More Mac Rumors: New Mac Mini, 13″ MacBook Pro with Retina Display, iMac

retina display on macbook pro
Retina display on the 15″ MacBook Pro. Will there be a 13″ model announced next week?

The rumors are still flying about next week’s Apple event in Cupertino. In true Apple fashion, “there’s more” than just the new iPad-mini to look forward to: new computers. It makes sense that Apple’s share of the business and work computer market has been on the rise. Users rely on a seamless experiences between their phones, works machines, and tablets, and Apple has developed a reputation for offering the best software for this experience. So business Apple users should be excited for Tuesday’s announcement: supposedly we’ll be getting a new Mac Mini, a 13″ MacBook Pro with Retina Display, and maybe even a new iMac as well.

Let’s start with the one I’m the most excited about, the Mac Mini. Sure, it looks the most boring – we can’t talk about how thin or light it is, or any of that glamorous stuff. But if you run a server in your home or office and are a “Mac person,” the Mac Mini may be the best  $999 you can spend on office productivity. Plus the entry-level model is only $599, is powerful, comes with 500GB of storage and can be used with any monitor (or your laptop). And while you may not think about it that often, the Mac Mini is surprisingly portable: it weighs less than 3 pounds and is only 7″ by 7″ and 1.4″ deep. Try moving any other desktop that easily. And keep in mind, that’s the old Mac Mini, released in the summer of 2011. It’s due for an upgrade that will only improve its specs.

So now on to the more glamorous release: a 13″ MacBook Pro with retina display. Read More

iPad Mini Coming NEXT TUESDAY! Here’s what we know…

Here’s one of my favorite games to play as a tech reporter: decipher Apple’s invitations to events and look for clues! If you had any doubt that the iPad Mini is going to be announced next Tuesday, October 23rd, then check out the latest invite that appeared in my box this morning:

Apple isn’t a company that plays with words for no reason. When they say they have a “little more” to show me, that’s a pretty strong hint they’re talking about a “little” device, a.k.a. the iPad Mini.

Do you want to be among the first in the world to find out about the iPad Mini? We’ll be running a liveblog on October 23rd, breaking Apple’s news as it happens. If you sign up for my newsletter today, I’ll drop you an email just as Apple kicks off the event so you can tune in and find out what’s going on!
iPad Mini Mockup by 9to5mac

Why an iPad Mini? After all, isn’t the original iPad supposed to be the “perfect size” according to Steve Jobs? Frankly, yes, the iPad is pretty much as close to a perfect tablet in terms of size and weight that any company can make today. Here’s what Steve said before he passed about smaller tablets:

“The reason we [won’t] make a 7-inch tablet isn’t because we don’t want to hit [a lower] price point. It’s because we think the screen is too small to express the software. As a software driven company, we think about the software strategies first.”

But Google’s Nexus 7 and Amazon’s Kindle Fire have proven over the last year that a smaller tab, something in a size between an eReader and a full-sized Tablet, can offer a worthwhile experience at some really exciting price points. Some feel like these smaller tablets offer more than a taste of both worlds. While there’s no substitute for a full-size screen, a smaller iPad that can run all of the same apps as its big brother? Now THAT’S exciting!

So, the iPad Mini is coming (or is it the Lil’ iPad? iPad Nano? iPad Junior? LOL) but what will it be? Read on to find out!  Read More

Rumor: Windows Phone Mango

Although the fine folks over at Boy Genius Report (where I first heard this rumor) believe that it is a stretch at best, Paul at Windows Phone Secrets reports that he has glimpsed Microsoft’s upcoming “Mango” update for Windows Phone 7. During a video walk through of a NoDo update. Around 2 minutes and 48 seconds into the video, the cameraman pans to a second Windows Phone 7 device for a few seconds. This second phone has a feature never seen in current builds of Microsoft’s mobile operating system: Inside the main menu, there’s a clearly visible search button.

Is this Mango? My sources are not sure, and neither am I, but we do know that it’s an option that’s not currently available in the latest NoDo update.So Microsoft either has another minor update in store, or someone spotted Mango. Microsoft is expected to launch Mango later this year, and it should include Internet Explorer 9, the faster Trident 5 rendering engine, HTML 5 support, Silverlight, and gestures. A release date is not yet known, but a set of features like that will go a long way toward cutting into Android and iOS’ ever increasing market share.