The MacBook Air and 13-inch MacBook Pro (the one with the optical drive) were the only holdouts - though it looks like the 13-inch MacBook Air is sticking around for now. Now, Retina is the new.
- Jun 22, 2012.
- App Screenshot Generator! MacBook Pro Closeup. A perfectly frontal shot of a 15 inch Macbook Pro.This is a multipurpose stage, because its transparent background allows you to place the resulting comp on any design. Useful for any app mockup. See more MacBook mockups here!
Yesterday the unthinkable happened: my local Apple Store got their mitts on a mid-grade MacBook Pro with Retina display they could actually sell. That’s right: Instead of putting it out on one of their tables with a security leash to torment passerby, you could buy it with real money! I was on a list, so they gave me a call, and by mid-afternoon, I’d picked it up (still in the shipping box as I exited the store — very sneaky), cancelled my online order and was busy migrating data from my now comparably Lilliputian-looking MacBook Air.
And then I discovered what everyone else who’s laid hands on one of these things already must have: The apps that don’t use Apple’s system fonts or haven’t had their graphical assets super-sized look terrible, making you wonder whether the Retina Pro’s greater achievement wouldn’t have been some kind of “magical” focus button instead. Not that focusing’s going to help much when you’re upscaling graphics (way up) across a compact 15-inch display area that’s harboring well over five million pixels.
(MORE:Wait, the Retina MacBook Pro Costs Less than the Non-Retina Models?)
When everything comes together, the screen’s definitely a looker: I can now pick out individual hikers in all those 6-megapixel shots I took of the Grand Canyon last year with a camera that’s frankly too good for me. Diablo III at 2,880 x 1,880 is a wonder to behold, though sometimes it chokes pushing all those pixels around (at least you don’t need to worry about anti-aliasing anymore). And I can finally read the small print on the Apple Mail postage stamp icon, as well as the “Here’s to the crazy ones” note on the TextEdit icon (years of productivity-killing sleuthing solved!).
But everything else, including most of the Internet, looks a mess. Words baked into images resemble still frames from bad Flash animations. Pictures on websites — from thumbnails to splash shots — are blurred and aliased. Applications like Logic Pro and Pages are so fuzzy they hark back to what it was like using Apple computers when they were sub-labeled “II.”
The chances much of that’ll change anytime soon seem poor, since the Retina Pro’s sell-through rate — people receiving systems they ordered online or actually walking out of a store with one — is reportedly low due to alleged screen manufacturing issues. And the Pro is just one computer, far from the most popular in or out of Apple’s lineup. Why hurry to update your apps or website to placate a fractional slice of the user pie?
With love in my heart for what Apple’s pulled off with the Retina display, but also dismay that it launched so unsupported, here’s a list of the apps I’ve found the most depressing to work with at the Retina Pro’s preferred “1440 x 900” setting (remember that everything’s still native 2,880 x 1,880, just upscaled to look like you’re running at 1440 x 900). Think of it as a crib sheet of caveats if you’re in the market for one of these things — mostly mainstream apps, or ones charting in the “top paid” view on the Mac App Store.
Twitter. I’m talking about the official app version that lives in the Mac App Store. The dock icon looks great, but the font used in the general feed is stretched and blurred, as are the icons at left. Twitter account pics ought to be fixable with an option to display higher-res thumbnails, since zooming on individual ones showed most of the people I follow already have high-res thumbnails in place. (Twitter allows you to upload up to 700K images, but apparently compresses the heck out of them.) Also: Please fix the distorted menu icon — is it a bird, or a whale with wings?
iWork. All three apps: Pages, Numbers and Keynote. It’s a shame Apple didn’t have these ready at launch. I use Pages and Numbers daily, but after playing with them on a demo model at the Apple Store a few nights ago, I opted not to install iWork because the apps looked so awful. Is “iWork 12” or “13” or “X” around the corner? Perhaps. But I’ll gratefully settle for a simple Retina update at this point.
Microsoft Office 2011: Like iWork, Office 2011 for the Mac doesn’t look so bad that you can’t use it, but it’s still kind of depressing staring at all that fuzziness. This one’s arguably the most important app in the bunch given Office’s ubiquity, but don’t hold your breath — Microsoft took forever getting a “full screen” update out for Office 2011 after Lion arrived.
Logic Pro. Everyone’s favorite Mac DAW looks pretty abysmal on the Retina Pro. You can mitigate this somewhat by switching the Retina Pro’s display scaling to “Looks like 1920 x 1200,” and Logic Pro is the kind of app that benefits from the extra screen real estate (like Final Cut Pro, which is already optimized), but hello Apple, Retina support please (or, you know, just shock the DAW-verse by releasing a true 64-bit version of Logic Pro — call it “X”? — with Retina support).
(MORE:The History of Apple’s MacBook Pro, 2006 to Retina)
Pixelmator. It’s the most popular non-Photoshop Mac image editing app going, one I switched to after discovering Adobe Photoshop CS5 wouldn’t fit comfortably on my MacBook Air’s 1366 x 768 screen. Usable on a Retina Pro? Absolutely, but the toolbar icons are pretty pixelated.
Spotify. Most of the left and righthand interface looks fine, since it uses OS X’s system fonts, but the main window sandwiched between these is full of blurry pictures and fuzzy inline text. If you’re using the freebie version, like me, it’s even worse, with those horizontal/vertical ads now popping up to annoy you and looking terrible.
Adobe Photoshop Elements 10. Where’s CS6 on this list? According to Adobe, it will “soon provide unparalleled fidelity, power and precision” on the Retina Pro, so at least it’s confirmed. But Adobe’s said nothing about Photoshop Elements 10, and it’s the more popular tool (number two on Amazon in Mac Software bestsellers). How about a timeframe for this one, Adobe?
Google Chrome. As you’ve heard, Chrome’s pretty fugly-looking on the Retina Pro. Yes, you can fiddle with Retina support in Chrome Canary, but we’re talking pre-beta Chrome here, and who wants that?
HipChat. Never heard of it? It’s an Adobe Air-based group chat tool I use for work, and currently a black and white sea of fuzzed-up text.
AutoCAD 2013. I ran out of apps I actually use at the nine count, so I plucked this from the ether, given its illustrious reputation as the premiere tool for computer-aided drafting and design. After fiddling with the trial version, I can say it fares better than expected, since the drawing area was already designed to scale without blurring. But the interface is full of fuzzy icons and the ViewCube text — used to rotate objects three-dimensionally — is barely legible (and badly aliased) at angles.
Honorable Mentions: Dropbox, Skype, Sophos Anti-Virus. Since these either use system fonts or have minimalist GUI interfaces, it’s really just the menubar icons that need fixing, and they ought to be a snap to update.
What am I missing? If you have a Retina Pro, what’s on your list of “must have now” updates?
MORE:Apple Retina MacBook Pro Review: The MacBook Pro, Only More — and Less — So
Your Mac provides several tools to help you identify it. The simplest is About This Mac, available by choosing About This Mac from the Apple menu in the upper-left corner of your screen. The other is the System Information app. Learn how to use these tools to identify your Mac.
If you don’t have your Mac or it doesn’t start up, use one of these solutions instead:
- Find the serial number printed on the underside of your Mac, near the regulatory markings. It’s also on the original packaging, next to a barcode label. You can then enter that serial number on the Check Coverage page to find your model.
- The original packaging might also show an Apple part number, such as MLH12xx/A (“xx” is a variable that differs by country or region). You can match the Apple part number to one in the list below to find your model.
List of MacBook Pro models
MacBook Pro models are organized by the year they were introduced, starting with the most recent. Click the model name for detailed technical specifications.
MacBook Pro models from 2012 and newer can run the latest version of macOS. For models from before 2012, the latest compatible operating system is noted.
2020
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
Colors: Silver, space gray
Model Identifier: MacBookPro16,3
Part Numbers: MXK32xx/A, MXK52xx/A, MXK62xx/A, MXK72xx/A
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
Colors: Silver, space gray
Model Identifier: MacBookPro16,2
Part Numbers: MWP42xx/A, MWP52xx/A, MWP62xx/A, MWP72xx/A, MWP82xx/A
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2020, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
2019
MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
Colors: Silver, space gray
Model Identifier: MacBookPro16,1
Part Numbers: MVVJ2xx/A, MVVK2xx/A, MVVL2xx/A, MVVM2xx/A
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (16-inch, 2019)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
Colors: Silver, space gray
Model Identifier: MacBookPro15,4
Part Numbers: MUHN2xx/A, MUHP2xx/a, MUHQ2xx/A, MUHR2xx/A, MUHR2xx/B
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019)
Colors: Silver, space gray
Model Identifier: MacBookPro15,1, MacBookPro15,3
Part Numbers: MV902xx/A, MV912xx/A, MV922xx/A, MV932xx/A, MV942xx/A, MV952xx/A
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2019)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
Colors: Silver, space gray
Model Identifier: MacBookPro15,2
Part Numbers: MV962xx/A, MV972xx/A, MV982xx/A, MV992xx/A, MV9A2xx/A
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2019, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
2018
MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2018)
Colors: Silver, space gray
Model Identifier: MacBookPro15,1
Part Numbers: MR932xx/A, MR942xx/A, MR952xx/A, MR962xx/A, MR972xx/A, MUQH2xx/A
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2018)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2018, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
Colors: Silver, space gray
Model Identifier: MacBookPro15,2
Part Numbers: MR9Q2xx/A, MR9R2xx/A, MR9T2xx/A, MR9U2xx/A, MR9V2xx/A
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2018, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
2017
MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2017)
Colors: Silver, space gray
Model Identifier: MacBookPro14,3
Part Numbers: MPTR2xx/A, MPTT2xx/A, MPTU2xx/A, MPTV2xx/A, MPTW2xx/A, MPTX2xx/A
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2017)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
Colors: Silver, space gray
Model Identifier: MacBookPro14,2
Part Numbers: MPXV2xx/A, MPXW2xx/A, MPXX2xx/A, MPXY2xx/A, MQ002xx/A, MQ012xx/A
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
Colors: Silver, space gray
Model Identifier: MacBookPro14,1
Part Numbers: MPXQ2xx/A, MPXR2xx/A, MPXT2xx/A, MPXU2xx/A
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
2016
MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016)
Colors: Silver, space gray
Model Identifier: MacBookPro13,3
Part Numbers: MLH32xx/A, MLH42xx/A, MLH52xx/A, MLW72xx/A, MLW82xx/A, MLW92xx/A
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2016)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
Colors: Silver, space gray
Model Identifier: MacBookPro13,2
Part Numbers: MLH12xx/A, MLVP2xx/A, MNQF2xx/A, MNQG2xx/A, MPDK2xx/A, MPDL2xx/A
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
Colors: Silver, space gray
Model Identifier: MacBookPro13,1
Part Numbers: MLL42xx/A, MLUQ2xx/A
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, Two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
2015
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro11,4
Part Number: MJLQ2xx/A
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015)
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro11,5
Part Numbers: MJLT2xx/A, MJLU2xx/A
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2015)
MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro12,1
Part Numbers: MF839xx/A, MF840xx/A, MF841xx/A, MF843xx/A
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2015)
2014
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro11,2
Part Number: MGXA2xx/A
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014)
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro11,3
Part Number: MGXC2xx/A
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2014)
MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Mid 2014)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro11,1
Part Numbers: MGX72xx/A, MGX82xx/A, MGX92xx/A
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Mid 2014)
2013
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro11,2
Part Number: ME293xx/A
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013)
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro11,3
Part Number: ME294xx/A
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Late 2013)
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Early 2013)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro10,1
Part Numbers: ME664xx/A, ME665xx/A
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Early 2013)
MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro11,1
Part Numbers: ME864xx/A, ME865xx/A, ME866xx/A
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2013)
MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2013)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro10,2
Part Numbers: MD212xx/A, ME662xx/A
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Early 2013)
2012
MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2012)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro10,1
Part Numbers: MC975xx/A, MC976xx/A
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Mid 2012)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2012)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro9,1
Part Numbers: MD103xx/A, MD104xx/A
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2012)
MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro10,2
Part Numbers: MD212xx/A, MD213xx/A
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (Retina, 13-inch, Late 2012)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro9,2
Part Numbers: MD101xx/A, MD102xx/A
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2012)
2011
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2011)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro8,3
Part Number: MD311xx/A
Newest compatible operating system: macOS High Sierra 10.13.6
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (17-inch, Late 2011)
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2011)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro8,3
Part Number: MC725xx/A
Newest compatible operating system: macOS High Sierra 10.13.6
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2011)
Zoom App For Macbook Pro
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2011)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro8,2
Part Numbers: MD322xx/A, MD318xx/A
Newest compatible operating system: macOS High Sierra 10.13.6
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2011)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2011)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro8,2
Part Numbers: MC723xx/A, MC721xx/A
Newest compatible operating system: macOS High Sierra 10.13.6
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2011)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2011)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro8,1
Part Numbers: MD314xx/A, MD313xx/A
Newest compatible operating system: macOS High Sierra 10.13.6
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (13-inch, Late 2011)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2011)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro8,1
Part Numbers: MC724xx/A, MC700xx/A
Newest compatible operating system: macOS High Sierra 10.13.6
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (13-inch, Early 2011)
2010
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2010)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro6,1
Part Number: MC024xx/A
Newest compatible operating system: macOS High Sierra 10.13.6
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2010)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2010)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro6,2
Part Numbers: MC373xx/A, MC372xx/A, MC371xx/A
Newest compatible operating system: macOS High Sierra 10.13.6
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2010)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2010)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro7,1
Part Numbers: MC375xx/A, MC374xx/A
Newest compatible operating system: macOS High Sierra 10.13.6
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2010)
2009
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2009)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro5,2
Part Number: MC226xx/A
Newest compatible operating system: OS X El Capitan 10.11.6
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (17-inch, Mid 2009)
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2009)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro5,2
Part Number: MB604xx/A
Newest compatible operating system: OS X El Capitan 10.11.6
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2009)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2009)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro5,3
Part Numbers: MB985xx/A, MB986xx/A
Newest compatible operating system: OS X El Capitan 10.11.6
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (15-inch, Mid 2009)
MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2.53GHz, Mid 2009)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro5,3
Part Number: MC118xx/A
Newest compatible operating system: OS X El Capitan 10.11.6
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (15-inch, 2.53GHz, Mid 2009)
MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2009)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro5,5
Part Numbers: MB991xx/A, MB990xx/A
Newest compatible operating system: OS X El Capitan 10.11.6
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (13-inch, Mid 2009)
2008
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2008)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro5,1
Part Number: MB470xx/A, MB471xx/A
Newest compatible operating system: OS X El Capitan 10.11.6
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (15-inch, Late 2008)
Apple Macbook Pro Retina 13
MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2008)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro4,1
Part Number: MB166xx/A
Newest compatible operating system: OS X El Capitan 10.11.6
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (17-inch, Early 2008)
Spotify App For Macbook Pro Retina
MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2008)
Model Identifier: MacBookPro4,1
Part Number: MB133xx/A, MB134xx/A
Newest compatible operating system: OS X El Capitan 10.11.6
Tech Specs: MacBook Pro (15-inch, Early 2008)
Useful Apps For Macbook Pro Retina Pro
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