Is a MacBook Pro w/ Retina display worth the price?

Question

Apple community-
    Looking at purchasing portability for school- going to work on an MFA in graphics/web/new media, and need some assistance.  I've an iMac from 2007, seems to run flawlessly, but looking at options for taking school with me while at work- I'm currently travelling five different states in my current position.  The new MacBook Pro with Retina display looks stunning, albeit expensive, but has many features that worry me.
    For instance, everything is completely bolted/soldered/non-upgradeable, so any desire of modification needs to be purchased pre-production, right?  Also, the big issue with their PCIe "Flash based" storage... exactly what is this, and why is it so freaking expensive?  I've read different reports on Apple using various manufacturers, so not every MacBook as the same storage model, no third party attempts at upgrades, etc..  If I'd like to install numerous, monstrous programs, such as the entire Adobe Creative Suites, 3D Max, Maya, Final Cut, and so forth, I'll need a high capacity memory drive, as I assume most, if not all of these, need a root drive to install, and not simply an external hard drive.  I still make CDs/DVDs, so a SuperDrive is another $80.
    Chatting with an Apple representative, she stated that there is "only one model that will run my software at peak performance," which was the 15-inch model, starting at $2k; also, my software needed a "dedicated graphics card,"  I'm not too certain that it needs all that, and a high-end PC laptop could certainly run all of my demands- but let's face it, this is an Apple discussions community, and I'm plain simply accustomed to working on an Apple computer.  Plus, I don't really care for Windows 8.
    Should I possibly aim to purchase an older model used, something without Retina, but with more storage?  Is Retina that big of a deal for a laptop?  I also considered the possibility of just toting a Mac Mini with a 13-inch Cintiq tablet; though it does need a constant power supply, it's still quite portable.
    Thoughts?  Am I just overthinking this?  I've been expecting a MacBook to be expensive, but this could be pushing it a bit.
Cheers!

Answer 1

guiparent,
whether it’s worth the price or not is an entirely subjective opinion. My own choice was to buy a used non-Retina 13-inch Mid 2010 MacBook Pro, and replace its hard drive with a SSD; but since I don’t use graphic-intensive apps such as the Adobe Creative Suite, my own choice would most likely not be best for you. Given your graphic design background, if you find the non-Retina displays sufficient for your needs, I’d recommend that you consider a used 15-inch Mid 2012 MacBook Pro. That model has memory sockets, so you can replace/upgrade the RAM if needed; its internal disk can be replaced by/upgraded with any 2.5-inch 9.5-mm-high SATA hard disk or SSD; and it has a built-in SuperDrive.