The fact that the Apple Store was closed for hours yesterday fueled the rumor mill about future product announcements, especially new models of iMac and MacBook.
Let's start with the MacBook. It was the only 13.3" notebook to have a Firewire port for months, however, the release of the MacBook Pro 13.3" give FW back to users. So, the only important point for the MacBook today, is its price, 200 Euro less than the MacBook Pro 13.3", but with a lower hardware too: slower CPU and memory, shorter battery lifetime, etc... so at the end it does not really pay to get it now. The new model would feature the polycarbonate enclosure, but should be thinner. This would require Apple to deeply change the way component are organized inside the machine. So, we would not be surprise to see the new MacBook as a polycarbonate clone of the MacBook Pro 13.3". According to some rumors, it could also lose its optical drive, becoming now a external option. For most users it would not be a problem to have the DVD drive removed to save space and make the notebook lighter. It would also help Apple to reduce cost by 50 USD.
Now, what about new iMacs? They have been updated in March this year, so current models are now 6 months old and it is expected for a refresh. Apple has two solutions:
- A small hardware refresh, including faster CPU/GPU, larger amount of RAM and/or HD, something similar to the MacBook Pro refresh. But overall, not a real revolution.
- They could also finally decide to give the iMac the hardware it deserves, and not be the desktop version of the MacBook Pro, simply for saving R&D costs. It might be saving for Apple but not for the customers. Indeed, notebook-dedicated hardware are way more expensive than desktop-dedicated component: CPU, RAM, HD etc. So, Apple might (finally) decide to power the new iMac with an Intel Core i5. Indeed, such CPU does not drain that much power and would turn our silent iMac into a noisy airplane. Of course Apple will have to change the current cooling system but it should not be a real issue. Adopting the Core i5 for the iMac would be the most important transition for this model since the switch from the iMac G5 to the iMac Core Duo.
As you can see, Apple has for both models two different strategies possible, either a small minor update, or a real evolution/revolution to make those products ready for Snow Leopard. The MacBook should remain the entry-level notebook and its price will have to remain as low as possible. The iMac with a new desktop hardware could become the best friend of Snow Leopard, and would most likely help/convince all users waiting for a Mac tower "a la Mac Pro mini" to adopt it.
