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OWC offers 480GB SSD upgrade for Retina MacBook Pro, requires screwdriver and careful math
Order up a Retina MacBook Pro and you'll likely be confronted with a gravelly message about how the SSD is "built into the computer" and not user-upgradeable. As it turns out, that's not quite true -- so long as you're prepared to ignore a whole bunch of other warnings written inside the chassis itself, iFixit has shown how to remove the factory drive and now OWC has a new SSD to replace it with. The only downside is the cost: at $580, OWC's 480GB Mercury Aura Pro is actually more expensive than Apple's official 512GB upgrade. In an effort to sweeten the deal, OWC is offering those who buy before September 30th a compact USB 3.0 enclosure to make use of the freed-up drive. Alternatively, you may want to wait for prices to drop or for OWC to offer an even bigger capacity with better cost / benefits.
Google Chrome 21 stable release adds Retina MacBook Pro support, webcam use without plugins
Some Retina MacBook Pro owners have been waiting for this day for six weeks: that promised Retina support in Google Chrome is now part of a finished, stable release. Chrome 21 is now crisp and clear for those who took the plunge on Apple's new laptop but would rather not cling to Safari for the web. No matter what hardware you're using, Google has rolled in its promised WebRTC support to let webcams and microphones have their way without Flash or other plugins. Other notable tweaks like wider support for Cloud Print and gamepads tag along in the update as well. If you're at all intrigued by the expanded hardware support in Chrome, Google has an abundance of details (and downloads) at the links below.
VLC 2.02 adds Retina display support, ditches font cache interruptions
The latest version of everyone's favorite file-type-friendly media player has been updated on both Windows and OS X, although the Apple iteration gets the most major addition -- playback support on the new MacBook Pro's Retina display. Alongside sharper menus, VLC's latest update extends functionality to the video itself, maintaining crispness on smaller viewing windows and even fully-blow 4K video. Good news on all platforms though, as the developers have now nixed that grating "building font cache" pop-up window. Smaller changes include support for Growl and the return of the "keep aspect ratio" option. Hit up the changelog for a full run-down of the other changes.
Taking a close look at the MacBook Pro's Retina display
Anandtech spent some quality time with the new retina MacBook Pro and, as expected, took a deep dive into the hardware that makes up the device. In a series of posts, the hardware-focused website examined the SSD improvements and explained how Apple handles the DPI scaling in Lion. In a third post, Anandtech examines the Retina display and compares it to both the older high-resolution 15.4-inch matte panel and the standard glossy MacBook Pro display. The post has detailed information on the construction of the LCD and how it both reduces the glare and improves the viewing angle of the Retina display. There's also a lengthy discussion about resolution that addresses high-resolution gaming, high-DPI app support and the smooth resolution switching in OS X that allows you to easily adjust the display to meet your needs.
MacBook Pro with Retina display shipping slips to 2-3 weeks
If you waited until today to place your order for a new MacBook Pro with Retina display on the online Apple Store, you're not going to see that sweet piece of precious metal for a while. CNET's Don Reisinger reports that the newest MacBook Pro -- which started shipping yesterday -- is now showing a two to three week ship date. Reisinger wonders in his post if the delay is "due to miscommunication, a shipping snag, or simply that the first batch has sold out." The excited response by the Mac community yesterday seems to indicate that it's the latter choice -- there were just so many people who ran to their local Apple Store or ordered a device online yesterday that the initial batch of units was exhausted before the end of the day. This has happened before with extremely popular Apple products, including the iPhone and iPad. Usually there's an initial stock of devices that are snatched up by happy Apple fans, then a wait until manufacturing and shipping can catch up to the demand. We'll keep an eye on the shipping time for any TUAW readers who were hoping to get one of the Retina display MacBook Pros soon.
