Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display

alaTest has collected and analyzed 61 reviews from magazines and websites. People are impressed by the battery and performance. The design and portability also get good reviews. The sound and usability get negative reviews, while there are mixed reviews on the keyboard and build quality.

screen, portability, design, performance, battery

value for money, usability, sound

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Laptops the Apple MacBook Pro with Retina display is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 92/100 = Excellent quality.

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Review analysis

(Based on 61 reviews)

Expert Reviews  

User Reviews  

Review Ratings

  (35% of reviews)
Show all 5 star reviews   (37% of reviews)
Show all 4 star reviews   (8% of reviews)
Show all 3 star reviews   (3% of reviews)
Show all 2 star reviews   (17% of reviews)
Show all 1 star reviews

Features

Screen
  Show positive (64%)Show negative (10%)(Show all)
Value for money
  Show positive (12%)Show negative (65%)(Show all)
Portability
  Show positive (79%)Show negative (2%)(Show all)
Design
  Show positive (86%)Show negative (3%)(Show all)
Performance
  Show positive (76%)Show negative (24%)(Show all)
Battery
  Show positive (67%)Show negative (17%)(Show all)
Connectivity
  Show positive (78%)Show negative (11%)(Show all)
Resolution
  Show positive (44%)Show negative (11%)(Show all)
Build quality
  Show positive (50%)Show negative (25%)(Show all)
Energy
  Show positive (29%)Show negative (14%)(Show all)
More features

Showing 60 review(s)

Expert Reviews User Reviews
Showing 1 - 10 of 60 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (1)

Expert review by:

Apple’s Retina-Equipped MacBook Pro Is a Sight to Behold

 

Apple's latest top-of-the-line laptop is an expensive, factory-sealed machine with a stunning display -- a PC that's the first of its breed.

Extremely sharp 2880×1800 resolution display is pure eye candy. Excellent springy keyboard and trackpad. Even the cheapest model, with 8GB of flash memory and an SSD, is super speedy. Never thought I’d be comfortable holding a 15-inch notebook in one hand

Price is hard to swallow — upgrades, add-ons and accessories can bump the cost up nearly $1,000 more. Sealed unibody design is impossible to upgrade yourself once you’ve purchased the device — but come now, you knew that going in

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Editor's Choice!

Expert review by:

Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display

 

The MacBook Pro with Retina Display boasts a breathtakingly gorgeous screen, super-fast performance and long battery life in a slim and portable design.

Click to EnlargeStarting at $2,199, the new MacBook Pro wasn't designed for the masses. It's for those who demand the very best and are willing to pay for it. The Retina Display is a positively sublime canvas for both content consumption and creation....

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Editor's Choice!

Expert review by:

Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display

 

Editors' note (October 23, 2012): In addition to the 15-inch model reviewed here, Apple now offers an all-new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display as well.

The unprecedented high-resolution screen on the new MacBook Pro with Retina Display makes images -- even simple text -- look beautifully clear. Despite a redesigned, lightweight body, the powerful components, including an Nvidia GPU, compare well to...

With a $2,199 entry-level price tag, the MacBook Pro with Retina Display costs more than the typical American mortgage. The lack of onboard Ethernet jack, FireWire, or an optical drive can be inconvenient at times. Despite being thinner and lighter,...

The newly redesigned MacBook Pro with Retina Display combines an amazing screen with just enough of the MacBook Air design to feel like a new animal, and to take its place as the best of the current MacBook breed.

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Consumer review by:

"This is by far the best computer I've owned!"

 

Nothing is perfect, but with the portability and power combined, I think this is an amazing laptop for the type of work I do. I definitely think it's a bit pricey for the normal user, but for professionals that need a lot of power and quality, I think...

- Long Battery Life

- Price, I think it's worth it though

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Consumer review by:

"I'm a long-time apple user, image retention a let down"

 

I love apple products, and my whole line-up of technology has been apple ever since I started university. My old white macbook is still running strong from 2006, and I'm still impressed by its ability to get stuff done. That being said, I was very...

The screen is absolutely stunning

The ONLY thing keeping this from being a glowing 5-star review is the fact that many people, (including myself) are having a lot of problems with Image Retention on the new screens.

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Consumer review by:

Steve Jobs is now satisfied with the new MacBook.

 

TheMacBook Pro with Retina Display is not just any other laptop/MacBook. It's a statement, a genius machine. It's something Apple, Steve Jobs and the customer would be proud of. Even though nothing is completely perfect in the World, this machine is a...

The fine aluminum unibody casing was crafted with precision ; The Retina Display causes orgasms for the eye. It is just so crisp and clear not a pixel is wasted ; The battery life is awesome ; The graphics card plus ivy bridge chipset ; Light and thin

The price is quite unbelievable, especially when you can buy a similar quality Hewlett Packard for half the price ; The ambient sensors doesn't seem to be functional all the time

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Consumer review by:

Best laptop available!

 

This computer is the best available on the market at the moment. I agree with others that Apple could have made the battery and ram user replaceable, but they left the thicker MacBook Pros the way they were, so if you really want to replace RAM and...

The screen is the best part, but it also has all the latest hardware. It fits all the power of a standardmacbook pro into a thinner case and upgrades the screen to 4x the base resolution. The screen looks great and the speakers are very good too

The RAM is soldered to the board, and the battery is glued to the case ; USB 3 does not always work properly ; Mountain Lion is a bit buggy ; Price (you get what you pay for though)

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Consumer review by:

The highest speed to weight ratio of any laptop ever

 

It's fast, quiet, and beautiful. What apple does right is make a sturdy, reliable computer with none of the cheap/tacky aspects that PC makes latch on. No bright blinking LED's in your face. No stickers from the processor makers

No kensington lock port. I had to buy a separate kensington sticker lock that I attached to the rear. I'm ok with it, because it shows I'm serious about security, but others would find it to be a defacement of their computer

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Consumer review by:

Rest assured, you get what you pay for...

 

This is the *it* gadget for a reason. I had to wait 4 wks for mine to ship and this is my firstmac. I. AM. BLOWN. AWAY. Just go to an Apple store and play with one and you'll see what I'm saying.

Unadulterated gadget porn. The screen can only truly be appreciated after seeing it. Sturdy. Blazing fast. Whisper quiet. HDMI out

Obviously, the price. It is rather hefty

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Consumer review by:

Outstanding Design and quality

 

I love Apple laptops and have owned/used them since 2007, so my criticism is from a positive perspective. That being said, I find the new 15" MBP to be good, but not as great as it could have been. Retina display is simply amazing,

Nearly as thin asMacBook Air, thinner than any other laptop I've seen so portability should be great

Non-user upgradeable RAM. Flash storage will only be able to be upgraded when 3rd-party solutions hit the market

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