Apple MacBook Pro Retina 15 inch 2014-07

Specifications

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Reviews for the Apple MacBook Pro Retina 15 inch 2014-07

90% MacBook Pro with Retina Display
Source: Laptop Mag Archive.org version
If you're in the market for a laptop with a gorgeous display, the 15-inch MacBook Pro should be at the top of your list. Images look crisp and vivid, thanks to the Retina Display. And you don't sacrifice performance for beauty; the MacBook Pro more than measures up to -- and in many cases, exceeds -- the performance of comparable notebooks. We also appreciate the robust speakers and long battery life.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 05/18/2015
Rating: Total score: 90%

90% Apple MacBook Pro 15-Inch Retina Display (2014)
Source: PC Mag Archive.org version
Essentially, the new 15-inch Apple MacBook Pro is a very incremental upgrade to the model released late last year, and if you already have the 2013 model, there's no need to make the move. The Apple MacBook Pro 13-Inch, Retina Display (2014)$1,234.99 at Amazon is still our recommendation if you're willing to trade screen size for portability. That said, if you're a Mac power user upgrading from a pre-Retina-Display MacBook Pro (or MacBook Air), this laptop is certainly worth it. It's worthy of our highest recommendation and Editors' Choice badge for best high-end desktop-replacement laptop.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 08/22/2014
Rating: Total score: 90%

90% MacBook Pro Laptop 15″ Review (2014 update)
Source: On MSFT Archive.org version
The price drop is a welcomed addition to the mid-2014 Retina MacBook Pro models, especially with the high end model where the price is now reduced by £200. The MacBook Pro is still quite pricey and may be cost prohibitive for some Apple fans. If flash storage, better performance, and portability is important to you, the additional cost may be well worth it. Overall, if you can afford the Retina MacBook Pro 15-inch model, then I would recommend it. You will not be disappointed!
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 08/18/2014
Rating: Total score: 90%

Which Mac laptop? MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro comparative review
Source: Macworld.co.uk Archive.org version
In 2013, when Apple reduced the price of the MacBook Pro with Retina display range, we stopped recommending the 13-inch MacBook Air on the basis that there was only £150 difference in price. As Apple has continued to drop prices we are still looking at just a £150 difference between the two ranges at the entry level. It's great to see Apple reducing prices across its MacBook ranges, but the lower prices of the MacBook Pro Retina range do have the effect of making the MacBook Air look less attractive in comparison. However, we still love the MacBook Air, which is lighter and thinner, although a fraction bigger than the MacBook Pro with Retina display. If it's the MacBook Air that you have your heart set on, you can't go wrong with it, but if you have a little more in your budget, then consider the MacBook Pro with Retina display because it's a really good deal in comparison.
Comparison, online available, Medium, Date: 08/14/2014

80% Apple MacBook Pro 15 with Retina Display
Source: Comp Reviews Archive.org version
While the Apple MacBook Pro 15 with Retina display is still a very expensive laptop, the 2014 refresh boosts up the still very excellent system. Users that want high performance and long running times are not going to find any system with the same attributes from Windows based systems.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 08/13/2014
Rating: Total score: 80%

Apple 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina review: updated with benchmarks and battery tests
Source: Macworld.co.uk Archive.org version
The price drops are welcome, especially at the top of the range where the 15in MacBook Pro with Retina display is now £200 cheaper. It's still pretty pricy at £1,999, though. Even the £1,599 price of the other 15-inch model, previously £1,699, will be prohibitive for some. Given that you can buy an iMac with superior specs for less, and there is no longer the issue with super-glossy screens, you really are paying a lot for portability and Flash storage - but that may be worth the extra expense to you. There's also the high-res Retina display to consider, but you may just prefer a bigger screen.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 08/06/2014

83% Still the best higher-res laptop, but the competition is catching up
Source: CNet Archive.org version
Apple has quietly upgraded almost the entire Mac lineup so far in 2014, minus the still-new Mac Pro desktop and the often-overlooked Mac Mini. Still, these upgrades are minor at best, and in most cases, not nearly as important as the price cuts some models (but not this one) have received at the same time.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 08/06/2014
Rating: Total score: 83% performance: 90% mobility: 90%

Foreign Reviews

Aufgefrischt mobil
Source: Mac Welt DE→EN Archive.org version
Comparison, online available, Long, Date: 09/05/2014

Review 2014 MacBook Pro versus MacBook Air: Apple-laptop aankoopadvies
Source: Computer Totaal NL→EN Archive.org version
Comparison, online available, Short, Date: 09/06/2014

Comment

Model:

The Apple MacBook Pro Retina 15 inch 2014 is the latest edition to the line-up that maintains familiarity but with upgraded specification. The beautifully crafted aluminium chassis still takes centre stage and this time it houses the 15 inch Retina display that renders beautiful image quality. At the core of the gorgeous exterior is a 2.2 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 with Turbo Boost capability up to 3.4 GHz, 16 GB 1600 MHz DDR3L SDRAM, NVIDIA GeForce GT750M with 2 GB GDDR5 VRAM, and 512 GB PCIe flash storage.

All the specs above suggests that this MacBook will be buttery smooth and satisfy high demands from users. Another notable feature is the backlit keyboard with black keys making it almost as iconic as the chassis itself. Users can also load up on pre-install software options such as Final Cut Pro X, Logic Pro X and Aperture. There are a plenty of accessories for the Apple MacBook Pro Retina 15 inch 2014; from various display adaptors to external Thunderbolt storage and Apple TV. There is a built-in battery that offers superb battery life of around 8 hours usage.

Series:

The Retina display is a display which has high enough pixel density that the human retina can’t distinguish individual pixels and was first introduced as a cutting edge technology together with the iPhone 4. Thanks to the retina display, the iPhone 4 was called "Best device in its class" by The Wall Street Journal, and "Best smartphone on the market" by Engadget. The MacBook Pro with Retina display introduced at the WWDC in San Francisco in June 2012 is a separate product line, independent of the original MacBook Pro and should continue the success of the iPhone.

Apart from just the retina display, this new laptop also features a new design similar to that of the MacBook Air, but without Super Drive as well as Ethernet and FireWire 800 ports. Unlike the original MacBook Pro series with standard hard drive, it includes a Solid State Drive. In short, every technological advantage of Apple are concentrated on this new MacBook Pro with Retina display, from the amazing display found in the iPhone, iPad to robust system performance of the MacBook Pro as well as the portability, design and flash storage - this laptop has it all.

In particular the retina display is the sharpest computer display and outclasses every other laptop or computer display by far at the time of its introduction. It is that important that Apple even decided to  call this laptop "MacBook Pro with retina display". In fact, the display alone outweighs the biggest disadvantage of the new MacBook Pro, the price – it's Apple we are talking about. If you can afford the steep entry price, this is the most amazing laptop money can buy.

Intel Iris Pro Graphics 5200:

Integrated graphics (GT3 + eDRAM) as found on certain Haswell CPUs. It is the fastest version in its family.

Modern games should be playable with these graphics cards at low settings and resolutions. Casual gamers may be happy with these cards.

» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.

Intel Core i7: The Intel Core i7 for laptops is based on the LG1156 Core i5/i7 CPU for desktops. The base clock speed of the CPUs is relatively low, but because of a huge Turbo mode, the cores can dynamically overclock to up to 3.2 GHz (920XM). Therefore, the CPU can be as fast as high clocked dual-core CPUs (using single threaded applications) but still offer the advantage of 4 cores. Because of the large TDP of 45 W / 55 W, the CPU is only intended for large laptops.  

4770HQ: An Haswell-based quad-core processor clocked at 2.2 GHz with Turbo Boost support up to 3.4 GHz. Offers an integrated Iris Pro Graphics 5200 GPU and a dual channel DDR3 memory controller.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.

15.60":

15-inch display variants are the standard and are used for more than half of all laptops.

The reason for the popularity of mid-sized displays is that this size is reasonably easy on the eyes, often allows high resolutions and thus offers rich details on the screen, yet does not consume too much power and the devices can still be reasonably compact - simply the standard compromise.

Apple: Apple is a US company founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne. Headquartered in Cupertino, California, the company is known for its innovative products such as the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch, and manufactures computers and consumer electronics as well as operating systems and application software. Apple is also a leading provider of software and services such as the App Store, iTunes and iCloud.

Apple has earned a reputation as a company that focuses on design and ease of use. As for their notebooks, they are mostly in the high-priced segment, have their own operating system, but also run Windows on the newer Macbooks.

Apple is one of the most valuable companies in the world and has a loyal following of customers and fans. The company also has a strong presence in the entertainment industry, with services like Apple Music and Apple TV+. In 2023, Apple had an approximate 8% market share of global PC sales, ranking it 4th after Lenovo, HP, and Dell.

86.6%: This is an above-average rating. Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that about one fifth of all tested models receive a better rating.

» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.

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