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What didn't we get from Apple today?
While the hype leading up to today's Apple event was clearly centered around the all-new iPad mini, it quickly became clear that the company had a lot more in store. Not only did we get the new, smaller iPad of our dreams -- as well as the anticipated reveal of a 13-inch MacBook Retina -- but also a fourth-generation iPad, a more capable Mac mini and a completely redesigned iMac. So what didn't Apple announce today? The (literal) elephant in the room is of course the Mac Pro. Apple's silver tower of power is due for a refresh, but the company steered clear of even mentioning the product during the event. An email purportedly sent earlier this year from Tim Cook to a Mac Pro owner suggested that an update to the line wouldn't happen until 2013, which now appears to indeed be the case. Apple also avoided any news on iTunes 11, which was first teased earlier this year alongside the announcement of the iPhone 5. The official iTunes page still has its bright orange "Coming in October" banner in place, so it's a bit perplexing that the company chose to keep quiet on that front. Some of our more pie-in-the-sky wishes also fell by the wayside today, including our dreams of an updated Apple TV and perhaps even a MacBook Air Retina. We also didn't get to swoon at the new iPad mini in a range of wild colors, which is something the kid in us really wanted to see. But all told, today's announcements should please a good number of people, and our credit cards are already cursing our names at the prospect of the five new products that just landed in the Apple Store.
Apple 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro hands-on!
Apple just introduced its second Retina display MacBook: the 13-inch MacBook Pro, which starts at $1,699 and is shipping today. Just months after the 15-incher was gifted with a display that packs more pixels than your existing HDTV, the 13-inch sibling is receiving similar treatment. Unveiled today in San Jose alongside the iPad mini, the intensely dense 13-inch MBP is true to the rumors -- there's a 2,560 x 1,600 panel, a pair of Thunderbolt ports, a full-size HDMI socket and a MagSafe 2 power connector. Unfortunately, those yearning for a Retina-equipped MacBook Air won't find their dreams fulfilled just yet, but you can bet that holdouts will most certainly give this guy a look. For starters, it's wildly thin. No, not manilla envelope thin, but thin enough to slip into most briefcases and backpacks without the consumer even noticing. Outside of that, it's mostly a shrunken version of the 15-incher let loose over the summer. The unibody design is as tight as ever, with the fit and finish continuing to impress. In my estimation, this is Apple's most deliberate move yet to differentiate the 13-inch MacBook Pro from the 13-inch MacBook Air. On one hand, power users longing for a highly portable laptop can rejoice; on the other, this could be seen as reason for Apple to restrict the use of Retina displays to its Pro range for the foreseeable future. Compared to the 1,280 x 800 resolution of the non-Retina 13-inch MBP, the new display is particularly stunning. Text has never looked more crisp, and colors are stupendously vibrant. Of course, apps, websites and graphics that haven't been optimized for Retina still look like utter rubbish, and as more Apple machines transition to these panels, the outcry is going to get even louder. But, hopefully, it'll light a fire under developers to get with the program.
Apple announces a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display
As expected, Apple announced a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display this morning. "We're taking our best product and introducing something so much better," Phil Schiller said. It's 0.75 inches thin and weighs just over 3.5 pounds, almost a full pound lighter than the previous generation -- the lightest MacBook Pro ever. The 13-inch model has the exact same ports as the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display. Its screen resolution is 2,560 x 1,600, four times the number of pixels of its predecessor. Its pixel count is higher than any competing 13-inch or 15-inch laptop from other manufacturer, displaying almost 2 million more pixels than a typical HDTV. Like the 15-inch model, it has a 720p FaceTime HD camera and stereo microphones. You can get up to 768 GB of flash memory, Core i5 or i7 processor, 8 GB of RAM, and up to seven hours of battery life. The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display is available starting at US$1699 -- $500 less than the base model 15-inch Retina model -- and it ships today.
Apple's iPad mini event happens tomorrow, get your liveblog here!
It seems like just yesterday we were reporting on the launch of the iPhone 5, but already Apple has something else exciting to show us. What could it be? An iPad mini? A 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display? A new iMac? All of the above? We'd love to have you along as we find out, and the quickest way to take it all in is to watch the event brought to you live through our dynamic liveblog experience. You can find that if you set your browser at this URL at the time listed below: http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/23/apple-ipad-mini-liveblog/ October 23, 2012 1:00 PM EDT
13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display reportedly seen with 2,560 x 1,600 LCD, dual Thunderbolt ports
We hope you didn't want Apple's little event next week to be a complete surprise. After promises of extra details for a prior leak, a WeiPhone forum goer has returned with photos of what's supposed to be the active screen and ports of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display that might be on stage come October 23rd. If this is what we get alongside the similarly unofficial miniature iPad, we'll take it. The possible leak shows a 2,560 x 1,600 LCD (four times higher in resolution than the existing MacBook Pro) and, importantly, no sacrifices in expansion versus the 15-inch Retina model -- there's still the dual Thunderbolt ports and HDMI video that shipped with this system's bigger brother. Vital details like the performance and price are left out, so there's a few cards left off Apple's table, but the images hint at what could be a tempting balance between the 15-inch MacBook Pro's grunt and the MacBook Air's grace.
Apple announces 'Special Event' for October 23rd -- we'll be there live!
Apple has just invited members of the press to attend a product launch on October 23rd, where we assume the long-rumored iPad mini will be unveiled. The event will go down merely weeks after Apple took the wraps off of the iPhone 5 (and strangely enough, the Foo Fighters played their last show for the foreseeable future). It's quite unlike Apple to throw two product parties in the fall, but if an entirely new iPad is being revealed, it may be a scenario that becomes more familiar in years to come. At this point, we're left with far more questions than answers: will the iPad mini really ship with a Lightning port, while the Retina iPad -- which was only introduced in March -- continues to ship with the "old" Dock Connector? Will Apple really continue to refresh its two iPad products at different intervals? Will the (presumed) AT&T iPad mini actually include mobile hotspot functionality? And while we're at it, is Apple really going to throw a "one more thing" into the mix by bumping its 13-inch MacBook Pro into Retina territory? After all, tossing "little" into the invite could allude to a smaller iPad and an update to an already-small laptop. We'll be there to bring you the blow-by-blow as it happens, so feel free to go ahead and take next Tuesday off. We'll sign the approval form.
Tips have 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display joining iPad mini at rumored Apple event
While Apple's supposed October 23rd event still exists only in the land of leaks and rumors for now, there's mounting suspicions that it won't just be a one-trick pony if it becomes real. Both AllThingsD and 9to5Mac claim to know that a 13-inch MacBook Pro with a Retina display is also on the cards for the presentation and would be just what you'd expect: a smaller version of the 15-inch model with four times the screen resolution of its conventional equivalent (2,560 x 1,600 here), all-flash storage and a price premium. There's not much more to go on beyond talk of a D1 codename versus the 15-inch D2, although we won't have long to find out if the rumor represents more than just wishful thinking. You might want to hold out on buying that MacBook Air for a week as a precaution.
Retina MacBook Pro meets EPEAT standards
Back in July 2012, Apple removed the EPEAT (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool) green certification from its products, resulting in a flurry of excitement when school systems and governmental agencies threatened to drop Apple products from their "approved to buy" lists. About a week later, Apple apologized to customers and put the products back on the EPEAT listing. Now the company is happy to announce that the MacBook Pro with Retina display meets the EPEAT standards. Previously, the MacBook Pro's inability to be "upgraded with commonly available tools" kept it and other unibody laptops off of the EPEAT list. EPEAT has changed its definition to now include hard drives and optical drives that can be connected externally through Thunderbolt and USB 3.0. EPEAT also wasn't happy with the process of disassembling sealed unibody notebooks, since it makes it difficult to do things like replace batteries or recycle the devices at the end of their useful lives. Manufacturers including Apple provided disassembly instructions, and the EPEAT labs were able to take most laptops apart in 20 minutes or less, removing batteries in less than three minutes. What's good for EPEAT isn't necessarily good for all "green" organizations. According to TechCrunch, Greenpeace's Casey Harrell bemoaned the EPEAT change in definition, stating that "It's unclear why EPEAT caved in, but the impact is that EPEAT has confused consumers and businesses who want to buy green electronics that can be repaired and will last a long time, and sets a dangerous trend for the burgeoning market of Ultrabooks."
Apple sued for LED lighting in iPad 3, MacBook Pro
Another day, another lawsuit. Patently Apple reports that LED Tech of Tyler, Texas has named Apple in a patent infringement suit, claiming that the third-generation iPad and MacBook Pro are infringing products. These products use pulse-width modulation signals to drive light-emitting diodes, and LED Tech says that during the discovery process, it found that Apple willfully infringed its patents. The four patents in question all have Charles Lemaire listed as an original inventor and are surprisingly similar, all with identical wording in the "field of the invention" section stating that "This invention relates to the field of lighting, and more specifically to a method and apparatus of controlling and powering a solid-state light source such as a light-emitting diode or LED, for a portable battery-powered flashlight." It's the "solid-state light source" that's being targeted here in the Apple suit, with Home Depot being singled out for selling LED flashlights that infringe on two of the same patents. Some of the patent wording is rather generic, but Patently Apple notes that one patent in particular presents a powerful claim. We'll provide more news on this latest patent infringement lawsuit as it progresses.
Modbook Pro gets priced at $3,500, as pre-orders begin
No one ever said a modded MacBook Pro was gonna be cheap. Last week Modbook announced that it would be going ahead with pre-orders on the Modbook Pro today, but didn't really touch on pricing. As ordering begins, the company's attached a $3,500 starting price tag for the honor of controlling your 13.3-inch Mac with a pen. The Modbook Pro, which is set to start shipping in the middle of next month, runs Mountain Lion and features a 2.5GHz Intel Core i5 processor (upgradable to a 2.9GHz i7) and memory and storage up to 16GB and 480GB, respectively. If you're aching to get your hands on one of these Frankensteinian tablets, you'll have to plunk down a $500 deposit.
Modbook Pro to launch with SSD storage, up for pre-order October 3rd
It wasn't all that long ago that Modbook Inc's CEO, Andreas Haas, made the mac-in-tablet Modbook Pro official, now we're learning that the super-slate will launch with high performance SSD storage. So, as you wield your MacBook Pro come tablet, you'll be free from spinning disks. Great, but what impact will this have on capacity? Well, according to the firm, storage will start at 64GB as standard, with upgrades possible all the way up to a, not-unreasonable, 480GB. Pre-orders go live on October 3rd, along with the all important reveal on price. Regardless of cost, if that void between the iPad and full-fat Windows 8 slates had been irking you, here's your answer.
Google adds mouse lock to stable Chrome 22 for 3D shooter mavens
Google's fast-track approach to updating Chrome gives a different theme to each update: last time, it was all about visual acuity. For the just launched Chrome 22 stable version, the focus swings to gaming. Web apps can now lock in the mouse control for first-person shooters, simulations and other 3D content that needs the full attention of the pointer during play. Not keen on action games through the browser? There's still some fine-tuning in place for those who live on the cutting edge, including Windows 8 users and Retina MacBook Pro owners. The update may already be sitting on your computer if you're running Chrome; if not, you can get your gaming-friendly fix (and the security notes) through the source links.
Decoding Apple's naming rules
Apple's naming style for its products may seem silly at times -- the iPhone 5, for example, if it is even called that, will actually only be the second iPhone granted a numerical moniker, after the iPhone 4. Now there's actually a way to put a real, concrete formula on Apple's naming schemes, and blogger Marko Savic has figured it out. Essentially, Apple names its products around three different ideas: Premium vs Regular differentiation, Form Factor naming, and Generational naming. Premium vs Regular differentiation is probably best seen in the MacBook/MacBook Pro names -- Apple's got two similar products for different audiences, and it uses those names to show consumers which one is which. The Mac and the Power Mac (or Mac Pro) is another example. Second, form factor is another big element in Apple's naming conventions -- this is how it delineates the various products in the iPod or iMac line. And then there's generational naming, which has been most confusing so far: The iPhone 3G meant that consumers started expecting the "numbers" to get bigger, which leads us to next week's expected iPhone 5 announcement. Savic suggests that with a brand new product like the rumored iPad mini, Apple will simply just add yet another marker to the existing brand, signifying that this is a completely new product, and spreading the line out. I think, however, that regardless of any "rules" in naming, Apple will just do what it has always done: Pick a name that consumers will most identify with (not to mention desire). No matter the reasons behind Apple's naming schemes, the company always seems to land on something that clearly shows where the product exists in Apple's lineup, and it will no doubt continue to keep trying to pick names along those lines going forward.
Retina MacBook Pros now fully stocked in Apple Stores
Now that the initial ordering rush has subsided, the online Apple Store (US) has dropped the wait time associated with the MacBook Pro with Retina display and is showing that all models are in stock. The entry-level model gained a few configurable options in early August. [via CNet]
Motorola's latest ITC complaint against Apple targets newer iOS devices and Macs, messaging and sync
Motorola filed its most recent ITC complaint against Apple so late into last week that the court system couldn't immediately provide more details; we're only just seeing documents now that the weekend is over. As it stands, the case involves seven patents that mostly touch on staple technologies of the modern mobile world, such as syncing messages between devices and bookmarking media playback on one device to resume on another. Does that last technique sound familiar? You might recall it being a cornerstone of the movie and podcast support that Apple has implemented since 2005. Despite reaching that far back into history, Motorola is just as eager to modernize the targeted hardware list to keep its complaints relevant -- the current iPad, the iPhone 4S and other devices are at risk of a trade ban, posing more of a threat to Apple's bottom line than the dust-covered (and near-finished) initial legal challenge from October 2010. Before coming to any conclusions, though, remember that the newer complaint isn't likely to have any speedy resolution of its own. Past ITC cases have usually taken a year and a half to complete, which could leave most or all of today's technology as another distant memory.
Site tracks growing list of retina Mac apps
Do you have a Retina MacBook Pro, wondering which apps are going to look their best on the massive amount of glossy pixels before you? Well, Microsoft might not be ready, but quite a few developers have updated their apps, and those are showing up on Retina Mac Apps. It's a simple site with a simple purpose: to show you which apps are ready for the big (resolution) screen.
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.
Are Retina MacBooks displaying screen issues?
If a 56-page discussion thread on the Apple Support forums is any indication, there appears to be a problem with some MacBook Pros with Retina displays. The Retina displays with the issues show image retention and burn-in; others do not. TUAW reader Joe K. sent us a note about the issue, which appears to be happening to MBPs with displays manufactured by LG; other displays made by Samsung don't have the problem with image retention and burn-in, are brighter, and seem to display colors with more accuracy. To determine the make of the Retina display installed in your MacBook Pro, Joe supplied a helpful terminal command: ioreg -lw0 | grep \"EDID\" | sed "/[^<]*</s///" | xxd -p -r | strings -6 It's basically the same command seen on OSXDaily to check for LG screens on MacBook Airs, which will also tell you how you know if you have a Samsung or LG display. If your display code begins with "LP," it's an LG display. Mike Rose has verified that with his LG panel he sees faint ghosting of Finder windows when he goes into a PowerPoint slideshow with a gray background. Those who own a MacBook Pro with Retina display and see this problem as described in the thread should contact their local Apple Store or AppleCare for resolution.
Engadget's back to school guide 2012: mainstream laptops
Welcome to Engadget's back to school guide! The end of summer vacation isn't nearly as much fun as the weeks that come before, but a chance to update your tech tools likely helps to ease the pain. Today we're getting down to the very important business of helping you sift through laptops, and you can always head to the back to school hub to see the rest of the product guides as they're added throughout the month. Be sure to keep checking back -- at the end of the month we'll be giving away a ton of the gear featured in our guides -- and hit up the hub page right here! Freshman year of college may no longer be the gateway to the magical world of laptop ownership, but even if you already have a notebook, who can resist a new machine in the spirit of starting fresh when September rolls around? Whether you're looking for a Core i5 companion to get you through semesters of paper-writing, Facebooking and WoWing, or a super-sleek centerpiece to your bare-bones dorm, there's a vast playing field of machines to choose from. While sifting through the countless options would surely get you back in the academic research frame of mind, it's a daunting task. We're here to take some of the work off your plate with nine solid mainstream laptops that should satisfy every budget.
iFixit produces repair manual for MacBook Pro with Retina display, tests DIY's limits
While we've been fans of the MacBook Pro with Retina display, iFixit hasn't been so keen -- a company based around DIY repairs isn't fond of a system where most components are glued or soldered into place. That hasn't stopped the team from developing a repair manual for those who want to give maintenance a try. A total of 16 guides show us how to disassemble or remove those parts that stand a realistic chance of leaving the system unscathed. While that does include some key components, iFixit continues to fly some caution flags: getting to one part often requires taking apart others, and removing the battery carries the very real possibility of permanent damage. If you'd still prefer to upgrade the SSD yourself (when an option) than pay Apple more for a custom order, there's now a helping hand for your thriftiness.