For higher-end graphics and maybe an optical drive, a 15-inch MacBook Pro should be where an interested Mac user chooses to go. The 15-inch Pro seems due for a redesign, and it should be the new Pro.
Odds are, the 2012 MacBook Air will feature the Ivy Bridge processors we're already glimpsing in this year's ultrabooks. Graphics and performance should see even greater improvements compared with the already-impressive 2011 Air, which could erase many concerns from power users. This year's Ivy Bridge bump will make the Air even more powerful. The 13-inch Pro doesn't have dedicated graphics, just integrated Intel HD 3000 graphics, like the Air.
The Air, as we learned last year, really has almost the same performance as the entry-level Pro circa February 2011 (we didn't get a fall 2011 13-inch Pro for review, so we can't compare-but, the spec bump wasn't massive). If you need a DVD drive, buy an external one.or, get a larger laptop that has one. Plus, Apple doesn't seem too fond of optical drives-the Air lacks one, and so does the 2011 Mac Mini. Simple streaming and large-capacity external hard drives and USB flash drives-plus, of course, cloud storage-have changed the equation. We're in an age where Netflix lives on my iPad. OK, who am I kidding: I never use my DVD drive anymore. For installing software or importing CD music, it's handy-or, for making disc backups. I remember when watching DVDs on my Mac was a huge deal. Oh, I've defended the DVD drive for years. It should happen, for these reasons:įew people use optical drives. There used to be three 13-inch Mac laptops: the white MacBook, the Pro, and the Air. I think it's time for the 13-inch Pro to go away, and I have a feeling 2012 will be the year it happens.Īpple products tend to lean toward simplification of a product line. The reasons are few, though: the optical drive, which could be useful for some the extra hard-drive storage gained by not adopting an SSD like the Air and, well, that's about it. I've always been someone who leaned slightly toward the Pro as the laptop of choice, if one had to pick an all-around Apple computer. The Pro had a slight CPU bump at the end of 2011, but remains largely the same computer as the early 2011 model. Its battery life and general performance, according to our CNET benchmarks, met what the Pro had to offer. However, by midyear, the new Air had caught up. At the beginning of 2011, the Pro had a clear advantage in terms of battery life and even performance.
One of the most popular pieces I wrote last year compared the 13-inch Pro with the 13-inch MacBook Air. MacBook Pro: Which 13-incher should you buy?
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