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MacBook Pro & Retina Gaming
- Thread starter johnywalker1989
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I just can't see retina coming this year.
Most people are saying it's coming to the iMac also, but a 5,120x2,800 resolution display just isn't even close to standard today, and I can imagine the production cost would be so high right now that they couldn't even get close to the current price point. Which is not what Apple normally does.
Most people are saying it's coming to the iMac also, but a 5,120x2,800 resolution display just isn't even close to standard today, and I can imagine the production cost would be so high right now that they couldn't even get close to the current price point. Which is not what Apple normally does.
I think they may have to do something drastic to keep sales up. Sales of all computers are slowing, and Apple's Mac division, while still doing well, is not the star it once was. iPads are cannibalizing computer sales, so apple really needs to do something to differentiate the MacBooks from the much more popular iPads. A slight price bump in exchange for a retina display OPTION may be just what they need to reignite sales.
I think if it really show it wouldn't as an option. If they want to advertise it big it is standard config.
Also that kind of displays would only really be possible (and I will keep doubting it until I see it) if they roll it out in numbers. Only if the manufacture a huge amount of these panels can they get the manufacturing costs they need.
If anybody can pull it off it is Apple, who are the only ones that can ship costly notebooks in volumes. Sony or Dell would never be able too because if they add a retina capable notebook it wouldn't sell nearly with enough volume to get the cost per piece low enough.
I wonder what happens to bootcamp. Afaik Windows only allows 150% DPI scaling. That would need a new option with that kind of resolution.
Also that kind of displays would only really be possible (and I will keep doubting it until I see it) if they roll it out in numbers. Only if the manufacture a huge amount of these panels can they get the manufacturing costs they need.
If anybody can pull it off it is Apple, who are the only ones that can ship costly notebooks in volumes. Sony or Dell would never be able too because if they add a retina capable notebook it wouldn't sell nearly with enough volume to get the cost per piece low enough.
I wonder what happens to bootcamp. Afaik Windows only allows 150% DPI scaling. That would need a new option with that kind of resolution.
While I can see your point of view, I have to disagree. Raising the price of the Mac while the iPad stays at a $500 entry price point would do more harm than good. Now those rumors of the $799 entry-level MacBook Air would be a really great start. Which is another reason I can't see them adding Retina displays (maybe higher res but not that high) cause dropping the 11" MBA down 200 dollars AND adding retina (plus the bigger gnu needed to push it and bigger battery to push them both) doesn't seem do-able at the current prices of the parts to built.
All that being said, I've had every gen iPad and an iMac. I bought my first MacBook Pro 2 days ago, haven't touched my iPad since. Will that change? Maybe but I still love having full computers with physical keys and access to the file systems.
I didn't realize scaling to half does not cause image quality to suffer much. I have been struggling with Skyrim settings on my iMac 21" which has a resolution of 1920x1080. Anything different from native looks terrible but from what is being said here, if I were to chose 960x540 it would actually look decent. Unfortunately, that specific resolution does not seem to be available on Skyrim. So basically i am stuck, right?
You're kind of confusing the point a bit. Half of retina resolution would be the same as a normal resolution today. Ie, a retina 21" iMac may have a resolution of 3840 x 2160. If you run a game at half res, you'll be seeing it at the equivalent of 1920x1080. Basically 1 "pixel" will be represented by 4 pixels on your monitor, forming a perfect square, meaning no distortion to the image. 1920x1080 still looks great on a 21" screen, so you'll still have decent quality graphics.
If you run a game at 1/2 of a lower resolution, 960x540 for example, you're only going to have the equivalent of 540 pixels of vertical resolution. It would be like taking the iPhone 4's screen and blowing it up to 21" with no increase to image sharpness.
So the TLDR answer: No, it will look like crap running at 960x540
I think Apple will market new screens as 'retina' this year, but the resolutions will be nothing like what the rumours are suggesting due to the power needed to run the screens.
Just my opinion, I also think the target for gaming should be smooth graphics at the current 1680 X 1050.
Just my opinion, I also think the target for gaming should be smooth graphics at the current 1680 X 1050.