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13-inch Retina MacBook Pro on track, says analyst

An analyst reiterates that a 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro is slated for production this quarter.

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Brooke Crothers Former CNET contributor
Brooke Crothers writes about mobile computer systems, including laptops, tablets, smartphones: how they define the computing experience and the hardware that makes them tick. He has served as an editor at large at CNET News and a contributing reporter to The New York Times' Bits and Technology sections. His interest in things small began when living in Tokyo in a very small apartment for a very long time.
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Following the 15.4-incher, a less-expensive 13.3-inch Retina MacBook Pro is also expected. An analyst reiterated production plans today.
Following the 15.4-incher, a less-expensive 13.3-inch Retina MacBook Pro is also expected. An analyst reiterated production plans today. Apple

A 13-inch MacBook Pro with a Retina display is on track for production, according to an analyst at NPD DisplaySearch.

DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim has been telling CNET for a while now that a 13.3-inch Retina version of the MacBook Pro (MBP) is slated for production in the fourth quarter. And today Shim reiterated that he sees no change in those production plans.

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What's not clear is when Apple would release the new MacBook. Shim speculates that it would happen after the iPad Mini announcement -- which is expected to be released in the coming weeks -- though he said he has no first-hand knowledge of this.

Reports have been streaming out of Asia for some time, also.

Shim confirmed today that the MBP 13.3-incher will have a 2,560-by-1,600 pixel density display. That compares with the 2880-by-1800 15.4-inch Retina MacBook Pro announced in June.

Ironically, the expected 2,560-by-1,600 resolution is the same pixel density that's expected on a future Google Nexus 10-inch tablet.

The 13-inch MBP Retina is also expected to be more consumer friendly, with a price tag well below the $2,199 entry point for the 15.4-inch model.

First Look
Watch this: MacBook Pro with Retina Display: Hands-on