Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch Retina (Late 2012) Pro Reviews

The 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro is just a beautiful device in general from how it is designed and the quality of images the high-resolution display produces. Everything that is physically good from Apple's line of notebooks will be found on this one but looks alone doesn't make this a winner. When comparing the 13-inch rMBP to the 13-inch Air, there really isn't that much incentive in spending the extra money for the faster screen and CPU. In real world use, you won't really notice a difference. In fact you might "feel" that the Air actually runs better because it isn't struggling to push that many pixels with the integrated GPU. What's disappointing is that Apple didn't include a more capable graphics processor to drive the higher resolution and ppi Retina display, but put the SAME GPU found on the 13-inch Air. If you can live without the Retina display, it is much more sensible to get the MacBook Air 13-inch if you are looking for a nice thin and light laptop. If you absolutely have to have a Retina display notebook, you will be a lot happier to find a refurbished 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro for a few hundred dollars more.

I spent the entire time I was reviewing the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display thinking about the MacBook Air. Not the current Air, which has become the best overall laptop on the market, but the very first Air — the one from 2008 that was ridiculously underpowered, featured terrible integrated Intel graphics, had just 2GB of RAM and an 80GB hard drive, and cost an absurd $1,799. I know people who bought that computer and felt an immediate combination of intense love and deep regret — while it was blindingly clear that all laptops would be that thin and beautiful in the future, it was equally clear that Apple was too far ahead of the performance curve in the present. Four years later, the Air has become Apple’s mainstream product and the PC industry is still working to catch up. The curve has flattened out. It’s the same thing with the 13-inch Pro — it’s hard not to love this thing when you first see it. Just look at that screen. But you’re paying a lot of money for a computer that once again offers a single tantalizing glimpse of the future only to be limited by the realities of the present in almost every other way. One day all computer displays will look this good. One day we’ll sit around campfires, drinking moonshine and telling our children nightmare tales of visible pixels and display resolutions under 200ppi. That day will be wonderful. It will also have a reasonable graphics chip, more than 128GB of storage, and cost less than $1,699. Until that day comes, you should either trade up to the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display or buy a MacBook Air and save your wistful Retina dreams for a $499 iPad on the side.

In all fairness, the 13in MacBook Pro with Retina Display is undoubtedly a terrific laptop. It provides good performance and battery life, lightweight design, and a screen that none of its PC rivals can even come close to matching. But at almost £1500 it’s very expensive indeed, and I’d have thought that the professional users who can afford that price would be more likely to opt for the 15in model anyway. It’d be a tempting upgrade at around £1300, but at this price I reckon Apple is pushing its luck. ®

The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, the one we really wanted to see earlier this year when the 15-incher was unveiled, is finally here. But, it isn't quite the perfect blend of Pro performance and Air panache we'd hoped for. That it's actually thicker than its big brother, the 15-incher, is a bit of a bummer but, with its weight falling closer to Air territory than the Pro, the decision between the two models will be a tough one for frequent travelers who need a little more oomph. However, it's a tough decision because there are so many stellar options, and that's ultimately a good thing. The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina is impeccably engineered and manufactured, but as such, features an MSRP well higher than the less-expensive models in the lineup. Those on a budget may find the premium hard to swallow, but those with the cash to match the asking price here won't be disappointed after they get a taste of Retina.

Speaking of software, Mac OS X Mountain Lion is a model of how to introduce new features without sending users over a speed bump as Windows 8 does. Welcome additions in Apple's latest operating system range from Power Nap, which (like Intel's Smart Connect) updates e-mail and social-network data while the computer sleeps, to iOS-style notes, reminders, and pop-up notifications. We particularly liked entering short notes with the new speech-recognition or dictation function. As usual, other top-quality apps, such as iPhoto and iMovie, put typical Windows PCs' bloatware to shame. No question, $1,699 is a lot for a 13.3-inch laptop. If you buy the $1,999 configuration with 256GB of flash storage to match the Retina 15, you're saving only $200 compared to that flagship model—getting a little more portability, true, but also a dual- instead of quad-core processor and integrated instead of discrete graphics. That's why, while we gave the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display a near-unprecedented five stars when we reviewed it in June, we're tempering our enthusiasm to the tune of four-and-a-half stars for the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display. The larger laptop's narrowly a better value, as well as easier on the eyes for content creators who want to work on a bigger canvas. For taking into the field, it's obviously bulkier than the 13-inch, but its 4.5 versus 3.6 pounds isn't a ponderous extra burden. Still, let it be said: We're jealous of anyone who buys either of the Retina-equipped MacBook Pro models. These prime MacBooks simply exude quality, craftsmanship, and concern for the user, from the bundled software to the feel of the lid latch and hinges. As a mix of portability and luxury, the Retina 13 is hard to top among light laptops.

The Apple MacBook Pro 13 with Retina is a logical addition to the Apple portfolio. The new member is a lot lighter than the regular Pro and more portable than the larger MacBook Pro 15 Retina. Visually the two systems appear identical - save for the different dimensions. Port selection and input devices are carried over without a change - we would have liked to see a third USB 3.0 port. We also don't like the limited expandability, the fact that the battery is glued in, and the unimpressive 12 month warranty. The 13.3-inch Retina IPS display with a resolution of 2560 x 1600 pixels (227 dpi) is without a question a very high quality panel. Set to the same resolution as other screens, the pixel count is considerably higher. The fairly uneven brightness levels and visible bleeding take a bit away from the overall good impression. Since sRGB is covered, the notebook is also suitable for professional use. As far as overall performance is concerned, the notebook follows in the foot steps of the other family members. The MacBook features dual-core Intel CPUs, 8 GByte RAM, but no dedicated GPU and works well under Mac OS X 10.8.2 with no major slowdowns. One reason is the fast Solid State Drive (SSD) from Samsung. Compared to the MacBook Pro 15 Retina, there are fewer configuration options available. More powerful components demand a high premium.

The stunning high-resolution screen, light body and excellent build quality make this the ultimate laptop to aspire to

Apple's late 2012 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display isn't for everyone. Many will baulk at the price, and even those who are willing to pay it should ask themselves whether the small saving and slightly smaller size is enough to recommend the 13-inch Retina notebook over its 15-inch counterpart. But there's no denying its quality. The Retina screen takes notebook displays to new heights; its Ivy Bridge processors are very powerful and the new form factor makes it the most portable 13-inch MacBook yet. If you're not yet ready to leave behind legacy technologies such as the optical drive, FireWire 800 and Ethernet connectivity, there are options to get around their absence. Some might find the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display prohibitively expensive, but it's ideal for graphic artists, photographers, video professionals or indeed anyone who benefits from its incredible screen.

This is probably the best 13-inch laptop you can buy right now, for all the good it'll do you. Sure, this computer makes some sense for a photographer or designer, but the 15-inch Retina offers almost all of the same benefits, plus a lot more if you can stomach a little less portability and a fractionally higher cost. Here's the thing about the 13-inch MBP's price: It would make sense if the 15-inch retina MBP weren't so much better. But it is. And for literally the exact same price as a moderately upgraded 13-inch (2.9GHz dual core i7, 256GB SSD), you can get a 15-inch rMBP with near-identical-but-also-way-better specs (2.3GHz quad core i7, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, GT 650M discrete graphics card). At the cost of some portability. That's it.

Apple squeezes a gorgeous Retina display into its slimmed-down 13in MacBook Pro, but at a staggering price

Who is the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro for? It’s ideal for professional users who want a large, yet compact digital workspace that doesn’t sacrifice a lot of processing performance. The MacBook Air is still the choice for users for whom weight is a top priority—traveling business users or students who need to write papers in-between treks across campus. However, the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro isn’t that much heavier than the 13-inch MacBook Air, so if you are a demanding user who works on location, you won’t feel like you’re sacrificing much portability with the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro. The non-Retina MacBook Pro costs less than the Retina model—and it may be preferred over the Retina MacBook Pro because of its FireWire and gigabit ethernet ports, and its SuperDrive.

The 13-inch laptop remains the closest humankind has come to the perfect computing product. It's big enough to work on all day, but small enough to carry around on a regular basis. With the proliferation of Windows-based ultrabooks, and the success of Apple's own MacBook Air, the original 13-inch Pro model felt dated, even bloated. This modern-feeling refresh carefully skirts the line between power and portability, which may be an even more important feature in the end than the vaunted retina display.

The $2,000 mark is an important mental barrier, and the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina’s $2,199 starting price put it out of consideration for many. In contrast, the 13-inch version starts at $1,699 with the 128GB flash drive, rising to $1,999 for the 256GB model. Increasing storage isn’t cheap – you can boost the entry-level model to 768GB, yes, but it’ll cost you more than a MacBook Air to do so – but the $200 extra for the Core i7 dualcore strikes us as a worthy upgrade given the impact it has on performance overall. Apple still offers the non-Retina 13-inch MacBook Pro, which starts at $1,199 with the same 2.5GHz Core i5 dualcore, though to specify the same memory and a 128GB SSD you’re looking at $1,499. You also get a gigabit ethernet port, FireWire, and an optical drive, though you miss out on the lighter chassis and far improved Retina display.

The Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (Retina Display) is the best way to carry the pixels of a large-screen monitor with you on the road. It's ideal for people who make their living with visuals.