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A 2880x1880 screen, with top of the line CPU with highest build quality at $2199 IS mind-blowing. Those screens don't come cheap.

jarek 14y ago
We need to remember that it's the nature of technology to continuously improve. We tend to take it for granted, but that is because continuous improvement has been that reliable. 2 MP 15" displays were available in 2002 and were a $2000-laptop technology by 2006 if not earlier. It is not surprising that 5 MP 15" displays are $2000-laptop technology six years later.
- mturmon 14y ago
  The retina display is a big jump in display resolution. Not all areas of tech allow this kind of big jump. For instance, battery life, or spinning disk access times. So the new display technology is notable in that regard.
  - jarek 14y ago
    Notable? Yes. Mind-blowing? Nah.
- sfk 14y ago
  Display technology has been stagnating for decades. The "retina" display (if it is as good as promised) might be the first display that matches the quality of ancient IBM flexview displays or rarities like this one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_T220/T221_LCD_monitors http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_T220/T221_LCD_monitors So I'm having issues with the statement that technology continuously improves. In many areas that's just not true.
  - kbutler 14y ago
    "Decades". Stagnating for decades? Two decades ago (1992), where was your high-resolution LCD monitor? The link shows a high-res flat panel monitor that was announced for production at $18,000 about a decade ago. Technology improves, price comes down. Call it about a 20% year-over-year cost reduction for the decade. It may be more accurate to say that technology mainstream technology improves in leaps and surges, rather than "continuously". Sometimes the same technology gets cheaper, sometimes new technology replaces older technology, but next year's is almost always better and/or cheaper than last year's. That said, I am delighted that the improvement in laptop displays is shifting back to "better" instead of just "cheaper".
wiredfool 14y ago
Try configuring an old style 15" MBP and new Retina 15" MBP with the same specs, 8 gig ram, 256mb ssd. The Retina one is $200 _cheaper_. It looks like the big difference in price is not the display, but the hard drive.

jarek 14y ago

We need to remember that it's the nature of technology to continuously improve. We tend to take it for granted, but that is because continuous improvement has been that reliable. 2 MP 15" displays were available in 2002 and were a $2000-laptop technology by 2006 if not earlier. It is not surprising that 5 MP 15" displays are $2000-laptop technology six years later.

mturmon 14y ago
The retina display is a big jump in display resolution. Not all areas of tech allow this kind of big jump. For instance, battery life, or spinning disk access times. So the new display technology is notable in that regard.
- jarek 14y ago
  Notable? Yes. Mind-blowing? Nah.
sfk 14y ago
Display technology has been stagnating for decades. The "retina" display (if it is as good as promised) might be the first display that matches the quality of ancient IBM flexview displays or rarities like this one: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_T220/T221_LCD_monitors http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IBM_T220/T221_LCD_monitors So I'm having issues with the statement that technology continuously improves. In many areas that's just not true.
- kbutler 14y ago
  "Decades". Stagnating for decades? Two decades ago (1992), where was your high-resolution LCD monitor? The link shows a high-res flat panel monitor that was announced for production at $18,000 about a decade ago. Technology improves, price comes down. Call it about a 20% year-over-year cost reduction for the decade. It may be more accurate to say that technology mainstream technology improves in leaps and surges, rather than "continuously". Sometimes the same technology gets cheaper, sometimes new technology replaces older technology, but next year's is almost always better and/or cheaper than last year's. That said, I am delighted that the improvement in laptop displays is shifting back to "better" instead of just "cheaper".

wiredfool 14y ago

Try configuring an old style 15" MBP and new Retina 15" MBP with the same specs, 8 gig ram, 256mb ssd. The Retina one is $200 _cheaper_. It looks like the big difference in price is not the display, but the hard drive.