As an inanimate object, it's hard to tell if the MacBook Pro actually has a “professional” demeanor, but it's still a reliable workhorse. Even so, it has real competition from the slimmer MacBook Air and the stockier desktop Macs, but there are several cool accessories that can be used to spruce it up and keep it in the race.
If you have a MacBook Pro, you're in good company. It's Apple's most popular computer, according to a Consumer Intelligence Research Partners report on consumer habits related to Apple products,accounting for 70 percent of the company's notebook sales. MacBook Pro buyers have been split evenly between the thinner, high-resolution Retina display models and larger legacy designs. With long battery life and plenty of power under the hood, either MacBook Pro model can serve as a portable workstation and media device.
Plugs, ports and desks
Do you carry your iPad or iPhone alongside your MacBook Pro? The PlugBug adapter lets you charge one of them at the same time as your MacBook Pro. Just snap it onto your laptop's charging brick and you'll have an extra outlet for for your iOS device, explained Digital Trends' Brandon Widder in an overview of MacBook Pro peripherals. As an added bonus, it's bright red.
The newer MacBook Pro with Retina display trades in the vintage optical drives and Ethernet ports for slimmer chassis and multiple cutting-edge Thunderbolt ports. But you can still take a trip into the past by using Apple's USB SuperDrive adapter to play DVDs and CDs on your MacBook, or check out its converter that lets you plug a Gigabit Ethernet cord into your Thunderbolt port.
The MacBook Pro has a versatile track pad, but you can use a separate wireless mouse instead. The Logitech Marathon Mouse M705 lives up to its name: It can apparently last for three years on one set of batteries. That's one mighty mouse. Apple sells the Bluetooth-enabled Magic Mouse, and for gaming or extended desktop use, you can also resort to a wired mouse.
When you're working hard on your MacBook, its fan can kick into overdrive and really start to heat up. To avoid potentially burning your legs, you can set a pillow or book underneath it for protection, or use a dedicated surface like the Belkin CushTop or one of Barnes & Noble's bamboo lap desks.
With the right accessories, you can keep a Retina display or legacy MacBook Pro in tip-top shape for years. If you need MacBook repair along the way, bring it to iResQ and we'll fix it up.