Keep MBP 13" Retina or buy high-end PC?

[Cloud Constructors]

I fortunately work from home most of the time. I am finding that my neck is straining from staring at a computer screen that is only 13" all day. I also miss having the power of a PC. However, are PC's phasing out? I can build my own gaming PC for about $1200CAD. Let me know your thoughts

[jasondefaoite]

Buy an external monitor?

[ITOps]

I fortunately work from home most of the time. I am finding that my neck is straining from staring at a computer screen that is only 13" all day. I also miss having the power of a PC. However, are PC's phasing out? I can build my own gaming PC for about $1200CAD. Let me know your thoughts

You would need to give us more information on what you do? Are you the regular consumer (gamer, light usage user, regular web designer or developer, office user, etc. ). Or, are you a high end professional user that requires a workstation grade computer (Game Developer, CAD Architect, Software Engineer, Music Producer, Sound Engineer, Security Engineer/Analyst) that needs to do a large amount of tasks in parallel or needs multiple processors and large amounts of storage and RAM to meet computing demands that are too much for a regular consumer computer?

[Cloud Constructors]

I am a technical consultant who enjoys to game casually. I just use programs like Teamviewer, Office, etc. I also want a computer that will last. I don't know how strong of a performer this retina 13" mac will be in a year.

[Cloud Constructors]

opinions?

[Alwaysonacoffebreak]

PC's phasing out? Not going to happen, I hope people would stop with this nonsense.

If I were you I'd rather build a custom PC at this point.

[BoredBozirini]

Get a better desk and chair.

[OOOOOOOO]

I'm massively confused.

Why are you putting this question to yourself. You work on the Retina Mac. Right... the Retina display Mac is very very different to a gaming PC. You wont get the same level of clarity on a PC, so if you're doing certain tasks, clearly the Mac is better ... but for games, clearly the PC would be better. But then you're switching OS. Now, do you like Mac OS or Windows? I prefer Mac OS, so I use a Mac. Do you do all your work on your sofa? You can't do that with a gaming PC. Lots of different questions here, and if you ask me, you should keep the Mac and save for a PC for your games :)

[Alladaskill17]

How did you think this poll would go? lol

With that said, writing from a Macbook Pro, get the high end PC. Why did you buy a retina version anyway! Especially at such a small screen size. I have many Apple and non Apple devices, but that price jump for a screen is just dumb. Go "high-end", hell, even game hard goooo

[OOOOOOOO]

For the record, I am a graphic artist for a living, working on a 15 inch Retina Macbook Pro (2.6ghz Quad Core i7 16gb Ram etc) and I would NEVER swap for ANY PC. This is the best computer system I have ever been near let alone used. It's stupidly powerful, and beautiful to work with. I work from home a lot, and sit on my sofa or in bed (my home office gathers dust). So no way in hell would I trade down to a PC. If I want to play games, I'll go buy a console. But I just sold them all last year :D

[Boz]

For the record, I am a graphic artist for a living, working on a 15 inch Retina Macbook Pro (2.6ghz Quad Core i7 16gb Ram etc) and I would NEVER swap for ANY PC. This is the best computer system I have ever been near let alone used. It's stupidly powerful, and beautiful to work with. I work from home a lot, and sit on my sofa or in bed (my home office gathers dust). So no way in hell would I trade down to a PC. If I want to play games, I'll go buy a console. But I just sold them all last year :D

You must love working in a low 1440x900 resolution (for retina is actually 1440x900 just the pixel density is higher) then.. Retina display is overhyped. It's useless for the most part. Yeah it has a bit crisper text but that's about it, not to mention that what you see on your computer with retina display and how other people will see it will be different especially with web design and so on.

No one serious uses Retina displays because it's more hype than really anything people benefit from. The only ones who really benefits from retina display today are developers as it is easier on the eyes when you write code all day other than that it's meh.

Plus, I would always use a powerful computer plus 30" display than Retina. In fact, you can't even use retina on 30" display. So what kind of a professional are you when you are working on a 15" monitor.

Nonsense.

I am a technical consultant who enjoys to game casually. I just use programs like Teamviewer, Office, etc. I also want a computer that will last. I don't know how strong of a performer this retina 13" mac will be in a year.

Mac Book Pros are types of computers that as soon as you buy them they are obsolete. You can't upgrade them, so if you want a decent machine you have to shell out $3k to Apple. For $3k you can buy a 30" monitor and a powerful desktop that a Mac Book Pro won't even come close to.

Not to mention that using Office on a Mac is inferior to Windows version. It's slow, it's bloated and less productive. Another reason why are better off with Windows and a solid computer with a big monitor.

[Sikh]

...snip...

You do know any laptop you buy is obsolete the minute you buy it right?

You do know some people DO work at full 2800*1800 resolution?

You also know you can drive multiple displays with the retina mbp he(Spirit Dave) has?

You also know that you dont have to go into EVERY APPLE THREAD and spew your bull**** everywhere, right?

The OP asked a question, just answer. Dont go after someone else and make them feel or look stupid. Dave loves his mac, leave him alone.

Also, if you think retina is hype, then you should NOT own ANY high PPI devices be it a display or a smartphone. But thats bull**** because guess what? A lot of smartphone manufacturers are focusing at higher PPI devices. (Droid DNA with 440 ppi @ 1080 in 5" screen)

So, too you its hype/gimmick/bull****/whatever, but some of us enjoy the fact that our eyes strain less to none, vivid colors, etc. But oh wait, you don't care :D

[Melfster]

FY. Retina screens don't help much with eyestrain. They nice screens but they don't help much. If you care about eyestrain use e-ink screen. but since computers don't have e-ink screen it doesn't mater.

[Sikh]

FY. Retina screens don't help much with eyestrain. They nice screens but they don't help much. If you care about eyestrain use e-ink screen. but since computers don't have e-ink screen it doesn't mater.

They help me because I turn the brightness down more and can still see easier versus having brightness up higher and not enough detail.

[Rudy]

Not sure why you would want a 13" as your main work computer (unless you travel a lot). Personally I would recommend the 27" iMac, that's what I code on

[Boz]

You do know any laptop you buy is obsolete the minute you buy it right?

Nope.. because they are upgradable.. try again.

You do know some people DO work at full 2800*1800 resolution?

No, I don't know anyone who works in 2800x1800 on a 15" display because the text and everything super tiny. So it's useless. Plus benchmarks show that if you run your Mac Book Pro retina with that resolution everything is beyond slow, especially videos because GPU can't keep up.

You also know you can drive multiple displays with the retina mbp he(Spirit Dave) has?

So? So does every other computer and laptop. The point is that he doesn't get retina.. so it's again useless.

You also know that you dont have to go into EVERY APPLE THREAD and spew your bull**** everywhere, right?

Take you insults somewhere else and learn some manners since your parents obviously haven't taught you any.

Also, if you think retina is hype, then you should NOT own ANY high PPI devices be it a display or a smartphone. But thats bull**** because guess what? A lot of smartphone manufacturers are focusing at higher PPI devices. (Droid DNA with 440 ppi @ 1080 in 5" screen)

Because there's a difference between a consumer level device like a phone or a tablet because they are fairly small screens and increased resolution actually has a purpose since they are content consuming devices. To make everything crisper and cleaner and it's for actual consuming content not creating. And it's completely different because it works differently as far as density goes.

And yes.. a 2560x1600 display on a 10" tablet is an overkill as well. There is no visible benefit over 1920x1200 for example. There's a threshold where you actually see a benefit.

[shadodemon]

I dont understand your comparison that a 13MBP 13 Retina could be in the same league as an almost high end pc? Why didnt you get a 15 inch or better than that a Classic MBP now those would be considered high end pcs. So with this said I will not vote for any of your choices.

[medhunter]

Buy Xbox 360 and game from there...and of course keep the Mac.

[Cloud Constructors]

I just built my new PC and oh boy is it ever so fast and comfortable to use!

[Rudy]

I just built my new PC and oh boy is it ever so fast and comfortable to use!

This post is actually a pretty poor "resolution" to this "issue". Your main problem seemed to be the screen yet you didn't bother to say anything about the new PC's monitor(s)