For the first time, Apple has released a personal computer with a retina screen. The computer company started rolling out the screen in its other devices a while back, but the MacBook Pro is the first of its computers to begin using one of these high tech screens. Early reviews of the product all seem to say the same thing: the product is incredible. The experience of using a high-end computer for daily computing tasks is nowhere near comparable to that of devices that utilize components of a lower quality.
Hardware
The MacBook Pro now offers users the opportunity to store data on flash memory. This was first demonstrated in the MacBook Air, which was rather revolutionary for its time when it was introduced a few years ago. Instead of the traditional hard drive used in a MacBook and most other computers, the new Pro can store data on flash media that conserves battery power and is relatively rugged. In addition to storage space, the new MacBook Pro features an impressive assortment of technology that will be sure to have tech gurus drooling. With the latest Intel processors and quieter fans, the guts of the computer have been updated along with the outside of the device. Most reviewers claim that the battery life of the computer is also quite impressive. Some of the features the computer introduces include dual microphones, which will be used in the dictation now available on Mountain Lion.
The Screen
Of course, no overview of the new MacBook Pro would be complete without discussing the most exciting feature of the product: the retina screen. Retina screens are made up of millions of tiny dots. In fact, there are so many dots that they cannot be discerned by the naked eye. This new screen features an incredible 2,880 by 1,800 pixels resolution, which is unmatched by an of Apple’s competitors. This screen allows applications to pop like never before, while photos and videos display in incredible high-quality.
Cons to the High-Quality Screen
Of course, the screen presents a few dilemmas of its own. The largest concern is that applications won’t actually appear any clearer unless they have been updated for a high-resolution screen. This is the same problem Apple had to combat when it began introducing retina screens on the iPad. Application developers who neglected to recreate their graphics and images ended up with applications that looked no better, if not actually worse than they looked on other devices. Apple is updating all of its core applications to display correctly on the new screen. For the time being, applications including many popular eReader platforms display quite poorly on the screen. It is likely only a matter of time before these issues will be addressed by the developers responsible for such products.
Other Considerations
The MacBook Pro has taken several cues from the MacBook air, including the elimination of some of the standard hardware included with most computers. This includes the DVD drive and Ethernet jacks. Apple claims that these are not needed, simply because Wi-Fi has become some prevalent and digital movies abound. These points are arguable, but consumers will have to make their own decisions as to whether or not this is a dealbreaker.
Price Point
The final thing to keep in mind is that this new computer does not come cheaply. In fact, this is one of the most expensive MacBook Pros ever seen. If computer users choose to add this new computer to their arsenal, they can expect to shell out handsomely for it.
Benjamin is a blogger, tech geek and a member of mac-how community.