Introduction
Update: The successor to OS X 10.9 Mavericks, OS X 10.10 Yosemite, has been released and is now available to download via the App Store. Yosemite brings a ton of new features including an all-new design, a new Dark Mode, a redesigned Notification Centre and closer symmetry with iOS 8.
Launched last October, Apple's 2013 MacBook Pro with Retina was in many ways a classic follow-up from the Cupertino-based company. Lighter, thinner and faster than the previous generation's models, it made improvements in key areas while keeping the same pixel-packing display that made the original a hit.
Measuring almost half an inch thinner than its predecessor and weighing 0.11 pounds lighter, it brought a new level of portability to Apple's traditionally weightier and chunkier laptop line.
The changes were not skin deep. Under the hood, Apple moved to Intel's more powerful Iris HD 5100 graphics and switched from SATA III, flash-based SSDs to newer PCIe-based ones. In that time, the competition has quietly closed the gap, with Samsung (Ativ Book 9 Plus), Lenovo (Yoga 2 Pro) and Asus (Zenbook UX301 Infinity) all launching Ultrabooks with high-DPI displays, thin designs and more powerful integrated Intel graphics.
- Everything we know about the Retina MacBook Air
Considering the healthy spec boost given to last year's Retina MacBooks, it is perhaps unsurprising that the "Mid 2014" MacBook Pro with Retina is a far more subtle upgrade, one that's focused on representing better value for money, with each model featuring a 200MHz faster Intel Haswell CPU over last year's refresh for the same cost.
We were sent the new high-end model with 512GB of storage to review, which starts at £1,399 ($1,799, around AUS$1,986) and comes with the latest Intel 2.8GHz Core i5-4308U CPU (turbo boost to 3.3GHz) with 3MB shared L3 cache and 8GB RAM.
It sits alongside two other models part of the refreshed 2014 line-up, both of which are configurable with up to 3GHz dual-core Intel Core i7 CPUs and 16GB of RAM, with 4MB shared L3 cache.
Starting at £1,199 ($1,499, around AUS$1,657), the mid-range Retina MacBook Pro comes with 256GB of flash storage, a 2.6GHz Core-i5 CPU (up from 2.4GHz) and 8GB RAM.
The entry-level MacBook Pro gets the same CPU boost as the mid-range model, but comes with 128GB of flash storage for £999 ($1,299, around US$1,436). It has seen the amount of RAM double in comparison to last year's model to 8GB, making it the best bang-for-buck option of the three.
As always, you'll have to opt for the 15-inch MacBook Pro to get your hands on even more power. This is especially so, as the high-end version is now the only machine in the line-up configurable with dedicated Nvidia graphics.
Like all new Macs, the 13-inch models come with a copy of OS X 10.9 Mavericks pre-installed, which includes Apple's updated iLife suite of multimedia and productivity apps geared toward content creation. Available to download from the App Store, they include 64-bit versions of iPhoto, iMovie, Garageband, Pages and Numbers.
Waiting game
If you're considering buying a new MacBook, you may be wondering whether to take the plunge now, or wait for the possibility of upgraded (or even completely redesigned) machines arriving later in the year.
If they do, it's almost certain that a subtle upgrade won't be on the cards. Intel recently launched its Core M processor, which the chipmaker reckons will allow notebook makers to create "razor-thin, fanless designs with the optimal blend of beauty, performance and battery life".
And then there's Intel's upcoming "Broadwell" processor, which the refreshed line-up apparently missed out on due to a delay in the company's roadmap. The inclusion of Broadwell would've given Apple's 2014 Retina MacBooks better performance and improved battery life, but the delay means that we're not likely to see devices using the chip until early next year.
At the same time, a spec boost to last year's solid MacBook Pro with Retina for no extra cost is not to be sniffed at, and with Yosemite set to be available as free upgrade to Mavericks users, it will feel like the arrival of a new Apple machine regardless of whether new models see the light of day.
Design, ports and connectivity
The 13-inch MacBook Pro features the same iconic aluminum unibody design as previous MacBooks. If you were to place it side-by-side with last year's model, you wouldn't be able to tell the two apart.
At 1.57kg (3.46 pounds), it also weighs the same. That's 14% heavier than the 13-inch MacBook Air's 1.35kg (2.97 pounds), which despite not seeming like a huge amount makes quite a difference when picking up it up with a single hand or carrying it in a backpack.
That's partly owed to the Retina MacBook Pro's design which, instead of tapering to a narrow edge like the Air, is evenly distributed, giving it a more square-like appearance.
As usual, build quality is second to none, with no detectable flex wherever you choose to prod and poke at it. The lid is similarly sturdy with very little wobble once raised into position and can be easily opened with a single finger, thanks to the hollow lip along the front edge.
The MacBook Pro features the same glossy, glass-covered In-Plane Switching (IPS) screen as the previous generation, and it's still gorgeous to look at, making for deep blacks and vibrant color tones that pop.
Not only is the display more attractive than the comparatively washed-out TN panels found on the Apple's MacBook Air range, it also possesses the better viewing angles of the two, viewable from around 178 degrees.
Surrounding the display is a fingerprint-attracting black bezel measuring 1.5cm (left and right) and 2.5cm (top and bottom), with a 720p HD webcam embedded along the top.
Sharp shooter
Its native 2560 x 1600 pixel-resolution provides a 227 pixels-per-inch (ppi) ratio, rendering UI elements and icons incredibly sharp. It means you can see more of high-resolution images, with far greater clarity than a regular 1080p display. Fonts too are more legible - particularly serif ones - which makes reading web content easier on the eyes.
Apple lets you flick between four default pixel resolutions in the Systems Preferences panel to choose between a sharper image or more desktop real-estate. They are: 1024 x 768, 1280 x 800, 1440 x 900 and 1680 x 1050. Each option doubles the pixel count using OS X's Hi-DPI mode to achieve a "Retina"-like quality.
Using an app such as SwitchResX, you can set the resolution even higher to show even more of the desktop, something Apple likely decided against as it makes text much harder to read with cramped menus at higher resolutions.
Nontheless, there's something truly satisfying about using the desktop at 1920 x 1200 or 2048 x 1280, which allows you to see all of the cells on spreadsheets, edit large images without scrolling and snap apps to the sides of the screen (using an app such as Hyperdock).
There is an ever so slight impact on performance that's noticable when using heavy duty imaging applications, or using 10 or more apps at once, with the occasional stutter or second of lag, but it's far from a big deal.
Connectivity
Connectivity on the machine is fine, with a MagSafe 2 adapter, two Thunderbolt 2 ports that support up to 20Gbps transfer speeds, a USB 3.0 port, headphone jack and dual mics along the left-hand edge.
Intel's Thunderbolt 2 standard is compatible with an increasing array of devices and the MacBook Pro allows you to daisy chain up to six of them.
On the machine's right-hande side is an SXC card slot, HDMI port and one USB 3.0 port. There are no FireWire 800 or Ethernet ports, but if you need these protocols, you can get adapters that fit the Thunderbolt 2 ports - though depending on the interface there may be limitations on the speeds that they can operate.
It's worth noting that, while the machine isn't compatible with Apple's older MagSafe 1 charger, you can pick up a MagSafe 1 to MagSafe 2 convertor from Apple for £9 (around $6, or AUS$11), which would effectively get you a cheap spare charger.
Apple moved to 802.11ac Wi-Fi for last year's 2013 refresh and has been kept for this year's machines. Wireless connectivity is once again dependable while allowing for speedy download rates, which will be faster when used in conjunction with an AC-enabled router.
Specifications
As mentioned earlier, the 2014 Retina MacBook Pros use Intel's latest battery-sipping Haswell processors, which have been bumped up with slightly higher clock speeds – 2.8GHz versus last generation's 2.6GHz.
The chip's Turbo Boost feature reallocates unused resources to temporarily increase its clock speed, meaning it can reach speeds of up to 3.3GHz under heavy computing loads. Hyper Threading functionality means that each of the processor's two cores can run two threads simultaneously, for a total of four virtual cores.
Our model came with 8GB of 1600MHz dual channel RAM that can be doubled to 16GB, but only before purchase. While it's possible to get at the sealed-in RAM sticks to swap them around, it's an extremely delicate operation as demonstrated by iFixit's teardown, which shows that you'll need a pentalope screwdriver and a steady hand to boot.
A lack of internal space has prevented notebook manufacturers from adding discrete graphics chips in their devices, like the new Razer Blade, which is around the same size as the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro and features a powerful Nvidia GTX mobile GPU, standing out as an exception.
Apple isn't prepared to break the trend just yet, instead sticking with Intel's integrated GPUs for all refreshed models, barring the high-end 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro.
The GPU in question, Intel's HD 5100 "Iris", promises improved gaming and graphical performance by around 20% compared to its HD 5000 chip thanks to a clock speed that's 200MHz faster. While not quite as powerful as even low-end discrete GPUs, it's no slouch either.
The machine is capable of outputting resolutions of up to 4096 x 2160 over HDMI, though you'll be restricted to at a sputtery 24Hz. On the other hand, its two Thunderbolt 2 ports are an altogether different beast, capable of outputting to two 4K displays at 60Hz, with millions of colors.
The MacBook features a chiclet-style keyboard with well-spaced keys that possess a decent amount of travel when typing, with a "springy" feel. The backlit keys can light up in the dark to a decent amount to effectively aid typing in dimly lit conditions.
While it's an excellent keyboard to type on, budding stenographers and regular document sloggers will find that the tapered design of the 13-inch MacBook Air, which allows the wrists to rest at a lower position, makes for a more natural and comfortable typing experience.
That's not a criticism of the Pro, but rather an acknowledgement that the Air – which also has slightly more rounded convex keys – is still the machine to beat for typing purists requiring comfort above all else.
Located beneath the keyboard is a buttonless, glass-covered clickpad that supports a number of multi-touch gestures that let you tap and swipe your way through screens.
While the machine's speakers are fine for web chats, watching videos and consuming general audio, they wouldn't go down to well in environments that demand full, bass-driven sound - as there's very little to be found here. Hooking up a 2.1 speaker system is advised, something that's incredibly easy thanks to the MacBook Pro's fast Bluetooth 4.1 support, which can pair accessories in a snap.
Benchmarks and performance
That 200MHz faster clock processor speed helps make for a nippy machine when combined with its fast PCIe-based flash storage. It can boot from cold in just under 10 seconds, and once you're up and running, you're rarely waiting longer than a second or two for apps to load.
The extra processing power also helps when editing images in programs such as GIMP, or Photoshop Elements. On the 13-inch 2013 MacBook Air, for example, scaling or resizing high-resolution images can often take minutes as the processor crunches through calculations, whereas the 2014 Retina MacBook can do the same on images up to (and beyond) 200MB in size without breaking a sweat.
Its Retina display also comes in useful for multimedia editors - particularly those that work with high-resolution images that would overwhelm smaller resolution displays.
Our machine came with 512GB of fast SSD storage, the most of the three models. 499GB is left remaining after a fresh install of the OS, leaving plenty of room to store multimedia files, games and documents locally.
It may be the most capacious and powerful of the three refreshed machines, but opting for the 128GB model instead would save you a cool £400/$400 (£200/$200 for the 256GB model), which you could put toward a Thunderbolt storage enclosure - with many 1TB capacity models available for around £120 (around $150, or AUS$180).
The entry-level version's 2.4GHz Core-i5 CPU may be 200MHz slower than the one found in the high-end machine, but it features the same 8GB of RAM. As such, it would serve you well if you store less data on the SSD and tale advantage of iCloud and the many other cloud storage services out there.
Benchmarks
- Xbench (testing CPU and storage): 448.29
- Cinebench 11.5 Single core: 1.38pts
- Cinebench 11.5 Multi-core: 3.18pts
- Geekbench: 7,045 (versus late 2013 MacBook Pro with Retina's 6,312)
- Novabench (Overall): 759
- Novabench (Graphics - Overall): 33
- Novabench (Graphics - 3D FPS): 79
- Doom 3: 87 fps (average)
- Dead Island: 28 fps (average)
- Battery (HD video left on until battery repleted): 7 hours 5 minutes
Despite the promise of faster performance thanks to the inclusion of Intel's Iris Pro, gaming remains a mixed bag. Running titles at the MacBook Pro's native resolution is out of the question, and gaming performance is average at best when the resolution is lowered.
The MacBook Pro had no trouble running Doom 3, which is now more than a decade old, reaching a silky-smooth average frames per second (fps) of 87 when set to a pixel-resolution of 1440 x 900. In comparison, the 2013 MacBook Air, which houses Intel's HD5000 GPU, managed 68 fps.
Conversely, Dead Island, a game running on a much more demanding graphics engine, managed barely playable frame rates of 28 fps the low-resolution setting of 1280 x 800 with all details set to low.
Booting up
If you're into serious gaming, you'll find much improved performance by installing Windows using OS X's built-in BootCamp app. Windows is kinder to gaming performance than OS X and can provide a healthy frame rate boost, in addition to supporting a wider variety of titles.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro packs a built-in 71.8-watt hour lithium polymer battery that Apple claims lasts for 9 hours. It achieved closer to seven during our battery life test, which consisted of leaving a HD video stream running on iPlayer until power depleted.
While not as impressive as the nine hours of real-world use that you can squeeze out of a MacBook Air, that's not unexpected due to the higher power draw as a result of the high-resolution display.
Verdict
Apple's best 13-inch MacBook yet, you would be far from disappointed if you went out and bought the the 2014 MacBook Pro with Retina tomorrow.
Adding a faster processor to last year's solid offering at no extra cost has made it an even more attractive option, and the upcoming availability of Yosemite only sweetens the deal.
And although the competition is fast catching up, it remains the machine to beat if you're gunning for the middle ground between portability and performance.
We liked
There's plenty to like on the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina: from the still-impressive display to its excellent build quality, great keyboard and good (but not excellent) battery life. It may not be as portable as the MacBook Air, but it's far from cumbersome and its top notch build quality means you won't be worried about its welfare when carrying it around.
Throw in fast 802.11ac Wi-Fi, a super responsive PCIe-based SSD and two lightning-fast Thunderbolt 2 ports, and you have a notebook that can be taken anywhere and practically does anything (except gaming, that is).
Aside from free future operating system updates, the free iLife suite bundled with OS X means you may find yourself spending less on the apps you may need to get yourself up and running.
We disliked
It's becoming less of a problem (and not necessarily a fault of the MacBook), but many images on the web will still appear low-res and grainy on the MacBook's high-resolution display. That's because many websites have neglected to catch up with post-HD resolution screens.
And while Intel's Iris GPU is certainly a step up from its predecessors, it's not nearly ready to be able to play modern games with acceptable frame rates, meaning light gaming is once again the only option on the menu.
The battery life of the machine is good, but it's not quite at the level where you can charge it once and forget about finding a charging socket, as you can using the MacBook Air.
Final verdict
If you need tons of storage space and the most processing power you can get your hands on, the 512GB Retina MacBook Pro is the only way to go - but you'll need the deep pockets to match.
However, if you can get by with less storage and power, in comparison you can save a healthy wad of cash by opting for the entry-level machine with 128GB storage, which represents the best value of the three due to both the faster CPU and doubling of RAM compared to last year's model.
from www.techradar.com
