his camaro ss. Both assuredly a pleasure to sit around have a beer with and listen to them talk about themselves.

Winner: the readers,


Regarding the machine. I just bought one (base model 15) yesterday (relatives academic discount, 5% citi card rotating cb category), net price $1900 ish for the base model with the obligatory extra year cc warranty and return period through the holidays. Bhphoto also has for a decent price with free parallels and discounted applecare btw.

Its a goddamn fantastic machine, and for the $2k range it better be.

Could I have bought any number of laptops for a fraction of the price that would provide equivalent functionality; Absolutely. Overkill for handing a cloud linked incomes spreadsheet, yearly taxes and a neat receipts library; You're goddamn right, but this is 'merica. After factoring in its deprecation against taxes and potential resale value down the road will it be as "expensive" vs the enjoyment derived form its use over its ownership? Probably not. WIll the expense affect my quality of life in a negative manner; nope.



The price the op had is a solid price if you want/need/can afford the item. For everyone, absolutely not. But neither is an m5 or a camaro ss. Both beautiful cars, but really, if thats what you want everyone to know about you than maybe some self esteem classes would be in order. The only important thing learned from this thread after the op is that most people here are just glad not to be sitting at either of your thanksgiving tables.

lolForesterDucatiTdiJeff

Your off-base with your car comments, as I don't even own a Camaro any more, but I have to say the rest of it is great, welcome to SD and great 1st post!

Thanks,

what generation was it?

it was the newest generation and for this machine $2400 was an awesome price. I have been playing with mine since Tuesday and love it. I could have preferenced the post with I am a photographer and also do video editing so for me a high end machine is the only way to go, and the retina display makes it a no brainer for me. Slickdeal for everyone no, but it was a slickdeal for anyone looking at this machine.

i was asking about the camaro this thread stopped being useful for relevant info after the op


loving my "low end" retina 15 too, your posted deal would have absolutely been what i went with if i had any inclination of ever actually needing the 512 ssd

www.apple.com

click store (at the top, the grey bar)

select government and military (on the right side)

select macbook pro 15" retina 2.3Ghz - $1999
options - upgrade RAM for $180
total - $2179

click add to cart and enter payment info. Free shipping and ships in 1-3 business days

$500 for an additional 256GB is totally not worth it, nor is 300Mhz for $100 though that is at least debatable. The 2.3Ghz flies and is more than enough to power my portable lab environment. USB 3 storage is super fast too, and for $500 you can buy 8-10 64GB USB 3 flash drives, 6 1TB usb 3 hard drives, etc. Just wish it had one more USB port.

Also don't forget the thunderbolt to Ethernet adapter if you're ever going to use a wired network.