Apple's MacBook Pro is an institution in the laptop market. Originally released in 2006, the MacBook Pro has been in consistent production longer than any notebook except Lenovo's T-Series and X-Series laptops, and it has defined the premium market since its release.

Excellent build quality; Very thin and light; Great keyboard and touchpad; Retina display is beautiful; Outstanding battery life; Strong performance in all areas; Runs quietly; Good value

Design remains unchanged; Retina display crushes black detail

The Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (2013) uses Intel's Haswell-based Core i5 processor to give power users a system that can last almost 12 hours under continuous use, weighs just over three pounds, and still process graphics and scientific tasks quickly.

Brilliant Retina display; Over 11 hours of battery life; Comes with iLife and iWork software suites; Two Thunderbolt 2 ports; HDMI.

Glossy screen; Ethernet requires adapter; Only upgradeable at time of order

Still, let it be said: We're jealous of anyone who buys either of the Retina-equipped MacBook Pro models. These prime MacBooks simply exude quality, craftsmanship, and concern for the user, from the bundled software to the feel of the lid latch and hinges.

Stunning super-high-res screen; First-class construction and software experience; Great battery life

Expensive; especially compared to 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro; Integrated graphics

The MacBook Pro 13 with Retina Display is an excellent notebook. Compared to the predecessor it is now thinner and lighter with better performance and longer battery runtimes. Case, input devices, emissions and the screen are still the benchmark in many respects.

Very quiet; Long battery runtimes; Excellent unibody chassis; High-resolution IPS display with excellent OS support; Great input devices; Apple sets the benchmark in its class once again

Virtually no upgradeability; Difficult to maintain and to repair because of pentalobe screws; Glossy display; Only 12 months warranty and expensive upgrade to three years; A matte display - at least as an option

Apple's new 13-inch MacBook with a Retina display effectively crosses the divide between Air and Pro, but at a premium cost.

Thinner and lighter than the other 13-inch Pro; Near-comprehensive selection of ports; Great I/O performance

Thicker than 15-inch Retina Pro; No discrete graphics; Price

The 13in Apple MacBook has gone Pro, with more memory, beefier processors and an embedded battery that outlasts similar-sized notebooks we've tested. We would prefer an option for a more powerful graphics card though.

Fantastic build quality and design; extremely long battery life; multi-touch trackpad; beefy processor and RAM options

RAM upgrades are expensive through Apple; no anti-glare display coating option; battery can't be removed

There's certainly a lot to like about this MacBook and although it has a smaller screen, it still looks great thanks to the retina display technology. It comes with a 2.9GHz Intel i5 processor standard, which you can upgrade to a 3.1GHz i7 model for better performance, but both are dual-core CPUs.

T he new 13in MacBook Pro looks identical to last year's model, down to the last millimetre. But looks can be deceiving: this updated laptop quietly debuts Apple's brand-new Force Touch trackpad.

There are other high-res laptops out there, but this year's more powerful and affordable 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro is one of the best of the bunch, and makes a compelling case for upgrading from the 13-inch Air.

Still expensive if you plan to add more storage or RAM; no extra Nvidia graphics option as on the 15-inch version; yes, it's thicker and heavier than an Air

I purchased the 13" Retina MacBook Pro as both a backup machine for my beefier 15" rMBP and as a secondary machine to help with data management while working on film sets.

8gb Ram Vs Standard 4gb; Extremely Portable; Fast Internal Ssd; PricePerformance; Price per performance

No Discrete Graphics; not upgradeable