After much back and forth gold right decision

After I had been in possession of a 11.6-inch Acer netbooks and then a 15-inch ASUS notebooks and both in the long run was not right for me, was clear: a 13-incher has to go home. And since my netbook from the low-price segment (something around 300 euros) definitely far too lame and my laptop (around 700 euros), first too large and secondly in some components (CD drive, display, fan and heat) a disaster and for the university was far too impractical anyway, I knew quickly: An Ultrabook is to her. Or subnotebook. Or whatever the category exactly is, in any case, it should be small and portable, but powerful as possible, because I do a lot of multitasking.
On the netbook that was absolutely impossible: Skype alone was just so, to then during the chat even a YouTube video in HD resolution watch has a small part immediately brought to its knees. On the large notebook which was wonderful, but the fan jumped on constantly, 15 inches do not fit into my pockets purely sensible and also I was the creaking at every nook and corner plastic disturbed, just as miserable as highly reflective and relative very dark and desaturated the color spectrum display ago. So therefore opting for a model of the higher-priced range between 1000 and 1500 euros was made in the hope of finding better and longer-lasting quality. A lot of money, which will be a good investment will also ...

My criteria in the selection:
* It must be stable, I do not want a device for which I am afraid that there is in your pocket or in your backpack while cycling (adequately protected, of course) breaks down, most of all a unibody enclosure, and at least as little plastic
* It must be fast and especially energy-saving: a minimum of 6 hours of battery life were the minimum, I can accept to survive well one day in the uni
* At least one FullHD display, where you can read and write well
* Excellent and well descriptive keyboard, since I have a huge workload on text production and processing, at best, illuminated
* 13 inches and a maximum of 1.5 kilos
* Attractive appearance

On the basis of these criticisms, the selection was narrowed down considerably and I had tens Windows Ultrabooks in hand. At first I was not fixated on a Mac, I wanted rather not get away from the familiar, aka Windows, especially because my desktop PC that I use for the sophisticated stuff at home (especially gaming and image processing, and digital painting with a graphic tablet), also is a Windows PC and I could not quite imagine me that harmonizes so well.

However, what got me in the end to Apple was the much praised simplicity of the operating system. As well many other users I'm pretty lazy and want to actually have to worry about anything. After my desktop PC as well as my laptop (both ran / run on Windows 8.1) both have caused vast amounts of work and trouble under multiple Windows updates (Update was not installed correctly, but multiple new and canceled each time you configure backups were no longer reasonable to apply etc), I began to flirt with a switch to OSX. Especially because I enjoy my first iPhone, my mother came to Christmas, the new iPhone 5S had purchased and before the old soured in the drawer, I let it go into my possession. Switching from Android (I was previously owner of a Samsung Galaxy Ace and then a Sony Xperia Z) was on iOS the best decision I've ever met, I love this simplicity that it offers, the totally uncomplicated handling and processing. Of course there was the hope that similar OSX could offer me at the computer as iOS mobile.
A visit to the Apple store was rather out of the blue, with the idea one could look so times, but then I had the first time a Macbook in hand (at that time due to the lower price of the MBA) and I was fascinated by the robustness and stability.
Even the felt paper-thin display can not bend, everything budge and stable, nothing knarz and rattles and even if you hold the laptop with one hand in the air, bend because nothing in a tangible context.
I - until now only the owner of the typical "plastic bomber" that you as a young man so has - was thrilled. Something I had not even noticed at the equally expensive Windows ultrabooks even the Zenbook, with whom I have very flirted, has not made so strong impression on me.
Then I myself thoroughly with the two models, which came into question, busy. The Air 2013, with 4GB of RAM, 256GB SSD and 13 inches or the corresponding MBPr what offered more for only a small fee (students with student card price in the store) of less than 200 4 GB RAM.

So: The decision was ultimately on the MacBook Pro and I am very, very happy.

All my criteria are met the laptop well enough, only less than 1.5 kg, it does not weigh, but these few grams more I can really get over the fact that I have this robustness that offers me the laptop.
Nothing squeaks or creaks, the display will not budge, the Touchpad quite accurately, as amended, all a dream, when I think that the display has wobbled in my old laptop even at slightly more energetic and faster typing evil, as amended.
For OSX I can for a very short period of (it's really intuitive) say: Sure, one or the other has to google you before you know what you have to do, but overall I did not have any problems adjusting. Only the @ I have to look a long time, but since the problem was clearly on the Blindfisch front of the computer) and problems with any updates, I had no and the Time Machine is the easiest system to make backups I've ever have experienced.
Portable is the part that is a dream. The given nine hours of battery life I was very skeptical about the Ultrabook my girlfriend creates at a promised term of 8 hours on low screen brightness with a simple surfing (Facebook, forums, news sites, and university network) but only 2.5. But here I was really surprised extremely positive. In WLAN operation with surfing and alongside Office documents, to medium brightness (which at the excellent display which has the MBP, almost always sufficient, unless you sit in the sun) has kept the apples whopping 9.5 hours, last night on the sofa in semi-darkness with screen brightness at almost a third, low-level and keyboard illumination when working with occasional research on the net I even had a specified term of no less 14 hours. That really gets you in any Windows laptop, tells me at least my experience.
Then there is the small size, the MacBook is only slightly larger than an A4 pad and no 2 cm thick, weighs 1.57 kilograms, which makes part of a perfect traveling companion.
The display drew me when turning a subdued "wow" and reading the first long text (I read a lot and often long scientific texts on a laptop) bright enthusiasm. The pixels are really not to be recognized, everything looks wonderful course and I really feel the display as for the eyes. 50 or 100 pages to read is finally no more agony.
The sychronisation my iPhone worked so perfectly that I wondered why I rumgeprügelt me ​​so long with my PC and have always hesitated to connect the phone to your PC. So the networking of various Apple devices among each other really works perfectly.
Generally I was particularly impressed the sophistication of small details in the MacBook. The power cord, the so-called MagSafe connector is in contrast to the usual connectors on the charging cables of notebooks, none of these round things to poke, but a narrow, elongated connector that is not stuck in the device, but held by a admittedly fairly strong magnet , This plug is by direct removal came from the device loszubekommen, by gently tilting it goes but from almost by itself. What at first glance a drawback is lying straight and turn in on the couch is my cable has already dropped a few times actually pretty awesome. Because the connector is held by the magnet only straight force, he goes in an unsheltered and movements quickly and so it is for instance almost impossible to tear the inserted Macbook from the table by tripping over the cable. Clever idea that should be standard in my eyes. After all, it's pretty easy to stick to the cable and to make the plug broken, if you look at the conventional charging cable. So I prefer it when the plug goes off, the laptop and the jack but are still quite.

The commissioning of the Macbooks went rapidly, I had backed up all important data on an external hard drive, the installation went so fast that I did not even really perceived as installation. After about an hour the apples was so far that I have all the important programs that were I need (office suite, I use OpenOffice, the second browser (Firefox in my case) and Scrivener) installed and running and I had to on first glance really used very unusual interface. One hour to make the part work ready, that's really great and goes through quite as Out of the box and go.

I can play even a bit on the MacBook. I have not bought him to play and I will not do it excessively, but I have my PC at home, but to go from playing round Hearthstone (an online trading card game) or for half an hour Minecraft between two lectures good for the MacBook quite. I highly doubt that the Intel Iris graphics can represent demanding games like Battlefield 4 smoothly, but the MacBook is not absolutely designed. That I can play one hour Hearthstone without the laptop my skin is wegbrutzelt of the thighs already far more than I would expect and for me rather a nice bonus than something I actually expected. Overall, the MacBook, which falls in the subnotebook category yes, something for which there is not actually made, but not too bad and that's really nice for those who do not want to completely give up a bit of gaming on the go.

But overall I have to say though, it's not all just wonderful and peace, joy and pancakes. No machine is perfect, and so even the Macbook. With Safari I had to befriend a little before I really got along and the plugins found was surprisingly tricky, though not rocket science. Meanwhile the Flash Player runs as it should, namely on selected websites.

The problem that many have with Apple, namely the permanently installed parts is quite an understandable complaint, just to replace the battery pack should actually be already possible. However, I observe at this point anyway a trend toward less and less freedom for users, especially in times of super small and super strong Ultrabooks. Nevertheless, it is a quite understandable criticism, for me personally, however, no one who justifies a star deduction, after all, a) I knew that even before you buy, it is not, after all, very difficult to find out, and b) I never themselves do something anyway, because I artisanal absolutely am a disaster and just trust me just so, my screwed PC to clean the fan. Accordingly, a problem that I have considered acceptable.

Also unattractive I find that Apple is only 1 year warranty. I got myself the AppleCare Protection Plan, because I wanted to play it safe, but in itself should be 2 years warranty actually be a must, especially in the upper price range. However, this does not affect the quality of the product and therefore does not flow in my review with a, I think it is nevertheless important to say that.

As for the ports, although I am satisfied because I do not need much (the maximum is a mouse and an external hard drive at the same time), but also because it could theoretically become scarce with only 2 USB 3.0 ports. HDMI is available, which is important for me is that I can connect an external monitor or TV, as well as a memory card slot, audio jack and 2 Thunderbolt ports. Optical Drive the MBP not, but given the small size which was to be expected, it is no secret before buying and I personally can well do without it. Music and movies I've already almost entirely digitized and if something is not digitized, I have to stop just in a spare moment to make my PC. So I like to do without the drive, when I in my pocket for spare space. In addition, something eats also only battery so I can the decision against the optical drive when 13-inch model definitely understand (the 15-incher it looks different, but that is not covered by this (completely oversized) review).

Also prepares some abdominal pain at first gave me the unusually small disk size. Sure, it's SSD instead of HDD and therefore expensive, but still ... 128 GB for the entry model I find very puny and 256 GB are already much better, but seemed to me still very small before. After all, my desktop PC 2TB and my Windows laptop has 750 GB. A look at the actual utilization of both disks, pointed, however, that my concerns are entirely unfounded. I have a medium-sized iTunes library (about 20 GB) and otherwise vast amounts of small files. I thought my Windows laptop (which should be replaced by the Macbook), would clearly full, but when I realized that on just 80 GB of 750 were actually shows that I somewhat Management was clear to me and an external hard drive for really big things like my photo collection can certainly make do with 256GB. The upgrade to 512GB or 1TB proposes unfortunately but strongly on the price and raise it neatly. Here, you have to clearly consider whether you want to pay more, dodging on external solutions or if you can not yet make do with the smaller hard disk.

Other commonly reported error, such as ghosting, which reportedly occurs in some displays, I absolutely can not confirm my copy works perfectly round and I have absolutely nothing to complain about.

What I, however, are missing some special characters on the keyboard, but I do not rule out that the problem is I'm not the computer. That I can make braces as well as on Windows, they are not just painted on the keys, I have finally found only by trial and error out. If symbols like the vertical line that is running Windows on the button, in fact completely missing, that would be a small (but nevertheless verschmerzendes) deficiency, determined there but, you just have to find them.

In order to bring this long review abartig slowly to its end: I am very happy with my decision for a MacBook Pro Retina 13 inches and I hope I could explain why so few help to make even a decision for or against this laptop , For me personally and my needs it is the perfect compromise between performance and portability, and I did not even feel they made a compromise, because actually I have everything I need: A multi-tasking, fast and pleasant-to-use laptop for work always and everywhere.
The criticisms that I have mentioned, are definitely there and for someone who needs the drive, which has very large amounts of data and / or would like to play on the computer a lot, this is definitely not suitable apples.
But my needs are perfectly met and I'm perfectly happy and do not regret this investment and it would do it again. For me, the MacBook Pro Retina 13 inches the best thing I've ever owned, and my indispensable companion through the day.