Apple released new versions of OS X Mountain Lion to developers today. Developer Preview 4 arrives with a build number of 12A239, while OS X Server Developer Preview 5 has build number 12S254j.
The release notes do not reveal any major updates to the software, but note a few minor issues with Setup Assistant, FileVault and QuickTime screen recording. Most significantly, the release does not ask developers to focus on any specific areas for testing, suggesting Mountain Lion will indeed be ready for release next month.
Mountain Lion was covered extensively at the WWDC Keynote this morning. It will be released in July on the Mac App Store for $19.99.
According to New York Times technology columnist David Pogue, Apple still believes in desktop Macs, including both the iMac and the Mac Pro.
The Mac Pro in particular has raised the ire of some Apple fans because it has been several years since the last update, and the update today was extremely minor.
Many Apple observers also wonder if Apple thinks that desktop computers are dead, since not a word was said about the iMac and Mac Pro. An executive did assure me, however, that new models and new designs are under way, probably for release in 2013.
Updated Xeon E5 chips were released in March, but the Mac Pro update released today strangely didn't include them.
The company late last year was reportedly "questioning" the future of the Mac Pro line, examining whether it should continue offering the professional-level workstation as sales have declined amid a continued shift toward notebook machines and specs that had gone stale while waiting for Intel to release updated processors. With Pogue's post today, however, the future of the Mac Pro seems slightly more assured.
Thanks Susan!
Update: A MacRumors reader writes in to share an email he received from Apple CEO Tim Cook after he asked about the future of the Mac Pro:
Our pro customers are really important to us...don't worry as we're working on something really great for later next year.
This 2880x1880 screenshot of Dashboard on a Retina-equipped MacBook Pro displays at full resolution on non-Retina equipped Macs. The image gives a decent idea of the sheer number of pixels on Apple's new flagship Mac.
In line with our report from earlier today, Apple has launched its annual Back to School promotion, offering educational customers a $100 iTunes Store gift card with the purchase of a Mac or a $50 card with the purchase of an iPad.
As detailed in the official terms and conditions (PDF), the promotion is valid on the purchase of a new (non-refurbished) iMac, MacBook Pro, MacBook Air, Mac Pro, or third-generation iPad. As in past years, the Mac mini is excluded from the promotion.
The promotion begins today and runs through September 21, and the gift cards are valid for purchases in the iTunes Store, iOS App Store, Mac App Store, and iBookstore. The offer is available in the following countries, with gift card amounts varying based on local currency: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, and United States.
After their update today, Apple's two photography applications -- iPhoto and Aperture -- can now share libraries with no import or export required. The Aperture update notes say that "Faces, Places, slideshows, albums and web sharing work across both applications". Users of both apps will no doubt be pleased.
Since the apps were introduced, self-contained photo libraries had to be exported and imported to move photo sets between them -- a lengthy process, particularly in libraries with tens of thousands of photos.
Apple has quietly issued updates for a number of its software packages following the WWDC keynote this morning. Final Cut Pro, Motion, Aperture, iPhoto and iTunes have all been given updates.
Professional video editing app Final Cut Pro [Mac App Store] was updated to version 10.0.5 with an update that "improves overall stability and is enhanced for the MacBook Pro with Retina display."
Photo management tool Aperture [Mac App Store] was updated to version 3.3 with a number of updates, including support for the MacBook Pro with Retina Display:
What's New in Version 3.3
- New unified photo library for both iPhoto (v 9.3 or later) and Aperture; no import/export required; Faces, Places, slideshows, albums and web sharing work across both applications - Support for AVCHD video has been added - Aperture now lets you use camera-generated previews for faster browsing of RAW files immediately after import - Highlights & Shadows tool has been updated to deliver higher-quality results and work with extended range data - A new Auto Enhance button has been added to the Adjustments panel - White Balance tool now includes Skin Tone and Natural Gray modes to simplify color balance - Auto button has been added to the White Balance tool for one-click color balancing - Set Desktop command has been added to Share menu so you can set a desktop background from within Aperture - A new Manual option allows you to drag and drop projects to customize sort order in the Projects view - New preference allows you to set the background brightness of the full screen browser - Facebook, Flickr, and MobileMe albums are now displayed as thumbnails in the main window when accounts are selected in the source list - Minor terminology changes, including "Original" instead of "Master" and "Info" instead of "Metadata" - Source list includes a new "Recent" section, showing Last Import and recently-viewed projects - Raw Fine Tuning is no longer displayed in the Adjustments panel by default - Faces can now be named by dragging them from the Unnamed Faces browser to existing snapshots on the corkboard - The Faces corkboard now includes a menu that allows you to set the order of face snapshots - Newly designed monochrome source list and toolbar icons - Addresses numerous issues related to overall performance and stability
iPhoto [Mac App Store] has been updated to version 9.3 with support for the new Retina Display as well as a few other items:
What's New in Version 9.3
- iPhoto can now open libraries from Aperture 3.3 or later - AVCHD video is now supported - The Description field now automatically expands as needed when entering text - You can now flag a photo in Magnify (1-up) view by clicking a Flag icon displayed in the upper left corner of the photo - Keywords and titles are now preserved when exporting files with embedded GPS location data - A new Export option allows you to automatically organize exported photos into subfolders by event
Finally, iTunes has been updated to version 10.6.3 with support for the iOS 6 beta and other bug fixes.
With Apple's new "Next Generation MacBook Pro" being the headliner in terms of new hardware introduction at WWDC, there is obviously considerable interest in how the new model compares with the previous design, which continues to be offered in both 13-inch and 15-inch sizes.
Engadget posts a brief hands-on with the new MacBook Pro fresh out of the box, showing how much slimmer the new form factor is than the standard MacBook Pro.
It's 0.71-inches thick, or roughly 25 percent thinner than the current generation Pros (which, by the way, live on -- except for the 17-incher). That's just .03-inches thicker than the 13-inch MacBook Air, but it feels like quite a bit more. Where the Air is tapered, this has a constant thickness throughout. So, again, it doesn't feel like an Air, but it's a big improvement over the Pro.
On the right side you have an SD card reader, full-size HDMI port and the first USB 3.0 port. (Which, by the way, is not blue -- Apple just made all the ports 3.0 and they're all naturally white.) On the other side is the other USB 3.0 port along with dual Thunderbolt ports, a headphone jack and the new MagSafe 2 connector.
The Next Generation MacBook Pro is currently available only as 15-inch model and is available starting at $2199.
Roughly an hour after the end of the keynote at its Worldwide Developers Conference, Apple has posted a video of the event on its website. The Keynote should be made available soon on Apple's YouTube channel, as well as its Apple Keynotes Podcast on the iTunes Store. [Podcast links: Keynotes, Keynotes in HD, Keynotes in 1080p HD]
Apple did not broadcast the keynote live, so the video is an opportunity for viewers to see the introduction of OS X Mountain Lion, iOS 6, the new Retina display-equipped MacBook Pro, and Apple's new Maps app.
Following the WWDC keynote, Apple has made the first developer beta of iOS 6 available through its iOS Developer Center. The beta arrives as the 10A5316k build leaked as inactive links yesterday.
The beta is available for the iPhone 3GS and later, iPad 2 and later, and the fourth-generation iPod touch. Builds of the new Apple TV software for second- and third-generation devices are also available.
In addition to iOS 6 releases themselves, Apple has also released iTunes 10.6.3 for developers, as well as Xcode 4.5 developer preview.
In its quest for thinness in the Retina Display MacBook Pro, Apple removed the optical drive and built the display into the unibody construction. The company's engineers also designed a new, thinner MagSafe power port to accommodate the notebook's 0.71" height.
The new MagSafe 2 connector -- which is incompatible with the original MagSafe power bricks as well as devices with a MagSafe power cord built into products like the Apple LED Cinema Display and Thunderbolt Display -- is included in the new Retina MacBook Pro as well as the new MacBook Air models. It seems likely the port will make its way to the legacy MacBook Pro models in a future update.
Apple is selling a MagSafe to Magsafe 2 Converter for $9.99 on the Apple Online Store, as well as new 85W and 45W MagSafe 2 Power Adapter for $79 each.
Apple today quietly introduced a redesigned AirPort Express wireless base station, drawing on the design of the Apple TV set-top box and introducing simultaneous dual-band 802.11n connectivity for increased performance.
The new AirPort Express supports simultaneous dual-band 802.11n Wi-Fi. That means it transmits at both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies at the same time. So no matter which band your wireless devices use, they’ll automatically connect to the best available band for the fastest possible performance.
The redesigned AirPort Express continues to be offered at $99.
Apple today released a new case for the iPad 2 and new iPad offering the same functionality as the existing Smart Cover, but it covers the back of the iPad as well as the front.
The iPad Smart Case covers your iPad — both front and back — yet still retains the thin, light design of iPad. Like the Smart Cover, it folds easily into a stand for reading, typing, and watching video. And it automatically wakes and sleeps iPad on open and close. Made from polyurethane, it’s available in six bright colors. And you can personalize it with free laser engraving on the Apple Online Store.
The new Smart Case is available for $49 on the Apple Online Store in Light Gray, Dark Gray, Blue, Green, Pink and Red.
Apple has quietly upgraded the Mac Pro with minor processor bumps and an increase in the standard RAM to 6GB in the least expensive configuration. The update does not include the much-anticipated addition of the Thunderbolt I/O system.
Unfortunately, it's not much of an upgrade: you can simply get a pair of six-core 3.06GHz Intel Xeon X5675 processors rather than 2.93GHz ones we just mentioned. The base model will start at $2,499 for a single quad-core Intel Xeon W3565 processor at 3.2GHz, with an optional upgrade to a six-core chip, you can spend $3,799 to get a dual-processor configuration with a pair of the Westmere-EP based 2.4GHz E5645 chips, and upgrade to the aforementioned X5675 for an unspecified amount. Everything else stays the same, it seems.
The new Mac Pro's are now available on the Apple Online Store.
Apple appears to have quietly discontinued the 17" MacBook Pro today amid the flurry of updates and announcements at WWDC today. Apple's newly updated MacBook Pro product page mentions the new Retina Display-equipped 15" Pro, as well as the new 13" and 15" Pro's, but is silent on the 17".
The 17" PowerBook G4 was first released in January of 2003 and has received a number of updates over the years, including transitions to the Intel-equipped 17" MacBook Pro and receiving an update to the current unibody construction as well. Research analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said in April that the 17" MacBook Pro would soon be discontinued due to weak sales.
At WWDC today, Apple introduced a third line of notebook computers that Phil Schiller called the "Next Generation MacBook Pro." He noted that the company was "willing to discard old, legacy things" to make a new notebook that was radically thin and light. An Apple video called it "the very best computer that we've ever built."
The new MacBook Pro -- which is in addition to the existing line of Pro's, which was also updated today -- is built around a 15.4" Retina display at a 2880x1880 resolution, 220 ppi with 5,184,000 pixels, with a display that is built directly into the unibody construction to make the notebook lighter.
It includes quad-core Ivy Bridge processors up to 2.8GHz and turbo boost up to 3.7GHz, up to 16GB of MacBook Air-like non-upgradable 1600MHz RAM, and a maximum of 768GB of next generation flash storage. The new Pro weighs in at 4.46 pounds and is 0.71" thick, but does not include a MacBook Air-like tapered body. There is no optical drive.
Apple has developed a new type of fan to keep the machine cool. It uses an asymmetrical blade system to cool the machine while being as quiet as possible. Apple claims the thermal management system operates in a way that is nearly imperceptible to the user.
Apple claims 7 hours of battery life with 30 days of standby time. It includes an SD slot, HDMI, and a USB 3.0/2.0 combo port on the right side, and a MagSafe power port, two Thunderbolt ports, another USB 3.0/2.0 port and a headphone jack on the left. Apple will soon begin offering a Firewire 800 and Gigabit Ethernet to Thunderbolt adapters. The machine also includes "the best stereo speakers ever put into a desktop or notebook" and dual microphones.
Pricing begins at $2,199 for the base model with the Retina display, a 2.3GHz quad-core Ivy Bridge i7, 8GB of RAM, a NVidia GeForce GT 650M 1GB graphics card, and 256GB of flash storage. The Next Generation MacBook Pro begins shipping today.
Regarding the Retina display, Apple will ship a special build of Lion with HiDPI support built-in, and will include updated versions of iPhoto, Mail and Safari to support the increased resolution. Final Cut Pro and Aperture are also receiving updates as well. Apple has been working with major developers to get their apps updated, including Adobe Photoshop, Autodesk's AutoCAD, and Blizzard's Diablo III.
Apple today introduced a new Maps application in iOS 6 that will replace Google Maps as the default mapping application on the iPhone and iPad. It was designed by Apple from the ground up with all cartography done in-house.
Included in Maps are turn-by-turn directions that work with Siri, local search with 100 million business listings from around the world, Yelp integration, a free crowd-sourced traffic service, and 3D mapping with a Google Earth-like feature called 'Flyover'.
At today's WWDC keynote event, Apple announced the next version of its operating system for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch. iOS 6 will feature new functionality for Siri, Facebook integration, a revamped Maps app, Shared Photo Streams via iCloud, and more.
iOS 6 continues the rapid pace of innovation that is helping Apple reinvent the phone and create the iPad category, delivering the best mobile experience available on any device,” said Scott Forstall, Apple's senior vice president of iOS Software. “We can’t wait for hundreds of millions of iOS users to experience the incredible new features in iOS 6 including the new Maps app, expanded Siri support, deep Facebook integration, Shared Photo Streams and the innovative new Passbook app.
In iOS 6, Siri will gain new capabilities to provide sports scores and schedules, make restaurant reservations via OpenTable, find local movie listings and even launch apps. Siri will also debut in new languages including Spanish, Italian, and French.
Facebook integration will be much like the current Twitter integration in iOS 5 with a system-wide log-in and the ability to quickly post from within apps. Contacts can be updated automatically using information obtained through Facebook. Third-party developers will be able to add this functionality easily with a public API.
A new Do Not Disturb mode allows users to schedule when notifications should not cause any sounds or visual alerts. The iPhone's Phone app will get new options to reply with a text message or prompt a reminder to return a call later when an incoming call arrives.
Shared Photo Streams lets you choose photos to share with selected family and friends. Shared photos can be viewed by others on iOS devices, iPhoto and Aperture on a Mac, or on the web or through an Apple TV.
Passbook is a new wallet app that will consolidate payment cards and electronic tickets. For example, customers at Starbucks can make payments using their Gold Card through Passbook. Also, movie tickets purchased through Fandango can be redeemed through Passbook. Airline boarding passes and even sporting event tickets will be accessible through Passbook as well. A new API will offer developers access to Passbook.
As expected, Apple has revamped the Maps app with its own map data. It will offer integration with Yelp for business listings and traffic information sourced anonymously and in real-time from iOS users. Turn-by-turn navigation will also debut in the new Maps app and guidance can be triggered by Siri.
iOS 6 will be compatible with the iPhone 3GS and later, 2nd-generation iPad and later, and the 4th-generation iPod touch and will be available in the fall. A beta will be available to developers today.
At today's WWDC keynote event, Apple announced a release timeframe and pricing for Mountain Lion, the next version of the Mac operating system which was previewed earlier this year. Executives also gave a preview of some new features including dictation, iCloud Tabs, and Power Nap. Mountain Lion will be released in July through the Mac App Store for $19.99 and all Macs purchased starting today can receive an upgrade for free.
The new dictation feature will be integrated throughout the operating system to allow dictation anywhere to enter text. Dictation was previously rumored in May when resource files in Safari listed keyboard shortcuts that pointed to dictation functions.
iCloud Tabs, a new feature in Safari on the Mac, was also demonstrated. iCloud Tabs will show all tabs open in Safari on all other iOS devices and Macs logged in to the same iCloud account. Safari also gains a unified search and address bar to streamline its interface.
Power Nap is a new feature that will carry out functions while a Mac is charging and sleeping. New emails will be downloaded, Time Machine will automatically run, app updates will be applied and other actions will be carried out with Power Nap, which will be available on the new ultra-thin MacBook Pro that was announced today and second-generation and later MacBook Airs.
Apple first previewed Mountain Lion in February, highlighting many features already present in iOS, including Messages, Reminders, Notes, Notification Center, Game Center and more at that time.
According to New York Times technology columnist David Pogue, Apple still believes in desktop Macs, including both the iMac and the Mac Pro. 
Apple has quietly issued updates for a number of its software packages following the WWDC keynote this morning. Final Cut Pro, Motion, Aperture, iPhoto and iTunes have all been given updates. 
At today's WWDC keynote event, Apple 
