The Retina MacBook Pro is Obsolete
Introduced at WWDC 2012, the MacBook Pro with Retina Display was the first Mac Apple introduced with a Retina Display, and the first MacBook Pro to lose the slot-loading drive & move to an all SSD architecture.
On June 30, 2020, & just after its eighth anniversary, the MacBook Pro with Retina display will officially be marked “obsolete,” ending all hardware services & repairs from Apple.
Announced during WWDC 2012, the MacBook Pro with Retina Display was a “Pros” MacBook Pro. The unibody enclosure was stunningly thinner & lighter (.71”, 4.46 lbs; .24” thinner & 1.14 pounds lighter) than the current 15” MacBook Pro, and introduced the first Retina display into the Mac lineup with a 2880-by-1800 resolution at 220 PPI.
On the housing, the MacBook Pro with Retina display added an HDMI, and following the MacBook Air, dispensed with the slot-loading SuperDrive & FireWire port. Internally, this was also the first MacBook Pro to move exclusively to SSD Flash storage and featured asymmetrically positioned fan blades to spread the frequency for a quieter operation.
Personal Note
While the “Obsolete” designation means that Apple will no longer provide any hardware, repair, or replacement services for the MacBook Pro, it remains a capable machine for light-to-medium workflows. Eight years is an incredible lifespan for a computer, never mind a laptop. It is a testament that initial investment to Apple’s ecosystem can give you a product that can reliably serve you for nearly a decade.
I purchased the Retina MacBook Pro shortly after it became available, and used it through 2015 when it was passed down to a family member who continues to do most of their computing on the device. This was the computer that I used throughout grad school and would be the device I would end up hitting ⌘P on to complete my thesis.
Specs
Price: Starting at $2,199
Display: 15.4” IPS-display with a 2880-by-1800 resolution at 220 PPI.
Processors: 2.3-2.6GHz quad-core Intel i7 (configurable up to a 2.7GHz i7 with Turbo Boost up to 3.7GHz)
Memory: 8GB of 1600MHz DDR3L memory (configurable up to 16GB)
Storage: 256/512GB SDD, configurable up to 768GB.
Graphics: Onboard dual Intel HD Graphics 4000 & an NVIDIA GeForce FT 650M graphics card with 1GB of GDDR5 memory.
Ports: MagSafe 2, Two Thunderbolt ports, Two USB 3, HDMI, headphone, SDXC card slot.
Geekbench (Intel i7, 2.7GHz):
Single-Core: 734
Multi-Core: 2859
External Link:
Apple Press Release: Apple Introduces All New MacBook Pro with Retina Display
