Apple MacBook Pro 13.3-inch 2013

There are other high-res laptops out there, but this year’s more powerful and affordable 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro is one of the best of the bunch, and makes a compelling case for upgrading from the 13-inch Air.

The Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (2013) uses Intel's Haswell-based Core i5 processor to give power users a system that can last over 11 hours under continuous use and still process graphics and scientific tasks quickly. It's $500 less expensive than last year's model, yet more than earns its title as our latest Editors' Choice for high-end ultraportable laptops.

The combination of a capable processor, an amazing display, a light and slender form factor, and respectable battery life, secure the MacBook Pro’s position as one of the top notebooks on the market right now.

Five years later, we've come back around. The $1,299 13-inch MacBook Pro isn't the cheapest Apple computer (that's now the Air), or the most powerful (that's the 15-inch Pro), or the longest-lasting (the Air again). But it does everything well.

Thanks to a lower price, longer battery life and lighter design, the 13-inch Retina MBP is a better deal than it was a year ago. It's so compelling, in fact, that you might even choose it over the Air.