Apple MacBook Pro with

    

• Release date06/11/12
  
  
• Intel 2nd Gen Core i7 2.3 GHz ( Quad-Core )
• Processor 
  
  
  
  
  Memory8 GB
  
• 256 GB
• Hard Drive
  
  Operating SystemApple Mac OS X Lion
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  Graphics ProcessorNVIDIA(R) GeForce(R) GT 650M Graphics with 1GB GDDR5 memory [HDMI, VGA]
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  Weight4.46 lbs

Apple's MacBook Pro, its flagship laptop line, has been around for some time, and has sported nearly the same look and aluminum unibody construction since 2008. For the most part, Apple's kept the look of the new MacBook Pros largely similar, updating the whole line with new processors and new features.

Next-gen Macbook Pro with Retina Display

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That's changed with the introduction of the next-generation MacBook Pro, a laptop that's seemingly fused the best features of the MacBook Air, Pro, and even the third-gen iPad into one product. At a starting price of $2,199, it's definitely a completely different tier of product than other spec-bumped MacBook Pros and Airs, but it also affords a mix of size and features that's absent in other Mac laptops.

Old Pro next to new.

(Credit: James Martin)

Design and weight
The new MacBook Pro is 0.71 inch thick, putting it nearly in MacBook Air territory -- and definitely in the ultrabook-thin space. The new Pro weighs 4.46 pounds, heavier than an Air, but close to the weight of existing 13-inch MacBook Pros. Like an Air, the new Pro has no optical drive, but instead of a wedge-shaped taper the laptop has a uniform thickness.

(Credit: James Martin)

Retina display
The 2,880x1,800 15.4-inch display sports 220 pixels per inch or 5,184,000 pixels, the highest-resolution notebook display according to Apple. It exceeds the iPad's pixel count in a 16:10 aspect ratio. The screen also sports higher contrast ratios, IPS technology, and 75 percent less glare, even though it's a glossy screen.

The Retina display will work with Apple's apps (Mail, Safari, iPhoto and more), and a growing library of third-party apps, and will pixel-double older apps, like the third-gen iPad.

Processor, graphics, ports
The same quad-core Core i7 Ivy Bridge CPUs that we saw in earlier high-end gaming laptops come in this Pro, along with Nvidia GeForce GT 650M graphics. The battery, which Apple says fills most of the interior, lasts a claimed 7 hours with 30 days of standby. The starting specs include a 2.3 GHz quad-core i7 third-gen CPU, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of flash storage, and those Nvidia GeForce GT 650M graphics. The new Pro can support up to 16GB of RAM, and up to 768GB of flash storage.

(Credit: James Martin)

Ports and features should make any Apple laptop user drool: SD, HDMI, USB 3.0, and two Thunderbolt ports make this the most port-studded MacBook in existence. There's no Ethernet, however: you'll need a Gigabit Ethernet adapter for that. The Retina Display Pro also comes with 802.11n Wi-Fi, BlueTooth 4.0. a FaceTime HD camera, dual microphones, and stereo speakers.

At first glance, the new Pro covers a lot of our wish-list bullet points for a dream Air-Pro hybrid, although you'll have to pay a pretty penny to get one. Some features are notably absent by design: no Ethernet port, no optical drive, no 16:9 screen. Still, this new Pro looks like Apple's take on the 15-inch MacBook Air, done in high style. The new MacBook Pro starts shipping today.