MacBook Pro and MacBook Air 2013 roundup

Apple now has two Air and four Pro versions of the MacBook laptop, two of which have new Intel processors. Which one is right for you?

Scott Stein Editor at Large

I started with CNET reviewing laptops in 2009. Now I explore wearable tech, VR/AR, tablets, gaming and future/emerging trends in our changing world. Other obsessions include magic, immersive theater, puzzles, board games, cooking, improv and the New York Jets. My background includes an MFA in theater which I apply to thinking about immersive experiences of the future.

Expertise VR and AR, gaming, metaverse technologies, wearable tech, tablets Credentials

Nearly 20 years writing about tech, and over a decade reviewing wearable tech, VR, and AR products and apps

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Dan Ackerman Editorial Director / Computers and Gaming

Dan Ackerman leads CNET's coverage of computers and gaming hardware. A New York native and former radio DJ, he's also a regular TV talking head and the author of "The Tetris Effect" (Hachette/PublicAffairs), a non-fiction gaming and business history book that has earned rave reviews from the New York Times, Fortune, LA Review of Books, and many other publications. "Upends the standard Silicon Valley, Steve Jobs/Mark Zuckerberg technology-creation myth... the story shines." -- The New York Times

Expertise I've been testing and reviewing computer and gaming hardware for over 20 years, covering every console launch since the Dreamcast and every MacBook...ever. Credentials

Author of the award-winning, NY Times-reviewed nonfiction book The Tetris Effect; Longtime consumer technology expert for CBS Mornings

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Scott Stein

Dan Ackerman

June 20, 2013 8:18 a.m. PT

2 min read

Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display (13-inch, October 2012)
By adding a high-res Retina Display to the 13-inch MacBook Pro, Apple has taken the odd man out of its MacBook line -- the previous 13-inch Pro -- and turned it into a sleek, modern laptop. Alas, the Retina MacBooks are 2012 models that haven't yet been upgraded to fourth-gen Intel "Haswell" processors. And unlike the 15-inch Retina Pro, the 13-incher doesn't have a dedicated Nvidia graphics option.
Read the full review of the Retina Display 13-inch MacBook Pro.

Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display (15-inch, October 2012)
The MacBook Pro with Retina Display combined an amazing screen with just enough of the MacBook Air design to feel like a new animal -- at least, that was the case in 2012. However, like the 13-inch Retina Pro, the current version hasn't yet been updated for 2013.
Read the full review of the Retina Display 15-inch MacBook Pro.

Apple MacBook Pro (15-inch, June 2012)
The non-Retina MacBook Pros remained in the line for 2012, and they're still available now. But as Apple's only models to retain optical drives, we get the feeling these won't be around for long -- and may not even be upgraded for 2013. Time will tell.
Read the full review of the 15-inch MacBook Pro.

Apple MacBook Pro (13-inch, June 2012)
While the 13-inch MacBook Pro remains a well-built laptop, it's fallen behind the MacBook Air and Retina Display MacBook Pro in design, lacks higher-end upgrades, and feels too expensive compared with the competition. Like its 15-inch sibling, it'll be interesting to see if this model is upgraded or retired in 2013.
Read the full review of the 13-inch MacBook Pro.

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