I have been using this laptop for almost 5 years now, and it is simply still the best computer I have used.

As one of the audio production geeks who cares about DPC latency--it's worth noting that DPC Latency Checker does not accurately reflect DPC latency on Windows 8 and behaves as if there is an additional 1ms lag--see  http://www.thesycon.de/deu/latency_check.shtml

That said I appreciate how your site actually DOES show DPC latency info. I hope Thesycon updates their tool soon.

Regarding the "low" display rating, the glare type and other specs pulled the rating down. However, the high resolution was not manually considered, therefore we added two more points leading to very good 88%. Thanks for the feedback.

@Arvid - We still used OS X 10.7, as 10.8 was not available at the time of the review.

When you tested the batterylife, which version of OS X did you use? There's been a problem with batterylife on OS X 10.8 so your test-results might be misleading. Apple's working on an update to fix the problem.

The display is Lg or Samsung?
I have the Lg display and it has image retention issuses.
In the comunity forum of Apple, a lot of users say who their Lg displays present the problem and Samsung displays not.
I think Apple have to do something, i can't only hope to have a samsung display (hope really that displays have no IR issuses) in the my replacement. I spent 2300 euro.
Sorry for my very bad english.

Guys, the acctual monitor quality, not resolution, is better. Plus the fact that price/performance is also equated for would be another reason why. Also the "Retina" Buzzword is pretty much just a selling point, it doesn't equate to a better monitor.

Given that the Asus N56VZ is quite a bit heavier and bulkier, has half the battery life, doesn't come with an SSD, lower resolution screen, small wonder then that it costs less. Apple know they have the best laptop out there at the moment and they've priced it accordingly.

The Best screens are still Dell Precision, Latitude and HP with Premium Matte HD displays, as many professionals have been reviewing. I am graphic designer and comparing the Macbook Retina with the others is a shame, not only because of the glare reflections, but for viewing angles. Just compare a Dell or HP with PREMIUM LED MATTE screen notebook side-by-side to see how better they are, if you have a chance. I am not the only one saying it here. It is really the truth and easy to see!

Quote from: alison on August 04, 2012, 19:46:19
The display has great resolution but is only average in every other respect.  It is IPS but white LED not RGBLED, doesn't even cover full sRGB gamut much less AdobeRGB, no matte anti-glare option, viewing angles are only so-so..

The graphics card is relatively weak also.  These are the reasons most 'creative professionals', at least in the graphics/design/architecture/film industries, continue to do their 'real work' on workstation notebooks like dell precision or hp elitebook, both of which have screens which absolutely blow away the macbook.

I have the new macbook with retina display, it is great and portable.. but its screen is quite lackluster compared to the panel in my dell precision.

The 650M is a relatively weak graphics card? What other GPUs are you comparing to the 650M??

Maybe you haven't noticed, but a workstation weighs almost twice as much as the Retina MacBook Pro. The MacBook covers the sRGB better than the Dell Precision M6600 can. Just compare NotebookCheck's reviews of both notebooks, you can see the MacBook Pro is the clear winner. The Precision M6600 has worse viewing angles because the screen is a TN panel. The Pro's slight loss in brightness occurs at extreme angles impossible for the M600 to reach.

The display has great resolution but is only average in every other respect.  It is IPS but white LED not RGBLED, doesn't even cover full sRGB gamut much less AdobeRGB, no matte anti-glare option, viewing angles are only so-so..

The graphics card is relatively weak also.  These are the reasons most 'creative professionals', at least in the graphics/design/architecture/film industries, continue to do their 'real work' on workstation notebooks like dell precision or hp elitebook, both of which have screens which absolutely blow away the macbook.

I have the new macbook with retina display, it is great and portable.. but its screen is quite lackluster compared to the panel in my dell precision.

I know, right? 86% seems too low for that display. This might be the best notebook display ever made. It's certainly one of the best displays of any kind. However I agree with the low temp score. That thing runs too warm all the time, even at idle.

They give the display score only 86%, and 88% for the Asus N56VZ ... come on, are you serious the Asus display is actually better than this one?

You are paying for the design, I have used MacBooks for many years and they would have the best displays in the market. Considering the premium you pay for them you should not expect any less...

I am surprised the display score is at just 86%... after all, the Retina display was supposed to be the selling point of the notebook, and you guys seem to have praised every aspect of the screen, minus the glossy surface.

The lack of ports is so bad. How difficult could making room for an Ethernet port be.

But no doubt, Apple has made the best multimedia laptop out there. There is just no way I can shell out $2200 for one when Asus is offering their N56VZ for less than half the price.