Retina display might be on the way for MacBook Pro users - Photo: Ariel Zambelich/Wired - CC Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported
Many Apple observers were wowed by the Cupertino-based tech giant’s introduction of retina display for the iPhone and iPad. Its looking like MacBook Pro users will also be seeing the technology debut for their device. Proof for this development comes from two sources: Apple’s recent patent filing the described resolution-independent design for user interfaces and an industry expert who covers Apple’s supply chain.
Apple’s patent application is a continuation of an earlier patent application filed in 2007. It covers the engineering issues that arise when graphical elements, which are initially designed for low-res screens later on get reformatted for higher resolutions. Low-resolution, in this case, range from a pixel saturation of 75 to 100 per inch. High resolution is 150 pixels per inch. The patent describes a method for depicting a graphical user interface free from resolution restrictions. It does this by storing both resolution-dependent and resolution-agnostic attributes in one file. This allows for multi-resolution support. Images that look good on the iPhone will look good on the iPad and MacBook Pro.
Additional corroboration for a future Retina Display for the MacBook Pro came from analyst Richard Shim who looked at Apple’s supply chain. According to his report, Apple’s suppliers are preparing two panels: 15.4 inches and 13.3 inches. These sizes are important because the 13.3 inch panel packs a resolution of 2560 x 1600 or 227 PPI. The larger model weighs in at 2880×1800 and a resolution of 220 PPI. These figures represent a doubling of the current crop of MacBook Pro models. He said that the 15.4 model is slated to go into production in the second quarter of this year while the smaller screen will start production in the third quarter of this year.