I made this for gdgt.com, and thought i'd post it here too.
Anyone who is reading this review has probably already a couple others, and knows about the basic features of the new 13 inch Macbook Pro. So I'm going to focus on comparing this to the Macbook Air for anyone who is unsure of which to purchase. I owned both the original MBA and the newest one as my primary computer, and have have been using the 13" MBP for a month or so, also as my sole machine.
Screen- Both have high quality displays, with great viewing angles and a wide range of colors. The MBP's seems to be a bit more vivid. But the big difference between the two is the MBA has a matte screen and the MBP's is "glossy." This makes colors pop and allows the very nice edge-to-edge glass, but some users have complained about it being too reflective outdoors or when there's a light behind it. Personally I haven't had any trouble with this, partly because like most people I don't use it outside and partly because your eye seems to easily focus on the right "level," filtering out the reflections. Still, it could be a deal breaker to some, who can look not only at the MBA but the 15 and 17 inch MBPs which can be outfitted with matte screens for an extra $50.
Performance- For general tasks like web browsing and listening to music, and even slightly more intense tasks, you won't notice much difference. But the MBP still has a bit of an edge out of the box, and also allows you to upgrade the RAM and hard drive.
Battery Life- Both laptops use Apple's new battery technology but the MBP still lasts significantly, simply because it's larger. My battery life on the MBA was never bad, but on the MBP it's exceptional, usually around 4 or 5 hours with full brightness/wifi/iTunes/keyboard backlight.
Ports- Another obvious advantage that the MBP has. It comes in handy quite often to have more than one USB port, and not having to lift up a little door just to plug something in is convenient.
Other differences:
Trackpad- The MBP gets the glass trackpad, not a huge advantage but generally considered a bit nicer than the Air's.
Durability- The Air has a weak screen hinge. If you use it for more than a year, it's pretty likely you'll run into at least a little wobble which can be quite annoying. The Air also suffers from a manufacturing problem which makes "lines" across the screen. Some people can hardly notice them, others have to take back multiple machines before getting one they're happy with.
Optical Drive- It's not something I used often, but enough for me to get the external drive since I used it as my only machine. It's nice to have it built in now, and saves $60 too(usual price one eBay)
And the big one, size and weight- This is now the MBA's single selling point. While it use to provide a nice alternative to the white book because of it's superior screen and build quality, the Air no longer has those advantages. I don't think the pound and a half makes a huge difference. It's the difference between an ultralight laptop and a light laptop, the MBP really isn't difficult to lug around at all. That said I do miss the MBA a bit and probably would more if I was a frequent traveller etc..
The MBA's niche market has gotten a bit smaller, and I would encourage anyone whose thinking of buying to look carefully at a what they could get with the MBP. The MBA is still however a great option for those who just need a secondary laptop and/or can sacrifice functionality(and $300) for portability.
Anyone who is reading this review has probably already a couple others, and knows about the basic features of the new 13 inch Macbook Pro. So I'm going to focus on comparing this to the Macbook Air for anyone who is unsure of which to purchase. I owned both the original MBA and the newest one as my primary computer, and have have been using the 13" MBP for a month or so, also as my sole machine.
Screen- Both have high quality displays, with great viewing angles and a wide range of colors. The MBP's seems to be a bit more vivid. But the big difference between the two is the MBA has a matte screen and the MBP's is "glossy." This makes colors pop and allows the very nice edge-to-edge glass, but some users have complained about it being too reflective outdoors or when there's a light behind it. Personally I haven't had any trouble with this, partly because like most people I don't use it outside and partly because your eye seems to easily focus on the right "level," filtering out the reflections. Still, it could be a deal breaker to some, who can look not only at the MBA but the 15 and 17 inch MBPs which can be outfitted with matte screens for an extra $50.
Performance- For general tasks like web browsing and listening to music, and even slightly more intense tasks, you won't notice much difference. But the MBP still has a bit of an edge out of the box, and also allows you to upgrade the RAM and hard drive.
Battery Life- Both laptops use Apple's new battery technology but the MBP still lasts significantly, simply because it's larger. My battery life on the MBA was never bad, but on the MBP it's exceptional, usually around 4 or 5 hours with full brightness/wifi/iTunes/keyboard backlight.
Ports- Another obvious advantage that the MBP has. It comes in handy quite often to have more than one USB port, and not having to lift up a little door just to plug something in is convenient.
Other differences:
Trackpad- The MBP gets the glass trackpad, not a huge advantage but generally considered a bit nicer than the Air's.
Durability- The Air has a weak screen hinge. If you use it for more than a year, it's pretty likely you'll run into at least a little wobble which can be quite annoying. The Air also suffers from a manufacturing problem which makes "lines" across the screen. Some people can hardly notice them, others have to take back multiple machines before getting one they're happy with.
Optical Drive- It's not something I used often, but enough for me to get the external drive since I used it as my only machine. It's nice to have it built in now, and saves $60 too(usual price one eBay)
And the big one, size and weight- This is now the MBA's single selling point. While it use to provide a nice alternative to the white book because of it's superior screen and build quality, the Air no longer has those advantages. I don't think the pound and a half makes a huge difference. It's the difference between an ultralight laptop and a light laptop, the MBP really isn't difficult to lug around at all. That said I do miss the MBA a bit and probably would more if I was a frequent traveller etc..
The MBA's niche market has gotten a bit smaller, and I would encourage anyone whose thinking of buying to look carefully at a what they could get with the MBP. The MBA is still however a great option for those who just need a secondary laptop and/or can sacrifice functionality(and $300) for portability.
