“Apple is betting on the future needs of professionals with the Retina MacBook Pro,” Chris Foresman reports for Ars Technica.
“Not everyone is entirely ready for that future right now, though, so Apple is offering Ivy Bridge-bumped versions of the “old” 15″ and 13″ MacBook Pro for those who aren’t ready to make the leap,” Foresman reports. “But it’s clear where the proverbial puck is going to be, and the Retina MacBook Pro demonstrates Apple’s determination to skate there instead of where the puck is currently.”
“It’s difficult not to slip into hyperbole when it comes to the Retina MacBook Pro’s signature feature—the high-resolution ‘retina’ display. If you have used an iPhone 4 or 4S, or a third-generation iPad, you have some idea of what to expect: sharp text, crisp lines, and pixels that seem to disappear,” Foresman reports. “The screen does seem to resemble a printed page at the default setting, which treats the display as if it were a 15″ 1440×900 pixel screen as used in the ‘old’ MacBook Pro. This means that the effective screen real estate hasn’t changed—you still have the same amount of workspace. What has changed is that OS X will use four times the number of pixels to render UI elements, text, and more. The end result is that everything simply looks sharper and, frankly, better.”
Foresman reports, “Extra options can quickly bump the price of a Retina MacBook Pro up beyond $3,000, but its entry-level $2,199 seems quite reasonable compared to other portable Macs. Windows PC users may wince at the price, but which other vendor is offering what is essentially a quad-core 15″ ultrabook with comparable resolution? (Hint: none).”
Tons more in the full review – recommended as usual – here.
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