Today’s WWDC event certainly went off with a bang, and as well as a new Retina iMac, MacBooks, iOS 6 with all the expected trimmings, there was also a big surprise in the form of the next-generation MacBook Pro.
Now the dust has somewhat settled, Apple has made public a stream of the entire event, and although it missed the usual dose of Steve Jobs charisma, it was certainly a memorable event – well worth watching if you didn’t manage to catch it live.
As usual, things kicked off with a few vain remarks about the success of the App Store, and with nearly three-quarters of a billion and counting, Tim Cook had every right to reel off the figures with pride. The MacBook refresh was the first to feature, and although there wasn’t Retina implementation across the board, there were still handsome upgrades for the current fleet of MacBooks. Next, the future direction of Apple’s notebook range was outlined, capitalized and rubber-stamped with the revelation of the next-gen MacBook Pro, before the remaining bits and pieces of the soon-to-be-released Mountain Lion were showcased. iOS 6 then took center stage to conclude, alongside a host of useful new apps including Passbook, which aims to keep all of your tickets and vouchers in one, digital hub.
Although I certainly enjoyed a close look at the well-documented Maps app, which looked dazzling in the 3D mode we were all expecting, my personal highlight had to be the introduction of the Retina MacBook Pro.
When I first caught wind of the Retina rumor a month or so ago, I was delighted, although slightly skeptical of the prospect. In the run-up to the third-gen iPad, there was a lot made of how the device was thicker due to the larger battery needed to cope with the new screen. However, Apple has surprised everybody by delivering an incredibly thin device of a similar form factor to the Air while also bringing in some very meaty hardware.
With 8GB of RAM, high-end graphics and a processor strong enough to start a bushfire, we’ve really been treated, and despite the steep price point, the “Next-gen MacBook Pro” is sure to sell like hot cakes.
Attentions will most certainly now turn towards the next iPhone – expected to arrive in October in conjunction with iOS 6 – to see whether it manages to deliver the goods. We’re taking 4G LTE as a given feature, and the longer screen looks certain to break the hold. Other than that, we know very little, so be sure stay tuned to our round-the-clock coverage here at Redmond Pie for more as it arrives.
Watch WWDC ‘12 keynote [Official Apple link]
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