Analysts say that we might have a new MacBook with a slightly revised design (I take that to mean fewer features) and lower prices, available as soon as two weeks from today. This surprising piece of news, comes from Barron’s Blog (Silicon Valley Bureau), so it does carry some weight.
To quote Eric Savitz, “Research firm Wedge Partners thinks so. They assert in a note today that the company will release both new iMacs and new MacBooks “in the next several weeks.” Wedge sees a redesigned iMac witjh a “thinner, organic design, likely with smoothed or rounded edges. The MacBook redesign “is likely to be limited,” Wedge asserts.”
Full article here:
http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2009/09/15/apple-new-macs-coming-soon/
I am personally in the market for a smaller lighter laptop and if at all possible want that laptop to be an Apple Macintosh, which runs a full version of the latest Mac OS X.
I wouldn’t mind if the laptop itself has a small monitor (from 10 to 12-inches would be perfect), but I do need it to be able to drive a larger monitor at higher screen resolutions (HD is not necessary).
I would like this smaller laptop (netbook, ebook, whatever) to have a fire-wire port but I can live with USB2. An external DVD SuperDrive is also OK with me.
My prediction is that, because of the last minute nature of this “leak” and Apple’s obviously reluctant but hurried entrance into the raging Netbook War, we are going to see a very slightly modified plastic MacBook (hopefully not in white), that might be a bit slimmer (if they drop the internal SuperDrive), will have no fire-wire (only USB2) and possibly a new (more efficient but less powerful) processor which will give it longer battery life (and help differentiate it from the MacBook Pros and MacBook Air). A smaller screen would be nice but that will probably come later.
The big question is, how low will the price go? My guess is $599 or $699.
Update Sept. 30, 2009 – Oh well it looks like my guess is somewhat optimistic, the latest reports from the “analysts” have put the price at $799 to $899, let’s hope that they are wrong.
Related links:
12-inch Apple PowerBook G4 and iBook G4
New Apple Macbook redesign rumors are building slowly but steadily
Apple PowerBook Duo – a split personality laptop that was also a desktop machine.
The Incredible Shrinking Apple Macintosh Portable
Revised MacBook with lower price on the way?
