Questions about the Mac? Get them answered here.

Only MacBook Pro models which were introduced in Mid 2012 with non-Retina display have DVD built-in drive. In addition, you can buy an Apple USB SuperDrive for your new Mac from the Apple Store. The Product Code is MD564ZM/A.

• Answered by Cu D from New York
• Oct 24, 2012
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I just purchased the 13" for the fiancé based on the fact that her work boss has the 15" and she said that thing is a beast. So, I talked to him and he said, "I wish I had bought the 13" this one is just a bit to large to travel". With the retina display you can pack more onto the screen because everything is so darn clear. Go 13-retina for sure.

• Answered by Timothy N from Monkton
• Nov 1, 2012
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The MacBook Pro does have a lot more storage space than the Air. However, that's because it uses a much slower spinning hard drive. The Air uses a more modern type of storage instead that is quieter, has no moving parts (making it harder to damage), and is much faster. But it is a lot smaller.

You can configure the MacBook Air to have quite a lot of data storage (up to 512 GB), but to be honest, you may be better off buying a default configuration. You may find that 128 or 256 GB is plenty.

If it turns out that the storage space is too small, you can always buy an external hard drive, which are available cheaply at most electronics stores. In fact, I suggest you buy one anyway and use it to set up a backup using Time Machine, especially if you're using your mac for assignments. Time Machine is very easy to use and it will protect your schoolwork from being lost if your computer were to break down.

The other notable difference difference is that the MacBook Pro has a CD/DVD drive while the Air does not. If you use your computer to play DVDs or music CDs this may be a problem. But when you buy an Air you can also buy an external "SuperDrive" that plugs into a USB port. It's not an ideal solution, but it works.

In summary: the choice basically comes down to the size and speed of your hard drive. The air is small and fast, while the pro is slow but large. But whichever one you choose, I suggest you buy a large external hard drive anyway.

• Answered by Arturo P from Katy
• Jun 13, 2013
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I just got my macbook air 13 inch... I was wondering about the pro as well, money wasn't a issue for me, but the matter of how convenient and its functionality for me. I'm so glad I got the air over the pro simply because it's so freaking light and the battery life is so awesome. Solid state drive is definitely a must... you would think it's not much and storage space is more important, but trust me..booting up OS in less than 30 seconds is absolutely fascinating... and going to sleep-wake takes less than 1 second. transferring files back and forth is effortless.. I upgraded mine to a 8 gb ram so i can run multiple programs without lag. I bought the air to do daily tasks like blogging, reading news, writing up stuff, surf the web, and casually play light flash based games. I even tried diablo 3 last night and it worked pretty well with medium settings... but i uninstalled it soon after because i have low storage. I intend to buy SDXC card online 64gb SDXC for 70$ or so, or another SSD to attach to my external casing on the go.

choice is yours... performance vs convenience...

IMHO, a college student = convenience.

I also did music editing a few days ago with my Air without problems ;)

• Answered by Youseok K from 해운대구
• Jul 5, 2012
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Hi Connor,

You say that:

"The only things that I will use my laptop for is writing papers, editing photos, downloading music/apps, and surfing the web (YouTube, Facebook, etc.). "

In which case you probably do not need a high performance laptop like the Macbook Pro.

The MacBook Pro does have a lot more storage space than the Air. However, that's because it uses a much slower spinning hard drive. The Air uses a more modern type of storage instead that is quieter, has no moving parts (making it harder to damage), and is much faster. But it is a lot smaller.

You can configure the MacBook Air to have quite a lot of data storage (up to 512 GB), but to be honest, you may be better off buying a default configuration. You may find that 128 or 256 GB is plenty.

If it turns out that the storage space is too small, you can always buy an external hard drive, which are available cheaply at most electronics stores. In fact, I suggest you buy one anyway and use it to set up a backup using Time Machine, especially if you're using your mac for assignments. Time Machine is very easy to use and it will protect your schoolwork from being lost if your computer were to break down.

The other notable difference difference is that the MacBook Pro has a CD/DVD drive while the Air does not. If you use your computer to play DVDs or music CDs this may be a problem. But when you buy an Air you can also buy an external "SuperDrive" that plugs into a USB port. It's not an ideal solution, but it works.

In summary: the choice basically comes down to the size and speed of your hard drive. The air is small and fast, while the pro is slow but large. But whichever one you choose, I suggest you buy a large external hard drive anyway.


I hope this helps!

- Liam

• Answered by Liam H
• Jun 14, 2012
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I would go for the 13" MacBook Air. Both computers weigh nearly the same, 2.96 vs. 3.57 pounds. However, the performance of the base 13" Air and the base 13" Retina Pro is nearly identical even with their difference in hardware (slightly faster processor, two more ports, more RAM, and better integrated graphics standard for the Retina). It's up to you to decide if the epic Retina display is worth the $500 price difference, but I would recommend custom building a base 13" Air with 8GB of RAM and leave it that, unless that Retina display really jumps out at you.

• Answered by Victor L from Portland
• Feb 10, 2013
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Yes it does. Only the Air and new Retina MacBook Pro do not have internal DVD drives.

• Answered by Ben N
• Jun 20, 2012
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Hi Krysta,

There is a lot of difference between the MBP (Macbook Pro) and the MBA (Macbook Air) aside from the price and the ports. For starters, the MBP features a high resolution 15" display (everything you see on the screen will be super sharp and crisp). The MBA is about 1.5lbs lighter than the MBP and as you've stated it does not have a dvd drive. MBP is meant for people who will be working a lot with video or photography, things that require a lot of processing power, think a fast car. MBA is more for the casual user who will only use the laptop for general every day things like surfing the web, uploading pictures, chatting with friends, etc. The MBP will also have more storage space assuming you are sticking with the base models (meaning you aren't planning on making any upgrades). Hope that helps. If you have questions you can always walk into an Apple store and test out the machines and ask the sales people there.

• Answered by Ricky C from Brooklyn
• Jun 18, 2012
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No, It does not. Apple does offer a CD Drive in the Regular 15 inch Macbook Pro.

• Answered by Nikhil S P from Poway
• Oct 7, 2012
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yes

• Answered by Thomas S
• Dec 1, 2012
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