For people living in India, electronics are expensive. Let me rephrase that — performance electronics are expensive. The price gap between an “okay” device and a “damn good” device is even more if it comes with an Apple branding.
For most of us here, if we can afford an Apple device, we go for it. The problem arises when we cannot afford them. Or when we have to really dig into our savings for getting one of those shiny little things. So, is the new Retina MacBook in India worth the price tag it brings along?
First of all, it’s pricey, there’s no denying that. Just the base model (that comes with 13-inch of screen real estate, Intel Core i5 chip, a 2.5GHz dual-core processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB for storage in an SSD) will set you back by a good six-figures. Just to clarify, that’s over 1 Lakh Rupees!
Impressive as the spec-sheet maybe, you’ve to take do a detailed analysis before you shell out such money.
The Display
The Retina display on the MacBook is out of this world. There’s no doubt that it’s one of the best displays you can get in the market. If you leave out the 4K or 5K displays, this will certainly end up with a podium finish. Mashable has got this to say about he display: “Text is pixel-free. Images pop. Icon details are more enhanced. It’s almost unworldly.”
The Processor
The processing power on the lower end Retina MacBook Pro is a bit of a let down. The 13-inch variation with a basic i5 processor just doesn’t pack the punch. However, once you move up to the higher end models — the 15-inch with i7 processor, and a much faster, 16 GB of RAM — that’s where you see the real power.
The machine courses through big files on Photoshop and renders huge chunks of high-def videos without skipping a beat. The inbuilt Intel HD Graphics 4000 chipset is powerful enough to power two external displays, just as Apple claimed.
But then again, for all that extra performance capability, you need to pay extra. Which means that you’ll be looking at a price tag of nearly 1.5 lakhs. Which is a lot of money.
So, answering the main question — is it worth it — is a little difficult. If you can afford it, then go for it. If you cannot, then I suggest you opt for it only if your work demands that level of performance. And even while picking a Retina MacBook in India, I would strongly recommend you pick up the higher end model. Because, well, if you’re anyways going to dig into your savings, better go all in!