I appreciate the fact that there's no reduction in IO when moving between the 13 and 15-inch rMBPs. We've already grown used to having notebooks with integrated batteries and CPUs soldered down to the motherboard, which makes the rMBP pill a lot easier to swallow. The good news is the SSD module can be upgraded and some companies do offer an upgrade path for it. If we assume 8GB is enough for the foreseeable future, providing more (or easily upgradeable) storage is my biggest complaint about the fairly fixed configuration. I don't believe the 8GB memory limitation will be much of an issue over the useful life of the system. The integrated SSD module is removable, although it's not intended to be user serviceable. Apple outfits all of the 13-inch rMBPs with 8GB of DDR3L-1600, although there's no BTO option for 16GB of RAM (which is availble on the 15). The downside to all of this is a machine that really can't be upgraded. While the 13-inch MBA is still clearly a more portable device, I believe with the 13-inch rMBP Apple has built a chassis that's truly an alternative. Apple has done its best to make your decision about picking the right screen size and internals, almost entirely removing things like weight from the discussion. The 15-inch rMBP is less than a pound heavier as well (0.89 lbs). The 13-inch MBA shaves off only 0.61 lbs. The weight difference is marginal as well. Compared to the thickest point on the 13-inch MacBook Air however you're only gaining 0.07-inches. The 13-inch rMBP maintains a uniform thickness of 0.75-inches, 5.6% thicker than the 15-inch model (but obviously with less total volume thanks to a smaller planar footprint). GigE, FireWire 800, SDXC reader, headphone out MacBook Pro with Retina Display Comparison The larger 15-inch rMBP still struggles in the airplane use case, although the reduction in thickness made it a bit better than its non-Retina predecessor. Thanks to the smaller display, pulling it out on a crowded airplane in coach and getting work done isn't an issue either. At 3.57 pounds, the 13-inch rMBP is light enough that traveling with it isn't a problem. The reduction in chassis thickness and weight give it an almost ultraportable feel. I'm now finding it more difficult to recommend the 13-inch MacBook Air, and have almost every reason to recommend the new Pro. The new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display changes all of that entirely. When Apple revealed that the 13-inch MacBook Pro was still its best selling notebook, I was a bit surprised - although it did make sense.įrom top to bottom: 11-inch MBA, 13-inch MBA, 13-inch rMBP, 15-inch rMBP Upgradability was a definite advantage, but most of the time when I'm making a personal recommendation to someone it's a person who isn't going to upgrade their machine regardless. You got a lower resolution display, and didn't gain enough to make the tradeoff worthwhile. Once the 13-inch MacBook Air got Sandy Bridge, I pretty much stopped recommending the 13-inch MacBook Pro. It always had too low resolution of a screen to be productive and it was too big and heavy to make sense compared to the MacBook Air. I always liked the 13-inch form factor of the MacBook Pro, but I never liked the laptop itself. 13-inch rMBP (right)īy virtue of the smaller display size and the next-gen MacBook Pro chassis, the 13-inch rMBP does a lot to blur the line between the Air and Pro lines. Better speakers, a larger battery, USB 3.0, and an extra Thunderbolt port are all a part of the next-gen package.ġ3-inch MBA (left) vs. Apple ditched the optical drive, slimmed up the notebook, and integrated Intel's 22nm Ivy Bridge silicon. In doing so, the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display gets all of the chassis improvements that were first introduced with the 15-inch model this summer. Although many hoped for a MacBook Air equipped with a Retina Display, for the follow on to the 15-inch rMBP Apple made the logical progression and brought a Retina Display to its 13-inch MacBook Pro. Over the past few years, the 13-inch notebook form factor emerged as a great balance between functional size and portability. As the first Mac with an ultra high resolution IPS panel, the value of the 15-inch rMBP was obvious, but these days the market demands extreme portability. The 15.4-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display (henceforth rMBP) introduced a brand new, thinner and lighter chassis to the MacBook family while serving as the launch vehicle for the world's first 2880 x 1800 notebook display.Īlthough the 15-inch rMBP was significantly more portable than its predecessor, the number one question asked after its release was when the MacBook Air would get similar Retina Display treatment. Earlier this year Apple introduced its first Mac equipped with a Retina Display.
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