Next-gen MacBook Pro may feature Retina Display and USB 3.0 interface

There has been a lot of talk over the last few weeks as to what the next MacBook will feature and the last bit of information regarding them is that they will feature Intel Ivy Bridge processors. There have been rumours circulating around for quite sometime and a recent report by 9to5Mac has backed the speculations that Apple will add Retina Display capabilities on their upcoming range of MacBooks. As per the report, the Author Mark Gurman states, "Apple will also introduce the Mac Retina Display in this new MacBook Pro, according to these sources in the far-east. The display is quoted as “jaw-dropping” and “definitely the most important Mac innovation in years,” by sources familiar with the quality of the screens in test-production.” Speaking on the Retina Display capabilities, he goes on to add, “Sources familiar with software strings left behind in OS X Lion 10.7.4 and Mountain Lion betas say that this Retina Display MacBook Pro features multiple Retina resolution modes, so users are able to adjust the sharpness and image sizes to their liking. Unlike Mac display settings of today, these Retina Display settings will not be marked with numbers/resolution sizes, but with descriptions such as big, small, or optimal, according to these software-based findings.”

Retina Display on MacBooks?

Apart from this big information regarding the resolution of the display, the report also goes on to talk about some of the other features that one can expect to feature on the next range of MacBooks. The upcoming line-up will feature a much slimmer design and based on the prototype model, he states, “The new 15-inch MacBook Pro is described as being an ultra-thin version of the current MacBook Pro. Basically, the prototype design is a thinner, yet more robust, version of the late-2008 design. It has no tapering like the MacBook Airs. This new design serves as an apparent solution to Apple’s hinge troubles with the cancelled ultra-thin 15-inch notebook for late 2010.” This upcoming line-up may also come without an optical drive, enabling the notebook's slimmer profile. With the Mac App Store, one can easily download softwares off the store, instead of using the drive and if one may necessarily need a drive, then they can opt to purchase the USB Superdrive.

Another bit of information regarding the upcoming line-up of Apple notebooks is that it will feature a USB 3.0 interface. The author notes, “A new addition to the MacBook Pro (and actually to the Mac itself) is a USB 3 port. Apple has long been testing Macs with USB 3 ports, but it sounds like the new MacBook Pro will be the first to actually sport the next-generation connector. Our sources in Apple’s supply chain say the aforementioned USB ports on the left and right sides of the prototype unibody casings have slightly different component cables that attach the ports to the computing components housed inside of the internal structure. While some speculated that Thunderbolt was Apple’s choice instead of USB 3 (perhaps due to better support from Intel), USB 3 will actually run on these MacBook Pros as a complementto Thunderbolt.”

This in all is a fair bit of what one can expect from the next range of notebooks from Apple. Let us know your reactions to these possible enhancements in the comments section below.