Apple close to unveiling all-new MacBook line

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
An initiative on the part of Apple to retain and redesign its low-cost polycarbonate MacBook line due to ongoing economic uncertainties is now believed to be closer to fruition than once thought, AppleInsider has been told.



The new models, which appear as if they could make their debut alongside a family of more versatile iMacs in the coming weeks, are expected to arrive as the most affordable notebook offerings in the Mac maker's history.



Together, the pair of refreshes should round out Apple's 2009 personal computer offerings and propel the company into the holiday shopping season with its most cost-effective lineup of Mac hardware to date.



As is the case with the upcoming iMac makeover, little is known about the revised industrial design of the new MacBook models, other than hints towards a thinner, sleeker enclosure that will embrace Apple's cutting-edge internal battery technology.



That said, one person familiar with pre-production units indicated to AppleInsider several weeks ago that models awaiting certification were seen in white polycarbonate shells, consistent with the sole $999 model currently available from the Cupertino-based company.



Since then, reports have surfaced to indicated that these models have made their way to manufacturing in some capacity.



Both the iMac and MacBook share accolades as the best selling desktop and notebook, respectively, in Apple's history. The iMac last saw a facelift in August of 2007, while the MacBook design has grown a bit longer in the tooth, having gone without visual tweaks since May of 2006.



An assessment of Apple's portable computing lineup for Q2CY10 based on information presently available to AppleInsider.



The new MacBook line will also serve as one of the final pieces in the construction of Apple's sub-$1000 portable computing lineup, due to culminate sometime in the first quarter of 2010 with the introduction of the firm's much-anticipated tablet device.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 102
    I'm sorry, this just keeps bugging me:



    How exactly is $999 in the sub-$1K category? It's a dollar less. Apply sales tax and it's over the magic threshold.



    EDIT: Wait a minute. First post? That never happens to me. Must be the gremlins or something...
  • Reply 2 of 102
    Su much for the ridiculous notion that the iTab would cease the lowly MacBook. Looks like this will be the real Apple netbook, price yet determined.

    I think the iTab will kill the MBAir.
  • Reply 3 of 102
    This could be great. I'm ready to buy a new netbook when Win7 comes out. A MacBook at $700-800 might tempt me. I have an older MacBook but am not inclined to replace it at current prices.
  • Reply 4 of 102
    How is the iPhone a portable computing device if the iPod touch isn't? Shouldn't it be included in this graphic?
  • Reply 5 of 102
    winterwinter Posts: 1,238member
    I'm looking forward to seeing what they unveil. I sort of liked how last year, they had both polycarbonate and aluminum MacBooks (the latter prior to adding the SD slot and changing it to a Pro).



    Having a few regular MacBook options is a positive.
  • Reply 6 of 102
    Apple, please update the MacBook Pro too... with the new mobile i7 Clarksfield quad-core (with hyperthreading and turbo boost).



    Hey, if HP can do it... http://www.hp.com/united-states/camp...nvy/index.html ...for well under $2K, why can't Apple?
  • Reply 6 of 102
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Winter View Post


    I'm looking forward to seeing what they unveil. I sort of liked how last year, they had both polycarbonate and aluminum MacBooks (the latter prior to adding the SD slot and changing it to a Pro).



    Don't forget firewire was added or should I say returned.
  • Reply 8 of 102
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by GreenMnM View Post


    How is the iPhone a portable computing device if the iPod touch isn't? Shouldn't it be included in this graphic?



    It's primarily a gaming device -haven't you heard?



    [QUOTE]"Originally, we weren't exactly sure how to market the Touch," Jobs told the New York Times. "Was it an iPhone without the phone? Was it a pocket computer? What happened was, what customers told us was, they started to see it as a game machine."[/QUOTE]



    Believe that and I have a bridge to sell you that goes to Brooklyn.
  • Reply 9 of 102
    @GreenMnM: Correct. The 'touch is a portable computer and should be included.
  • Reply 10 of 102
    How do you think they are going to unleash the new iMac's and Macbooks? I think last time the iMac's were updated they just appeared on Apples website and emails flooded our inbox telling us, but that was just internal changes. Its interesting to see with no event planned yet and christmas closing in.
  • Reply 11 of 102
    Didn't Apple get the memo? Bernanke said the recession is over! Time to jack those prices back up!



    *sarcasm*
  • Reply 12 of 102
    If all the next Mac desktops have SD card slots I think that will be an indictation that Apple is planning to obsolesce optical drives from their notebooks and move their OS install disks to SD cheap read-only SD cards.



    I also think that Apple may have two sizes of the MacBook now that the aluminium MB has gone pro. Basically back to the days of the 12” and 14” iBook, but with 13” and 15” versions that use TN displays and last generation Intel C2Ds. I assume these will be plastic as well. I predict this as they seem to have saturated their current demographic pretty well at this point.



    Apple Mac Special event on Tuesday, October 13th again this year?





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Mr. K View Post


    I'm sorry, this just keeps bugging me:



    How exactly is $999 in the sub-$1K category? It's a dollar less. Apply sales tax and it's over the magic threshold.



    EDIT: Wait a minute. First post? That never happens to me. Must be the gremlins or something...



    It’s technically under $1000, none of the other machines priced at $999 are used too. I would like to see stats for $99x and up, too, since Apple has a 92% domination of the $1000 and up PCs. I wonder how they would fair then since having a list price of three digits is certainly a magic pricepoint for consumers.
  • Reply 13 of 102
    I'm hoping the diminutive Mac Mini gets a power performance improvement as well.

    Apple - don't let you true lowest-cost computer languish!

    (yes, unlikely they read AppleInsider for development direction... I have sent via official 'Apple Feedback' page
  • Reply 14 of 102
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Bruce Young View Post


    I'm hoping the diminutive Mac Mini gets a power performance improvement as well.

    Apple - don't let you true lowest-cost computer languish!

    (yes, unlikely they read AppleInsider for development direction... I have sent via official 'Apple Feedback' page



    That would be great, but I wonder how committed Apple is to the Mac Mini updates. It wasn?t too long ago that AI kept predicting the demise the Mini because it failed to get any update for the longest time. It may be that buyers of the Mini don?t care about such things so Apple can get away with not updating it.



    Persoanlly, I?d love to see a double-decker sized Mini that competes more with the devices running Windows Home Server. Time Capsule is alright, but it can?t compete with the RAIDed, robust OS that is in the Home Servers.
  • Reply 15 of 102
    They'll shave a few millimeters off the thickness, give it the new battery design and clicky trackpad, and an SD slot. And no more Firewire port, y'all made them put it back on the aluminum Macbook so they're going to make you buy that if you want FW.
  • Reply 16 of 102
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by teckstud View Post


    It's primarily a gaming device -haven't you heard?



    [QUOTE]"Originally, we weren't exactly sure how to market the Touch," Jobs told the New York Times. "Was it an iPhone without the phone? Was it a pocket computer? What happened was, what customers told us was, they started to see it as a game machine."



    Believe that and I have a bridge to sell you that goes to Brooklyn.[/QUOTE]



    actually they probably do have details to back it up. they have sales in the app store for one thing. sales which might also have linked in the types of devices associated with the apple id being used so they know that those games and such are being bought by touch users. and that the other apps are more often bought by phone users



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by alectheking View Post


    Its interesting to see with no event planned yet and christmas closing in.



    they gave the date for the Sept event like one week before it happened. so a lack of a date really means nothing. in fact this is why they cut going to Macworld. so they could save the costs of signing into said event and use it to have local announcements on their timetable. which by the by to the folks going 'but they always do the updates after the holidays', Macworld is why that happened. if they were going to pay that much to be there they wanted something to draw a crowd. now that they don't have that issue we could get an announcement this afternoon that the new machines will be available tomorrow. they could do it in an "Eyes Only Streaming Video Bulletin"



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Mr. K View Post




    How exactly is $999 in the sub-$1K category? It's a dollar less.



    classic sales tactic. $99.99 is under $100 dollars. it's a psych thing. there were studies that showed that folks would rather have that 99 than the 3 digits in $100 (same for $999 over $1000). who knows. but yeah it is good for a laugh.
  • Reply 17 of 102
    The new MacBook enclosure design may be based on the design of the iPhone 3G/3GS: more rounded corners, a thin metal "highlight" frame and the same type of black/white plastic that is used for the rear cover of the iPhone.



    It is probably too soon for Arrandale based MacBooks (Intel release date is rumored to be 1Q'10 which leads to a Jan'10 MacBook Pro launch) but I hope I am wrong...
  • Reply 18 of 102
    The legend under the timeline graphic says "An assessment of Apple's portable computing lineup for Q2CY10 based on information presently available to AppleInsider."



    Shouldn't it be Q2FY10?
  • Reply 19 of 102
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by macshark View Post


    The new enclosure design may be based on the design of the iPhone 3G/3GS: more rounded corners, a thin metal "highlight" frame and the same type of black/white plastic that is used for the rear cover of the iPhone.



    That sounds pretty slick, and a curved bottom does add structural integrity over a flat bottom. I would imagine the battery will also be semi-non-user-replaceable like in the MBPs. It seems to be a success all around.
  • Reply 20 of 102
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by bigmc6000 View Post


    Didn't Apple get the memo? Bernanke said the recession is over! Time to jack those prices back up!



    *sarcasm*



    Actually, when I mentioned that in a rather sarcastic, "Socialist" post, Bernanke himself replied and told me he wasn't my friend. And he called me "buddy", but I think in the same sense I dissed him by referring to him as out of touch. Really. How he had time to reply to little old me during his lunches with multi-millionaire business owners is completely beyond me.



    Back on topic. I'd welcome a snazzy little new laptop to replace my 11 year old son's dying G4.
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