The glass surfaced trackpad is still one of the best available, and Apple's gesture controls are far more intuitive and refined than others we've tried.įeatures New-on the MacBook Pro, at least-is the addition of USB 3.0. The chiclet-style keyboard has the same backlit black-tile keys, though there is a fair amount of light seepage around the keys. The display has the same 1,280-by-800 resolution-roughly equivalent to the 1,366-by-768 resolution used on other laptops, and high enough to enjoy 720p video or to multitask with side-by-side windows. The weight discrepancy can be easily accounted for-where the lightweight Toshiba uses plastic in the construction, Apple uses all aluminum. It's a little heavier than other 13-inch laptops we've seen recently, like the 3.2-pound Editors' Choice ultraportable, the Toshiba Portege R835-P88 ($849.99 list, 4.5 stars), but the similarly dimensioned HP ProBook 6360b ($989 direct, 3 stars) is both thicker and heavier (4.8 pounds). The dimensions remain the same 0.95 by 12.8 by 8.9 inches (HWD), and the weight is still 4.5 pounds. From its glowing white Apple logo to its lightweight aluminum unibody chassis, most aspects of the MacBook Pro 13-inch are identical to the previous iteration.

It's a solid laptop, but the end result isn't that different from the previous iteration, and does little to stand out from the crowd of Windows laptops with similar specifications.ĭesign Let's start with the obvious-the current incarnation of the MacBook Pro looks just like the last. Apple's iconic laptop designs are largely unchanged on the outside, but the new model gets a bump in processing speed and can now take advantage of newer USB peripherals thanks to the addition of USB 3.0 ports.

If you don't look closely- very closely-you might not realize that the Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (Mid 2012) ($1,499 direct) is any different than the nearly identical models from spring and fall of 2011, like the Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (Thunderbolt) ($1,499 direct, 3.5 stars).

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