To be honest, I have to disagree there. Whilst I don't expect anyone to sit as close as one foot I definitely think they'll be sitting closer than two -- that's quite a distance for an 11.6 inch display.
The minimum viewing distance for my 21.5 inch iMac is 33 inches, but I sit regularly at about 20, or two thirds of that -- a "retina" iMac would have a minimum viewing distance of 16.5 inches which is enough for me by a few inches.
I think you need an eye test in that case, sorry but to be frank that is a bit unusual
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When I see comments like this I start to suspect variations in people's eyesight being the issue. The retina display iPad (like the iPhone before it), makes a massive difference to me, but it would for a Mac also: I have seen pixellation on every desktop and laptop computer screen I've ever used, and have been longing for hi-DPI displays for years. I thought I was the only one worrying about it until I heard Steve Jobs' views on the matter.
Even Jobs said Retina-standard resolution would only see us through the next (15-20?) years or so. Not sure of the exact quote, but he wasn't proffering Retina as the be-all-and-end-all, and that makes sense to me. I can see pixellation on the new iPad occasionally, and professional print dpi is higher. I can certainly see it on my HDTV, depending on the material. 1080p is much lower res. than 35mm film, hence restorations being done in 4K+.
So when people post things like "Macbooks are already Retina" or "HDTVs are already Retina," I have to question either their eyesight or their understanding of the concept.
Thats all very well and yes eyesight is key, but so is distance from the screen which is a point you fail to address...of course you'll see pixelation on a 1080p HDTV....if you're sitting close enough!?