Big News From Apple: MacBooks, iOS 6, And More

Apple's WWDC 2012 keynote on Monday was full of new announcements from the Cupertino company. Much of what was announced had been rumored for some time already, such as a new, thinner MacBook Pro with a Retina Display, a MacBook Air update, and iOS 6 with new maps and many other enhancements.

Here's what's new in the world of Apple.

MacBook Air Update

The MacBook Air still has the same exterior design, but the inside has received an overhaul.

The 11-inch Air starts at $999 and $1,099. The flash storage didn't get a bump--it remains at 64GB and 128GB, respectively. The change here is in the processor, which is now a 1.7-GHz dual-core Intel Core i5. It's loaded with 4GB of memory, Intel HD Graphics 4000, and a 720p FaceTime camera.

The 15-inch MacBook Air will come with 128GB of storage, upgradable to 256GB. The processor is a 1.8-GHz dual-core Intel Core i5. Like the 11-inch Air, it also has 4GB of memory, an Intel HD Graphics 4000 graphics card, and a 720p FaceTime camera.

New MacBook Pro Models

The 13-inch MacBook Pro comes in two flavors. Both have a 1280 x 800 display.

The specs for the base model are as follows: 2.5GHz dual-core i5 processor, 4GB RAM, Intel HD Graphics 4000, 500GB hard drive, seven-hour battery life, .95 inches thick, 4.5 pounds. It starts at $1,199.

For those who want a slight spec bump, the 13-inch MacBook Pro can be had with a 2.9-GHz dual-core i7 processor and a 750GB hard drive instead, for $1,499.

The 15-inch model starts at $1,799 for the base model. A step up from that will run you $2,199.

Here's what $1,800 will get you: a 2.3-GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, 4GB of 1600MHz DDR3 memory, and a 500GB hard drive. The 15-inch model is just as slim--.95 inches thick--as the 13-inch MacBook Pro.

Opting for a $2,200 MacBook Pro will score you a 2.6-GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, 8GB of 1600MHz DDR3 memory, and a 750GB hard drive.

MacBook Pro with Retina Display

This is the first major MacBook Pro redesign in several years. The new laptop is now thinner, at .71 inches, and equipped with a Retina Display that has an 2880 x 1880 resolution, giving it a pixel density of 220ppi. Both models have a 720p FaceTime HD camera. They add USB 3 and a newer, thinner MagSafe 2 connector.

The base model starts at $2,199, and has a 2.3-GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor. It has 8GB of 1600MHz DDR3L memory, 256GB of flash memory, Intel HD Graphics 4000, Nvidia GeForce GT 650M with 1GB of GDDR5 memory, and automatic graphics switching.

The $2,799 model features a quad-core Intel Core i7 processor, and 512GB of flash storage.

All the Apple laptops begin shipping today.

Mountain Lion

Game Center

Mountain Lion is getting Game Center. This will allow users to play games with each other across multiple platforms, such as iOS and Mac OS.

Messages

Messages, which has been in beta for a few months now, lets users send messages to iPhone users and iPad users the way they would SMS. This will work across all Apple devices.

Notifications

The new notification center will work much like the OS X app Growl. It brings pop-up notifications to the top-right corner of the screen. If you ignore it, it just goes away. However, you can check all your notifications quickly through the app.

Dictation

This brings Apple's dictation software to the Mac. It's similar to what's on the new iPad. This is not to be confused with Siri, which is more of a personal assistant.

Search in Launchpad

Users can now search through Apple's Launchpad.

Pricing

No release date was announced for Mountain Lion, but the pricing will entice buyers at $19. That's a $10 drop from last year's Lion OS.