By Alex Brooks 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display | Image courtesy of Apple
During today’s event Apple released a slew of Mac updates including updating the Mac mini, completely refreshing the iMac and releasing a brand new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display.
Apple’s Phil Schiller kicked off with the brand new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display which joins the 15-inch as the top end of Apple’s notebook range. The 13-inch model packs over 4 million pixels into the 2560 x 1600 pixel display. The 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display features 2.5 GHz Intel Core i5 processors with the option to choose faster 2.9 GHz Intel Core i7 processors, Intel HD Graphics 4000, 8GB of RAM, and up to 768GB SSD. Two Thunderbolt and two USB 3.0 ports allow users to connect to multiple displays and high-performance devices, and a HDMI port.
Moving on from the Mac mini Schiller moved on the iMac which has received a complete refresh including an all new super-thin enclosure. Apple has also decided to remove the optical drive on the iMac. Measuring just 5mm at the edge the iMac is 80% thinner than the previous generation and is still a powerhouse.
21.5- and 27-inch iMac (late 2012) | Image courtesy of Apple
The new iMac features third generation quad-core Intel Core i5 processors that can be upgraded to Core i7. The latest NVIDIA GeForce processors deliver up to 60 percent faster performance for advanced gaming and graphics intensive apps. Every new iMac now comes standard with 8GB of 1600 MHz memory and a 1TB hard drive, and customers can choose to configure their iMac with up to 32GB of memory and a new 3TB hard drive, or 768GB of flash storage for ultimate performance. With two Thunderbolt and four USB 3.0 ports, the new iMac delivers even greater expandability and support for high-performance peripherals.
Apple also announced a new software and hardware based configuration called Fusion Drive which is available on the iMac. Fusion Drive combines 128GB of flash with a standard 1TB or 3TB hard drive to create a single storage volume that intelligently manages files to optimise read and write performance.
Apple also pushed a basic refresh of the Mac mini with an update to Intel’s Ivy Bridge architecture and an optional quad-core processor as well as up to 16GB of RAM.
The brand new 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display starts at $1699 (£1449) for a 2.5 GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of memory and a 128GB SSD.
The all new iMac is available for $1299 (£1099) for the 21.5-inch model with a 2.7 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, 8GB of RAM and NVIDIA GeForce GT 640M. The 27-inch model starts at $1799 (£1499) for a 2.9 GHz quad-core Intel Core i5, 8GB of RAM and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 660M.
Source: World of Apple
