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Apple trots out 13" MacBook Pro with Retina; upgrades Mac Mini, iMac

UPDATED: While the iPad mini is expected to hog most of the attention in the weeks to come, Apple brought some of the focus back to the desktop with an ultra-thin iMac.
Written by Rachel King, Contributor
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While much of the hype leading up to Apple's announcement in San Jose on Tuesday was about a sized-down iPad, the iOS maker brought some attention back to the brand that started it all: the Mac computer.

See also: CNET's Apple event live blog
Apple media event: By the numbers

Specifically, Apple's SVP of worldwide marketing Phil Schiller introduced the 13-inch MacBook Pro with a Retina Display quipping that it has "second highest resolution notebook display" right behind the 15-inch version that debuted earlier this year.

Here's a snapshot of the latest 13-inch MacBook Pro (compared to the previous generation):

  • Lightest MacBook Pro ever
  • 0.75-inches thick and 20 percent thinner
  • 13-inch 2,560 x 1,600 resolution display with 4,096,000 pixels total
  • More display upgrades: 29 percent higher contrast ratio, 75 percent reduced reflection, IPS with 178-degree viewing angles
  • FaceTime HD camera
  • Stereo speakers
  • Back-lit keyboard
  • Connectivity: MagSafe, Thunderbolt, USB 3.0, HDMI, SD Card reader, Headphones and dual microphones support

Available starting today, the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina starts at $1,699.

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Schiller also joked to the audience that "you knew there would be something with 'mini' in this presentation," but this was in reference to the upgraded Mac Mini.

The updates here aren't as flashy as the brand new MacBook Pro and its shiny Retina Dsplay, but the upgrades for the Mac Mini are considerable.

Also available starting today, the new Mac Minis start at $599. Spec options include dual- or quad-core Core i5/i7 Ivy Bridge chips with with Intel HD Graphics 4000, USB 3.0, up to 16GB of RAM, and a 500GB HDD.

There is also a server edition for $999 with two 1TB hard drives.

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But the real treat for the Mac computer family was in store for the iMac as Schiller introduced an ultra-thin version of the iMac desktop computer.

Getting the most "oohs" and "ahhs" for a desktop computer in recent memory, the new iMac sports a 5mm edge on the display and is 80 percent thinner than the previous generation.

Buyers will have two display options: a 21.5-inch version with a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution or a 27-inch monitor with a 2,560 x 1,440 resolution.

On the interior, the revamped iMacs will have up to 768GB flash storage, Nvidia Kepler graphics, and up to 3TB of hard drive storage space.

Schiller also spent some time going over Apple's new "Fusion Drive." (More on that on CNET.)

The 21.5-inch edition starts shipping first in November for $1,299, followed by the 27-inch iMac in December, which starts at $1,799.

Images via CNET

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