MacBook Pro 2012 Rumors Fueled By 'Retina Graphics' Update on App

By Ceylan Yeginsu | June 08 2012 10:55 AM

An update to a Mac OS X-based application that cites support for Retina graphics, has fueled rumors that the revamped MacBook Pro and iMac family, expected to unveil at WWDC next week, will come with the highly anticipated iPad display feature.

Apple

The new MacBook Pro will come with a 15-inch Retina Display, a super-fast USB 3.0 port and an ultra-thin design, according to a recent report from Apple’s supply chain, obtained by 9to5Mac.

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Since Intel announced that its Ivy Bridge processor has been built for Retina Display computers, rumors have been circulating that redesigned versions of mac computers will also herald the revolutionary 2048 x 1536, 3.1 million-pixel Retina Display.

Folderwatch, the app that allows users to keep a project up-to-date on an external hard drive, isn't the most obvious example of an app that requires retina graphics, but it does suggest that other app developers will follow suit, should the new Macs come with the feature.

Retina Display rumors were spurred further last week by an apparent leaked image displaying a LED- backlit glossy widescreen display with 2,560 pixels x 1,600 pixels, CNET reported.

Apple fans are eager for MacBook laptops and iMac desktops to include the Retina Display and the MacBook Pro is the most likely candidates for it as some of its features could compromise the ultra-thin and light qualities of the MacBook Air. A laptop with a Retina Display would also require a bigger battery, which would result in a thicker case, larger than that of the current MacBook Air.

Initially the new MacBook Pro was rumored to look much like the Air, but a report from 9to5Mac quashed the rumors. While the MacBook Pro is expected to be thinner than its predecessor, it will not exhibit the tapered edges of the Air.

The report also indicated that the Pro would lose its optical drive and be fitted with two extra thunderbolt ports as well as USB ports, two audio in/out-sized ports and an SD card slot.

Another report obtained by Bloomberg also revealed that the newly designed MacBook Pro computers would run on Intel's Ivy Bridge Processor. Intel has announced that Ivy Bridge has been built for Retina Display computers.

Worldwide Developers Conference

The main products Apple enthusiasts are expecting to be announced during the keynote speech at WWDC are an updated iMac, a new MacBook Pro, the mobile iOS 6 software update, and possibly the unveiling of the iPhone 5, which is more likely to be launched in October with an Apple event of its own, reports suggest.

Apple launched the 2012 WWDC app last week, so users can track more than 100 sessions at the four-day conference. The keynote lecture will take place on June 11 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, and while Apple has not confirmed who will be speaking, it is likely to be the company's CEO, Tim Cook.