As soon as Apple announced the 15-inch Retina MacBook Pro, the countdown started for the 13-inch version. Well, here it is. A slim, trim, portable little MacBook with a gorgeous retina screen and a gut-punch cost. And another reminder that sometimes wonderful things don’t live up to their price tag. More »
The Apple rumor-mill is cyclical, and one tale refuses to die: Apple ousting Intel from its MacBooks, and replacing x86 chips with ARM-based alternatives. The story surfaces periodically, just as it has done today, with titters of increasing “confidence” within Apple’s engineering teams that Intel will be eventually ditched in favor of the company’s own A-series SoCs as currently found within the iPad and iPhone. Not today, so the whispers go, but eventually, and what’s most interesting is that we’re likely already seeing the signs of the transition in Apple’s newest models.
Apple has arguably pushed tablet processors as far as they need to go, at least for today’s market. There’s a sense that the Apple A6X chipset in the latest, fourth-generation iPad with Retina display was a near-meaningless improvement on the A6 its predecessor sported; far more important was the change from old-style Dock Connector to new Lightning port. Sure, the newest iPad is faster in benchmarks, but in day to day use there’s hardly a noticeable difference.
Those benchmarks give some hints, however, as to where ARM chips might make sense on the desktop. The iPad 4 did particularly well in SunSpider, a browser-based test of JavaScript performance that gives a good indication of how fast the web experience will be. Considering most of us live online when we’re using our computers, that’s an increasingly important metric.
The iPad 4 scored under 880ms in our SunSpider testing (the lower the number, the better), making it one of the fastest tablets around in that particular benchmark. Now, admittedly, a current-gen MacBook Pro is capable of scores a quarter of that. But, more importantly, the iPad 4 can run for more than ten hours of active use delivering its level of performance, on a 43 Whr battery. Inside the new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina, in contrast, Apple finds room for a 74 Whr pack.
“Intel may make a fast processor but it’s behind the curve in efficiency”
The allure of an ARM-based MacBook, then, is the combination of that growing performance and the power frugality of the chips that deliver it. Intel may make a fast processor, but it’s behind the curve when it comes to efficiency compared to ARM; the company’s struggles with Atom in the mobile market are evidence of that. And, while there’ll always be a cadre of performance-demanding Mac users, the regular cohort with more everyday needs might be more than wiling to sacrifice a little top-end grunt for the longevity to make it through a transatlantic flight with plenty of juice to spare.
In the end, though, Apple is notoriously self-reliant. The company has bought or invested in specialists in chip components, displays, aluminum casing production, optically-laminated displays, component assembly, and more. Anything, in short, that contributes to Apple’s supply chain or its competitive advantage in the market place (or preferably both). Sometimes the fruits of those investments go relatively unused for years, at least as far as the public can see; Apple’s perpetual and exclusive license to use Liquidmetal in its range – something so far mostly limited to a SIM-removal tool – is a good example of that.
We’ve also seen how it won’t shy from distancing itself from vendors when they either won’t toe the line or let the company down. NVIDIA’s time in the doghouse after the faulty MacBook GPU saga is good evidence of that, while AMD has long been tipped as attempting to curry Apple’s favor but never quite delivering the goods in internal testing.
If Apple can rid itself of reliance on another third party – and further extend the distance between its range and Windows-based PCs, blurring the lines of direct comparison – then it will undoubtedly jump at that chance. It’s unlikely to be shy in flexing its checkbook to do so, either, betting on long-term investment over short-term gains.
Apple, if time has taught us anything, will do what’s best for Apple: that means it demands the biggest advantage from those it works with, and isn’t afraid of taking a hit if it needs to change in order to achieve greater returns. In the past, Intel has given it early access to new processors, as well as the collaborative spoils of Thunderbolt ahead of PC rivals. If Intel can’t meet the grade on the sort of processors Apple sees as pivotal to its vision of future computing, however, all that shared history will be for naught. As far as Apple goes, it’s the Cupertino way or the highway.
If Apple can ditch Intel, it will is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
It would appear that Apple has some relatively major internal changes coming up as both their head of Retail John Browett and SVP of iOS Scott Forstall are announced to be exiting the company in the very near future. Forstall will be leaving in 2013 and will be serving as advisor to CEO Tim Cook until that time, while John Browett will be out without a timeframe – immediately, we must assume. This announcement is joined by assurances that Apple will be making changes that involve Jony Ive, Bob Mansfield, Eddy Cue and Craig Federighi adding more responsibility to their plate and that Tim Cook will be in charge of Retail until a new head of Retail can be found.
This update has Eddy Cue taking on additional responsibilities inside the universes of Siri and Maps. This change has all of Apple’s online services put in one group, a group that’s overseen items such as iCloud, the Apple Store, and the iTunes Store. Jony Ive will be adding Human Interface to his plate, this added to his giant role of leader of Industrial Design which he’s held for some time. As Apple says, “His incredible design aesthetic has been the driving force behind the look and feel of Apple’s products for more than a decade.”
Mister Craig Federighi will be taking charge of both OS X and iOS at once. This will have both systems – mobile and desktop – seeing more integration than ever, making one user experience key for those that work with both. Bob Mansfield will be leading a brand new group called Technologies. This Technologies group will be covering Apple’s wireless teams across the entire company into one organization.
Technologies will also include the semiconductor teams and will be “fostering innovation in this area at an even higher level” than ever before. Expect big things to continue to come from Apple, but that this change of the guard in a couple of yet areas to have a real effect on the innards of the company. Now we must wait to see what’s next for Browett and Forstall – or who will be lucky enough to attain their talents!
[via Apple]
Scott Forstall and John Browett set to exit Apple as “Collaboration” efforts commence is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Look down the aisles at any Apple launch event, across the laps of dozens of journalists liveblogging or in some other way documenting the goings-on, and it’s inevitable that you’ll see MacBooks. A lot of MacBooks. And, since many of those laps are irrevocably linked to owners who spend their days jetting around the globe to other companies’ events, those laptops are quite often the travel-friendly MacBook Air. So, while we were excited to see a thinner, lighter 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display unveiled earlier this year, many of us were left asking one question: “Where’s the 13-inch version?”
Now, a little over four months later, here it is. Why the wait from one to the next? That’s for Apple to know and us to speculate about (supply chain concerns? engineering issues?), but the important thing is that it’s available now and it is, in many ways, an uncompromised, slightly smaller rendition of the 15-inch version that came before. It’s thinner and it’s lighter than the current 13-inch Pro but promises better internals and the same battery life as the 13-inch Air. Perfect portions of portability and performance? Let’s find out.
Continue reading MacBook Pro with Retina display review (13-inch, late 2012)
MacBook Pro with Retina display review (13-inch, late 2012) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 29 Oct 2012 12:00:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apple finally gave ambitious road-warriors with excellent vision the Retina MacBook Pro they’d been demanding, a 13-inch model to join the existing 15-inch Pro at the pinnacle of the company’s mobile range. Promising the same eye-watering visuals with the sort of processing power the Pro line-up is known for, the 13-inch version also makes some concessions so as to slim down to suit more frequent travelers. Is this the perfect notebook for your bag? Read on for our full review.
Side by side, the two Retina-class notebooks are almost identical in their thickness. The 13-inch model is actually slightly thicker – we’re talking a millimeter’s difference, mind – but the disparity in weight (3.57 pounds versus 4.46 pounds), width (12.35 inches versus 14.14 inches), and depth (8.62 inches versus 9.73 inches) are the most noticeable changes. If the original Retina MacBook Pro is a long, thin slice of computer, then the smaller model is a tiny powerhouse that can easily be dropped into a bag without demanding the sort of performance compromise of, say, a MacBook Air. Next to the old-style 13-inch, meanwhile, the differences are considerably more obvious. The new Retina model is thinner, lighter, narrower, and even less deep.
Still, there are some compromises to be made for reducing bulk (and for starting $500 less) from the 15-inch Retina Pro. The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina loses the discrete graphics option of its 15-inch sibling, making do with Intel HD Graphics 4000, though you can still power two external displays – via a combination of the two Thunderbolt ports and the single HDMI – and run the notebook’s own display simultaneously.
Storage starts off at 128GB of flash, with 256GB, 512GB, and 768GB options; the default processor is a 2.5GHz Core i5 dualcore, whereas the 15-inch model heads straight to Core i7 quadcores. You can pay extra for a Core i7 chip on the 13-inch, but it’s the dualcore, not the quad. Memory is a fixed 8GB of 1600MHz DDR3L, with no option to change that.
13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina: Hands-on and comparisons:
All the ports, wireless connectivity, and 720p webcam are the same as we saw on the 15-inch, as is the backlit keyboard and sizable trackpad. That means you get a pair of Thunderbolt connectors (which can double as Mini DisplayPort), two USB 3.0, a headphone jack, SDXC memory card slot, and an HDMI output. Inside there’s WiFi a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0, and a pair of microphones are on the left edge.
Apple’s industrial design continues its gradual evolution toward thinner, pared-back computing, and the new MacBook Pro is no different. From the side, it’s like the old model but flatter; you can also glimpse the new “side gill” vents which are part of the reworked cooling system. In use, it’s quiet, with the fans only rising to a concentrated hum during the heavier moments of our benchmarking. The compromise to be made is one of repairability and room for improvement: the memory is soldered to the logic board, so as to shave away bulk, as is the processor, and the flash storage uses a proprietary connector so it’s sensible to buy the biggest drive you can afford initially.
The 13-inch MacBook Pro Retina display is, at 2560 x 1600, slightly lower than the 2880 x 1800 of the 15-inch, but because of the smaller size its pixel density is even higher: 227 ppi compared to 220 ppi. With both in front of you, though, you don’t see any difference – the whole point, after all, is that the pixels aren’t supposed to be individually identifiable – only the mesmerizing detail and smoothness of the graphics that leave other notebook displays, no matter how bright or colorful, looking crunchy and jagged. Viewing angles are broad enough that you might have to worry about those next to you on the plane glancing over and seeing what you’re working on.
As before true Retina mode on the MacBook Pro doesn’t actually give you 2560 x 1600 resolution. Instead, you get a simulated lower resolution which is smoother all round, since each pixel is in fact a cluster of smaller pixels.Yyou can optionally switch out of Retina mode and pick a higher effective resolution, though the 13-inch misses out on the 1920 x 1200 of the larger machine; instead, the maximum is 1680 x 1050, still impressive (and impressively detailed) for a relatively small notebook. Third party applications are available which will force the display resolution even higher, though are not officially supported by Apple.
Apple is quoting a 75-percent reduction in glare from its new Retina display, versus the previous MacBook Pro 13. In practice, there’s certainly fewer reflections, which adds up to more flexibility in where you can use the notebook. It’s not a true matte finish, mind, though by ramping up the brightness you can use it outdoors and still see what’s going on.
We actually have two new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina models on our test bench: the 2.5GHz Core i5-3210M dualcore (3MB L3 cache) and the 2.9GHz Core i7-3520M dualcore (4MB L3 cache). Each has 8GB of memory and supports Intel Turbo Boost, up to 3.1GHz and 3.6GHz respectively, and is running Mac OS 10.8.2.
We started with Geekbench, a synthetic test of processor and memory performance. The Core i5 machine scored 6507 overall, while the Core i7 pushed that to 8238. It’s worth noting that the increases weren’t solely in the processor categories: the Core i7 model also recorded better memory scores, suggesting that it makes better use of the 8GB it has. Still, each is a fair step behind the 15-inch Retina model, which scored 12,970 with its 2.6GHz quadcore Core i7-3720QM and 8GB of memory. Performance was roughly on a par with the mid-2012 13-inch MacBook Air.
MacBook Pro 13 with Retina – Core i5 – Geekbench:
| Section | Description | Score | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mac OS X x86 (64-bit) – Mac OS X 10.8.2 (Build 12C2034) | |||
| Integer | Processor integer performance | 5081 | 6507 |
| Floating Point | Processor floating point performance | 8755 | |
| Memory | Memory performance | 4979 | |
| Stream | Memory bandwidth performance | 6691 | |
MacBook Pro 13 with Retina – Core i7 – Geekbench:
| Section | Description | Score | Total Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mac OS X x86 (64-bit) – Mac OS X 10.8.2 (Build 12C2034) | |||
| Integer | Processor integer performance | 6545 | 8238 |
| Floating Point | Processor floating point performance | 11131 | |
| Memory | Memory performance | 6500 | |
| Stream | Memory bandwidth performance | 7516 | |
We then turned to Cinebench, which benchmarks processor and graphics performance with a mixture of 3D rendering and OpenGL testing. It’s a good way of examining how a system will handle intensive tasks such as video processing, or gaming.
The Core i5 model scored 2.12 CPU points, while the Core i7 scored 2.81 CPU points, or roughly half the result you’d expect from a quadcore processor. Unsurprisingly, with no discrete GPU, graphics performance showed the biggest hit, with the Core i5 managing 14.81fps and the Core i7 squeezing out 19.69fps.
By way of comparison, the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina’s NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M GPU saw it record a score of 34.30fps in the same category. The MacBook Air managed 16.41fps.
If you’re planning use your new Mac for serious graphics or video editing, our suggestion would be to stick to the larger Pro, as the standalone GPU pays dividends. Of course, it also requires more power, though it includes the same Intel HD Graphics 4000 chip for more everyday use.
While the battery in the MacBook Pro 13 Retina may be smaller than before – 74-watt-hour, or versus the 95-watt-hour of the 15-inch – the fact it’s driving a smaller screen and less extreme components means Apple rates it for the same runtime: up to seven hours of wireless web browsing, or 30 days standby. However, the 60-watt MagSafe 2 power adapter is slightly smaller and thus continues the theme of the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina being easier to transport.
In practice, with a mixture of web browsing over WiFi, some music playback, a couple of YouTube videos and some emailing, and the display set to a usable half brightness, the Pro lasted just over six hours. Scaling that back to solely browsing and we broke past Apple’s seven hour estimate by a couple of minutes. In contrast, a more ambitious use of the notebook for video playback and some brief video processing in iMovie saw the battery expire in around four hours.
The $2,000 mark is an important mental barrier, and the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina’s $2,199 starting price put it out of consideration for many. In contrast, the 13-inch version starts at $1,699 with the 128GB flash drive, rising to $1,999 for the 256GB model.
Increasing storage isn’t cheap – you can boost the entry-level model to 768GB, yes, but it’ll cost you more than a MacBook Air to do so – but the $200 extra for the Core i7 dualcore strikes us as a worthy upgrade given the impact it has on performance overall. Apple still offers the non-Retina 13-inch MacBook Pro, which starts at $1,199 with the same 2.5GHz Core i5 dualcore, though to specify the same memory and a 128GB SSD you’re looking at $1,499. You also get a gigabit ethernet port, FireWire, and an optical drive, though you miss out on the lighter chassis and far improved Retina display.
While the Air might be the smallest of Apple’s notebook line-up, the 13-inch Pro hits a more palatable sweet-spot for balancing power, performance, and functionality. At $1,699 and up, the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display sits at the premium end of the notebook market ($500 less than the entry-level 15-inch model, mind, although you do get extra performance for that) but it does offer features that, right now, you can’t get elsewhere. Those for whom sheer power – particularly multimedia editing – is essential should probably opt for the bigger model, but those road warriors looking to pare back weight and bulk without unduly sacrificing usability will find a lot to love in the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display.
MacBook Pro 13-inch Retina Review is written by Vincent Nguyen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
Welcome to Thursday evening folks. Today was Microsoft’s big Windows 8 launch event, and though we didn’t find out many new details, the company did share a few interesting tidbits of information. For instance, did you know that there are more than 1,000 Windows 8 certified PCs now? How about the fact that Microsoft has sold a whopping 670 million Windows 7 licenses? Microsoft also told us that the Windows Store will be available in 231 markets, and that Windows RT is supported by more than 420 million devices. Impressive numbers to be sure, but it’s important to remember why we were at this show in the first place: Windows 8 launches in just a few hours, so get ready for that.
Today we had two massive companies deliver quarterly reports – Apple is looking pretty good despite a few under-performing sectors, but Amazon posted an operating loss of $28 million. Earlier in the day we heard that the LG Nexus 4 has a release date of October 30, and then more evidence of the rumored Nexus 10 surfaced in the form of a (supposed) quick start guide. iFixit gave the new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display the teardown treatment today, while we heard whispers that Apple will launch a new online music service in 2013.
EE confirmed today that it will be offering the iPad mini and the iPad 4, and Nokia was seen touting its NAVTEQ True technology today. Nintendo revealed that it will be selling the Wii U at a loss, and we learned that T-Mobile’s Galaxy Note II has hardware support for LTE. Microsoft has turned Times Square into its own Windows 8 advertising space this evening, just in case you forgot that Windows 8 and Microsoft Surface are launching tomorrow.
Speaking of that launch, Microsoft laid out upgrade options for Windows 8 today, and told us that once we experience the glory of touch, we’ll want it on everything. Today Ubisoft told the world that Assassin’s Creed III is its most pre-ordered game ever (since Assassin’s Creed: Revelations at least), and we caught wind that the rumored Nexus 7 3G cleared the FCC. The Sony Xperia TL will be hitting AT&T on November 2, and finally tonight, the iPad Mini goes up for pre-order tomorrow, so be sure to get those in quickly if you want to get one at launch. That does it for tonight’s evening wrap-up, enjoy the rest of your night everyone!
SlashGear Evening Wrap-Up: October 25, 2012 is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
iFixit just finished a teardown of Apple’s new 13-inch retina MacBook Pro, and the findings are a mixed bag of good and bad news for folks who like to fix their own gear. Compared to the 15-inch retina MBP, the smaller model should be marginally easier to tinker with. But it’s still pretty much impossible to repair. More »
Apple tried to dissuade the teardown merchants from ripping apart the new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display by showing exactly what was folded inside during its Tuesday keynote, but to no avail. The new pixel-packed portable has shown up on the cruel teardown bench of iFixit, only to be dismantled to its slimline parts. Overall, the news for those (few) wanting to do DIY maintenance is not good: the notebook scores just 2 out of 10 for repairability.
Considering what we’ve already seen of the 15-inch version, which iFixit accused of introducing new levels of hands-off design, that the 13-inch model isn’t repair-friendly hardly comes as a surprise. The repair team calls out the glued-in battery – easier to get out than the bigger model, but still not easy – and the RAM being soldered to the logic board, which means no upgrades there.
Meanwhile, the display assembly is apparently “almost impossible to take apart” which means replacement, not repair, and Apple has used its proprietary “pentalobe” screws so that even just getting into the chassis is a struggle. Interestingly, iFixit reckons that – with a custom cable – you could “fit a regular 5 mm or 7 mm 2.5″ laptop drive” inside, though how many would actually want that is unclear.
As per the 15-incher, the new 13-inch Retina goes on sale alongside its optical drive toting predecessor, rather than replacing it, so users who want more flexibility in how they repair or generally tinker with their notebook do have a choice. Still, the extra resolution on offer from Retina graphics means most buyers are likely to be swayed over to the new design.
If you’d rather see the MacBook Pro 13 with Retina Display in one piece, check out our hands-on from the launch on Tuesday.
Teardown time for Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
You know the drill (er, screwdriver): someone releases a shiny new gadget and the internet tears it apart, both figuratively and literally. iFixit did the latter like clockwork, getting its tools on the new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display. As with its older sibling, the notebook didn’t do all that well on the repairability scale, scoring a two out of 10 — slightly better than its predecessor’s lowly one. Why so low? You can blame a glued battery, proprietary screws, soldered RAM and a display assembly that’s “almost impossible to take apart.” There are, however, plenty of pictures of a tiny kitten, which should help to ease the pain…
Filed under: Laptops
iFixit tears down 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro, rates it two grumpy kittens for repairability originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 25 Oct 2012 08:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Apple announced the new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina at its event on Tuesday, and now its released the first TV commercial. Aired during “Modern Family,” the 31 second advertisement features a slowly rotating Retina MacBook Pro and the tagline “For the pro in us all.” The commercial is titled “Colors.”
“Introducing the new 13-inch MacBook Pro with a stunning Retina display. For the pro in all of us.” The commercial is as simple and elegant as it is effective, providing just enough taste for the sleek-looking device to catch viewers’ attention while keeping the message cryptic enough to send the curious off in search of more info. The background is dark, amplifying the laptop’s display.
This new MacBook Pro features a 13.3-inch Retina display with a 227ppi resolution of 2,560 x 1,600. To put that in perspective, the 15.4-inch MacBook Pro with Retina has a resolution of 2,880 x 1,800. The display offers wide viewing angles, and is exceptionally crisp. Check out our hands-on review for more info.
Screen aside, the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro featurs a dual-core i5 processor and 8GB of RAM for $1,699. The model has a 128GB SSD drive, 802.11a/b/g/n WiFi, and Intel HD Graphics 4000. The device weighs in at 3.57lbs.
First 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro TV commercial launched is written by Brittany Hillen & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.
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