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Following yesterday's report from 9to5Mac stating that the 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro would be introduced alongside the "iPad mini" at Apple's media event all but confirmed for October 23, AllThingsD now weighs in with its own sources making similar claims.
The smaller iPad may be the star of Apple’s as of yet unannounced October 23rd invitation-only event, but it will have an impressive supporting cast.
Sources familiar with Apple’s plans tell AllThingsD that the company plans to unveil a smaller version of its MacBook Pro with Retina Display as well.
The report summarizes expectations for the new machine, which include a 2560x1600 display, same thin profile as the 15-inch model, and all-flash storage. Pricing remains unknown, but if the 15-inch model is any indication consumers can expect a significant price premium for the Retina 13-inch model compared to the thicker non-Retina models that will undoubtedly remain available.
AllThingsD has an excellent track record when it comes to rumors regarding Apple's media event plans, and thus it does indeed appear that Apple's media event will focus on several different products next week.
Top Rated Comments
Since SSDs have slightly gone down in price, I hope it doesn't cost $500 to go from 256GB to 512GB and such.
1) Why do people always take a rumor of product X to mean that Apple is not also working on product Y?
Well, a lot of people including Apple, claim the desktop is dead. This is the first time in recent Apple history that their tower, formerly PowerMac, hasn't been revamped in two years and [supposedly] won't be until 2013. Not to mention displays that cater mainly to their notebook line (their previous ACD's were fantastic CCFL LCD's that came in three sizes and worked with all their systems; now you need USB/Mini-display port extension cables just to reach their Mac Pro unless I want my 12-Core Pro sitting on my desk with my 2 24" LED LCD's).2) "Post-PC" era does not mean that PCs are obsolete or no longer used, just that they are no longer the singular focus of the computing market.
Apple has focused less on their professional lines as mobile devices are cheaper and hook consumers with iTunes only iOS app's, ebooks, movies, etc. Businesses still need the power, upgradeability and convenience of on-site repairs with towers. Apple has become greedy; they've shifted to iOS devices and cheaper notebooks (and lawsuits, I'd love to be an Apple attorney, woo-hoo!), leaving the professionals who make a living off OS X/towers in the dust. I recall Jobs and Ives stating the design/product comes first, and its success leads to profit. Now, it seems profit dictates products. This may work for a while, but it runs contrary to what made Apple a success: leading the industry based on innovation. Focusing more on profit will only bit ya in da arse ;).
Because a 12-year old can edit a movie on their iPad or MacBook doesn't mean the industry has changed, it means the software has become less pro-centric as with FCPX and more consumer-centric. Why are so many studios using FCP7 or moving to Avid or Windows systems? As Jobs himself stated, "their opinion is no longer needed". Sucks for us, great for Apple shareholders, but how many billions in cash is enough???
It seems we've gone from Steve Jobs' quadrant 1 to what it may be presently:
who would buy the simple macbook pro when they can choose between air and retina pro, depending on their budget?
People who like optical media, Ethernet, Firewire, and large cheap HD capacity.