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Redesigned MacBook Pro, iMac may come in first half of 2011

A new report out of the Far East claims Apple plans to launch redesigned MacBook Pro and iMac models in the first half of 2011.

Taiwanese industry publication Digitimes reports that sources from "upstream component makers" indicate that Apple will introduce the upgraded models in the first half of next year.

The Mac maker reportedly plans to launch "at least four upgraded MacBook Pros" with a "slight change" in chassis design and an upgrade to Mac OS X 10.7 Lion. The upgraded iMac is expected to feature "a new panel size and a price point for the mainstream market," according to the report.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled ">Mac OS X 10.7 Lion at the "Back to the Mac" event in October. Mac OS X 10.7 Lion will incorporate features brought back to the Mac from iOS, such as App Home Screens, full-screen apps, and expanded multi-touch gestures. According to Jobs, Apple will release Mac OS X 10.7 Lion in the summer of 2011.

The first day of summer in 2011 is June 22, which would fit within the first half of 2011 timeframe from Digitimes' most recent report. The report's sources believe that the MacBook Pro upgrades will help Apple's notebook shipments grow 30-40 percent year over year in 2011.

Other details were sparse in the Digitimes report. However, next year's Macs are generally expected to utilize Intel's ">Sandy Bridge processors. Intel reportedly plans to formally unveil the new processors at the Consumer Electronics Show on Jan. 5th, 2011.

Intel CEO Paul Otellini announced in July that the company had decided to accelerate production in response to the "very strong reception" of Sandy Bridge CPUs by the chipmaker's vendors.

126 Comments

slang4art 16 Years · 376 comments

Apple wasn't going to update Macs and just sell iPods from now on?

iliver 15 Years · 299 comments

New panel size?
16:9 perhaps?
Would that signal Blu-ray finally, like the rest of the free world?

spinnerlys 18 Years · 183 comments

Quote:
Originally Posted by iLiver

New panel size?
16:9 perhaps?
Would that signal Blu-ray finally, like the rest of the free world?

The "panel" is referring to the iMac:

Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider

The Mac maker reportedly plans to launch "at least four upgraded MacBook Pros" with a "slight change" in chassis design and an upgrade to Mac OS X 10.7 Lion. The upgraded iMac is expected to feature "a new panel size and a price point for the mainstream market," according to the report.
.

claude427 18 Years · 28 comments

".....However, next year's Macs are generally expected to utilize Intel's Sandy Bridge processors. Intel reportedly plans to formally unveil the new processors at the Consumer Electronics Show on Jan. 5th, 2011." Ah, yes... a 4 core 15" MBP with 8 GB RAM and a big, fat solid state drive... a fine upgrade path to replace the aging 2.66 GHz MacPro at work; I can use the extra room in the cube. Just waitin'...

bageljoey 19 Years · 1998 comments

Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider

The upgraded iMac is expected to feature "a new panel size and a price point for the mainstream market," according to the report.

New price point for the mainstream market? Interesting phrase, that. Maybe it means that Apple has decided that they are ready to make an aggressive push for market share...

Quote:
The first day of summer in 2011 is June 22, which would fit within the first half of 2011 timeframe from Digitimes' most recent report.

Sweet! It has been over a year since we have had a thread devoted to the different world perspectives on just exactly when the seasons begin and end...