Are Macs getting a Retina Display? Apple’s Messages Beta app supports high-res images

New information from Apple’s recently launch Messages Beta application for OS X may indicate that the company plans to upgrade its line of Mac computers with a beautiful Retina Display.

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The Retina Display offers a much better screen resolution for displaying images, HD video, and more. It’s currently only used on the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, but we have heard rumors that the next generation iPad will also sport a Retina Display.

The reason some think Mac computers will also get the Retina Display treatment has to do with the iOS-like “@2x modifier” support for images within the developer resources of Apple’s Messages Beta app, according to Macrumors. On Apple’s iOS mobile operating system, developers can use this to enable high-pixel density images to take full advantage of the Retina Display.

I’m a bit skeptical of Apple adding a Retina Display to any of its Macs, if not only because the company just released a new $999 27-inch Thunderbolt Display with a 2560-by-1440 screen resolution. Giving Macs a Retina Display would make them superior to the Thunderbolt Display’s screen. However, if Apple did decide to go this route I’d expect the only model to get the Retina Display treatment would be the MacBook Air. A better screen may help some consumers justify the higher price of the Air over other MacBooks. At the same time, the Air wouldn’t cannibalize sales of Apple’s MacBook Pro, iMac, or Thunderbolt Display.

But putting that aside, this information could have something to do with Apple’s initiative to bring its main operating system more in line with iOS. Since the full release of Messages isn’t due out until the release of Mountain Lion OS X, it’s possible that Apple is trying to get developers to make one single application that can be used on a variety of devices rather than making separate versions of each.

What do you think about Apple adding a Retina Display to Macs? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.