Apple 13-in. Retina MacBook Pro review: Vibrant screen, perfect size?

When Apple execs debuted the new Mac lineup for the holidays last month, they noted that the 13-in. MacBook Pro was already the best-selling Mac. Both its power and small size have been key to this success.

After spending some time with the new 13-in. MacBook Pro with Retina display, I came away quite impressed. I've been a 15-in. MacBook Pro owner for years, and I initially regarded the smaller screen with skepticism, but this machine has quickly won me over. The killer Retina display in concert with the laptop's light weight and processing power make this computer a compelling package.

With this new model, Apple engineers have basically applied the playbook used for the 15-in. MacBook Pro with Retina display, only in the smaller form factor. (Apple loaned me this particular laptop for review.)

Starting at $1,699, this MacBook Pro is a pound lighter and 20% thinner than the previous generation -- it weighs 3.5 lbs. and is three-quarters of an inch thick when the lid is closed. The reduction in size and weight comes with a few caveats, but sturdiness isn't one of them. Apple's unibody design -- featuring a frame carved from a single block of aluminum -- feels good to the touch, doesn't flex when the laptop is picked up from a corner, and exudes quality.

That quality is especially apparent in the 2560-x-1600-pixel screen, which is so packed with pixels -- 227 pixels per inch in its native resolution -- that you can't really discern them discretely. It's more like looking at a backlit printed page, with vibrant colors, good contrast and text that is sharp so as to still be legible even in smaller font sizes; you really have to see it in person. If you've seen an iPhone or the screen on this year's iPads, you have an idea of how gorgeous the Retina display is.

Of course, that screen comes with a higher price tag compared to other 13-in. MacBook Pros, which start at $1,199. That's something to keep in mind if this is on your -- or someone else's -- holiday wish list.

Specs and hardware details

Let's start from the outside and work our way in.

This latest MacBook Pro offers several modern connectivity ports, but due to size constraints, not the full retinue of them. On the left, next to the MagSafe 2 power connection, are two Thunderbolt ports (Thunderbolt is the wide-bandwidth I/O technology that allows you to connect everything from a display to a hard drive), a USB 3.0 port and a headphone jack. On the right side is another USB 3.0 port, an HDMI port and a SDXC card reader. There are also two mics, which help with noise canceling now that OS X Mountain Lion has dictation built in, and improved stereo speakers. For a laptop this size, the speakers sound pretty good.

As with other Apple laptops, there's also a 720p camera hidden in the black border at the top of the screen, which is great for FaceTime calls to other Macs, iPhones and iPads, as well as Skype and Vidyo sessions. All of the major 802.11 wireless standards are supported, including a/b/g/n, as is Bluetooth 4.0. The full-sized keyboard is backlit, and the brightness adjusts based on ambient lighting conditions. There's also the now-standard glass trackpad, capable of multitouch gestures.

What's missing? Apple has been pushing for an all-digital future for quite some time, and there have been casualties along the way. This round, Ethernet and the optical drive bite the dust, but this has allowed Apple to shave inches and ounces. If you still use CDs or DVDs, and you want a Retina display MacBook Pro, you'll need to buy one of Apple's external SuperDrives for $79. If you need Ethernet, there's a Thunderbolt-to-Ethernet adapter that goes for $29. (Apple offers several adapters, including a Thunderbolt-to-Firewire 800 one.)

The loss of the optical drive also means a slight change to the keyboard layout. The power button is now located where the Eject key used to be, at the upper right of the of the keyboard next to the volume increase key.

Inside, the system architecture is based on Intel's Ivy Bridge chipset, and there are different options depending on how much speed you need. The entry-level model, as noted earlier, starts at $1,699 and is powered by an Intel Core i5 chipset, which operates both processor cores at 2.5GHz but can use Turbo Boost to push the speed to 3.1GHz when needed. For an extra $200, you can upgrade to a 2.9GHz dual-core i7, with a Turbo Boost speed up to 3.6GHz. If you can afford it, I recommend the upgrade.