Next MacBook Air Update to Focus on Retina Displays Too?

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With long-running rumors of ultra high-resolution "Retina" displays for Apple's next-generation MacBook Pro receiving a significant boost with reports from several sources surfacing yesterday and similar upgrades now being rumored for the iMac, fans of the MacBook Air have been awaiting word on when they might expect Apple's smallest Mac notebooks to gain the feature.

macbook_air_mission_control_hand.jpg



9to5Mac now reports that Apple is indeed unsurprisingly planning to bring Retina displays to the MacBook Air, with that upgrade being the most significant change for the next-generation line.
Apple's new MacBook Air will not see major changes across the entire computer like the next-generation MacBook Pro, but this update will truly be all about the Retina Display. [...]

Apple is preparing both new 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch models. These new Airs lack notable design changes, but feature fast and power-efficient Ivy Bridge processors and improved graphics engines to support the Retina Display, according to supply chain sources. The new Airs will also use improved Apple internal battery technology in order to support the battery life required by high-pixel-density screens such as the Retina Display, according to sources familiar with prototype versions of the super-thin notebook's internal components.
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The report's source suggests that the updated MacBook Air is unlikely to appear at next month's Worldwide Developers Conference, with Apple still working to meet the Retina display's power requirements within the MacBook Air's thin form factor.

Apple is also reportedly undecided on whether it will include USB 3.0 in the next-generation MacBook Air. The USB 3.0 standard, offering higher data transfer speeds, is reportedly being included on the revamped MacBook Pro, but the company is still weighing whether it wants to bring the standard to its lower-priced MacBook Air line.

Article Link: Next MacBook Air Update to Focus on Retina Displays Too?
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2012/05/15/next-macbook-air-update-to-focus-on-retina-displays-too/
how are they going to power that in something so thin?

At least people can't complain about the lack of Ethernet here.

USB3 should be in all the new laptops, what's to stop them?
 
Well, I would say that's the most anticipated (and wanted) improvement expected in 2012 Macbooks. Bring it on!
 
This is the one device I don't want retina in. I would rather keep a better battery length, and see a cheaper price point so that I could easily convince my family to adopt OSX.
 
That would be nice if they did that. On the other hand, I told myself after updating last year that I'd hold off until Haswell. Now that I have a Retina Display iPad, it would be difficult to resist that temptation.
 
So i'm guessing from all the reading yesterday that no professional or corporation has any of these right ? There is no ethernet port.

But I agree that it's going to take some beefed up graphics power to support the 13" Retina model.
 
Apple are really going crazy with retinas!

It's like an industrial addiction. The first addiction was thinness, and now high resolution.I'm not saying that they shouldn't. This is extremely good. My question is: what will be the next industrial addiction?
 
Where are they going to source that volume of displays if they move them across all machines? I realize that it does make sense to transition all machines to high-resolution displays; shorting one machine with lower resolution displays would put it at a severe disadvantage. What is the likelihood of this being build-to-order, and not simply a given? I can't see them being able to source and maintain desired margins-especially with larger displays.
 
Just put USB 3.0 on it already, and sell a USB 3 to Gb Ethernet adapter.
That cable will sell like hotcakes. Lots of Educational customers will want it...

4 GB RAM standard, USB 3, 64 GB flash, retina display. That for $ 999 seems okay to me.
 
charlieegan3 said:
how are they going to power that in something so thin?

At least people can't complain about the lack of Ethernet here.
Click to expand...

I suspect that it will work a lot like SLI works for gaming rigs. Different quadrants of the screen are rendered by different cores.

I don't know for sure, but I'd take a guess that this is actually how the A5X works in the iPad. Each core is rendering a quadrant 1024x768 and they're frame rates are synced so you don't see any tearing.
 
Here are a few more headlines MacRumors could use:

Next iPod Touch to Focus on Retina Display As Well?
Retina Display on iPod Nano?
New Apple TV to come with Retina Display?
Galaxy Vision: Samsung's Answer to Retina Display?
Retina Display?
 
Wouldn't require significantly more power. The main power draw in the iPad 3 was the improved GPU, not the display itself. Ivy Bridge has essentially the same power draw with much better graphic performance.

I would also imagine that the "effective pixels" would drop - that the 13" would go to 2560x1440 (double 1280x720 instead of double its current resolution,) and the 11" would likewise double a lower-than-current resolution. (Maybe only up to 1920x1080?)

Ivy Bridge should fully handle those resolutions.

And USB 3.0 really is a no-brainier. It's built in to the 7-series chipsets for Ivy Bridge.
 
but the company is still weighing whether it wants to bring the standard to its lower-priced MacBook Air line.
Click to expand...
There's nothing to bring. USB 3.0 is included with the Ivy Bridge chipset, is it not? And wouldn't it take additional hardware to make it only support USB 2.0. This is just silly.

Retina display is dandy and all, but I'd still like to see a bigger screen on the 11in (perhaps 12-12.5in) and a smaller bezel on the 13in (or perhaps bump to 13.5-14in). Doesn't look like we'll be seeing any sort of design change though, which is understandable.
 
I bet

My bet is that Apple wil update pretty much the entire product lineup to retina displays in one big quantum leap and this will be the big headline at WWDC. Makes complete sense and will leave all the competition behind. It will take years for Microsoft (and rest of PC ecosystem) to catch up.

Pretty much the whole mac lineup has not been updated for a long time, and is due for a refresh. My guess is that they have waited this long in order to be able to announce it all in one go. New Macbooks, Air's and iMacs. All Ivy Bridge, All Retina displays. Boom!
 
MacRumors plan of attack for slow news cycle.

1.)Take the same rumor of Retina Displays regarding Apple's Mac lineup. Write up several different posts... each about one of Apple's different Mac products potentially having a Retina display.

2.)Stagger them throughout the week.

3.)Get more page clicks.

Up next: Apple Thunderbolt Cinema Displays may be upgraded to Retina displays says insider!
 
'Retina displays' across the Mac line only make sense--as does USB 3. There is no reason to not upgrade the entire Mac line to USB 3, unless USB 3 uses more power than USB 2 and prevents Apple from getting good battery life out of the MBA when coupled with the 'retina display.'
 
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