Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Subscribe
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Subscribe
    Home Latest News
    • Mobile
    • PC Hardware
    • Storage

    Apple Could Unveil New MacBook Air at Oct. 20 Event

    Written by

    Nicholas Kolakowski
    Published October 18, 2010
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      eWEEK content and product recommendations are editorially independent. We may make money when you click on links to our partners. Learn More.

      Apple could use its Oct. 20 event to unveil a new version of its MacBook Air, a superthin notebook praised for its design-and occasionally damned for what some consider an exorbitant price and missing hardware features.

      According to AppleInsider, unnamed “independent sources” confirm that Apple will debut a redesigned, 11.6-inch MacBook Air with an SSD Card in place of a traditional hard drive. AppleInsider postulated that this SSD Card could be similar to the flash memory technology found in Apple’s mobile products such as the iPhone and iPod. That would give the laptop more of an instant-on capability.

      Other news sources such as Fast Company have suggested Apple could introduce touch-based technology to the Mac lineup. That theory seems based on recent patent filings, including one for a PC capable of shifting between touch-screen and traditional keyboard and mouse input.

      Apple sold 3.47 million Macs during the third fiscal quarter of 2010, but the company’s mobile products-particularly the iPad-have attracted the lion’s share of attention this year. Nonetheless, the company’s laptops and desktops remain a core revenue driver, one due for a periodic tech refresh. According to analytics company Net Applications, Mac holds 5.03 percent of the operating system market, dwarfed by Windows with 91.08 percent.

      Apple has already sent out media invites for its Back to the Mac event at its Cupertino, Calif., headquarters Oct. 20. The invite includes a partial image of a lion’s face, peeking through an apple-shaped cutout in a brushed-aluminum pane. That same aluminum constitutes a major part of Apple’s design language for its laptops and desktops, sparking rampant speculation that new hardware will be unveiled at the event.

      The invite also promises attendees a glimpse of “the next major version of Mac OS X.” The presence of a lion has led dozens of online Sherlocks to deduce that Apple will reveal Mac OS X 10.7, code-named Lion, at the event.

      Apple’s last event took place Sept. 1, when the company debuted new iPods and a revamped Apple TV along with some new services, including a social network devoted to music.

      Rumors of a revamp began to circulate this summer, with DigiTimes analyst Mingchi Kuo claiming the new MacBook Air would feature a slimmer design and an 11.6-inch display. The current MacBook Air boasts a 13.3-inch screen and a choice of 1.86GHz or 2.13GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processors. Kuo’s predictions were apparently based on discussions with “upstream component makers.”

      Despite the MacBook Air’s ultrasleek design, critics have taken jabs at the device’s relatively high price-$1,499 for the 1.86GHz version, and $1,799 for the 2.13GHz-and lack of hardware such as an internal optical drive. However, that hasn’t stopped rival manufacturers such as Dell from producing “superthins” of their own.

      Nicholas Kolakowski
      Nicholas Kolakowski
      Nicholas Kolakowski is a staff editor at eWEEK, covering Microsoft and other companies in the enterprise space, as well as evolving technology such as tablet PCs. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, Playboy, WebMD, AARP the Magazine, AutoWeek, Washington City Paper, Trader Monthly, and Private Air.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2024 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.