Apple unveils the next generation of MacBooks

We told you that Apple’s recently concluded Back to the Mac event will serve as the launch pad for the revamped MacBook Air models and we have been proven right. Steve Jobs, as suggested by the rumors announced both the 11 inch and 13 inch variant of the MacBook Air. As a matter of fact, the Apple CEO known for his superb keynote skills, went on to term the newly launched MacBook Air units as the next generation of MacBooks. Is that really the case? We will find out in the coming paragraphs.

The first thing as many of you would have noticed is that the MacBook Air is really thin. Infact it is the thinnest notebook that the Cupertinos have manufactured to date. Obviously this couldn’t have been possible without doing some hardware related changes. One thing that has changed is that the memory module space has been compressed even more than before which allows the MacBook Air to have this slim and sexy looking shape.

But hey its not all about looks is it at least in case of the laptops? Both the 11 inch and 13 inch model have a Intel Core 2 Duo processor running inside it, supported by a Nvidia Graphics card to provide an engaging gaming experience. Hard Disk has made way for the solid state drive. Most important of all Macbook Air now offers 5-7 hours of battery life. So are you impressed by the revamped MacBook Air?

[via Apple]

Apple will sell 700,000 MacBook Airs in Q4 2010

Now that’s the kind of thing that will undoubtedly please Steve Jobs and Co won’t it? According to Concord Securities analyst and researcher Mingchi Kuo, the Cupertinos may see 700,000 units of their slim and light weighted MacBook Airs ship in the remaining part of the current running quarter.

According to the analyst, Apple will ship a total of 4.1 million Macs, 17% of which will be MacBook Air. Kuo suggested that the 11.6 inch MacBook Air will have the bigger share in the pie, 60% to be exact. This as you might have guessed has to do with the low price tag attached to the notebook which looks more like a netbook.

Morever, the analyst sees people purchasing Macbook as their second choice PC:

Kuo pointed out that the new MacBook Air notebooks paired with the company’s upcoming new operating system Lion next year should be able to attract more consumers to purchase the machine as their second PC choice

If my memory serves me right, this will be one of the largest MacBook Air shipments that Apple has ever witnessed which certainly is a thing to cherish for the Cupertinos. Anyways, what about you? Do you have your sight set on the Apple’s most slimmest notebook?

[via Digitimes]

Revamped 13 inch MacBook Air to be thinner and lighter

Boy these MacBook Air rumors just keep coming and that too at a pace which we love. This latest round of rumor is about a redesigned 13.6 MacBook Air and what it has to offer in terms of specs.

Before we go into the specific details, we would like you to know that it will have a superior performance than its under-rated and underperforming predecessor. Here’s what the Cult of Mac’s informer, who spend some time with the notebook had to say about the improved performance of Apple’s 13.6 inch notebook:

It boots so fast, it’s unbelievable. It’s amazing how fast it boots up.

Here’s what the upcoming MacBook Air is believed to have from the hardware side of things:

• 2.1Ghz (with 2GB of RAM) and 2.4 GHz (with 4GB of RAM)
• NVidia GeForce 320M integrated graphics (same as the current MacBook).
• Upgradeable SSD drive/RAM module.
• Slimmer than the previous one.
• Offers 8 – 10 hours of battery life.
• Weighs less than 3 lbs.

13.6 inch MBA will be cheaper than the currently offered model and is priced at $1,100. One thing which is yet to be confirmed is the possible release date for the lighter version of the currently offered 13.6 inch model. My gut feeling is that it will be announced tomorrow at Apple’s highly anticipated Back to the Mac event.

It is pretty clear that Apple wants the consumers to fall in love with their MacBook Air family? Will you be the one?

[via Cult of Mac]

Apple may unveil the 11.6 inch MacBook Air on 20th October

Boy you just can’t keep Apple out of the rumor mill can you? Thankfully, this time the rumor is not about a Verizon iPhone or a 2nd gen iPad. According to AppleInsider and its multiple sources, the Cupertinos are planning on unveiling the 11.6 inch MacBook Air at their Back to the Mac event which kicks of this Wednesday.

Not a lot can be said about the characteristics of the upcoming MacBook Air model. All we know is that it will be 11.6 inch in size. It is believed that the upcoming MacBook Air may not be getting a traditional hard disk or a Solid State Drive (SSD). Don’t be surprised if Apple’s slim netbook brings something called an SSD card that is more like a RAM and doesn’t have a traditional drive enclosure.

This begs the question as to why Apple is introducing a SSD card like thing? First and foremost it will help Cupertinos lower down the MacBook Air price which may get the consumers attention. Other advantages are performance oriented such as Faster Boot times and wake up from sleep mode at a speed similar to the ones experienced by iPhone and iPad users.

[via VentureBeat]

11.6 inch MacBook to get an all new slimmer and lighter design

Yesterday, while talking about the upcoming 11.6 inch MacBook Air , we complained about the rumor mill being short of the specs of Apple’s light weighted notebook. Someone heard us loud and clear and was kind enough to reveal more about the Mac based laptop.

Apple Insider which is once again at the center of this development reveals that:

• The 11.6-inch MacBook Air won’t replace the 13.3-inch model, but will instead complement it as a more aggressively-priced option.
• Both the new 11.6- and 13.3-inch models sport matching outfits in the form of new, all-unibody designs and single button trackpads.
• The port door found on the existing MacBook Air is gone from the new designs, which feature a port layout similar to the existing MacBook Pros.
• The new “SSD card” storage is based off an SATA connection.
• The base component of both models is just slightly thicker than a standard USB port at its thickest point.

How true are these rumors? If I were you I won’t be putting my energy into this guessing and analyzing thing. Instead I will wait for 20th October the day on which Apple will kick off Back to the Mac event and will have something to say about the notebook which based on its small size looks like a netbook to me.

[via AppleInsider]