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.

Design

The 13" Retina MacBook Pro is essentially a smaller version of the 15" Retina MacBook Pro that Apple released in June. It has the same unibody construction, the same port layout, the same backlit chiclet-style keyboard, and the same ultra-thin display module construction—it even has the same series of three vents along the bottom left and right edges.

The 13" model is noticeably smaller than the 15" model at 12.35×8.62 inches, but is the same (0.75 inches) thickness—that's about 23 percent smaller than the 15" model. It weighs 3.57 pounds, nearly a pound less than the 15" model. It's also a pound lighter than the "old" 13" MacBook Pro design, which Apple still offers as a cheaper alternative to the Retina MacBook Pro.

Whereas the 15" Retina MacBook Pro is a little unwieldy for heavy mobile use, the 13" model is far more manageable. It's more comfortable on a lap, easier to fit into a bag or briefcase, and a little easier on your back or shoulder while toting.

It falls short of ultra-portable territory, though. The 13" MacBook Air is still slimmer with its tapered design, and saves over half a pound in weight at 2.96 pounds. (The 11" MacBook Air is smaller still, and weighs less than 2.4 pounds.)

The overall aesthetic is exactly what you have come to expect from Apple design chief Jony Ive: clean, spartan, and understated.

Internals

Specs at a glance: 13" Retina MacBook Pro Screen 2560×1600 13.3" "Retina" display (227 ppi) OS OS X 10.8.2 CPU 2.5GHz Intel Core i5-3210M (Turbo Boost 3.1GHz), optional 2.9GHz Intel Core i7-3520M (Turbo Boost 3.6GHz) RAM 8GB DDR3L (non-upgradable) GPU Integrated Intel HD4000 Storage 128, 256, 512, 768GB SSD Networking 802.11n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 Ports 2x USB 3.0, 2x Thunderbolt, HDMI, digital/analog audio minijack, SD card slot, MagSafe2 Size 12.35×8.62×0.75" (31.4×21.9×1.9 cm) Weight 3.57 lbs (1.62 kg) Battery 74 Whr Starting price $1699 Price as reviewed $1999 Other perks 720p FaceTime HD camera, dual noise-canceling mics, ambient light sensor, backlight keyboard, large glass trackpad

Similar to the 15" model, the 13" Retina MacBook Pro has a small logic board, asymmetrical battery design, and dual asymmetric fan design. Apart from size, the biggest difference between the 15" and 13" models are CPU and graphics. The smaller model is limited to dual-core processors and lacks a discrete graphics chip—just like previous 13" MacBook Pros. Older MacBook Pros had severely limited internal space because of the included optical drive, but the 13" Retina MacBook Pro looks to have room on the logic board for a discrete GPU. (There may be other considerations for Apple—cooling and product differentiation come to mind.)

The other difference is that the SSD—or, flash storage module in Apple parlance—is tucked under the trackpad. According to iFixit, there is enough space under the trackpad for a slim 2.5" SSD, so it may be possible to replace the SSD with something a bit more off-the-shelf in the future. However, Apple is clearly leveraging economies of scale and using the same modules that ship in the 15" Retina MacBook Pro. (They are also used in Fusion Drive-equipped iMacs.)

The base model 13" Retina MacBook Pro comes with a dual-core 2.5GHz Core i5 processor. The processor has Intel's Hyper-Threading, so OS X sees the equivalent of four cores it can send active processing threads to. It can dynamically boost its frequency up to 3.1GHz when running a single core thanks to "Turbo Boost," and has 3MB of L3 cache. You can optionally configure 13" models with a dual-core 2.9GHz Core i7 chip, which boosts up to 3.6GHz and has 4MB of L3 cache.

(For more on the differences between Intel's Core i5 and Core i7 mobile processors, read Andrew Cunningham's recent article on the benefits of processor upgrades.)

The base model also comes with a paltry 128GB SSD, which we consider a bare minimum for many users. If you plan on storing any kind of sizable iTunes and/or iPhoto libraries, for instance, you're going to want more storage. If you spend much time working with video, you'll also likely need an upgrade (or carry around dedicated external storage). Models can be configured with 256, 512, or 768GB SSDs, though Apple offers a $1,999 model with a 256GB SSD standard.

8GB of RAM is soldered to the logic board. Unlike the 15" model, you can't order it with more RAM; it's 8GB, and that's that. At least Apple didn't skimp on RAM and make you pay extra to have it soldered on at the factory. The "old" MacBook Pro comes with just 4GB by default, although it has two standard slots which can both be fitted with aftermarket 8GB RAM sticks for a total of 16GB.

As mentioned above, there's no discrete GPU, so you get Intel's HD4000 integrated graphics. Fortunately, the HD4000 is pretty capable for most uses, as we discovered when reviewing the 15" Retina MacBook Pro.

Listing image by Chris Foresman