When the 15" Retina MacBook Pro hit store shelves this past summer, MacBook Air owners hugged their slim, lightweight laptops tightly while looking longingly at the beautiful display of the larger machines. "If only Apple would release a smaller laptop with a retina display," they wished. It took a few months, but it's here: a 13" version of its Retina MacBook Pro offering a relatively lightweight, "pro" oriented laptop in a smaller form factor. Having spent a good amount of time with the 15" Retina MacBook Pro this past summer, we wanted to get a feel for what the smaller size could offer.
For the past several days, I have switched from my usual 11" MacBook Air to using the 13" Retina MacBook Pro for all my daily work. The experience isn't far off from using the 15" model—the battery life easily bests the MacBook Air and the screen is crisp and clear. Performance is in-line with what we expected, given the dual-core Ivy Bridge processors. And the thinner aluminum unibody is solid despite the thinner profile compared to the older MacBook Pro design.
Still, while the 13" Retina MacBook Pro offers an overall great package, the pricing and performance compromises compared to its larger 15" sibling left me wanting. Here's why.
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