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MacBook Pro With Retina Display Gets Price Drop, Processor Boost
Apple this morning quietly dropped the price on its lineup of MacBook Pros with Retina display, and gave them a speed boost.
The 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro now starts at $1,499 rather than $1,699, while the 15-inch starts at $2,199.
The laptops also got a processor update. The $1,699 version of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display now boasts a 2.6-GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 and 256GB of flash, whereas its cheaper counterpart still runs a 2.5-GHz chip and has 128GB of flash.
The $2,199 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display now features a faster 2.4-GHz, quad-core processor instead of 2.3 GHz, as well as 8GB of memory. At $2,799, the most expensive MacBook Pro with Retina includes a 2.7-GHz chip (up from 2.6 GHz) 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.
All of the updated Macs are now on sale, Apple said.
MacBook Airs Get $200 Discount at Best Buy
If you've been thinking about purchasing an Apple MacBook Air laptop, then it might just be time to take the plunge.
On Friday and Saturday, Best Buy is offering all four MacBook Air models for $200 off with free shipping. That brings the entry-level 11.6-inch model with 64GB of flash storage down to $799 from $999. If you're looking for more storage, the 11.6-inch model is also available with 128GB of flash storage for $899, down from the usual $1,099.
Meanwhile, the base 13.3-inch model, which comes with 128GB of flash storage, is now priced at $999, down from $1,199. Rounding out the lineup, the 13.3-inch, 256GB-capacity model is on sale for $1,299 instead of $1,499.
If you're looking to take advantage of this offer, you better act fast. Best Buy said the deal runs through Saturday, but supplies may run out.
Apple Unveils 13-Inch MacBook Pro With Retina Display
Apple today unveiled a 13-inch version of the MacBook Pro with Retina display.
Apple also unveiled a new Mac mini and the next-generation of iMac, and a storage option known as Fusion Drive.
"In typical Apple fashion, we're going to take our best product" and make it better, said Apple's Phil Schiller.
The display on the 13-inch MacBook Pro comes in at 2,560-by-1,600 pixels, making it Apple's second best display. Apple promised rich color and deep blacks and 75 percent reduced reflection.
The new MacBook starts shipping today at $1,699 for the 2.5-GHz, dual-core i5 version with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of flash. Buyers can also select a dual-core i7 Ivy Bridge processor.
The updated Mac is only 0.75 inches thin, which Schiller said is 20 percent thinner than its predecessor. It weighs in at 3.5 pounds, making it the lightest MacBook Pro ever.
It comes pre-loaded with Mac OS X Mountain Lion and supports 802.11 Wi-Fi, as well as Bluetooth 4.0. Apple promised up to seven hours of battery life.
Report: 13-Inch MacBook Pro With Retina Display Coming Soon
Apple suppliers have started shipping a 13-inch version of the MacBook Pro with Retina display, according to Digitimes.
The smaller version of the laptop with boosted display is expected to be released this month or next, the paper said, citing sources from the upstream supply chain.
Digitimes also said Apple was prepping revamped iMacs, but has delayed plans for an updated "high-end model" due to "poor yields." Cupertino will instead focus on mid-range and entry-level iMacs, the paper said, but few other details were available.
Apple unveiled a 15.4-inch version of its MacBook Pro with Retina display at the Worldwide Developer Conference (WWDC) in June. The screen comes in at 2,880-by-1,800 and 220ppi, which Apple's Phil Schiller said makes it the world's highest-resolution notebook.
Best Buy Drops Prices on New MacBooks
If you're in the market for a snazzy new Apple MacBook Pro or MacBook Air, retailer Best Buy may actually be the best buy.
Just a few weeks after the computers hit shelves, this weekend the electronics superstore began slashing prices between $50 and $140 for the machines, for which the Apple Store charges anywhere from $999 to $2,199 (for Retina display).
As noted by 9to5Mac, Best Buy's discounted prices start at $949.99 for an 11-inch MacBook Air with 4GB of memory, while the 8GB 15-inch Retina display MacBook Pros cost $2,089.99 and $2,659.99.
Apple and Best Buy did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Days after unveiling its line of next-generation computers, Apple ship dates for the Retina display MacBook slipped to several weeks. Currently, the online store expects shipping in three to four weeks for Retina display-equipped MacBook Pros. All other Pros and MacBook Air options are listed as in stock.
Apple's student discount program is still a better choice for pupils, offering up to $200 in savings for laptops and desktops, as well as $100 toward app, book, music, and movie downloads.
MacBook Pro Retina Display Users Report Image Retention Problem
Two weeks after Apple unveiled its MacBook Pro with Retina display, early adopters are reporting image resistance issues with the new laptop.
The problem involves the outline of an image that remains on screen after the program has been closed. It is primarily noticeable on light-colored backgrounds, and remains on the screen for about five minutes before fading, according to Apple Insider, which posted video of the glitch (below).
"I first noticed this after my MBP [Retina] had gone to sleep, but: when returning to the login screen (since I have it set to require a password whenever the computer is idle long enough) I noticed what appeared to a very faint ghosting primarily noticeable on darker backgrounds," a user known as mittsense wrote on the Apple forums earlier this month.
Another user responded that he took his new MacBook Pro to Apple's Genius Bar, where an employee ordered him a new MacBook "due to the burn-in."
Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Shortly after Apple unveiled its new MacBook Pro, ship dates slipped to 2-4 weeks. The Retina display model is currently listed as in stock.
The company's 14-day return policy could come in handy for some new MacBook Pro buyers, who can simply ship the machine back to Apple or bring it to any U.S. Apple Store for a full refund. Also, the one-year limited warranty comes with 90 days of complimentary phone technical support.
iFixit Tears Down New MacBook Pro’s Retina Display
The teardown specialists at iFixit ripped apart Apple's new 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display last week and now they've turned their attention to the super-duper display itself.
The iFixit gang gave the MacBook Pro high marks for solid components but panned it for its unease-of-use from a repair and upgrade perspective. Apple's new laptop scored a 1 on a scale of 10 for iFixit's lowest repairability score ever.
Looking only at the Retina display this week, iFixit discovered a very cleverly crafted laptop display assembly that unfortunately is about as repairable as the machine that houses it.
IFixit managed to get the clutch cover off the display without much problem. The MacBook Pro's display hinges, however, have cables fed through them, making them "a real bear to work on," the team noted. The teardown crew got the rubber display gasket off, but that's where the trouble started. IFixit didn't give Apple's Retina display a repairability score since it's part of another system they've already reviewed, and it's probably a good thing they didn't. The site's veteran technicians couldn't manage to disassemble the display without cracking the glass—so it seems unlikely the average DIYer would have better luck.
Apple Bumps Battery Replacement Cost to $199 For Retina MacBooks
Much has been written about the lack of upgradability and reparability found in Apple's new Retina MacBook Pro. In fact, it's widely seen as Apple's least fixable laptop to date: Pentalobe screws stymie those who lack access to a fancy screwdriver and Apple's been on an adhesive kick throughout the insides of its latest laptop. The battery's glued down, the RAM is soldered to the motherboard, the display is fused together as a single unit (forcing one to replace the entire unit to fix any broken bits like, say, the iSight camera).
Fun times are in store if you're looking to upgrade your Retina MacBook Pro (good luck), and costly times await you if anything goes wrong with your system's components – especially the battery.
According to a sea of reports from yesterday, Apple's decision to stick the battery to the Retina MacBook Pro means that any kind of home-based repair or replacement is right out. Users with fussy laptops will have to either ship them back to Apple itself or drop them off at an Apple Store for battery replacement: Apple will take 3 to 4 business days to replace the battery, whereas the retail store will be able to do it the day of your appointment.
And the cost? $199. If you've owned a MacBook in the past, you'll recognize that the new repair fee is all of 54 percent greater than what you might have previously paid to get your MacBook's battery repaired. Or, for that matter, your MacBook Air – same built-in battery deal, but replaceable at the lower cost of $129.
Apple Unveils Next-Gen MacBook Pro With Retina Display
Apple on Monday unveiled an update to its notebook lineup, including the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, both of which start shipping today.
But Apple also took the wraps off a completely revamped, next-generation MacBook Pro with the rumored Retina display.
Phil Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide marketing at Apple, said at the company's Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) that the new 15.4-inch MacBook Pro is thinner than his finger, coming in at 0.71 inches thick and less than 4.5 pounds.
Its display, however, comes in at 2,880-by-1,800 and 220ppi, which Schiller said makes it the world's highest-resolution notebook.
The Mac OS has been updated for the new MacBook Pro display, Schiller said, including Mail, Safari, iMovie, iPhoto, and Final Cut Pro.
Will Apple’s MacBook Patent Hurt Ultrabook Makers?
Apple this week earned a patent on its distinctive laptop teardrop concept, which could mean hard times ahead for PC makers in the business of building slim ultrabook laptops, many of which resemble the MacBook wedge blueprint.
Apple's patent — D661,296 S — is described as "the ornamental design for an electronic device," and includes drawings of the entire product, defined by solid lines.
The patent features little written explanation, leaving a number of drawings to do the talking. To determine infringement, courts look at whether "an ordinary observer" can see substantial similarities in overall appearance, patent lawyer Rich Goldstein of Goldstein Law Offices told PCMag.
"Keeping in mind, of course, that laptops, by their nature, already will look similar," Goldstein said. "So the test actually requires that this 'ordinary observer' already have in mind the 'prior art,'" he said.
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