Mini DisplayPort on the new MacBook

The availability of a license confirms that the port is propriety from Apple but should allow third-party developers to make adapters to allow notebooks with VGA and DVI connections to use the new 24-inch LED Cinema Display.

When we redesigned the new Macbook, our designers and engineers set a goal of making not only the greenest notebook Apple ever produced, but the greenest family of notebooks. So every new Macbook has been built using materials that are highly recyclable and free of many harmful substances present in other computers.

In the advert and on a new section of its website Apple touts that fact that its new MacBook Air, MacBook and MacBook Pro are free of harmful toxins, highly recyclable, very energy efficient and come in compact packaging.

View the gallery.

This firmware update addresses an issue where trackpad clicks may not be recognized on MacBook (Late 2008) and MacBook Pro (Late 2008) systems.

The update is available in Software Update to owners of late 2008 MacBook and MacBook Pro notebooks.

Since the original email (pictured) the original sender has replied to which Steve Jobs replied again:

———- Forwarded message ———-
From: Steve Jobs
Date: Thu, Oct 16, 2008 at 4:04 PM
Subject: Re: Firewire RIP?
To: Xxxxx

-David

MacBook and MacBook Pro

Apple has published a support document which details how users can switch between using the integrated GPU in the MacBook Pro or the dedicated.

The change which requires the user to log out and back in again should offer better battery life when the user opts to use the integrated NVIDIA GPU (9400M). Currently it is unknown whether removing or plugging in the MagSafe automatically makes this switch.

Macworld is reporting that the new MacBook and MacBook Pros support the iPhone headset, the microphone works as an input and the clicker works as expected as well.

If you click the button on your iPhone headphones, iTunes pauses. Click again, and the music resumes. A double-click advances one track, and a triple-click moves back a track—just like on the iPhone.

Also unclear is the memory limit on the new notebooks, officially Apple lists 4GB as the memory ceiling. But the new NVIDIA chipset support DDR3 memory which is being used in the notebooks which technically supports 4GB sticks, creating a theoretical ceiling of 8GB.

24-inch Cinema Display

Apple lists the speaker system on the display to be 2.1, suggesting the presence of a subwoofer.

Apple offers adapters to use the new notebooks on other displays but not the other way around. Only the current MacBook, MacBook Pro and MacBook Air notebooks can drive the 24-inch Cinema Display.

Despite DisplayPorts ability to pipe audio and video Apple requires the USB to be plugged in to enable the speakers.

The key advantage of Montevina is the increased front-side bus speed which is now 1066MHz as well as the inclusion of the latest 45nm Penryn processors.

The MacBook Air also benefited from technology improvements, Intel has confirmed that the MacBook Air now uses a standard 45nm Penryn processor.

But new Intel processors did make a debut in the refresh of the MacBook Air. Instead of the Small-Form-Factor (SFF) 65-nanometer Merom chips, Apple has gone with with the more advanced 45-nanometer Penryn SSF processor. Penryn chips typically boast either 3MB or 6MB of cache memory versus the 2MB or 4MB that the older mobile procesors offer. (Cache memory speeds performance.)

The MacBook Air has previously been criticised for overheating issues which caused the Air to slow itself down.

This update contains software bug fixes for precision aluminum unibody enclosure MacBook and MacBook Pro notebook computers introduced in October 2008.

The update improves compatibility with external displays and includes a variety of software fixes. This update is recommended for all users of these systems.

The update can be obtained either via Software Update or via Apple’s website.

Rear side of MacBook

• Ars Technica up close and personal with the MacBook Pro.
• Ars Technica looks at the MacBook/Pro’s removable hard drive.
• Photo gallery of the new 24-inch Cinema Display from Engadget.
• Photo gallery of the new MacBook from Engadget.
• Engadget gets hands-on with the MacBook Pro.
• Ars Technica’s Jacqui Cheng offers some answers about Apple’s new buttonless trackpad.

In addition, every member of the new MacBook family includes state of the art NVIDIA graphics, brilliant instant-on LED-backlit displays and new large glass Multi-Touch trackpads that offer almost 40 percent more tracking area and support more Multi-Touch gestures. The entire new MacBook family meets stringent Energy Star 4.0, EPEAT Gold and RoHS environmental standards, and leads the industry in the elimination of toxic chemicals by containing no brominated flame retardants, using only PVC-free internal cables and components, and using energy efficient LED-backlit displays that are mercury-free and made with arsenic-free glass.

15-inch MacBook Pro ports

The new MacBook line features the powerful new NVIDIA GeForce 9400M, a revolutionary new 3D integrated graphics processor that features 16 parallel processing cores and delivers up to five times the 3D graphics performance than the previous MacBook and MacBook Air.

Brand new 13.3-inch MacBook | Image courtesy of Apple

Today Apple also updated MacBook Air and the 17-inch MacBook Pro. MacBook Air, measuring only 0.16-inches at its thinnest point, 0.76-inches at its maximum height and weighing just three pounds, now includes new NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics and a faster architecture to provide robust support for 3D games and enhanced performance. Starting at $1,799, MacBook Air is available with a 120GB 4200 rpm hard drive, a 50 percent increase from the previous generation, or a new 128GB solid state drive. The updated 17-inch MacBook Pro keeps its original aluminum design, and now comes standard with a high resolution 1920 x 1200 LED-backlit display and a larger 320GB hard drive or an optional 128GB solid state drive.

The new MacBook, 15-inch MacBook Pro and 17-inch MacBook Pro are now shipping and the new MacBook Air will be available in early November.

Newly designed 15-inch MacBook Pro | Image courtesy of Apple

The 2.0 GHz, 13-inch aluminum MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,299 (US), includes:

13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display;
2.0 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
160GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme® 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in iSight video camera;
two USB 2.0 ports;
one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
glass Multi-Touch trackpad; and
60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

The 2.4 GHz aluminum MacBook, for a suggested retail price of $1,599 (US), includes:

13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display;
2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
250GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in iSight video camera;
two USB 2.0 ports;
one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
60 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
Build-to-order options for the MacBook include the ability to upgrade to 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, a 250GB 5400 rpm, 320GB 5400 rpm hard drive, a 128GB solid state drive, Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (for 30-inch DVI display), Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter, Apple USB Modem, Apple Remote, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare® Protection Plan.

The 2.4 GHz, 15-inch aluminum MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $1,999 (US), includes:

15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440 x 900 glossy display;
2.4 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 3MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, expandable to 4GB;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics with 256MB GDDR3 video memory;
250GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in iSight video camera;
two USB 2.0 ports;
one FireWire® 800 port;
ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

The 2.53 GHz aluminum MacBook Pro, for a suggested retail price of $2,499 (US), includes:

15.4-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1440 x 900 glossy display;
2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT discrete graphics with 512MB GDDR3 video memory;
320GB serial ATA hard drive running at 5400 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
a slot-load 8X SuperDrive with double-layer support (DVD±R DL/DVD±RW/CD-RW) optical drive;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
Gigabit Ethernet port;
built-in iSight video camera;
two USB 2.0 ports;
one FireWire 800 port;
ExpressCard/34 expansion card slot;
one audio line in and one audio line out port, each supporting both optical digital and analog;
glass Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
85 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.
Build-to-order options for the MacBook Pro include a 2.8 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, the ability to upgrade to 4GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM, 250GB 7200 rpm, 320GB 5400 rpm or a 320GB 7200 rpm hard drive, a 128GB solid state drive, Mini DisplayPort to DVI Adapter, Mini DisplayPort to Dual-Link DVI Adapter (for 30-inch DVI display), Mini DisplayPort to VGA Adapter, Apple USB Modem, Apple Remote, Apple MagSafe Airline Adapter and the AppleCare Protection Plan.

The 1.6 GHz MacBook Air, for a suggested retail price of $1,799 (US), includes:

13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit high resolution 1280 x 800 glossy display;
1.6GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
2GB 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
120GB serial ATA hard drive running at 4200 rpm, with Sudden Motion Sensor;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
built-in iSight video camera;
one USB 2.0 port;
one headphone port;
Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
45 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

The 1.86 GHz MacBook Air, for a suggested retail price of $2,499 (US), includes:

13.3-inch widescreen LED-backlit 1280 x 800 glossy display;
1.86 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo with 6MB shared L2 cache;
1066 MHz front-side bus;
2GB 1066MHz DDR3 SDRAM;
NVIDIA GeForce 9400M integrated graphics;
128GB solid state drive;
Mini DisplayPort for video output (adapters sold separately);
built-in AirPort Extreme 802.11n wireless networking and Bluetooth 2.1+EDR;
built-in iSight video camera;
one USB 2.0 port;
one headphone port;
Multi-Touch trackpad and illuminated keyboard; and
45 Watt MagSafe Power Adapter.

For live coverage see this post.

• Members of media getting seated, event starting soon!
• Steve Jobs intros Tim Cook who’s talking sales, Apple sold 2.5 million Macs last quarter
• Cook: Apple has “better computers” and “better software”, says “Leopard is far ahead of Vista”
• Jonathan Ive on stage talking about the new manufacturing process for notebooks. One piece of aluminium to build a lighter stronger enclosure.
• NVIDIA came to Apple to show off a new product, now the 9400M is in the new notebooks. Chipset and GPU on one die, 70% is GPU, 16 parallel graphics cores, 54 gigaflops.
• New trackpad in notebooks made of glass for “silky smooth” travel
• 39% larger tracking area, multi-touch gestures, entire trackpad is one button, multi-buttons via software
• Four finger gestures for app switching and Expose
• Introducing brand new MacBook Pro
• New MacBook Pro, LED-backlit, multi-touch glass trackpad, mini Display Port connector, backlit keyboard, magnetic latch
• Both the integrated NVIDIA 9400M in the MacBook as well as the GeForce 9600M GT
• Five hours of battery life on 9400M, four on the 9600M.
• Sot load optical drive, MagSafe, Ethernet, FireWire 800, two USBs, mini DisplayPort, ExpressCard 34, battery indicator on side.
• Mini DisplayPort going into all new products, slimmed down version of the fill-DVI connection, can still drive 30-inch display
• Hard drive easily replaceable
• SSD option available
• $1999, 15.4-inch LED backlit, 2.4GHz, 3MB L2 cache, 2GB DDR3 memory, two GPUs, 250GB HDD, SuperDrive
• $2499, 15.4-inch LED backlit, 2.53GHz, 6MB L2 cache, 4GB DDR3 memory, two GPUs, 320GB HDD, SuperDrive
• MacBook Air also getting revamp, mini Display Port, NVIDIA 9400M, 120GB HDD, 128GB SSD option
• MacBook Pros shipping today, MacBook Airs shipping in November
• Brand new 24-inch LED Cinema Display
• One cable with MagSafe to charge laptop, Display Port and USB.
• 24-inch display is $899, max resolution of 1920 x 1200, stereo speakers. Available in November.
• New MacBook, just like Pro yet smaller.
• Has NVIDIA 9400M integrated graphics, five hours of battery life
• $1299 13.3-inch MacBook, 2GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB RAM, 160GB HDD, SuperDrive
• Optional 128GB SSD also available for MacBook
• $1599 13.3-inch MacBook, 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo, 2GB RAM, 250GB HDD, SuperDrive
• MacBooks shipping now, in stores tomorrow
• Holding Q&A session; Steve’s blood pressure is 110/70, saying no more on Jobs’ health

MacBook Pro

Engadget has published an image (pictured left) from the same source that leaked an authentic image of the fourth generation iPod nano prior to its release last month.

The image shows a 15-inch MacBook Pro with a aluminium enclosure with the display framed by a black bezel, similar to the current generation iMac.

15-inch MacBook Pro

Gruber goes onto talk about the trackpad which as noted in the image posted by Engadget appears to have no trackpad button.

The new trackpad is similar to the Air’s, in that it is bigger and supports additional multi-touch gestures. But unlike the Air’s, the MacBook Pro’s new trackpad is made of glass, and is a button itself. You just press and it clicks. This is not like the current software option where you can enable “Tap to Click” in the trackpad preferences, but instead a glass trackpad that acts as a physical button, with a click you can feel. Sounds odd, but I hear it’s very cool in practice.

Gruber also writes that due to the glass bezel around the display, there will be no matte display version available. Interestingly Gruber speculates that the 17-inch MacBook Pro may be in the process of being phased out, claiming that we’ll only see an announcement related to the 15-inch MacBook Pro today. He does note that the 17-inch MacBook Pro will remain on sale for the time being and will also receive a minor increase in specs today featuring a larger 320GB hard drive and bumping the RAM from 2GB to 4GB. AppleInsider disagrees to an extent reporting that although the 17-inch MacBook Pro is unlikely to surface today, one does “exist in the labs”.

AppleInsider is also offering added information about the new MacBook Pro, the rumour site writes that the new notebook will feature two NVIDIA graphics cards; an integrated GPU for normal use and a dedicated GPU (a NVIDIA 9400M GT) when more power is required.

The two chips will reportedly feature Hybrid SLI, a NVIDIA technology where by the integrated graphics chip would assist the dedicated chip when plugged into a power source while the dedicated chip would shut down when on battery power. For this reason AppleInsider’s source claims that Apple is “touting some ’sick’ battery claims”.

Finally the CPUs in the MacBook Pro is expected to stay the same at 2.4GHz and 2.53GHz.

MacBook

13-inch MacBook

MacBook Air

Reports are emerging that the MacBook Air will also receive a minor increase in specifications, the new configurations which will be shipping by the end of the week will feature 120GB HDD and 128GB SSD, the Air will also receive the new NVIDIA 9400M integrated GPU.

New 24-inch Display

Several tipsters have noted to mulitple sites that Apple is also expected to unveil a new 24-inch display featuring DisplayPort and MagSafe power connectors. The display which is said to resemble the current generation iMac without the “chin”. It is expected that this new display will roll in at $899.

Mac Rumors adds that the display is expected to have LED backlighting.

DisplayPort

It is still very likely that the new MacBook and MacBook Pro will feature a mini-DVI connector, AppleInsider has noted on its blog section that Apple is manufacturing a DisplayPort to mini-DVI cable.

Pricing

• New 24-inch LED backlit display - $899.

MacBook Air

• MB543LL/A $1,799.00 (M96) - MacBook Air / 13-inch / 1.6GHz / 2GB RAM / NVIDIA 9400M / 120GB HDD
• MB940LL/A $2,499.00 (M96) - MacBook Air / 13-inch / 1.8GHz / 2GB RAM / NVIDIA 9400M / 128GB SSD

MacBook

• Current white MacBook 2.1GHz will remain in lineup at $999
• MB466LL/A $1,299.00 (M97) - MacBook / 13-inch / 2.0GHz / 2GB RAM / NIVIDA 9400M / 160GB HDD
• MB467LL/A $1,499.00 (M97) - MacBook / 13-inch / 2.4GHz / 2GB RAM / NIVIDA 9400M / 250GB HDD

MacBook Pro

• MB470LL/A $1,999.00 (M98) - MacBook Pro / 15-inch / 2.4GHz / 2GB RAM / NIVIDA 9400M GT (Dedicated)
• MB471LL/A $2,499.00 (M98) - MacBook Pro / 15-inch / 2.53GHz / 2GB RAM / NIVIDA 9400M GT (Dedicated)

Apple’s notebooks would continue to use Intel processors but the supporting chips would be manufactured by NVIDIA, this offers several key advantages over Intel’s chipset such as:

• Smaller physical size due to a smaller number of chips
• DriveCache, a technology which could be utilised to use flash storage to improve boot times
• More advanced integrated graphics

The biggest advantage of using NVIDIA over Intel will be in the enhanced graphics capabilities, the MCP79 chipset is thought to use the new GeForce 9300 and 9400 integrated GPUs which according to AppleInsider will “theoretically blow past” Intel’s integrated graphics offerings.

Apple is expected to unleash the brand new MacBook tomorrow.

First of all let’s all be clear that these are certainly not Photoshop jobs but they may well be early prototypes.

Mac Rumors tackles two subjects in its post, first of all speculating on what it claims is an unknown video out port as well as what exactly is underneath that covered area on the MacBook Pro case.

Port in question is fifth from the right.

So first up the video out port which appears on both the MacBook and MacBook Pro; weeks before these images surfaced AppleInsider published an article stating that the MacBook Pro would lose its full dual link DVI-I port and will instead be replaced with “what appears to be” a Mini-DVI port. Looking at the images in question it is a fair certainly what port this is.

To add further credence let’s measure the ports, a standard USB port is somewhere in the region of 5mm in height and 15 mm wide. A mini-DVI port is around 5mm in height and 10mm in width. Those proportions certainly work.

With immense certainty I can state that this port is a mini-DVI, but this does raise the question on how exactly Apple intends to run a 30-inch display from the MacBook Pro as mini-DVi can only handle a maximum resolution of 1920×1200 @60Hz.

Now lets look at that covered area which can be seen on the far left of the image above. Although Mac Rumors doesn’t directly speculate it does offer some of the crazy suggestions that have hit its forum over the weekend; iMac docking port, DisplayPort and eSATA connection have all made an appearance in discussions.

A bit of common sense needs to brought in here, firstly why would Apple put all the ports in one area and then put the another port completely in a different area, this would cause the mainboard designers a nightmare and would not at all be functional.

I don't see a port here?

The above image is the view of the ports from the other side of the case, as you can see every other port has a clear view to the pink bubble wrap below but in the unknown area is a black object with what looks like some metal mouldings. Granted the tape would prevent the surface below being visible but I don’t even see what looks anything remotely like a hole in the case.

As much as I personally respect Mac Rumors this empty speculation helps nobody, then again the above text is empty speculation with a hint of evidence…

The guide offers no discerning information about the new notebooks but does confirm their existence. Apple is expected to unveil the new MacBook and MacBook Pro on Tuesday October 14 at a special media event.

The images which are mirrored below show that both cases with be “latchless” and neither the MacBook nor MacBook Pro will have a Firewire 400 port and it seems that the MacBook will feature no Firewire ports at all.

MacBook Pro top case

MacBook Pro top case underside view

MacBook Pro left speaker grill

MacBook Pro right side view showing slot loading optical drive and Kensington lock

MacBook Pro left side view showing from left to right, ExpressCard 34 slot, headphones, microphone, Mini-DVI, two USB ports, Firewire 800, Ethernet, MagSafe out of view

MacBook top case

MacBook top case underside view

MacBook right side view showing power button and slot loading optical drive

MacBook left side view showing from top to bottom; MagSafe, Ethernet, USB, USB, Mini-DVI, Microphone, headphones, Kensington lock

The video which shows very little displays a notebook with a MacBook label with a very large trackpad and an aluminium enclosure.

Apple is holding a media event on Tuesday October 14 and is expected to release brand new MacBooks and MacBook Pros.

View the video below.

The invite delivered to the media reads “The spotlight turns to notebooks”.

Apple will host the event at its Town Hall location on October 14 at 10.00am.

Apple is expected to deliver redesigned MacBooks and MacBook Pros.

Apple.Pro has posted several photos that show a similar style case to the one seen yesterday but clearly smaller due to the lack of speaker grills to the left and right of the keyboard.

The images are consistent with rumours that the more consumer focused MacBook will shift to a aluminium case and be similar in design to the MacBook Air.

As many sources had pointed towards October 14 as the date then it looked certain that Apple would indeed be using the second Tuesday in October as the stage to show off its new range of notebooks. Typically Apple would send out press invites to such an event exactly seven days prior to the event, but October 7 passed with no word from Apple PR.

Looking back at similar events it seems that Apple is not as keen to host a special event purely for new Mac releases, in fact in the past three years Apple hasn’t held any kind of unscheduled special event for a notebook.

Some may say that as this update doesn’t appear to be a mere speedbump but a major update to the enclosure that Apple would want to show off the new design at an event but lets cast our minds back to May 2006. In January of that year Apple released its first computers with Intel processors, one of them was the MacBook Pro, largely unchanged from its PowerBook predecessor. The consumer range of iBooks was left stranded with the PowerPC processor until Apple quietly swapped it out for brand new black and white MacBooks on May 16, no event, no fuss, just a press release.

Based on this past experience World of Apple remains confident that Apple will release brand new MacBooks and MacBook Pros next Tuesday but without any kind of hoo-ha.

According to the rumour site the “brick” refers to the manufacturing process that Apple is employing to build the new MacBooks. Previously Apple outsourced the manufacturing to plants such as Foxconn in China but the company has reportedly spent years building its own manufacturing process that uses lasers and jets of to cut out a MacBook shell from a “brick” of aluminium.

9to5Mac goes onto speculate that such a manufacturing process will give Apple significant advantages over its competition including:

• Carving out of aluminum eliminates the need to bend the metal and create weak spots or microfolds and rifts.
• There are no seams in the final product, so it is smooth.
• Screws aren’t needed to tie the products together.
• The shell is one piece of metal so it is super light, super strong and super cheap.
• You can be a whole lot more creative with the design if you don’t have to machine it.

Finally 9to5Mac reminds us that Apple CFO Peter Oppeinheimer recently stated during a conference call that Apple will continue to release innovative products that “Apple’s competitors won’t be able to match”.

The report which cites “field checks” as the source of information also adding that the new MacBooks have a “very thin aluminium casing, an LED-backlit display and an aggressive entry-level price point.”

Rumours late last week pinpointed October 14th as the date the new MacBooks are expected to be released.

In a brilliant write-up of yesterday’s music related announcements, Daring Fireball’s John Gruber noted that sources “familiar with Apple’s hardware plans” have pinpointed Tuesday October 14th as the date for new notebooks to be introduced.

At the time the report was mainly pinned as speculative but Mac Rumors has heard “whispers” of an iPod touch refresh within the specified timeframe but offers no details above this.

Today also saw another analyst for Piper Jaffray weighing in on the speculation. Mike Olson wrote in a note to clients today that he expects a refresh to the iPod touch in line with the iPhone 3G. In addition Olson expects the starting price of the iPod touch to drop from $299 to $199.

Olson doesn’t mention the MacBook Pro in his report but does report on slimmer MacBooks cryptically explaining “exteriors made of plastic instead of aluminum and could also have a newly designed keyboards”.

Munster in particular expects iPods to be the focus of the event with the iPod shuffle and iPod nano taking a backseat receiving only capacity increases. On the other hand Munster does expect a price cut for the iPod touch down to $199 with a design change similar to that of the iPhone 3G.

In addition to an iPod announcement Munster also expects a complete overhaul of Apple’s notebook line barring the MacBook Air.

“We note that the MacBook has had the same design since its launch over two years ago, and the MacBook Pro has had essentially the same design since its launch over 2.5 years ago, which was very similar in design to the PowerBook G4 released over 5.5 years ago,” he told clients. “To compare, the long-running iMac G5 design lasted three years.”

Munster expects new looks for both the MacBook and MacBook Pro with the MacBook re-entering the $999 price point bracket.

The Jaffray analyst retains a Buy rating on AAPL with a price target of $250.

Apple informed resellers that they should place orders for approximately 4 weeks worth of their top selling iPod models adding that supplies could become very limited within the next week.

In addition to warning of iPod shortages Apple also warned resellers to place orders for at least 3 weeks worth of stock for existing Mac notebooks, specifically mentioning the MacBook and MacBook Pro but not the MacBook Air.

Such advisories are usually a good indication of revisions to the mentioned products.

The MacBook is also said to be made of one single piece of aluminium and will bear some resemblance to the MacBook Air.

Finally Seth Weintraub of ComputerWorld writes that he expects the new MacBook to be released in September.

The comment came after concerns that Apple predicted gross margins of just 30% down from 34.8% in the June quarter. According to Apple a future product transition will cause a drop in gross margins.

The chief was short on details but did explain that price will be a significant driving factor. He continued that Apple often introduces products with new technology at a high price, but seeks to drive the price lower over time.

When referring to the unnamed product the CFO described the product as having “technologies and features that others can’t match”.

In today’s press release Steve Jobs spoke of “several more wonderful new products”.

Apple is widely expected to be revising the MacBook Pro and MacBook in the coming quarter. In addition the company is rumoured to introducing a multi-touch tablet sometime in the future.

The Chinese publication, Commercial Times is now reporting that Apple has increased orders for “notebook-use printed circuit boards” by up to 2% for the forthcoming quarter (July - September).

In addition to this Mac Rumors is noting that Apple has told Best Buy that they will have limited MacBook shipments over the next two weeks.

“There were two minor issues we found during final testing – one with our integrated graphic chipsets, which we have found a workaround for but need to re-screen our parts, and second around our wireless Wi-Fi chip, which was a paperwork and certification mistake we made,” said Bill Kircos, a spokesman for Intel.

“Both of these led us to establishing a launch date for our mobile processors and discrete chipsets of the week of July 14th, and taking a couple of weeks to get the right readiness and volume for the rest of our components,” Kircos added. “We’re looking at early August for that.”

As a result of the delays Apple is unlikely to begin volume shipments of Montevina based notebooks until much later in the back-to-school buying season.

According to previous reports both the MacBook and MacBook Pro are expected to receive updated looks, the MacBook adopting an aluminium enclosure and the MacBook Pro taking some design hints from the MacBook Air.

According to the Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN) Apple plans to use back light unit maker (BLU) Kenmos Technology to help complete a promise Apple made last year to transition all notebooks to LED-lit displays.

Since Steve Jobs’ open letter declaring Apple’s aim to become “greener” the company made LED-lit display standard on the 15-inch MacBook Pro, and an option on the 17-inch MacBook Pro, but in a storming move for the industry introduced the MacBook Air with the brighter and more power efficient LED backlit technology.

According to the Commercial Times both AU Optronics Chi Mei Optoelectronics have recieved significant orders for the displays to go in the next MacBook revision.

Taiwan’s top two flat-panel makers by revenue, have obtained flat-panel orders for Apple Inc.’s new MacBook, the Commercial Times reported Friday, citing industry sources.

The target is three million units which will be display evenly between the two display manufacturers.

Currently no 3G iPhone exists so when activated the current EDGE iPhone crashes but the setting confirms the existence of the long-rumoured 3G iPhone.

2.6GHz MacBook a Typo?

Over the weekend Apple’s Hot News page was cycling an image advertising a 2.6GHz MacBook.

The MacBook was last refreshed in late February so the chances of an update are slim. Also the MacBook Pro does offer a 2.6GHz model so this is most likely a typo.

This update fixes several issues to improve the stability of MacBook Air computers.

MacBook EFI Firmware Update 1.2 - 1.8MB

This update fixes several issues to improve the stability of MacBook computers.

After the firmware is successfully applied to your Mac, your Boot ROM Version will be:

MB31.008E.B02

MacBook Pro EFI Firmware Update 1.5 - 3.1MB

This update fixes several issues to improve the stability of MacBook Pro computers.

After the firmware is successfully applied to your Mac, your Boot ROM Version will be:

MBP21.00A5.B08 or MBP31.0070.B07

iMac EFI Firmware Update 1.3 - 1.6MB

This update fixes several issues to improve the stability of iMac computers.

After the firmware is successfully applied to your Mac, your Boot ROM Version will be:

IM71.007A.B03

Firmware Restoration CD 1.6 - 30MB

The Firmware Restoration CD can restore the firmware of an Intel-based Macintosh computer.

The consumer level MacBook which currently features plastic casing will reportedly gain a aluminium and stainless steel enclosure which will purportedly be more “eco-friendly”.

The MacBook Pro is also rumoured to have borrowed design features from the late-2007 iMacs and the new MacBook Air.

Though precise details are admittedly limited given the ongoing revision process, it’s presumed this will include instances of matte black on portions of the casings, oversized trackpads, and the adoption of the MacBook Air’s keyboard by the MacBook. reports AppleInsider.

Neither the MacBook nor MacBook Pro have seen design changes since their transition to Intel processors in 2006 with the MacBook Pro recieving minor adjustments in January 2006 and the MacBook recieving a complete revamp in May 2006.

The new MacBook Pro features the latest Intel Core 2 Duo technology with up to a 2.6 GHz processor with 6MB of shared L2 cache; up to 4GB of 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory and up to a 300GB hard drive, plus NVIDIA GeForce 8600M GT graphics with up to 512MB of video memory. Every MacBook Pro now includes a trackpad with Multi-Touch gesture support for pinch, rotate and swipe, making it more intuitive than ever to zoom and rotate photos in iPhoto or Aperture 2 or browse web pages in Safari; an illuminated keyboard that makes it ideal for dimly lit environments such as airplanes, studios or conference halls and a built-in ambient light sensor, which automatically adjusts the brightness of the keys as well as the brightness of the display for optimal visibility.

Featuring a 13-inch glossy widescreen display, and with prices still starting at just $1,099, the new MacBook lineup comes in three models and includes faster processors and larger hard drives across the line; sleek white 2.1 GHz and 2.4 GHz models with 120GB or 160GB 5400 rpm hard drives and a stunning black 2.4 GHz model with a massive 250GB 5400 rpm hard drive, previously only available as an option. The 2.4 GHz MacBook models ship with 2GB of memory standard, expandable up to 4GB across the line.

MacBook Pro

• $1999 (£1299) Macbook Pro 15″ 2.4GHz / 2GB / 200GB 5400RPM / 256MB VRAM
• $2499 (£1599) Macbook Pro 15″ 2.5GHz / 2GB / 250GB 5400RPM / 512MB VRAM
• $2799 (£1799) Macbook Pro 17″ 2.5GHz / 2GB / 250GB 5400RPM / 512MB VRAM

MacBook

• $1099 (£699) Macbook 13″ 2.1GHz / 1GB / 120GB / Combo Drive / White
• $1299 (£829) Macbook 13″ 2.4GHz / 2GB / 160GB / Double-layer SuperDrive / White
• $1499 (£949) Macbook 13″ 2.4GHz / 2GB / 250GB / Double-layer SuperDrive / Black

It has been rumoured that Apple will release updated MacBook Pro models today but last minute information points towards the MacBook being updated instead.

Apple is expected to introduce new MacBook models with up to 2.4GHz processors with hard drive configurations on the entry level climbing to 120GB, mid-range 160GB and top-range 250GB.

Prices on the three models are likely to remain at the current price points.

It is unknown whether the MacBook Pro will also receive an update.

This MacBook and MacBook Pro firmware update addresses an issue where the first key press may be ignored if the computer has been sitting idle. It also addresses some other issues.

Is this the ultra-portable Mac, or the MacBook revision?

To throw down to personal opinion, I personally avoided writing about this picture mainly due to the fact that so many fakes go around prior to events like Macworld, and although it is fun to ponder over them it is important that we don’t condone them. Fakes are a big spanner in the works sometimes.

At first impressions this mockup looks impressive, it is void of any obvious cloning and adjustment defects. But logic prevails in this case.

The majority of mainstream news sites are posting this picture purporting it to be a potential leak of the rumoured ultra-portable Mac. Whatever it is, it doesn’t look ultra-portable.

If this picture was genuine then I believe this is the MacBook revision that has been spoke of a few times, in particular by MacRumors yesterday. The MacBook revision is said to be aluminium, thinner and with a ’strange’ trackpad.

For those who claim that having a trackpad that size would causing a typing problem, I do agree; but it is not unfeasible.