For once, I have decided to put some predictions out, so hopefully if they confirm, I can be an ass about it and say: “Told ya!”.
So apparently, the MacBook Pro might get a retina treatment… Well, I was pondering the idea last night, trying to weigh-in the pros and cons, the problems this might bring up, and simply, if this is actually possible with our current technology. I came up with 2 solutions, which actually suit Apple pretty well. One of which I am now 100% certain we will see in the close future (maximum 3 years).
So, let’s assume this is true for a bit, what problems would a 2800×1800 display bring to the MacBook Pro? The new intel chips support even higher resolutions so that’s OK. The discreet graphics will have no problems with that (especially since PCIe 3.0 is around the corner). Well there is no problem is there!? That’s what you would think reading all these rumors! Oh yeah, Apple will be releasing a teleportation device that fits in your pockets soon, no problem!
There is obviously a problem (the main show-stopper), one that is crucial to Apple. Try to guess… Any idea?
Battery life!
Apple is obsessed by battery life (Yeah for us). They’ve been pushing it for years now. They have remodelled the MacBook Pro battery in the past, removing the parts needed for a swappable battery to make it bigger. They have tightened their battery tests. The Air can stay a month on standby… Wow. Apple diggs batteries and a HiDPI display like that would kill battery life. Plus, I haven’t read about any breakthrough in battery tech recently, please comment if I missed something.
So, how would Apple cope with this? Of course battery life is not going down, at least not significantly. We can ponder, but I made a nice drawing for you guys [cuddle]:
Before:
After:
Yeah… Here’s my design document I would present if I worked at Apple (maybe it would be a lot nicer). We all know the Apple will not integrate BluRay, so then why keep DVD?
There is no doubt some people will cry out “But I need my DVD-ROM!!!”. Yes, go buy a USB one, they’re cheap. “But I neeeeeeed a BluRay burner!!!”. Yes, you can buy a USB one too, use Toast to burn data, and use Encore to burn videos… “But… I… NEEED… TO… COMPLAIN…!?”. Yes, go buy a PC.
Honestly though, I was a DVD-ROM activist not so long ago, but is it that essential on a laptop? I even got a faster burner from OWC. Guess what, I haven’t used it once in the past year… What a bad investment! I really do believe the Cupertino is headed that way, and I hope it’s soon!
2nd prediction will be quick. You know those neat little SSD drives in the MacBook Air… Well, when prices for SSDs go down, this will be the next step for the MacBook Pros. More space, and less power consumption makes for the perfect fit. A 512GB tiny little SSD would ease many headaches. Maybe a bigger form factor would be needed, but the essential design is there: remove every part that isn’t necessary. But the industry isn’t there yet (hopefully it will in 5 years). There is a reason why the MacBook PROs have an option for 7200RPM, 750GB dries, it’s because of the Pro thing. I do believe Apple will keep catering to us, the pros on the go, and that’s what I’m looking forward to!
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