iFans will be counting days to Apple's Oct. 23 media event, where the company is expected to launch its iPad Mini, which will likely share the stage with a 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display and a Mac Mini. Several alleged images of the 13-inch MacBook Pro have started to surface and hint at the machine's hardware specs.

MacRumors posted a few images of the 13-inch MacBook Pro via a Chinese Web site WeiPhone.com, which show what is claimed to be external port configuration, battery layout, and other particulars of the rumored Apple laptop.

"Unfortunately, the pictures are generally rather small and of low quality, but it seems clear that the poster does indeed have access to an unreleased 13-inch Retina MacBook Pro," reported MacRumors.

The images show the configuration of six battery packs arranged within the inside of the machine as well as the left- and right-hand sides of the fully-assembled 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display. The images suggest that the notebook will sport the same dual Thunderbolt I/O connectors, as well as an SD card slot and HDMI out port found on the bigger 15-inch MarBook Pro model.

The purported images of the device looks to be in working condition, and is shown running Windows 7 at 2560 x 1600 pixels resolution. The images show multiple close-ups of the alleged notebook's logic board and 8GB of Elpida RAM. The new 13-inch MacBook Pro is speculated to feature a 2560 x 1600 pixels resolution display compared to the 2880 x 1800 pixels resolution of its predecessor.

Rumors also indicate that the price for the 13-inch Retina MacBook will start at $1699, which will make the new model nearly $500 more expensive than the standard 13-inch version.
Even though the legitimacy of the images remains questionable, MacBook pro owners will be eager to lay their hands on the smaller 13-inch notebook with Retina display.

Apple's Oct. 23 event is now one of the most-awaited events in the tech market. Time will tell what iDevices await to be launched at the event.