15-inch ultrathin MacBook said to be moving closer on LCD
updated 10:50 pm EDT, Sun October 30, 2011
15-inch MacBook Air gets minor supporting rumor
Apple's rumored 15-inch ultrathin notebook might have moved closer to completion if a quick rumor late Sunday claimed. The tip passed to Macotakara had test production runs of its 15-inch LCD completed. Apple was now in "product development," according to the claim, implying final refinement, though not necessarily production.
Much is unknown about the system, if real at all. It may be an upsized MacBook Air and fit into the existing lineup, but unconfirmed talk has had it replacing the existing MacBook Pro. Apple when it introduced the late 2010 Air redesign called it the "future of MacBooks" and gave a strong indication that the optical-free, SSD-based system would guide its strategy.
Any system is likely to come no sooner than the spring. Intel is poised to launch Ivy Bridge in or near March and improve both the performance and battery life of notebooks. The delay would also allow for built-in USB 3.0 support and faster dedicated graphics from AMD or NVIDIA if Apple wants to use them in a 15-inch ultrathin system.
