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

[MacRumors]

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]

I lust!

 

[Hakone]

Please make this a reality for 2012!

 

[oiuh151]

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

 

[VanMac]

Nice

Keep it coming.

 

[Yvan256]

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]

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]

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]

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]

Oh yeah!!!

 

[kjs862]

Let's hope we see this soon!

 

[jontech]

Wonder if Samsung won the bid to produce the panels?

 

[The Great Boony]

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

 

[dokujaryu]

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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]

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]

"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]

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]

You can already get HiDPI on Mac OSX

 

[WildCowboy]

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]

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

 

[NMF]

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

(and matching iMac)

 

[3bs]

Would this have any effect on battery life?

 

[Small White Car]

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]

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]

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.