Apple MacBook Pro MGXA2LL/A 15-Inch Laptop with Retina Display (2.2 GHz Intel Core i7 Processor, 16 GB RAM, 256 GB HDD)

Retina Display The 15‑inch model has over 5 million pixels so you can retouch your photos or edit a home movie in HD and experience an astounding level of clarity. Text is razor sharp, too, so even everyday things like browsing the web and revising a document are better than ever. It's a display worthy of world's most advanced notebook. Intel Core i7 Fourth-generation Intel Core i7 processors help you power through the most complicated technical computing tasks. Integrated Iris Pro Graphics and advanced NVIDIA graphics give you tons of pixel-driving horsepower. State-of-the-art I/O like Thunderbolt 2 gives you high-performance expansion unprecedented in a notebook. And at the center of it all is an entirely flash-based architecture that makes everything you do incredibly fast and responsive. Specs like these define a whole new standard for notebook computing. Lightweight MacBook Pro packs a lot of power into not a lot of space. Apple designers and engineers reconsidered each detail of every internal component to maximize performance and minimize size. As a result, these notebooks are the thinnest, lightest, and highest-performance MacBook Pro models ever made Tech Specs Display: 15.4-inch (diagonal) 2880x1800 LED-backlit display with IPS technology Processor: 2.2GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor (Turbo Boost up to 3.4GHz) & 6MB shared L3 cache Storage: 256GB PCIe-based flash storage Memory: 16GB DDR3 SDRam Graphics: Intel Iris Pro Graphics and automatic graphics switching Webcam: 720p FaceTime HD camera Wi‑Fi: 802.11ac Wi‑Fi wireless networking IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n compatible Bluetooth: Bluetooth 4.0 wireless technology Audio: Stereo speakers, Dual microphones & Headphone port OS: Mavericks X Height: 0.71 inch (1.8 cm) Width: 14.13 inches (35.89 cm) Depth: 9.73 inches (24.71 cm) Weight: 4.46 pounds (2.02 kg) Inside The Box MacBook Pro with Retina display MagSafe 2 Power Adapter AC.


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SAMPLE CUSTOMER REVIEW'S

1) Just totally and utterly beautiful - I'm coming to this Macbook Pro 13inch Retina laptop from a 2010 model Macbook Air that I absolutely adored for nearly 4 years. The Air was so light and portable that I reluctantly gave it up, but concerns of weight vanished once I got my hands on this beauty. Yes, it's slightly heavier, but only slightly. What I like most of all is how the body isn't tapered from back to front like the Air. It's a solid piece of symmetrical aluminum, and it just feels so well built.

One of the reasons I eventually gave up and sold my Air in favor of this was the Retina screen. I've never seen one on the Macbooks, so I bought this sight unseen, but I had a vague idea of how it might look because I also own a retina iPad Mini and that screen is lovely. The screen on the mini is out-done by the amazing screen on this Macbook. I can't believe how good it is. And what's more, this Macbook only cost 100 dollars more than the latest Air. Why would anyone not pay the difference for this screen? It's totally night and day between the Air's screen and this one. The Air is by no means terrible, but it cant compete with this.

The audio is also a nice surprise on the Macbook with Retina. It was good on my Air, but it's far better on the Retina. There's no speaker grills either, so I assume they're below the keyboard. Regardless they sound amazing, albeit low on bass.

My Air didnt have a backlit keyboard, so this was a nice surprise. No more hunting and hoping at night in bed. Another nice addition I didnt have before was HDMI-out. Now I can simply connect my Macbook to my HDTV and play Hulu on my TV. No reason to pay for Hulu Plus. On my other computer it wouldnt allow Hulu to output to TV, but its not being blocked on the Macbook for some reason. I wont complain.

Anyway, I'd list some dislikes, but I don't have any. The keyboard and trackpad are Apple's usual brilliant keyboard and trackpad. They're unmatched.

If you're on the fence about getting one, just go for it. I'm one of those people that easily get buyer's remorse, but I have none of that with this laptop. So good.

By Redmond Jackson on August 15, 2014

Apple MacBook Air MD761LL/A 13.3-Inch Laptop (OLD VERSION)

The Apple 13.3 In. 1.3 GHz 256Gb MacBook Air Notebook Computer is an ultra light weight notebook computer. The system is defined by its unibody aluminum enclosure. At its thickest point the computer is only 0.68 inches -- it tapers down to 0.11 In. at its thinnest. The system has 256GB of flash storage instead of old-fashioned hard drive. That gives impressive battery life -- up to 9 hours of web browsing and 30 days of standby time. The MacBook Air is housed in an aluminum unibody enclosure, which is as strong as it is light made from a solid block of aluminum; the housing is stronger than those found on laptops built via traditional means. The 16:9 display features a native resolution of 1440 x 900. It features a glossy finish and LED backlight technology for enhanced image quality and energy efficiency. Netbooks typically feature less-than-full-size keyboards, cramped trackpads, and low-powered CPUs. This computer features a standard-size backlit chiclet keyboard. It also has a large multi-touch glass trackpad, giving you full control over your computer -- without sacrificing ergonomics. The computer is powered by a dual-core 4th-gen, low-voltage Haswell 1.3GHz Intel Core i5 processor and has 4GB of onboard 1600MHz LPDDR3 RAM. Graphics are provided by integrated Intel HD Graphics 5000. The computer features all the amenities you expect on a Mac -- a FaceTime HD webcam, dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi(also compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0 and built-in stereo speakers. The computer is powered by a dual-core 4th-gen, low-voltage Haswell 1.3GHz Intel Core i5 processor and has 4GB of onboard 1600MHz LPDDR3 RAM. Graphics are provided by integrated Intel HD Graphics 5000. The computer features all the amenities you expect on a Mac -- a FaceTime HD webcam, dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi(also compatible with 802.11a/b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0 and built-in stereo speakers.

• Up to 12 Hours of Battery Life, OS X Mavericks.
• 1.3 GHz Dual-Core 4th-Gen Intel Core i5 Processor (Turbo Boost up to 2.6 GHz ).
• 13-Inch LED-backlit Display; 1440x900 Resolution; Intel HD Graphics 5000
• 802.11ac Wi-Fi.
• 256 GB Flash Storage, 4 GB 1600 MHz LPDDR3 Memory.

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SAMPLE CUSTOMER REVIEW'S

1) Wow this thing is amazing - So first I will say I am coming from a MacBook air 11' mid 2011 with 2GB ram and 64GB harddrive. This one I got has 4GB of ram and 128GB harddrive. I use this laptop mainly for browsing the internet and some programming. Now that you have a little background Ill give a quick review.

From the get go this laptop is MUCH faster then my previous Macbook air. When you open the lid you are ready to go that second. On the old one I would have to wait a little for it to load and if I left chrome up and clicked on it right away then I would get the loading wheel. I havent seen this do it once. That could be because of the harddrive being so much faster.

When I opened the box the laptop was already charged to 91% so im trying to kill it. Well I was on it ALL NIGHT last night and now its the morning and its only at 60%. That battery life is amazing and let me honest thats what we ask for in a laptop.

If you are up in the air about this laptop(no pun intended). I would say give it a go. You could even buy it from the Apple store and if you dont like it just return it.

If you are replacing an older Macbook air and have one thats because the mid 2012 then I would say get it but if you have the mid 2012 I dont know if I would suggest spending the money unless you really want battery. I hope this helps anyone trying to purchase this laptop.

I am not an Apple fan boy. My desktop is a custom build Window machine so I know both worlds. Please if you have any questions just comment and I will be happy to try things for you or just answer questions.

I am a Computer Engineer so im use to testing things so feel free to ask.
(This is my first review)

By Ekallas on June 19, 2013

Apple MacBook Pro ME293LL/A 15.4-Inch Laptop with Retina Display (OLD VERSION)

With fourth-generation Intel Core processors, the latest graphics, and faster flash storage, the incredibly advanced 15.4-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display moves even further ahead in performance and battery life. Measuring a mere 0.71 inches and weighing only 4.46 pounds, the MacBook Pro sets a new standard in performance and portability for pro users. The world's highest resolution notebook display with over 5 million pixels - 3 million more than an HD television--the MacBook Pro with Retina display has such a high pixel density that the human eye cannot distinguish individual pixels from a normal viewing distance. This version of the 15.4-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display (model ME293LL/A) features a 2.0 GHz Core i7 quad-core processor, 256 GB of flash storage, and 8 GB of onboard RAM. It's powered by OS X Mavericks, the world's most advanced operating system and built to bring out the best in your Mac. And the MacBook Pro comes pre-loaded with the latest version of the iLife software suite (iPhoto, iMovie, and GarageBand) as well as the iWork productivity suite (Pages, Numbers, and Keynote). The MacBook Pro also includes both a high-speed Thunderbolt port and two USB 3 ports, enabling you to easily connect to external displays and a wide variety of high performance peripherals. With up to 60 percent faster PCIe-based flash storage compared to the previous generation and new 802.11ac Wi-Fi for up to 3x faster wireless, the new MacBook Pro is quicker and more responsive than ever. You'll also get up to 8 hours of battery life while on the go.



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SAMPLE CUSTOMER REVIEW'S

1) Desktop power in an unbelievably small/light package - I've been using macs for about ten years. I'm a bit on the technical side, but primarily I use my Macbook for e-mail, web browsing, word processing, photo editing, and some video editing. I also run Windows occasionally, as a virtual machine, using VMWare Fusion (like parallels). So far, this Macbook Pro (MBP) does everything I need it to do and I haven't met a limitation yet.

The good:
* Battery life is amazing at 8 hours.
* Display is incredible, pictures look like paintings on the screen. Using the Retina "more space" option, you get tons of real estate for running multiple apps. You can set up your display how you want, more space, larger text, or in between. Great options.
* i7 CPU and 8GB Memory gives you desktop power.
* Thin design, and very light considering the power inside.
* 802.11ac - the fastest wireless available if you have a router that supports it, like this: Apple AirPort Extreme Base Station (ME918LL/A)

Display concerns:
Some users have had bad experiences with the displays on this generation of macbook pro retinas - bad color representation or discoloration in small areas of the display. This should't be a problem anymore, it was only discovered among the newer units when this generation was introduced. Apple used both LG and Samsung to manufacture their Retina displays. It appears from research that the LG displays have had more problems. Again, probably not a concern any longer.

Some things you should definitely know:
* The memory and solid state drive are not intended to be upgraded. The memory is soldered to the main board and cannot be altered. When you order, think long term, will I need more memory or disk space in the future?
* There is no ethernet jack (RJ-45). If you want ethernet, you need to buy an adapter, like this Thunderbolt to Gigabit Ethernet Adapter. Apple did this because the RJ-45 ethernet jacks are huge, and it was preventing them from making the MacBooks thinner.
* There is no CD/DVD drive. Apple has moved away from supporting optical drives. Like the ethernet jack, the DVD/CD was a huge obstacle in making the frame on these systems smaller. If you want an Apple branded CD/DVD, you will need this Apple USB Superdrive. Keep in mind these won't support blu-ray discs, so if you want that, you'll need to buy another brand that supports blu-ray.
* On power management: If you want 8 hours of battery life, you need to let the OS manage all settings for you. If you start playing with the display brightness, display sleep time, etc, you won't get 8 hours.

Bonuses:
These systems now come with a nice bundle of Apple software for free.
* OS X Mavericks is the latest release of their operating system. It is free for any supported Mac.
* GarageBand, iMovie, and iPhoto, which used to be included in iLife, are now free to download and upgrade.
* The iWork suite: Pages, Numbers and Keynote are now free for new macs.

Remember to always check the Buyer's Guide at macrumors.com before purchasing a mac. There you will learn of any upcoming upgrades/releases that you might want to wait on before spending the cash on a new mac.

Update:
As someone said below, the SSD can be upgraded/replaced if you purchase a kit. A kit is necessary since Apple uses a proprietary SATA connector and special tools are required due to the type of screws present. Also, it isn't a standard 2.5" SSD, it is much different. Apple did not intend these drives to be upgraded or replaced by consumers. In addition, you need to modify system files in order to enable TRIM support, which is not enabled on non-OEM drives from Apple. If you're good with that, then go ahead and consider an upgrade later. If not, you'll need to plan ahead and "lock in" now with your purchase. Good luck!

By J. Pappan TOP 500 REVIEWER on November 11, 2013