macbook

Editors' note: This post was updated October 26, 2012, with all 2012 MacBook Air and Pro reviews, including the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display.

As 2012 draws to a close, we've seen the death of one MacBook, the 17-inch Pro, and the addition of two new models -- 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pros with thinner bodies and high-resolution Retina displays. All now have third-generation Intel Core i-series processors, Thunderbolt ports, and USB 3.0, while the two new Retina models even have HDMI outputs, a long-requested feature.

The Retina models are impressive reboots, walking the line between slim … Read more

Yes, the MacBook Pro's Retina display does deliver the clarity we've seen from Retina on the iPhone and the iPad. But what's really impressed me is how much more the new screen can actually show on a single display. Even if going big means less than "full Retina" quality, it's still a great benefit.

My new MacBook Pro Retina arrived on Friday, far faster than I expected. I immediately headed for the settings area, to better understand how much more the 15-inch Retina screen could display versus the 15-inch screen on my … Read more

Although the slim, ultralight profile of the MacBook Air is impressive, owners must sacrifice a few features PC owners take for granted, like an optical drive and an Ethernet port.

Without an Ethernet port, the Air is a wireless-only machine, forcing users to find a Wi-Fi connection, even if there's a more stable wired network available.

Apple offers two workarounds: a USB Ethernet adapter and (new for 2012) a Thunderbolt Ethernet adapter. However, each of them will set you back $29.

Thankfully, there are plenty of cheaper USB to Ethernet adapter solutions out there.

Monoprice, the Internet's best-kept … Read more

The new Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display announced earlier this week just got an Editors' Choice review on CNET, but some die-hard tinkerers are upset about the lack of upgradeable components inside. According to iFixit.org, the latest MacBook Pro is the least reparable Apple laptop to date.

For starters, users are locked into the amount of RAM they choose at the purchase date, as the memory is actually soldered to the logic board. The proprietary solid-state hard drive is staying put as well, and watch out for a couple of booby traps concealed underneath the lithium-polymer battery! The laptop certainly remains incomparable in terms of display, I/O ports, and chassis, but keep in mind that your upgrade options down the line are severely limited if you go with this model.… Read more

The upgradable computer is under attack.

In case you haven't noticed, Apple and every other first-tier PC maker on the planet are pushing thin laptops, not to mention even thinner tablets. Problem is, really thin computers are, by design, "sealed." That means, fewer and fewer upgradable computers.

In fact, these days the only chance you'll have to upgrade most ultrabooks and MacBooks is when you order them online. After that, you're stuck with the configuration.

As is the case with the Retina MacBook Pro. "Unlike previous generations of MacBook Pros, the MacBook Pro with … Read more

The updated MacBook Air doesn't look new on the outside, but the inside is a different story.

That story mostly revolves around Ivy Bridge, Intel's new 22-nanometer processor that boasts upgraded graphics silicon ("up to 60 percent faster graphics," says Apple). But there are a few more subtle changes, too, according to iFixit's teardown.

Intel's new engine: iFixit found a Core i5-3427U 1.8GHz chip. That comes with Turbo Boost, which can ratchet up the speed to 2.8GHz, and Intel's HD 4000 graphics. Not surprisingly, the Core i5 is Intel's most … Read more

Apple's cheaper-but-better MacBook Air isn't good news for ultrabooks.

Ultrabooks surfaced last year as a niche product in response to the Air. And now Intel, Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Dell, at el are trying to mainstream the skinny laptops.

There's one problem. Apple just cut the price and upped the processor specs on the MacBook Air today.

So, is Apple still standard bearer and ultrabooks just pretenders to the lightweight laptop throne?

Only time and market-share numbers will tell.

Spec check: $1,099 11.6-inch MBA: The high-end model has dropped to $1,099 from $1,199 and packs … Read more

Apple's kickoff press conference for its 2012 Worldwide Developers Conference is now history. While the show is arguably aimed at the company's army of iOS and Mac software developers --and there was plenty of new iOS 6 and OS X Mountain Lion news on display -- WWDC was once again used as a launching pad for a variety of new hardware products as well.

In addition to a line of updated MacBook laptops (including a first-ever high-end Retina Display model), Apple also delivered some notable hardware refreshes that it didn't choose to highlight at its press conference: a new AirPort Express router, an updated iPad case, and a very slight upgrade to its Mac Pro desktop.

The new Apple hardware and accessories, in-depth:… Read more

SAN FRANCISCO--The new Retina Display Macbook Pro made its debut at Moscone Center and drew a large crowd of fans, positioning their iPhones to snap pictures of the newest member of the Mac family. It was like a crowd ogling the Hope Diamond under impenetrable plexiglass at the Smithsonian or the stars walking the Hollywood red carpet at the Oscars.

It's part of Apple's magic stage act, which can make ordinary products look extraordinary and extraordinary products appear as works of other-worldly artistic and technical wizardry. With Tim Cook and his lieutenants taking over where Steve Jobs left … Read more