Monday, June 11th 2012

Apple Introduces All New MacBook Pro with Retina Display

by
btarunr
 Discuss (130 Comments)
Apple today unveiled an all new 15-inch MacBook Pro featuring a stunning Retina display, all flash storage and quad-core processors in a radically thin and light design. Measuring a mere 0.71 inches and weighing only 4.46 pounds, the completely redesigned MacBook Pro sets a new standard in performance and portability for pro users.

"The MacBook Pro with Retina display pushes the limits of performance and portability like no other notebook," said Tim Cook, Apple's CEO. "With a gorgeous Retina display, all flash architecture and a radically thin and light design, the new MacBook Pro is the most advanced Mac we have ever built."
The new MacBook Pro Retina display is the world's highest resolution notebook display with over 5 million pixels, 3 million more than an HD television (2880 x 1800). At 220 pixels-per-inch, the Retina display's pixel density is so high the human eye cannot distinguish individual pixels from a normal viewing distance, so text and graphics look incredibly sharp. The Retina display uses IPS technology for a 178-degree wide viewing angle, and has 75 percent less reflection and 29 percent higher contrast than the previous generation.

Featuring a precision engineered aluminum unibody design and an all flash storage architecture, the all new MacBook Pro is the lightest MacBook Pro ever and nearly as thin as a MacBook Air. Flash storage that is up to four times faster than traditional notebook hard drives enables the all new MacBook Pro to play four simultaneous streams of uncompressed 1080p HD video from internal storage.* The flash storage architecture also delivers improved reliability, instant-on responsiveness and 30 days of standby time.

The MacBook Pro with Retina display features the latest Intel Core i7 quad-core processors up to 2.7 GHz with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.7 GHz, NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M discrete graphics, up to 16 GB of faster 1600 MHz RAM and flash storage up to 768 GB. Two Thunderbolt and two USB 3.0 ports allow pro users to connect to multiple displays and high performance devices, and a new HDMI port offers quick connectivity to HDTVs.

The MacBook Pro battery delivers up to 7 hours of wireless productivity, and uses advanced chemistry and Adaptive Charging technology to provide up to 1,000 recharges.** The MacBook Pro also features a FaceTime HD camera, glass Multi-Touch trackpad, full-size backlit keyboard, dual microphones, enhanced speakers, 3-stream 802.11n Wi-Fi and a thinner MagSafe 2 power port.

OS X Lion, iPhoto, iMovie, iTunes and other Apple apps including Aperture and Final Cut Pro X have been updated to take full advantage of the new MacBook Pro with Retina display. The updated Aperture 3.3 also includes revolutionary new image adjustment features and now supports a unified photo library so photographers can move seamlessly between iPhoto and Aperture.

The all new MacBook Pro ships with OS X Lion. Starting today, customers who purchase a Mac are eligible for a free copy of OS X Mountain Lion when it becomes available. Mountain Lion introduces innovative features including the all new Messages app, Notification Center, system-wide Sharing, AirPlay Mirroring, Game Center and the enhanced security of Gatekeeper. With iCloud built into the foundation of OS X, Mountain Lion makes it easier than ever to keep your content up to date across all your devices.

Pricing & Availability
The 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display is available through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. The 15-inch MacBook Pro is available with a 2.3 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.3 GHz, 8 GB of memory and 256 GB of flash storage starting at $2,199 (US); and with a 2.6 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.6 GHz, 8GB of memory and 512 GB of flash storage starting at $2,799 (US). Configure-to-order options include faster quad-core processors up to 2.7 GHz, up to 16 GB of memory and flash storage up to 768 GB.

Additional technical specifications, configure-to-order options and accessories are available online here.*Testing conducted by Apple in June 2012 using preproduction MacBook Pro configurations. For more information visit this page.

**The Wireless Web protocol testing was conducted by Apple in June 2012 using preproduction MacBook Pro configurations. Battery life and charge cycles vary by use and settings. For more information visit this page.

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130 Comments on Apple Introduces All New MacBook Pro with Retina Display

#101
Moose
I love how macs are always compared to cars, ok we'll do that for a mac you take a, lets say, porche chassis and stick a lawnmower engine in it and charge the same you would a porche.

In a pc (or linux based machine) you take whatever chassis you want and stick whatever engine you like in it, W16 inside a bugatti veyron chassis anyone?

Yes the fastest pc is faster than the fastest mac.
Posted on Reply
#102
Fourstaff
MooseYes the fastest pc is faster than the fastest mac.
No doubt about that, but a Mac can do things a PC can't and with Boot Camp Macs can do everything PC can.
Posted on Reply
#103
Frick
Fishfaced Nincompoop
Fourstaffbut a Mac can do things a PC can't
What would that be?
Posted on Reply
#104
acerace
FourstaffNo doubt about that, but a Mac can do things a PC can't and with Boot Camp Macs can do everything PC can.
What? iCloud? :laugh:
Posted on Reply
#105
Fourstaff
FrickWhat would that be?
Final Cut Pro for one
Posted on Reply
#106
alucard13mmfmj
hxxp://news.yahoo.com/next-gen-macs-big-step-games-005643807.html

"Apple made a number of announcements during its Worldwide Developers Conference yesterday (June 11), including some that could change the way gamers look at its laptops forever, with the new MacBook Pro."

It seems Apple trying to market it's new MacBook as a gaming laptop?... While I'm sure it would be decent in gaming, I wonder how much it'll cost. I'm guessing 2,000 US dollars.

I do like apple for the looks of its computers and solid exterior build. The other parts don't really interest me... I think the thing that annoys me is the single button mouses for MACs >.>. You'll be surprise how many I still run into these single button mouses.
Posted on Reply
#107
Aquinus
Resident Wat-man
alucard13mmfmjI do like apple for the looks of its computers and solid exterior build. The other parts don't really interest me... I think the thing that annoys me is the single button mouses for MACs >.>. You'll be surprise how many I still run into these single button mouses.
Then plug a two button mouse into the Mac? You need a right click? Hold control. You have a trackpad? tap it with two fingers. This is a non-issue with modern Macs. I like my MBP because it's an i5 that gets 7 hours of battery life, even after heavy battery use after 1 year. I can't complain, granted I also didn't have to buy it, my job provides a MBP 13" Mac for all full time employees. So if you take the price out of the picture, Apple makes pretty nice products.
FourstaffFinal Cut Pro for one
Ever use Adobe Premiere? Please, continue the list of software that makes a difference for the average user. :)
Posted on Reply
#108
repman244
FourstaffFinal Cut Pro for one
Windows: Adobe Premier, Sony Vegas, and if I remember correctly Avid as well...

So far the only advantage of MBP is the battery life for such a thin laptop.
But being thin only brings more heat and I somehow fail to see this machine running heavy workloads, of course I could be wrong and Apple actually improved cooling a lot, but it's thickness doesn't suggest that.
Posted on Reply
#109
Aquinus
Resident Wat-man
repman244But being thin only brings more heat and I somehow fail to see this machine running heavy workloads, of course I could be wrong and Apple actually improved cooling a lot, but it's thickness doesn't suggest that.
Apple products actually don't run any hotter than other solutions, you just feel is because the alumninum chassis conducts heat from the CPU (and GPU if you have discrete video,) but that is half of the reason Apple started using the aluminum chassis, you don't want to keep the heat in, you want to get it out and the aluminum chassis does that.

My MBP 13" does get warm, but certainly no hotter than my Dell Studio 1735, in fact I would say the actual air that comes out is cooler, but the chassis get hotter, but that was also what Apple was trying to do, so it really is a non-issue.

I personally like OS X as an OS. It's very solid and very fluid. I like it a lot better than the monstrosity that is Windows 8 and Metro. :ohwell:

Personally, I've been liking *nix with X and i3 window manager until I want to play a video game, in that case I use Windows 7, but honestly, OS X is a good intermediary.
Posted on Reply
#110
Fourstaff
AquinusEver use Adobe Premiere? Please, continue the list of software that makes a difference for the average user. :)
No, I haven't used either software, but around me people use either one or the other but not both at the same time, so if you are working with a Final Cut group you are more or less forced to get one.

That is more or less the only reason I managed to extract other than people getting Mac for looks or they are Mac trained.
Posted on Reply
#111
repman244
AquinusApple products actually don't run any hotter than other solutions, you just feel is because the alumninum chassis conducts heat from the CPU (and GPU if you have discrete video,) but that is half of the reason Apple started using the aluminum chassis, you don't want to keep the heat in, you want to get it out and the aluminum chassis does that.

My MBP 13" does get warm, but certainly no hotter than my Dell Studio 1735, in fact I would say the actual air that comes out is cooler, but the chassis get hotter, but that was also what Apple was trying to do, so it really is a non-issue.

I personally like OS X as an OS. It's very solid and very fluid. I like it a lot better than the monstrosity that is Windows 8 and Metro. :ohwell:

Personally, I've been liking *nix with X and i3 window manager until I want to play a video game, in that case I use Windows 7, but honestly, OS X is a good intermediary.
For me, I can't stand a hot body of the laptop, especially when the keyboard area is hot and causing your hands to sweat like crazy (it could be my hands ;)), the exhaust is there to vent out the hot air so why not use it instead of using the whole body (Don't get me wrong, I understand what you are trying to say when talking about the aluminium shell).
However it could be my type of workload which is mostly CAD/Rendering/Photo editing where the laptop is usually running at highest usage, both GPU and CPU, yes it's a bit noisy when it's fan ramps up but I can't imagine having a thinner laptop with a small fan inside :eek:

I like OS X for it's DPI scaling which Win 7 lacks, I hope it will be improved for Win 8 since it will be used on wide variety of devices with different resolutions and display sizes :)
Posted on Reply
#112
Aquinus
Resident Wat-man
FourstaffThat is more or less the only reason I managed to extract other than people getting Mac for looks or they are Mac trained.
I find OS X more intuitive than other solutions, their support is also amazing considering at least where I live, can actually bring the physical computer to the Apple Store and I will know that when I get it back I wont:

A: Pay a single cent except for the gas to get there.
B: It will work when I get it back.
...and last but not least (my favorite,)
C: If you have a Apple product with a known hardware issue that has caused issues with your machine, they will fix it for free regardless of the status of your warranty.

Finally as a Systems Admin who manages dozens of mobile Macs, I can tell you that administration of remote systems on Macs is amazing. So all in all, I find that I have to fix Apple laptops at lot less than PC laptops. Apple products just simply have less issues with both hardware and software, and if it is in warranty, Apple makes it simple for the user. You're buying that user experience, you're not just buying hardware.

My laptop has only crashed after being put to sleep and woken up multiple times over the course of multiple weeks with the exception of the Airport utility, which just doesn't work half of the time for me but that could be because of how I configured the laptop and our network, so I could have introduced that bug. :)
Posted on Reply
#113
Moose
Fourstaffwith Boot Camp Macs can do everything PC can.
The thing about boot camp is you've turned it into a pc, as soon as you talk about stuff you run on that you are complimenting windows and it's ability to be installed on anything, microsoft don't lock it to certain computers.
Posted on Reply
#115
Fourstaff
MooseThe thing about boot camp is you've turned it into a pc, as soon as you talk about stuff you run on that you are complimenting windows and it's ability to be installed on anything, microsoft don't lock it to certain computers.
Microsoft primarily provides software and no more, Apple is an integrated system manufacturer. Its quite a lot different, for example you can build your own Caterham 7 off parts you choose, but you can only buy a Ford as is.
Posted on Reply
#116
Prima.Vera
repman244I have just one question:

At what type of workloads are these laptops aimed?

And I'm not trolling, I'm genuinely interested.
Browsing internet, office work, some movies/music usage, but mostly bragging with it.;)
Posted on Reply
#117
FordGT90Concept
"I go fast!1!11!1!"
FourstaffNo doubt about that, but a Mac can do things a PC can't and with Boot Camp Macs can do everything PC can.
Again, that's not a feature of Mac, it's a feature of Windows being able to run on just about any hardware out there. Try to install Mac OS X on an off the shelf DOS box. Can't do it or if you can, it's full of headaches. Apple installs firmware on their hardware to prevent its OS from being installed on non-Apple hardware (a.k.a. DRM). Again, a testament to Windows' flexibility, Apple's clever marketing (spinning a con into a pro), and fanatacism (beliving the lie).
FourstaffMicrosoft primarily provides software and no more, Apple is an integrated system manufacturer. Its quite a lot different, for example you can build your own Caterham 7 off parts you choose, but you can only buy a Ford as is.
Microsoft provides a foundation, namely WDM which allows any manufacturer to easily write drivers for their product that will work on Windows.

Mac, on the other hand, only supports the hardware it is compiled to support in the firmware. Those options are very, very limited and most off-the-shelf products have no support at all.

Never heard of an upfitter apparently. For example, you can't buy a Ford with a CNG system directly from the factory. You have to buy the vehicle from Ford and have an upfitter install a CNG system. The vehicle is still warrantied by Ford but Ford did not do all the final assembly on the vehicle.
Posted on Reply
#118
Fourstaff
FordGT90ConceptAgain, that's not a feature of Mac, it's a feature of Windows being able to run on just about any hardware out there. Try to install Mac OS X on an off the shelf PC. Can't do it or if you can, it's full of headaches. Apple installs firmware on their hardware to prevent its OS from being installed on non-Apple hardware. Again, a testiment to Windows' flexibility and Apple's clever marketing (spinning a con into a pro).
Whether that is a feature or a pain in the ass its still a fact. Windows build their OS in such a way that you can run it everywhere, whereas Mac OS is tied down to the machine and that is how their business plans worked since 1970s.

If you actually compare a MacBook and a HP/Dell/etc with similar specs the Mac OS premium is not that much. The cost of a MacBook Pro is only slightly more than a similarly spec'ed Alienware, something which is well known to overprice their stuff by about 20% or more and still have poorer build quality.
FordGT90ConceptMicrosoft provides a foundation, namely WDM which allows any manufacturer to easily write drivers for their product that will work on Windows.

Mac, on the other hand, only supports the hardware it is compiled to support in the firmware. Those options are very, very limited and most off-the-shelf products have no support at all.

Never heard of an upfitter apparently. For example, you can't buy a Ford with a CNG system directly from the factory. You have to buy the vehicle from Ford and have an upfitter install a CNG system. The vehicle is still warrantied by Ford but Ford did not do all the final assembly on the vehicle.
Microsoft doesn't manufacture much hardware, if at all hence it is to their advantage if you can easily write a driver so your product can run on Windows. Mac on the other hand, wants to control the entire ecosystem so that the end users will have the best experience (and earning a fair bit of coin in the way). Different approaches to the same idea, for example democracy works very well in US while you have a more or less an authoritarianism in Singapore, and you cannot really say neither country is not successful. One thing to note is that if you have a smaller headcount in your environment (eg smaller number of users, smaller population etc) its direct control from top down is the better option than one which has a big headcount. In that sense you can say Apple has grown too big and popular for its userbase.

As a side note I have never encountered problems with using anything I plug into a Mac and there is usually a workaround (mostly through Linux) for the more pesky ones.

Yes I have never seen any options to fit CNG in UK or elsewhere by Ford, so I automatically assumed you cant. Change that car to something else which has that property.
Posted on Reply
#120
Fourstaff
FordGT90ConceptI linked to this one a while ago in this thread (and that was without trying very hard):
MSI G Series GT600NC-004US Notebook Intel Core i7 ...

It's better equiped than the MacBook Pro or equal to it in every way except monitor and battery life and it's $700 less.
Yup the MSI G series is really powerful and has very good bang for buck, but its an exception these days rather than the norm. Even Asus G series doesn't come close. Criticisms include being much more bulky and plasticky than a MacBook and the end user have to be slightly more careful when handling one. Source: playing around with GX660R, GT680 and GT780 and asking for the owner's experiences. the owner of GT680 also owns a MBA and uses both machines depending on what he wants to do (MBA for work and outside home stuff, GT680 stays in his room for gaming).
Posted on Reply
#121
FordGT90Concept
"I go fast!1!11!1!"
For $700 difference, who is really going to complain? You could buy an ultrabook too for that difference, or a tablet.
Posted on Reply
#122
MxPhenom 216
ASIC Engineer
Easy Rhinosorry but i must interject. apple has been pushing hardware since the ipod. they were the first to stick that much computing power in a small mobile device.
yeah and now they buy bullshit patents and try to start patent wars on the competition when they make a better product then apple. yay! Seriously though
Posted on Reply
#123
cadaveca
My name is Dave
THe new macbooks look good, but boy, are they pricey!
Posted on Reply
#124
Fourstaff
FordGT90ConceptFor $700 difference, who is really going to complain? You could buy an ultrabook too for that difference, or a tablet.
That laptop series along with MBA 11" and Asus K5x series are what I usually recommend people to get if they want a laptop, I give plenty of love to them :)
nvidiaintelftwyeah and now they buy bullshit patents and try to start patent wars on the competition when they make a better product then apple. yay! Seriously though
Patent trolls are nothing new, Apple stands to lose more or less everything they spent on their R&D and their raison d'etre if they don't do that. Nasty, but that is how quite a lot of companies in the tech industry work.
Posted on Reply
#125
MxPhenom 216
ASIC Engineer
FourstaffThat laptop series along with MBA 11" and Asus K5x series are what I usually recommend people to get if they want a laptop, I give plenty of love to them :)



Patent trolls are nothing new, Apple stands to lose more or less everything they spent on their R&D and their raison d'etre if they don't do that. Nasty, but that is how quite a lot of companies in the tech industry work.
I remember microsoft getting in trouble in the 1990s about buying out companies and getting stupid patents. Apple has been just going about it like its no ones business.
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