Reprinted from TidBITS by permission; reuse governed by Creative Commons license BY-NC-ND 3.0. TidBITS has offered years of thoughtful commentary on Apple and Internet topics. For free email subscriptions and access to the entire TidBITS archive, visit http://www.tidbits.com/ New Retina MacBook Pro Models Thinner, Lighter, and Cheaper Josh Centers Apple has overhauled its 13- and 15-inch [1]MacBook Pro laptop line, making the models thinner and lighter, and outfitting them with faster processors, PCIe-based flash storage, and Thunderbolt 2. They are available to order today. The remaining relic is the popular entry-level 13-inch, which starts at $1,199 with a 2.5 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, 4 GB of RAM, Intel HD 4000 graphics, a built-in SuperDrive, and a 500 GB 5400-rpm hard drive. Unless you need the disk space for a low price, this is the model to avoid, as it's clearly the thing of the past. [2][tn_MacBook-Pro-2013.jpg] The updated [3]13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display weighs 3.46 pounds (1.57 kg) and is only 0.71 inches (1.8 cm) thick, but still offers up to 9 hours of battery life. Internally, it boasts new dual-core Intel Haswell chips, Intel Iris graphics, 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Thunderbolt 2, and faster PCIe flash drives. The 13-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,299 and includes a 2.4 GHz dual-core Intel i5 processor, 4 GB of RAM, and 128 GB of flash storage. For the mid-range $1,499 model, you get a 2.4 GHz dual-core Intel i5 processor, 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage. Optional upgrades include a 2.6 GHz Intel i5 for $100 and a 2.8 GHz dual-core Intel i7 for $300. The beefiest 13-inch MacBook Pro starts with a 2.6 GHz Intel i5 and 512 GB of storage; it can be upgraded to a 2.8 GHz Intel i7 for $200 and to 1 TB of storage for an additional $500. In all three models, you can upgrade RAM to 16 GB, with the jump from 4 GB to 8 GB priced at $100, and the jump from 8 GB to 16 GB at $200. The redesigned [4]15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display (now the only 15-inch MacBook Pro) features Intel Crystalwell quad-core processors, PCIe flash storage, Thunderbolt 2, and up to 8 hours of battery life. It's the same thickness as the 13-inch model, but weighs an extra pound to clock in at 4.46 pounds (2.02 kg). The low-end model of the 15-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,999, and features a 2 GHz quad-core Intel i7 processor, 8 GB of RAM, 256 GB of flash storage, and Intel Iris Pro graphics. Optional upgrades include a 2.3 GHz Intel i7 for $100, 2.6 GHz Intel i7 for $300, 16 GB of RAM for $200, and either 512 GB of storage for $300 or 1 TB for $800. For the higher-end model's $2,599 price point, you get a 2.3 GHz quad-core Intel i7 processor, 16 GB of RAM, 512 GB of storage, and, in addition to the Intel Iris Pro graphics, an Nvidia GeForce GT 750M with 2 GB of RAM. For an extra $200, you can upgrade to a 2.6 GHz Intel i7 and for $500, a 1 TB flash drive. The transition to Retina displays in the MacBook Pro line has happened fairly quickly, and prices have dropped over time (for the previous pricing, see '[5]Apple Tweaks MacBook Specs and Prices,' 14 February 2013). That said, as attractive as these new MacBook Pro models are overall, Apple's flash storage still seems too expensive ' the well-reviewed [6]1 TB Samsung 840 EVO SSD costs only $600 at Amazon, yet Apple charges $800 to jump from 256 GB to 1 TB of flash storage. For users accustomed to 500 GB or 1 TB of hard disk storage, the new MacBooks are still pretty pricey. Of course, flash storage is one of the main places Apple boosts its profit margin ' the same is true in the iPad and iPhone lineups, where relatively small increases in storage have large price jumps. References 1. http://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/ 2. http://tidbits.com/resources/2013-10/MacBook-Pro-2013.png 3. http://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/specs-retina/ 4. http://www.apple.com/macbook-pro/specs-retina/ 5. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E3W16OU/?tag=tidbitselectro00 6. http://tidbits.com/article/13561 .