MacBook Pro with Retina display (mid-2012, 2.3GHz Core i7) MacBook Pro with Retina display (mid-2012, 2.6GHz Core i7) MacBook Air (mid-2012, 1.8GHz Core i5, Intel HD Graphics 4000) MacBook Pro (mid-2012, 2.5GHz Core i5, Intel HD Graphics 4000) If you're going to spend $1,200-plus on a laptop, you may as well spring for some desktop speakers too. And while we appreciate that the speakers pump out sufficiently loud audio, songs have a thin, somewhat tinny quality to them. That said, we wouldn't mind a higher resolution - after all, the 13-inch Samsung Series 9 boasts a stellar 1,600 x 900 panel, and ASUS' Zenbook Prime lineup includes systems with up to full 1080p resolutions. The 1,280 x 800 panel delivers crisp images with accurate colors, and viewing angles are wide enough to comfortably watch movies from off-center. Similarly, the display and sound don't pack any surprises. Typing on the chiclet-style keys is a pleasure, and the glass trackpad is smooth and responsive. Still, it's worth reiterating that these are two of the strongest weapons in Apple's hardware arsenal.

We won't spend too much time rehahsing the MacBook Pro's keyboard and touchpad, as they haven't changed since we last took a peek.

While the Retina Pro and the latest MacBook Airs sport new MagSafe 2 connectors, the 13-inch Pro (along with its 15-inch sibling) still has the last-gen version. Most of those connections, including Gigabit Ethernet, Thunderbolt and the SDXC card slot, are crammed on the left edge of the machine, with the slot-loading optical drive occupying the right side. The latest system ships with two USB 3.0 sockets (up from USB 2.0), but otherwise you're looking at a very familiar selection of ports.

Those who salivated when Apple revealed the Retina model's 0.71-inch-thick, 4.46-pound body may be unimpressed by this guy's slightly beefier profile, but the Pro looks as polished as ever, and is definitely compact enough that toting it around shouldn't be an issue. The dimensions and weight also remain unchanged: the 13-inch version tips in at 4.5 pounds and measures 0.95 inches thick, while the new 15-inch Pro weighs 5.6 pounds. The latest MacBook Pros look nearly identical to their 2011 predecessors, with the same aluminum, unibody construction, backlit, island-style keyboard and glass trackpad.

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