Hasta La Gadget!

Etsy stickers adorning your MacBook’s lid, oft making a cute play on the presence of that glowing Apple? That’s so 2012. Uncover, a Dutch company showcasing its talents here at The Next Web Conference in Amsterdam this week, has crafted a new method of customizing one’s MacBook lid. And, perhaps most importantly, it involves the seamless removal of the Apple logo altogether. In essence, these guys use a specialized laser cutting process that can etch out anything your brain can muster — from band logos to company mantras. And, as you’ll see in the gallery below, the Apple logo doesn’t have to be a part of the equation.

The outfit will take in any aluminum-faced MacBook from around the world, and once it lands in Holland, you’ll typically see it headed back to your domicile within four to five days. If you’re selecting one of Uncover’s designs, you can have your machine tweaked for as little as €249 (around $325), while completely custom work starts at €599 ($780). (And yes, you can just buy a totally new Mac from Uncover as well.) We spoke to Jasper Middendorp, the company’s CEO, and he confessed that only MacBooks are being accepted due to Apple’s unique backlighting arrangement. They’re obviously keen to offer similar work for PCs, but to date, every one he has seen blocks or covers the backlight in some way. For those looking to get it on the fun, allow the source link below to be your guide.

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Source: Uncover

It’s been nearly two weeks since Apple made its 15-inch next-generation MacBook Pro available as a refurb and now the 13-inch model’s ready to follow suit. Listed on the company’s online storefront today, iFans averse to full retail pricing can now snag the base model with a 2.5GHz dual-core Intel Core i5, 4GB RAM and a 500GB HDD for $1,019 (about $180 less). That’s if you hate your eyes, but have slightly more respect for your wallet. Or… or you can go for the gloss and get the Retina model with the same processor setup, 8GB RAM and a 128GB SSD (configurations of up to 512GB also available) for $1,439 — so long as you’re willing to pay more of a premium. However it shakes down for you, there’s no denying you’re in store for savings and the pleasures of a product that’s almost brand new.

Filed under: Laptops, Apple

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Via: MacRumours, SlashGear

Source: Apple

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)

Filed under: Laptops, Apple

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 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.

Continue reading Apple 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro hands-on!

Filed under: Laptops, Apple

Apple 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro hands-on! originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Oct 2012 14:31:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Don’t worry, we know. Odds are, there will be one or two surprises when the Apple Store returns this afternoon.

Filed under: Desktops, Laptops, Tablets, Software, Apple

Apple Store taken down before ‘little’ event originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Oct 2012 08:26:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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