Understanding the “pros and cons” of getting a 13-inch Retina Display MacBook Pro model will help you decide whether this is the right laptop for you to not, and evaluate what your laptop needs are.
Here’s a quick look at some of the advantages and disadvantages of getting this laptop.
Pros:
- High-quality, ultra high-resolution, beautiful display at 2560×1600, 227 ppi.
- Light and thin, considering the quality and resolution of the display.
- Relatively fast due to flash storage (present in all models – the discontinued Late 2012, Early 2013, Late 2013, and Mid-2014 lines, plus the current Early 2015 models.
- SSD module mounted in a drive caddy, making more diverse upgrades possible (for the Late 2012 and Early 2013 models).
- Upgradable PCIe-based “blade” (for the Late 2013 and later models) although there is less physical space for the module.
- Excellent battery life, generally (especially for the “Haswell” and “Broadwell” based “Mid-2014” and “Early 2015” models).
- Two (2) USB 3.0 ports.
- Two (2) Thunderbolt or Thunderbolt 2 ports and one (1) HDMI port.
- SDXC Card reader.
Cons:
- Older, blurry applications are not updated.
- Sluggish scroll performance.
- Slow integrated graphics (struggle to drive the high-resolution display, especially on early models).
- Soldered RAM in place, non-upgradable after purchase at all (NOTE: the previous “Mid-2014” and current “Early 2015” models can be upgraded up to 16 GB RAM at the time of purchase only; earlier models are only configured with 4GB or 8GB RAM by default; some can not be upgraded beyond 8GB even by custom configuration).
- Internal storage is not intended to be upgraded by an end-user.
- The glued battery is in place and difficult to replace.
- No internal Ethernet or Firewire (adapters are available at an additional cost).
- No internal optical drive (external option available).
- MagSafe 2 power connector requires an adapter (MD504ZM/A) to use with an LED Cinema Display, Thunderbolt Display, or earlier MagSafe power adapter.
- Relatively poor value and performance (compared to 15-Inch Retina Display MacBook Pro models offered at the same time).
- Expensive (compared to the MacBook Air line – less overall performance, but often better battery life, lightweight and inexpensive).
So, how do I decide if this one is right for me?
As long as you want a beautiful, high-resolution display packed with performance and connectivity in a relatively small notebook, the 13-inch Retina Display MacBook Pro is perfect for you. If you don’t mind the physical size and just go a little bigger and pay a little bit more, you can also have the high-resolution display and performance that is important to you in a 15-inch Retina Display MacBook Pro.
If, however, you are sticking on a budget and the physical dimensions are non-negotiable for you while the high resolution and display size is not your priority, then a MacBook Air is something you may want to consider getting instead. Overall, if having a small laptop that comes with a high resolution display is very important to you, while the performance, connectivity, and price only come next, then a Retina MacBook is your perfect choice.
On a final note, if you like to have a little bit of flexibility by doing upgrades and having the “legacy” connectivity (Gigabit Ethernet and Firewire) and an internal optical drive, a traditional Mid-2012 MacBook Pro is worth looking at.
For anyone else who is more limited with a budget, it’s always smart to look at a whole range of refurbished MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro laptops on the used market.
