OS X 10.7.3 Beta Reveals Active Work on 'Retina' Display Support for Mac

MacRumors · Dec 21, 2011, 10:26 AM

Several times earlier this year, we covered Apple's work on "HiDPI" modes in OS X Lion for supporting ultra high-resolution displays offering greater pixel density with a similar increase in image quality to that seen with the iPhone's transition to a "Retina" display.

With new claims that Apple is set to release a new 15" MacBook Pro offering a resolution of 2880x1800 early next year, Apple's work on its HiDPI software support has also been gaining renewed attention. By doubling the resolution in each dimension over the existing 1440x900 MacBook Pro, Apple would achieve four times the number of pixels and provide developers with an easy way to scale existing artwork.

Evidence of Apple's continued work on HiDPI has shown up in developer builds of OS X 10.7.3, with the "Get Info" window for applications seeing the addition of an "Open in HIDPI mode" checkbox. But while that checkbox would presumably automatically use higher-resolution fonts and graphics that would display at the same absolute size as existing elements, it has not been functional in developer builds where it is present.

With yesterday's release of Build 11D36 to developers, Apple has now removed that checkbox from the "Get Info" window entirely. While its removal may suggest a step backward in Apple's implementation of HiDPI support, it is routine for Apple to activate and deactivate portions of features as it works on them. Consequently, the mere change in the checkbox's visibility in the new build indicates that Apple is indeed likely actively working on the feature.

Article Link: OS X 10.7.3 Beta Reveals Active Work on 'Retina' Display Support for Mac

lymanicempire · Dec 21, 2011, 10:29 AM

I lust!

Hakone · Dec 21, 2011, 10:31 AM

Please make this a reality for 2012!

oiuh151 · Dec 21, 2011, 10:31 AM

2012 is shaping up to be the year of the retina.

VanMac · Dec 21, 2011, 10:31 AM

Keep it coming.

Yvan256 · Dec 21, 2011, 10:34 AM

Quote:

By doubling the resolution in each dimension over the existing 1440x900 MacBook Pro, Apple would achieve four times the number of pixels and provide developers with an easy way to scale existing artwork.

I wish people would stop saying "provide developers with an easy way to scale existing artwork" when it's about computers, that's just nonsense.

That might be true for devices with known, fixed resolutions that are upgraded (ex: iPhone's 320x480 upgraded to the iPhone 4's 640x960), but it's completely pointless for computers which have various resolutions to begin with.

Nobody out there makes software that targets exactly 1440x900. Computer users use anything between 640x480 up to 2560x2048. Even the aspect ratio isn't fixed.

Small White Car · Dec 21, 2011, 10:35 AM

This is what the kids today refer to as awesome-sause.

Oh, they don't? It's just me?

Ok...well...this is awkward.

Bluesdealer · Dec 21, 2011, 10:37 AM

Oh man... and, of course, I just bought a new MBP.

Oh well, let's just hope this also means the introduction of a 3840x2160 Cinema Display... which would allow for proper upscaling of 1080p content

One can dream.

robeddie · Dec 21, 2011, 10:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yvan256

I wish people would stop saying "provide developers with an easy way to scale existing artwork" when it's about computers, that's just nonsense.

That might be true for devices with known, fixed resolutions that are upgraded (ex: iPhone's 320x480 upgraded to the iPhone 4's 640x960), but it's completely pointless for computers which have various resolutions to begin with.

Nobody out there makes software that targets exactly 1440x900. Computer users use anything between 640x480 up to 2560x2048. Even the aspect ratio isn't fixed.

+1

Well said.

applesith · Dec 21, 2011, 10:47 AM

Oh yeah!!!

kjs862 · Dec 21, 2011, 10:48 AM

Let's hope we see this soon!

jontech · Dec 21, 2011, 10:48 AM

Wonder if Samsung won the bid to produce the panels?

The Great Boony · Dec 21, 2011, 10:49 AM

I'm sure Google/Android thought of this first.

dokujaryu · 10:56 AM

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3)

This is coming with Ivy Bridge? I wonder how this relates to the possible move to nVidia for graphics, and how the performance of Ive Bridge gpu can handle that Rez.

Edit: I mean with gpu enhanced ui elements like melt into dock and shadows. I find weak GPUs slow significantly with resolution.

In any case, I'll probably wait for rev. b if they make such a huge hardware change like this.

dimi94941 · Dec 21, 2011, 10:53 AM

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/9A405)

Will this be available for the new Air also or just MBP?

scott911 · Dec 21, 2011, 10:57 AM

"I wish people would stop saying "provide developers with an easy way to scale existing artwork" when it's about computers, that's just nonsense.":

agreed !

cmChimera · Dec 21, 2011, 10:59 AM

So are they going to have a unified resolution for the Macbook Pro's? Right now they have the 1680 x 1050 and the 1440 x 900. Are they pixel doubling the former or the latter? I really don't want to lose the extra estate the higher resolution afforded, but wouldn't mind if they increased the resolution as a whole and pixel doubled that.

reedfox11 · Dec 21, 2011, 11:00 AM

You can already get HiDPI on Mac OSX

WildCowboy · Dec 21, 2011, 11:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yvan256

I wish people would stop saying "provide developers with an easy way to scale existing artwork" when it's about computers, that's just nonsense.

That might be true for devices with known, fixed resolutions that are upgraded (ex: iPhone's 320x480 upgraded to the iPhone 4's 640x960), but it's completely pointless for computers which have various resolutions to begin with.

Nobody out there makes software that targets exactly 1440x900. Computer users use anything between 640x480 up to 2560x2048. Even the aspect ratio isn't fixed.

The statement refers primarily to onscreen elements. Buttons, icons, and other user interface elements need to be scaled up so that they appear at the same relative size as on current-resolution displays.

While applications target a range of resolutions, displays generally have roughly the same pixel density, so user interface elements remain roughly the same size regardless of the resolution. So it's about the pixel density, not the absolute resolution.

The move to "Retina" display on computers dramatically increases the pixel density, and that's what needs to be accounted for so that user interface elements don't become unusably small.

By going with a doubling of pixels in each dimension, it becomes easy for the system to display a pixel-doubled version of a small element at the appropriate real-life size if the developers have not provided those elements at sufficient resolution within the application.

tigres · Dec 21, 2011, 11:07 AM

this would be splendid, and a great reason to upgrade my 2010 MBA- but wait; it requires Lion

NMF · Dec 21, 2011, 11:12 AM

That's great, but what I really want is a 4K Thunderbolt Display!

(and matching iMac)

3bs · Dec 21, 2011, 11:12 AM

Would this have any effect on battery life?

Small White Car · Dec 21, 2011, 11:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Yvan256

I wish people would stop saying "provide developers with an easy way to scale existing artwork" when it's about computers, that's just nonsense.

Well, wait.

If I have some software that appears to be 6" x 4" on a 15" Macbook Pro, I will know that it will be 6" x 4" on a retina 15" Macbook Pro. (Rather than the expected 3" x 2" which would necessitate changes on my end.)

As a developer that's useful information. It means I can start work on making sure it works fine on a 27" iMac and an 11" Air but that I DON'T have to spend time making 2 versions for both 'old' and 'new' 15" Macbooks.

Knowing what I do and do not have to spend time working on is not "nonsense."

RichardBeer · Dec 21, 2011, 11:29 AM

Won't the increase in pixels put an increased strain on the GPU? Apple doesn't supply very powerful ones to begin with. I imagine if people want to do any 3D work it would maybe then cause performance issues?

RoboCop001 · Dec 21, 2011, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Small White Car

Well, wait.

If I have some software that appears to be 6" x 4" on a 15" Macbook Pro, I will know that it will be 6" x 4" on a retina 15" Macbook Pro. (Rather than the expected 3" x 2" which would necessitate changes on my end.)

As a developer that's useful information. It means I can start work on making sure it works fine on a 27" iMac and an 11" Air but that I DON'T have to spend time making 2 versions for both 'old' and 'new' 15" Macbooks.

Knowing what I do and do not have to spend time working on is not "nonsense."

I believe the problem being referred to exists more with 3rd party displays rather than the Apple displays.

Dec 21, 2011, 10:26 AM	#1
MacRumors macrumors bot Join Date: Apr 2001	OS X 10.7.3 Beta Reveals Active Work on 'Retina' Display Support for Mac Several times earlier this year, we covered Apple's work on "HiDPI" modes in OS X Lion for supporting ultra high-resolution displays offering greater pixel density with a similar increase in image quality to that seen with the iPhone's transition to a "Retina" display. With new claims that Apple is set to release a new 15" MacBook Pro offering a resolution of 2880x1800 early next year, Apple's work on its HiDPI software support has also been gaining renewed attention. By doubling the resolution in each dimension over the existing 1440x900 MacBook Pro, Apple would achieve four times the number of pixels and provide developers with an easy way to scale existing artwork. Evidence of Apple's continued work on HiDPI has shown up in developer builds of OS X 10.7.3, with the "Get Info" window for applications seeing the addition of an "Open in HIDPI mode" checkbox. But while that checkbox would presumably automatically use higher-resolution fonts and graphics that would display at the same absolute size as existing elements, it has not been functional in developer builds where it is present. With yesterday's release of Build 11D36 to developers, Apple has now removed that checkbox from the "Get Info" window entirely. While its removal may suggest a step backward in Apple's implementation of HiDPI support, it is routine for Apple to activate and deactivate portions of features as it works on them. Consequently, the mere change in the checkbox's visibility in the new build indicates that Apple is indeed likely actively working on the feature. Article Link: OS X 10.7.3 Beta Reveals Active Work on 'Retina' Display Support for Mac
	0

Dec 21, 2011, 10:31 AM	#4
oiuh151 macrumors 6502 Join Date: May 2011	2012 is shaping up to be the year of the retina. __________________ Early 2011 15" MacBook Pro \| iPhone 4S
	6

Dec 21, 2011, 10:31 AM	#5
VanMac macrumors 6502a Join Date: May 2005 Location: Rampaging Tokyo	Nice Keep it coming. __________________ Chervic Technologies Inc. 17" MBP 2.6GHz C2, HDef 500GB_7200 4GB RAM iPhone 4 ; 80GB iPod Classic
	1

Dec 21, 2011, 10:48 AM	#12
jontech macrumors 6502 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Hawaii	Wonder if Samsung won the bid to produce the panels? __________________ Psalm 91
	0

Dec 21, 2011, 10:49 AM	#13
The Great Boony Banned Join Date: Nov 2010	I'm sure Google/Android thought of this first.
	-14

Dec 21, 2011, 10:29 AM	#2
lymanicempire macrumors newbie Join Date: Jan 2009	I lust!
	0

Dec 21, 2011, 10:31 AM	#3
Hakone macrumors 6502 Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Southern California	Please make this a reality for 2012!
	1

Dec 21, 2011, 10:35 AM	#7
Small White Car macrumors G3 Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Washington DC	This is what the kids today refer to as awesome-sause. Oh, they don't? It's just me? Ok...well...this is awkward.
	8

Dec 21, 2011, 10:37 AM	#8
Bluesdealer macrumors newbie Join Date: Jan 2011	Oh man... and, of course, I just bought a new MBP. Oh well, let's just hope this also means the introduction of a 3840x2160 Cinema Display... which would allow for proper upscaling of 1080p content One can dream.
	0

Dec 21, 2011, 10:47 AM	#10
applesith macrumors 65816 Join Date: Jun 2007	Oh yeah!!!
	0

Dec 21, 2011, 10:48 AM	#11
kjs862 macrumors 65816 Join Date: Jan 2004	Let's hope we see this soon!
	0

Dec 21, 2011, 10:49 AM	#14
dokujaryu macrumors 6502 Join Date: May 2011 Location: California	Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/5.1 Mobile/9A405 Safari/7534.48.3) This is coming with Ivy Bridge? I wonder how this relates to the possible move to nVidia for graphics, and how the performance of Ive Bridge gpu can handle that Rez. Edit: I mean with gpu enhanced ui elements like melt into dock and shadows. I find weak GPUs slow significantly with resolution. In any case, I'll probably wait for rev. b if they make such a huge hardware change like this. __________________ I now have a Galaxy S4. Dead blog about S3 is dead. Last edited by dokujaryu; Dec 21, 2011 at 10:56 AM.
	2

Dec 21, 2011, 10:53 AM	#15
dimi94941 macrumors regular Join Date: Oct 2010	Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; CPU iPhone OS 5_0_1 like Mac OS X) AppleWebKit/534.46 (KHTML, like Gecko) Mobile/9A405) Will this be available for the new Air also or just MBP?
	0

Dec 21, 2011, 10:57 AM	#16
scott911 macrumors 6502 Join Date: Aug 2009	"I wish people would stop saying "provide developers with an easy way to scale existing artwork" when it's about computers, that's just nonsense.": agreed !
	-3

Dec 21, 2011, 10:59 AM	#17
cmChimera macrumors 65816 Join Date: Feb 2010	So are they going to have a unified resolution for the Macbook Pro's? Right now they have the 1680 x 1050 and the 1440 x 900. Are they pixel doubling the former or the latter? I really don't want to lose the extra estate the higher resolution afforded, but wouldn't mind if they increased the resolution as a whole and pixel doubled that.
	-2

Dec 21, 2011, 11:00 AM	#18
reedfox11 macrumors newbie Join Date: Oct 2011	You can already get HiDPI on Mac OSX __________________ Want Apple new and Rumors? http://www.appleworldtoday.com
	-2

Dec 21, 2011, 11:07 AM	#20
tigres macrumors 68040 Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Land of the Free-Waiting for Term Limits	this would be splendid, and a great reason to upgrade my 2010 MBA- but wait; it requires Lion __________________ Quicker than two shakes of a lambs tail
	0

Dec 21, 2011, 11:12 AM	#21
NMF macrumors 6502a Join Date: Oct 2011	That's great, but what I really want is a 4K Thunderbolt Display! (and matching iMac) __________________ MacBook Pro 13" (2012) \| Core i7 @ 2.9 GHz \| 256 GB Samsung 830 SSD \| 16 GB Corsair RAM Thunderbolt Display iPad mini 32 GB WiFi iPhone 5 32 GB Apple TV 3
	3

Dec 21, 2011, 11:12 AM	#22
3bs macrumors 601 Join Date: May 2011 Location: Dublin, Ireland	Would this have any effect on battery life?
	1

Dec 21, 2011, 11:29 AM	#24
RichardBeer macrumors regular Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: England	Won't the increase in pixels put an increased strain on the GPU? Apple doesn't supply very powerful ones to begin with. I imagine if people want to do any 3D work it would maybe then cause performance issues? __________________ 13.3" Aluminum Macbook Pro, 2.53ghz, 4GB DDR3 RAM, 60GB OCZ Vertex-II SSD, Nvidia 9400M 256MB DDR3, OS X 10.7.2 Lion, iPod Nano 8GB.
	0

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