Apple has just updated its online store with the new products it has been officially unveiling today at the iPad event we’ve been liveblogging. Most notably, Apple has eliminated the 15-inch MacBook Pro with optical drive, but kept on the 13-inch version due to its popularity among students. Featured front and above the fold, the […]
Apple has updated its 13- and its 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro laptops today, with changes that make both machines more powerful under the hood and that actually result in a size and weight savings for the already-svelte 13-inch Retina Pro.
The core of each update is the Intel Haswell processor, which adds considerable benefits in terms of battery life. This means that, combined with the OS X Mavericks release, the 13-inch model gets a more impressive nine hours of battery life, while the more powerful 15-inch version stays steady at an advertised eight hours.
Playing with both reveals little immediate observable difference for the 15-inch version, though it does seem speedier and generally more responsive. The 13-inch version is a big change, however – the 3.46 lbs compared to the 3.57 of the last generation may not feel like much, but combined with a thickness of just 0.71 inches, it feels like a lot, and will probably be even more impressive if you’re carrying one around with you every day.
Before this release, the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display was essentially the best notebook on the market. Now, with a $200 price cut and an even slimmer profile, not to mention two Thunderbolt ports (which are gen 2) instead of just one, I’d say it stands a very good chance of retaining that crown.
The latest Google Doodle is celebrating the 216th anniversary of the first parachute jump. This jump was done by Andre-Jacque Garnerin, though his jump was not exactly what many would think of by the current definition of a parachute jump. Of course, given the timeline, it goes without saying that he did not jump out […]
It’s all-change in Mac land, and after the MacBook Air got its Haswell refresh earlier this year – to great effect – it’s the turn of the MacBook Pro with Retina display to be brought up to speed. Apple’s pixel-dense desktop replacement was always a powerhorse, at least in 15-inch form, but now gets Intel […]
Here’s a summary of everything Apple announced at today’s San Francisco event.
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Looking for more videos to feed that new Kindle Fire HDX? You’ll be glad to hear that Amazon has just added a slew of them to Prime Instant Video through an expanded deal with MGM. The agreement gives subscribers access to the TV series Vikings as well as a handful of better-known movies, including …
Back when Apple first teased the Mac Pro 2013 at WWDC 2013 earlier this year it gave us few details and even less of a chance to get our hands on the barrel-shaped powerhouse. This time around, we have pricing, a release date, and even the chance to get our grubby fingers on the new […]
The little iPad Mini just got some big changes
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The first-generation iPad mini was near-perfect in terms of a small tablet, with the one big shortcoming being that it lacked Apple’s impressive Retina high-resolution display. It was hard to go back to a standard-res screen after the iPad 3 and iPhone 4, which is why it’s great that the new version offers a Retina screen.
The eye-boggling 2048 x 1536 screen looks excellent in person, and for anyone coming from a generation one device it’s going to be a dramatic change. The iPad mini itself is very slightly thicker and heavier than its predecessor to accommodate the Retina Display with the same battery life, adding 0.01 inches and 0.05 pounds to the specs of the original, but that makes minimal difference to the actual feel of the product in the hand.
Also new to the iPad mini is a new space gray color scheme, which is lighter than the dark black of the original version. As with the iPhone, it’s an attractive color option, and I suspect also less susceptible to scratches. It’s actually quite close when compared side-by-side to the silver version, but it’s still got the solid black front bezel.
The new case options feel about the same as the existing versions, though they come in new color variants. I’m always a fan of the smart cover, and this time around is no exception. Everything else aside, though, the big attraction here is the Retina display.
Apple may have beefed up the iPad mini’s processor power with the A7 chip and added a 128 GB storage option, plus much better global LTE coverage, but the Retina is what’s really going to make it worth the extra $70 over the original cost of the gen-one iPad mini. And considering that you do get an iPad essentially as powerful as its larger sibling in such a small, one-hand holdable package, it really is worth the minor price hike, based on my initial impressions.
It’s that time of the year when OEMs upgrade to the latest Intel processors and Apple is making its second move, and takes the opportunity to improve further by adding things like PCIe based SSD drives, and other goodies. Apple had previously updated its consumer line up (Macbook Air and iMac), but during today’s event, the “Pro” line was the center of the attention.
The industrial design of the Macbook Pro 13 has been slightly updated and is now thinner at 0.71”. The weight has been reduced a bit down to 3.46lbs, but overall, the look and feel remains nearly identical to the previous unibody design that has proven to be a blockbuster. The retina display remains identical and most of the changes are internal, including a trip back to 4GB of RAM. (more…)
Macbook Pro late 2013: Updated Nicely original content from Ubergizmo. 
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