Apple released a brand new version of the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display just a few weeks prior to its big annual Worldwide Developers Conference, and we took it for a spin
The updated machine gets super fast flash storage, as well as the new Force Touch trackpad, an improved dedicated GPU and an extra hour of battery life. It didn’t get new processors, but in practice, it’s still a worthwhile upgrade for those who need the might and screen real estate of a larger laptop.
Basics
- 2.5GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor
- 16GB of 1600MHz DDR3L RAM
- 512GB of PCIe-based flash storage
- Intel Iris Pro and AMD Radeon R9M370X w/ 2GB of RAM graphics cards
- 15.4-inch 2880 x 1800 Retina display
- MSRP: $2,499 as tested
- Product info page
Pros
- New flash storage speeds things up considerably
- Force Touch trackpad is especially useful for pro creative tasks
Cons
- Same processor as last year’s model
Design
The Retina MacBook Pro is, at this stage, a true design classic. When it first debuted, it was a marvel of engineering in terms of Apple’s ability to fit a machine with professional caliber specs into a package that is remarkably portable; three years later, the industrial design of the product is emblematic of craft, if somewhat easier to take for granted since it’s been around for some time.
As Apple’s largest current laptop, the 15-inch Retina MBP isn’t going to work for everyone – it’s also the heaviest at just under four and a half pounds. The trade-offs of size and weight for exceptional display quality, plus ample screen real estate, as well as long-lasting battery life and improved graphical power vs. other models are easy pills to swallow for people who need those features, however.
This computer remains my favorite road warrior in terms of actually getting stuff done; the larger footprint isn’t optimal for things like working on an airplane, where larger passengers like me, combined with people who recline their seats (ban reclining seats by the way) can equal preciously little room for opening the lid of a larger laptop. But when you install yourself at a desk wherever you happen to land, you’ll value the extra screen space, especially if you work in a creative field or coding capacity.
Features
The new 15-inch rMBP has some powers that its predecessor didn’t, chief among which in terms of immediately apparent differences is the addition of the Force Touch trackpad. Apple’s Force Touch tech allows for new types of input, based on how hard you press with your finger. In OS X, this means you can do things like look up addresses in Maps on websites in Safari, or check dictionary definitions of words, or even preview links to other pages on the web.
Performance
Better performance on the new 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro comes primarily from that new PCIe-based flash storage which is also on the new 13-inch model. It speeds things up considerably – it boosts performance by up to 22 times when compared to a 5400 RPM HD, or up to twice the speed of the previous version’s flash-based storage options.
This is a huge upgrade for anyone who spends any considerable amount of time reading and writing from storage, as when you’re editing video or larger photo libraries in apps like Lightroom. It’s hard to quantify it properly, but know that in actual use, you’re going to find everything noticeably faster and more responsive, which goes a long way to easing the pain of intensive rich media projects.
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