The Pro led by seconds in our tests, but the Air's boot times are far faster. In the entry-level $1,199 configurations I reviewed, the 13-inch Air and Pro performed incredibly closely. The Pro's keys are taller, with more travel the Air's are shallower.

The Air and the Pro share a large, excellent multitouch clickpad. The Pro's display feels particularly weak considering the higher-res antiglare offerings on the 15-inch MacBook Pro and, needless to say, the Retina Display Pro. The Pro's screen is bright and has great viewing angles, but it also exhibits far more glare when compared side-by-side with the Air.

The 13-inch Air has had a higher-resolution screen than the MacBook Pro for several years. The Pro feels like a solid slab the Air feels like a blade. The 13-inch MacBook Pro weighs 4.5 pounds. Thunderbolt, 2 USB 3.0, SD card slot, Ethernet, FireWire 800 Let's go through the key differences between the 2012 13-inch MacBook Pro and 13-inch MacBook Air. However, the 13-inch Pro simply hasn't stepped up with any killer features to earn it distance from the Air, and doesn't feel worth its price as much as the Air does. I acknowledge that the Air still lacks sufficient solid-state drive (SSD) storage for those wanting it to be their everyday computer for storing photo libraries, music, and other files, and some people still want DVD drives. This year, I think the scale has tipped to the MacBook Air. In 2011, I thought the go-to laptop remained the 13-inch MacBook Pro by the narrowest of margins. Entry-level 13-inch MacBook Air and Pro laptops now cost the same $1,199, but you'll still have to make a decision: do you value hard-drive space, or portability? Weight, or ports? Easy upgrades, or faster boot times? Last year, I thought Apple MacBook buyers in 2012 wouldn't suffer the confusions of picking a 13-inch MacBook because I thought there would be only one product: a fusion MacBook Air with some of the best Pro features incorporated.

Review: 13-inch MacBook Pro (June 2012).Review: 13-inch MacBook Air (June 2012).

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