AppleInsider reports that Apple is planning to introduce cheaper Macs, possibly as soon as this coming spring. According to AppleInsider the move comes as consumers switch to budget computers such as netbooks.

Details no where exactly the cheaper Macs will appear are not known but AppleInsider notes that Apple could reduce the price of the MacBook in the near future as part of revisions across the line.

While exact pricing is unclear or still undetermined at this time, the Mac maker earlier this month quietly flaunted its capacity to deliver a premium system at near recession pricing when it began offering educational institutions a 2GHz, 20-inch aluminum iMac for $899. Even when priced at a $100 to $150 markup for the consumer markets — as Apple is more than likely eager to preserve its margins — such an offering would make a material dent in the entry-level cost of owner or switching to a Mac.