Mac Fanboy checking in.
What you see above is a ridiculous picture of three generations of MacBook Pros sitting on my home workstation. The back left computer is a 2006 model MBP with 1.83 Ghz Intel Core Duo processor -- my home and work computer for the past six years. The back right computer is a 2010 model MBP with a 2.66 Ghz Intel Core i7 chip - my new work computer. And right up front is my brand new 2012 model MacBook Prop with 2.3 Ghz Intel Core i7 chip and the much-hyped "Retina" display.
I'm loving my new MacBook Pro, which is nine generations of computer ahead of my old laptop. It's sleek, fast, shiny, and a joy to use so far. I've been saving up for the the last year for a laptop upgrade, and I am about to be paid for completing a one-year consultancy gig, so I deserve a great machine.
Honestly, the latest MBP is probably way beyond what my actual needs are right now. I don't plan on editing any films or doing any high-end image manipulation anytime soon. And side-by-side I can barely tell the different between the "Retina" display and the "normal" display on my 2010 MBP, except when squinting at tiny text.
But hopefully by getting the top-of-the-line machine, I am future-proofing this purchase for at least the next 4-5 years. Crossing fingers.
Here's some more comparison pics of the three MacBook Pros below, oldest at the bottom, newest at the top. What is most noticeable is the changes in the number of ports available, the increasing thin-ness, and the lack of an optical-disk reader on the latest MBP.
Right Side of Three MacBook Pros
Left side of the Three MacBook Pros
Apple has been moving toward a smaller number of ports (usb3 and Thunderbolt) that can be connected to other devices via different optional adaptors, including optical-drive readers, external monitors, and external hard drives, and ethernet. The lack of an ethernet port I thought was the most bizarre, since this is going to be the standard for wired connectivity for the near future, I think.
Apple even revised their magnetic power port to be a bit thinner, so your old Mac power adaptors won't work with the new MBPs. Kind of annoying, but understandable when you see how thin the lastest laptop is.
