Apple looks set to reshuffle its overall offering to consumers around the world and to launch a new version of its MacBook Air device as part of the rearrangements.
The company is as keen as any of its rivals to avoid seeing the growing popularity of tablet PCs damage netbook sales and a new edition of the Air looks like part of a plan to keep MacBook usage on the increase.
Apple is yet to confirm how its product range will look as autumn turns to winter but Cnet Magazine claims to have the inside track and reckons a smaller MacBook Air will be unveiled in the US before the week is out.
Speculation remains as to whether the new Air will switch-on as instantly as iPad users have become accustomed to and while the new device is likely to be smaller than previous versions, it will probably still be a few inches larger in terms of screen size than its 9.7-inch slates.
Clearly, tablet PCs and iPads in particular are among the most dynamic market sectors in consumer electronics at present but firms like Apple are certainly not ready to accept the terminal demise of their laptop and netbook ranges.
However, they do seem willing to drop their asking prices for devices like the MacBook Air, which was well over £1,000 when first released in the UK but should soon be available at considerably lower rates. Evidently, Apple doesn’t want to see its popularity with consumers worldwide or its momentum in a variety of markets being hindered by prohibitive pricing.
If the latest reports are accurate, the new Apple netbook will be running on an older version of Intel’s Core processor and should be equipped with a longer battery life than earlier models were able to offer.
Apple is set to reveal its latest financial figures this week and is expected to show strong growth in company profits, helped by huge takings from laptop, desktop and tablet PC sales during the third quarter of this year.
Via : laptopshop
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