As well as launching an iPad 3 and a next generation Apple TV, Apple is also believed to be launching a new range of MacBooks. The new models are believed to fall in to the 15 and 17-inch category of the MacBook Pro, but will each be a lot slimmer, just like the smaller MacBook Airs.
Apple’s notebook lineup has received a significant revamp over the past two years, and the introduction of the MacBook Air seems to have finally edged out the low-end MacBook design. While originally priced as a premium product, the Air seems to have found a more mainstream market as its starting price dropped to only $999.
It isn’t clear at the moment if Apple will call them larger MacBook Airs or if they will be slimmerMacBook Pros. Either way, they will have larger screens and will have the slimmer profile of the MacBook Air range. The ultra-thin market is also about to get much more competitive this fall as Intel’s partners begin launching their Ultrabook notebooks.
Apple is likely to drop the optical drive from the MacBook Pro and will opt for an integrated SSD for storage. The reason for Apple dropping the optical drive is that it takes up a lot of space and isn’t used too much by a lot of people. For those that require an optical drive, an external device will need to be selected.
The release date of the thinner MacBooks is not known at the moment, but expect to see something towards the end of the year. That estimate is based on when Apple revamped the current models of the Air and Pro.
