PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

The entry-level 13-inch and 15-inch Retina models each doubled the included RAM, from 4GB to 8GB for the 13-inch, and 8GB to 16GB for the 15-inch. Both of those models also received a slightly faster CPU, with the 15-inch model reviewed here going from a 2.0GHz Intel Core i7 to a 2.2GHz Core i7, but still from the same generation of Intel Core i-series processors (newer CPUs are expected from Intel late this year).

Further, the higher-end 15-inch Retina Pro, the base model we reviewed in each of the past two years, dropped its price by $100, down to $2,499; and the lone non-Retina MacBook Pro, the positively ancient 13-inch model with an optical drive and relatively paltry 1,280x800-pixel display,

Design and features

The exterior design of the MacBook Pro remains unchanged since the 2013 model we reviewed (and essentially unchanged from the 2012 original, as well), so much of the analysis we wrote for the previous model remains unchanged.

This laptop is slim, but with an expansive footprint, and it feels denser than it looks at first glance. The 15-inch MacBook Pro isn't exactly a carry-all-day-every-day package, although one could tote it around to and from work, or on day trips without much trouble.

The keyboard and trackpad remain essentially the same as seen on the last several generations of MacBook. Other laptops have matched, but not surpassed, the backlit Apple keyboard, with the possible exception of Lenovo, a company as involved with keyboard research and development as any.

The large glass trackpad, with its multifinger gestures, remains the industry leader, even as Windows laptops move to more touchscreen controls, at least partially to compensate for the hassle of using a touch pad with Windows 8. The ability to do easy four-finger swipes, and the no-lag scrolling in Web browsers, is something Mac users always been able to brag about to PC users. That said, some basic settings, such as tap-to-click, really should be turned on by default. Instead, I had to go into the settings menus and tweak the touchpad and accessibility settings to get the touchpad set up exactly how I like it.

The 15-inch Retina Display remains a main selling point, and Apple now uses the Retina branding on the iPh