RetinaMacbookPro
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Apple to fix 'unresponsive' 13-inch MacBook Pros
A few early adopters of Apple's new 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro are reporting problems with the keyboard and trackpad not working properly. Apple confirmed on its support site that a fix is on the way. While you wait for the patch to arrive, Apple says you can close the display for 60 seconds and then open it to reset the affected hardware. [Via Engadget]
Apple releases updates to MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, lowers starting price
Apple is updating specs and dropping prices on select MacBook Pro and MacBook Air models. According to a company press release, the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro will now start at US$1,499 for the base model with 128 GB of flash storage, down from the original $1,699 price tag. The premier 13-inch Retina model will get a processor boost to 2.6 GHZ and a similar price drop from $1,999 to $1,699. The lower-end (if such a phrase can apply in this case) 15-inch model Retina MacBook Pro will keep the same price tag, but it will be boosted to a 2.4 GHz quad-core processor in the base model. A new 2.7 GHz quad-core processor will replace the current 2.6 GHz CPU in the top-of-the line model. The MacBook Air will keep the same specs, but will now set you back $1,399. The updated MacBook Pro with Retina display and MacBook Air models are available today through Apple's Online Store, Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. Show full PR text Apple Updates Processors & Prices of MacBook Pro with Retina Display CUPERTINO, California-February 13, 2013-Apple® is making the MacBook Pro® with Retina® display faster and more affordable with updated processors and lower starting prices. The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display now starts at $1,499 for 128GB of flash, and $1,699 for a new 2.6 GHz processor and 256GB of flash. The 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display now features a faster 2.4 GHz quad-core processor, and the top-of-the-line 15-inch notebook comes with a new 2.7 GHz quad-core processor and 16GB of memory. Apple today also announced that the 13-inch MacBook Air® with 256GB of flash has a new lower price of $1,399. The MacBook Pro with Retina display features the world's highest resolution notebook display. Whether you're reading emails, writing text, editing home movies in HD or retouching professional photography, everything appears vibrant, detailed and sharp, delivering an unrivaled viewing experience. The MacBook Pro with Retina display features flash storage that is up to four times faster than traditional notebook hard drives, and delivers improved reliability, instant-on responsiveness and up to 30 days of standby time. Pricing & Availability The updated MacBook Pro with Retina display and MacBook Air models are available today through the Apple Online Store (www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers. Pricing details, technical specifications, configure-to-order options and accessories are available online at www.apple.com/macbook-pro and www.apple.com/macbookair.
Apple online store now selling refurbished 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro
Earlier this month, Apple began offering refurbished 15-inch MacBook Pro notebooks with Retina display via its online store starting at US$1,869. Today, it added the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro to its lineup of refurbished offerings. The machines start at $1,439 for the 2.5 GHz i5 model with 128 GB SSD and 8GB of RAM, a $260 savings over the $1,699 sticker price of a new unit. Apple's also offering the 2.5 GHz i5 model with 256 GB SSD and 8 GB of RAM for $1,699 ($300 off, normally $1,999) and the 2.9 GHz i7 model with 512 GB SSD and 8 GB of RAM for $2,289 ($410 off, normally $2,699). Shipping times for all three refurbished models run one to three days and, as usual, stock is limited. [Via Engadget]
OWC offering 480GB SSD upgrade for 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro
Storage: We all want more of it, but not only that, we also want it to be as fast as possible. If the new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display is on your wish list but your wallet can't handle the 512GB SSD upgrade from the factory, Other World Computing may have what you're looking for. The company is offering its Mercury Aura Pro 480GB SSD replacement for $579.99. By comparison, a 512GB SSD boost adds a cool $800 to the bottom line when configuring the new MacBook from Apple. OWC also offers installation service for $80, plus shipping, as well as data transfer to the new SDD for an additional $40. To further reinforce its value proposition, OWC is launching a portable SSD enclosure in December which will allow those who upgrade to use their 128GB factory SSD as an added external drive. [Via: 9to5 Mac]
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.
Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 now fully supports Retina MacBook Pro: both HiDPI and GPU compute
Adobe's video editing application is already a lovely thing on the Retina MacBook Pro, but not visually -- only in terms of its raw performance on that Core i7 CPU. Until today's update -- 6.0.2 -- the software hasn't actually been able to make use of HiDPI itself, and neither has it been able to exploit the performance-boosting potential of GPU compute on the laptop's NVIDIA GTX 650M graphics card. If you're lucky enough to own this combo of hardware and software, Adobe's official blog suggests that you go ahead and check for the update or apply it manually following the instructions at the source link below (it's actually within Bridge that you should check for the update, with other Adobe titles closed). We're hopefully about to apply it ourselves and will report back on its impact. Update on the update: As expected, video thumbnails look sumptuous in the absence of pixelation, making this a worthy revision. That said, software encoding of a short timeline was still faster with the Mercury Engine set to software mode rather than GPU compute. A 2:30 clip took 2:02 to encode with OpenCL, 2:00 to encode with CUDA, but just 1:42 to encode in Software mode. No doubt people who do multi-cam editing or need to render complex effects in real-time may see a benefit -- please, let us know if you do! Update: Just had word from NVIDIA that may explain what's happening with our encoding times. We're told it's only if we enable "Maximum Render Quality" that GPU compute will shine through in terms of performance, because enabling max quality in software mode would slow it down. So far we've only tried with default settings, so clearly there's room here for more experimentation.
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.
MacBook Pro with Retina display running three external monitors
OWC posted up a photo that is every Mac user's dream. The photo shows a MacBook Pro with Retina Display powering not one, not two, but three external displays in addition to the notebook's own monitor. OWC lists the attached computers which includes the Retina display on the MBP set at its "best for Retina" setting; two 2560 x 1440 iMacs connected via the Thunderbolt and the Thunderbolt/DisplayPort; and a 1920 x 1200 LG monitor connected via HDMI. OWC says the performance was smooth and claims "moving images and media didn't create any lag." They also say they "were able to play video on all four displays simultaneously." As noted by MacRumors, Apple's support site confirms that the Retina MacBook Pro is capable of supporting one monitor on the HDMI port and two on Thunderbolt, but it's impressive to see such a setup in action. [Via MacRumors]
Thunderbolt 1.2.1 update adds Ethernet adapter support, reportedly squashes boot issues
Got your fancy new Retina MacBook Pro? Eying up one of those Thunderbolt to Ethernet adapters? Well, Apple's just released a software update that adds support for the nifty peripheral. That's the main purpose of this latest version -- 1.2.1 -- according to the company's website. However, there are reports suggesting it also resolves a boot-related issue that was affecting certain users, caused by a previous update. If this was affecting you, or you're running OS X 10.7.4, then make a dash for that source link.
iFixit tears down a MacBook Pro with Retina display
It's the teardown that we've all been waiting for since Monday's WWDC keynote. iFixit got its hands on a new retina MacBook Pro and disassembled the lovely device for all of us to see. As expected, the teardown reveals a device that's extremely well-designed, but also difficult to repair. First, the retina display LCD is firmly attached to the display assembly. iFixit says you if you have any LCD problems, you will likely have to replace the whole display assembly which includes the iSight Camera, WiFi antennas, and Bluetooth antennas. The repair company also confirmed that the RAM is soldered to the logic board and is not upgradeable. The SSD is also proprietary and not upgradeable at this point (though, it might be in the future since it is a separate daughter card). Lastly, the battery is glued to the case and is very difficult to remove. It covers the trackpad cable which may be sheared when you pry the battery out of its slot. Overall, the retina MacBook Pro was given a 1 out of 10 on the repairability scale which means you should proceed very cautiously or leave the job for the experts.
