So many rumors are churned out with the onset of a new Apple product that it can become difficult to tell which ones stray toward the more reliable. But some sources are known to be more trustworthy than the rest -- and we've done the work of collecting them into one place for you. Here's a compilation of your MacBook Pro rumors du jour, updated as fast as the newest ones come out.
1. A new form factor
9to5Mac says the new 15-inch MacBook Pro will be an "ultra-thin version of the current Macbook Pro." Allegedly, it will have no tapering, like the current MacBook Airs, but will instead be a flattened out version of what we have now, like the chassis was passed under a baker's roller.
Previously, rumors posited that the next MacBook Pro would pick up the design entirely from the existing MacBook Airs.
2. Retina display
The high-res app icons in the latest iteration of Mountain Lion are a harbinger for a Retina display in the new MacBook Pros, which 9to5Mac's sources describe as "jaw-dropping." The Retina Display MacBook Pros will allegedly feature multiple Resolution modes too, which will let users tweak sharpness and image sizes according to their preferences. Another fairly odd detail from these sources is that display settings purportedly won't feature resolution sizes, but descriptions instead: "big," "small," or "optimal."
3. No optical drive
Supposedly, the new MacBook Pro will be able to achieve this thinner form by giving up several items that added physical bloat to its hardware. The first is the optical drive. Apple's already made it quite clear that it thinks you should eschew discs in favor of its proprietary Mac App Store for software installations, and the company even offers massive programs file size-wise, like Final Cut Pro X and Aperture, within its Mac App Store.
But if you're the kind of person who absolutely can't live without an optical drive, Apple sells a USB Superdrive that's been out for quite some time as a supplement to the 10 first-generation MacBook Air.
4. No Ethernet
The second thing Apple is cutting from its lineup of features on the MacBook Pro is its beefy Ethernet port. Originally intended for the MacBook Air, Ethernet adaptors are also separately available from Apple, in case there was a reason that you desperately needed this connection method.
5. USB 3.0
And the last detail so far about these fabled MacBook Pros? They'll allegedly support USB 3.0 for faster file transfers (finally). Although most of its portable machines already feature Thunderbolt, Apple appears to be hedging its bets and offering both transfer methods in case it takes some extra time for Thunderbolt technology to get off the ground.
6. Nvidia Graphics and Ivy Bridge Processors
One of the oft-decried features in the current MacBook Pros is its less-than-exciting graphics card. Tucked into the machines are decent AMD GPUs, but these still can't hold a candle to Nvidia's powerful chips. That's about to change in the imminent product refresh, according to The Verge. To be more specific, 9to5Mac says it'll likely be the GeForce GT 650M chip under the hood in these new machines, alongside an Ivy Bridge processor.
