Apple to Phase Out Standard, Retina-Free MacBook Pro

The days are numbered for the Retina Display-free, DVD-capable MacBook Pro.

After announcing a price reduction for the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) removed one option from its online store.

While almost all of the firm's computers are available in at least two packages, the standard 15-inch MacBook Pro has been reduced to just one $1,799 option.

That price -- which is just $100 more than the most expensive 13-inch model (with Retina Display) -- comes with the following features:

• 2.3GHz quad-core Intel (NASDAQ: INTC) Core i7
• Turbo Boost up to 3.3GHz
• 4GB 1600MHz memory
• 500GB 5400-rpm hard drive
• Intel HD Graphics 4000
• NVIDIA (NASDAQ: NVDA) GeForce GT 650M with 512MB of GDDR5 memory
• Built-in battery (7 hours)

The specifications are nice but familiar. It seems odd that Apple chose to sell this machine with only 4GB of RAM when the 13-inch, 2.9GHz dual-core model comes with 8GB. Consumers will have to spend another $100 if they want 8GB of RAM, bringing the total price to $1,899.

Meanwhile, the 15-inch, 2.4GHz quad-core MacBook Pro with Retina Display can be purchased for $2,199 -- just $300 more. It lacks a DVD drive but comes with 256GB of flash storage, 8GB of RAM and a GeForce GT 650M with 1GB of GDDR5 memory.

In a way, it is almost as if Apple is telling consumers to simply give up on the old MacBook Pro and purchase the Retina Display version instead.

The standard 13-inch MacBook Pro still comes in two varieties. That could change now that the 13-inch Retina model has been reduced from $1,699 to $1,499.

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