Grab a 13 inch MacBook Pro from Apple. Inc while you still can

Rumors are flying that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is planning to phase out the 13 inch MacBook Pro it currently offers in favor of the Retina-equipped version. These assertions, which seem to originate in Taiwan, claim that manufacture of the 13 inch MacBook Pro will terminate in either the third or fourth quarter of 2014. Once this occurs, the MacBooks will continue to be sold only until existing stocks are used up, after which only the Retina versions will be available.

Currently, the 13 inch MacBook Pro without Retina is selling for a base price of $1,199, which is only $100 more than the similarly sized version of the MacBook Air, according to Apple’s store page. The MacBook whose days are possibly numbered is something of a “legacy” item in the Cupertino firm’s lineup, a fact underlined by its thickness. Generally speaking, Apple devices tend to get thinner over time. The MacBook Pro without Retina is 0.95″ thick, or 0.24″ more bulky than the thickest updated model.

Though its thickness clearly marks this MacBook model as a lingering “dinosaur” in the fast-evolving world of Apple Inc. (AAPL) products, it highlights another interesting facet of the changes currently underway. Its dimensions are partly explained by the fact that it is the only contemporary mobile computing product from Apple to feature an internal optical drive. Once this computer is no longer offered, the ability to play CDs and DVDs on MacBooks will also be gone from the suite of available options in Apple’s product lineup.

The doom of the 13 inch standard MacBook Pro was heralded by the 2013 demise of its 15 inch equivalent. The larger computer was axed and quietly disappeared from shelves as existing stocks were used up. Once the 13 inch is gone, the external SuperDrive will be necessary for those MacBook users who want to make use of media requiring an optical drive. Of course, this also means that those who do not use CDs or DVDs need no longer pay an additional premium for automatic, built-in inclusion of a feature that they do not use.

Another important shift that will occur when the last standard MacBook rolls off the production line is that hard drives will no longer be used in MacBooks. Instead, all will make use of solid state drive technology, which enables considerably more stable storage of data and a far longer processor life due to lack of moving parts. It is also less susceptible to damage from impacts, though of course the rest of the computer is not necessarily this resilient. The end of standard MacBook production marks the last days of an era, but also the first days of a new phase in Apple notebook computer history.