APPLE MacBook Pro with Retina display Review
Apple’s new flagship device shows what’s possible with the company’s laptop range, boasting plenty, and delivering lots, but do you really need all this power, is it as thin as they say it is, and should you be raiding the piggy bank right now?
Design
Encased in aluminium and showing a similar design to the current and previous MacBook Pro models, at first glance it is hard to spot the differences - but there are quite a few. On the outside a lot of bulk has been shaved off the height of the device. It now measures 18mm thick compared to the non-Retina display version's 24.1mm height.
It’s also a touch smaller too in all dimensions and somehow Apple has lost 500g on the weight in the process - it now weights 2.02kg. And while it’s not as light as the MacBook Air, considering its size and power, it is still very impressive. Your shoulder and back will thank you for it in the long run.
The Apple MacBook Pro also has a new bevy of ports - additions that are long overdue, some would say - and it's good to see that there are now two Thunderbolt ports and two USB 3 ports. Apple has avoided the PC pratfall of having one USB 2 and one USB 3 socket, thank goodness!
Also, in an exciting first for Apple, excluding the Mac Mini, there's an HDMI output - essential now for flexible video work. You'll also find an SDXC card slot and, of course, a headphone jack.
Notably, and to save space, there is no Ethernet - although a USB adaptor is available. Also gone is FireWire and the power input has been tweaked, with a new MagSafe 2 port. That means you won’t be able to use your old MagSafe charger, unless you pay £9 for an adapter. While some will grumble, for us it isn’t really an issue, and if changing the power adapter allows Apple to achieve a generous size reduction, then great.
To keep the device cool and quiet Apple has introduced several vents on both sides - it also has two fans. You won’t notice in use, but we suspect the vents will be a haven for lint from your bag unless you get a case. Our advice: get a case.
Inside and the changes are subtle. Like the MacBook Air range, the separate power key has gone and is now found on the keyboard. Gone too is the logo - as with the iPad, Apple doesn’t feel the need to remind you that you are using one of its products. You just know.
The Retina display
The biggest shouting point about the MacBook Pro with Retina display is of course the Retina display. The thin screen dominates the proceedings here and is as crisp as you would expect.
You get a 15.4-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit display with IPS technology and a 2880 x 1800 resolution. That means 220 pixels per inch and, as you'd expect, it can produce millions of colours.
The laptop actually supports an array of resolutions: 2880 x 1800 pixels (Retina); scaled resolutions: 1920 x 1200, 1680 x 1050, 1280 x 800 and 1024 x 640 pixels, but in reality you will use just the one, the Retina......READ MORE
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