Expert’s Rating
Pros
Cons
Our Verdict
The non - Retina MacBook Pro has a lot work for it . It ’s powerful enough for most general users , it look gorgeous with its unibody form factor and design , it ’s upgradeable , and it ’s the one remain Mac with an optical drive . However , what the Retina MacBook Pro can offer for just £ 100 more ( a significantly improved display , a slimmer , lighter design , flash storage , Thunderbolt 2 , better battery life and more ) , it ’s difficult to fight back the non - Retina MacBook Pro ’s box . If you ’re looking for a 15 in screen , you’re able to spell off the non - Retina MacBook Pro straightaway , and for better internal specs than the lowly - end mannikin you ’ll need to cough up for a built - to - rules of order model or prefer for the Retina line . If you’re able to live without the DVD cause and spinning hard phonograph record , shelling out £ 100 for a machine with a better silver screen , and a lighter , sparse typesetter’s case , is essentially a no - brainer .
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Apple ’s MacBook Pro line - up is now fully prevail by Retina MacBook Pro models , but there is one solitary non - Retina MacBook Pro that you may be able-bodied to run down for about £ 899 .
Update : Apple reveal new MacBook Pro model at its9 March 2015 press event . For more details , take a tone at ourNew MacBook Pro 2016 follow-up .
Not only is it the only MacBook Pro left without Apple ’s high - resolving power Retina display , but the non - Retina MacBook Pro is the only Mac in Apple ’s total current Mac line - up that gambol an optic disc drive . As of October 2016 , Apple does n’t really trade it anymore . Those who want to pop a record into any of Apple ’s other Macs will need to have an outside ocular disk drive such as Apple ’s own Superdrive in society to do so . interpret ourApple SuperDrive review
Prior to the comer of the Retina MacBook Pro model , Apple had originate three laptop simulation for three trenchant sets of emptor : The MacBook was a consumer model for general substance abuser ; the MacBook Pro catered to a higher - end crowd of originative professional person ; and the MacBook Air was there for a smaller group for whom portability outpaced all other traditional notebook appurtenances like an optical movement , spinning hard disc and multiple connection choices . This crowd appreciated the MacBook Air ’s friendly specification for travel light .
With the introduction of the Retina MacBook Pro , Apple re - created its consumer laptop category – or rather restore the one that it had removed with the demise of the mid - market place MacBook in 2011 . Now , it ’s the Retina showing example that caters to the creative crew , but with just £ 100 remainder between the low - last Retina example and the non - Retina MacBook Pro , it ’s also attractive to the consumer mid - market . The MacBook Air still caters for the group that treasure a combination of portability and increasingly speedy carrying out . So where does that leave the non - Retina MacBook Pro ? We research that interrogation later in this review .
difference between the non - Retina MacBook Pro and the Retina model let in the overall design , which has been slimmed down and lightened with the Retina versions , and there is also a 15 in version of the Retina MacBook Pro useable , whereas the non - Retina MacBook Pro is only useable as a 13 in model . Both the non - Retina and Retina models of MacBook sport a unibody construction , backlit light-emitting diode screen , lighted keyboard , multi - touch Methedrine trackpad , and FaceTime HD webcam , though .
The non - Retina MacBook Pro has a 2.5GHz dual - heart Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz , as well as 4 GB of retentivity , 500 GB storage outer space on the heavy drive and Intel HD Graphics 4000 . Apple says the built - in battery will last up to seven hours too , though our exam results paint a picture otherwise , as you ’ll see afterward in this review . Crucially the non - Retina model also has a DVD / CD ride , which cause it a popular choice for many .
Those specification liken closely with the 13 in Retina MacBook Pro models , though the Retina versions summercater PCIe - based flash storage rather than a hard effort . They also have Intel Iris Graphics and the option of 8 GB memory .
Additionally , Apple offers the option to change the non - Retina MacBook Pro when you order it , so you could supercharge the specs up to a 2.9GHz dual - core Intel core i7 CPU , 8 GB RAM , or add a 1 TB 5400 - rev operose driving .
Unlike the Retina models – where everything is gear up into place , and where you must make decisions on what you ’ll necessitate down the route at tip of purchase – the veritable MacBook pro can be customise with do - it - yourself part . you may easily supplant the hard driving and random memory at any point .
Which Mac laptop computer ? MacBook Air vs MacBook Pro comparative limited review
Not sure which Mac to corrupt ? Read ourWhich Mac buyer manoeuvre
Non-Retina MacBook Pro review: Display
As it ’s one of the biggest conclusion - establish factors when considering whether to buy the non - Retina MacBook Pro , we ’ll begin by taking a closer look at the exhibit .
The non - Retina MacBook Pro ’s show is 1280 by 800 pixel . That ’s unsatisfying , as it does n’t match the 13 in MacBook Air ’s 1440 by 900 pel , and is far from the 2560 by 1600 resolve of the 13 in Retina MacBook Pro .
It ’s still not a bad presentation , by any means , though .
Plus , the MacBook Pro also endure dual video display and video recording mirroring with full resolution on the laptop computer screen and up to 2,560 by 1,600 pixels on the second monitor . While much as been made of the extreme catch slant of the Retina model – and all the accolade are lawful – we were however impressed by the encompassing viewing angle of even MacBook Pros as well . Moving to either side of a high - resolution image or a video , we noticed very trivial colour or composition overrefinement – even in extreme sideways viewing positions .
And for the track record , though colours were deep and richer , and particular in both text and images approach the caliber of printed matter on the Retina display , users of traditional MacBook Pros will mention that its silver screen are still super colored , vibrant , and pleasing .
While some exploiter are bothered by public eye and reflections bouncing off of the MacBook Pros ’ glossy screenland , we broadly have no problem with it , prefer the vibrant colours and deep blackness . However , for those who seek more muted visuals for employment or aesthetic reasons , the MacBook Pro Retina displays , with their pixel - doubling applied science , have a lot less reflectivity than their siblings , and as a resultant role , prototype , flick and text , seem almost Sir Frederick Handley Page - like in their realism .
Non-Retina MacBook Pro review: Design
Apple ’s non - Retina MacBook Pro weighs 2.06 kg , which is considerably heavier than the 13 in Retina Models , which librate in at 1.57 kg .
However , we ’ve carried our non - Retina MacBook Pro around in our packsack , which it conform to into nicely thanks to its solidly pack , 12.78 by 8.94 in Al build , and were not especially bothered by its weight .
We did observe , though , that when using the non - Retina MacBook Pro in compare to , say , the MacBook Air , it assist to be deep - wristed . We had to make adjustments in our typing posture to accommodate both the thickness and the squared - off edge of the case . The cuneus mannikin factor of the MacBook Airs facilitate the pressure sensation on the wrist joint , and that ’s near as significant a comfort exit as exercising weight , screen resolution , noise and oestrus .
One reason for the extra weight over the Retina MacBook Pro and MacBook Air is the presence of a traditional hard campaign . Spinning , platter - free-base drive have an vantage in capacity and price , but they ’re also slow and heavier than the flash - found storage present in the Air and in the Retina MacBook Pro . Apple utilize its sluggish hard drive pep pill – 5400 rpm – as the default offer in the non - Retina MacBook Pro .
Nonetheless , the non - Retina MacBook Pro feel sturdy and well - balanced as we walked with them open – everyone does that from fourth dimension to time to debar put the computing equipment to kip when switching room or going to a colleague ’s desk or a meeting .
Non-Retina MacBook Pro review: Performance
equate with its prompt predecessor , the MacBook Pro non - Retina line show a minor uptick in performance . It features a 2.5GHz double nub Intel Core i5 central processor with Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz and 3 megabit of L3 cache . Intel ’s Turbo Boost technology lets the processor run high than its base oftenness because it dynamically contain the CPU ’s clock speed . Turbo Boost beef into activity mechanically when Mac OS X requests the gamy functioning from the CPU .
Hard drive space match the former generation at 500 GB , but that ’s more than the 128 GB news bulletin - entrepot quad discover in the low - remnant 13 in non - Retina MacBook Pro . Configurable options admit a 1 TB 5400 - rev knockout drive , or a square - state driving at 128 GB , 256 GB or 512 GB . Find out more about the deviation between a punishing drive and a unanimous - state drive here .
Our lab test found that the MacBook Pro has a Speedmark 8 score 153 , which make it 20 per cent slower than the early-2013 13 in Retina MacBook Pro with a 2.6GHz Core i5 processor , so that ’s quite a significant swiftness difference , though that model will cost you £ 500 more than the non - Retina MacBook Pro .
The two low - end Retina Models have slightly more telling mainframe than the non - Retina Model , and they are 4th - generation ( Haswell ) . They both feature a 2.6GHz dual - core Intel Core i5 processor with Turbo Boost up to 3.1GHz , both with 8 GB RAM .
The non - Retina MacBook Pro is powered by Intel ’s HD Graphics 4000 integrate scrap , compare with the Retina MacBook Pro ’s Intel Iris Graphics or Intel Iris Pro Graphics , count on the model you choose . await impressive graphics public presentation from the non - Retina manikin , but if you opt for Retina , graphics performance has the potency to be almost doubly as fast .
Now Broadwell is shipping a MacBook Pro Retina update may be just around the street corner : Read about the2015 Retina MacBook Pro release datealso read ourMacBook Air with Retina presentation spillage date article .
Non-Retina MacBook Pro review: Connectors, sound, noise
The non - Retina MacBook Pro has the older MagSafe mightiness connector , as fight to the Retina Model , which has an update part to reconcile its thinner frame . On the left-hand side of the case , the non - Retina MacBook Pro has ports for Gb Ethernet , FireWire 800 and Thunderbolt , two USB 3 ports , an SDXC circuit board expansion slot , and a commingle audio in / out port .
deplorably , losing the 15 in non - Retina MacBook Pro meant recede the speakers posit on either side of the keyboard . The 13 in manikin lacks the topside grilles and thus vocalize from the verbalizer is flatter , tinnier and has less resonance and depth . If sound quality is a large part of your user experience , either in make or mind to audio , be certain to take that into account , though you wo n’t find oneself the topside grilles on the 13 in Retina models either .
The other side of sound is racket . Apple appears to have mostly solved the noise problem for normal surgical operation with non - Retina MacBook Pro . Even running a video with the videodisk in the drive did not sound off up the lover or importantly add to the haphazardness level , though we did hear the drive lead , faintly , when we put an capitulum very snug to the machine . When we watched a picture from the hard drive , it was similarly still , and we never heard the fan .
As for the heat factor , we can say that despite a very small bite of warming , the bottom of the unit stayed cool and comfortable in the lap for a foresighted clip during regular use , and even when find out teem video or telecasting running via DVD in the campaign . It ignite up significantly however with Handbrake encoding . The bottom of the case , especially near where the lid opens and close , tend to get too tender to keep on the lap during that surgery .
Non-Retina MacBook Pro review: Battery life
The 13 - inch MacBook Pro has a built - in 63.5 - W - hour lithium - polymer assault and battery . Apple order battery life survive about 7 hours on the non - Retina MacBook Pro mannikin , base on its “ wireless web test rooms , ” though Macworld ’s lab tests are a little more rigorous . It topped five hours of continuous exercise , with more specific results of 5 minute and 47 minutes .
The Retina models will give you a much longer battery living . The launching - level 13 in Retina MacBook Pro latest 10 hours and 51 arcminute in our tests , while the high - last model lasted 10 hours and 11 minutes .
