If you happen to visit Store.Apple.com, you’ll see the image to the right of this, showing that it’s currently down. We are getting close to Apple’s notebook event.
Coverage:
– 1pm ET, 10am PT
– http://live.gizmodo.com/
– Engadget
– AppleInsider
– Arstechnica
– MacWorld (not active yet) (fixed)
– MacRumors – Twitter
My views on today’s notebook event: Given that they moved the iMac to aluminum, I’d say the rumors about moving the 13.3″ MacBooks to aluminum are probably true – they are obviously trying to unify their look (and cut down on costs and materials at the same time). I’d also say they are going with LED-backlit displays with everything, given the battery life (and environmental concerns).
As far as a netbook / 12″ laptop – tough one to call. We already know OS X can run on just about any Intel Celeron or Atom-powered netbook that’s been made this year, with very minor adjustments (some netbooks need a different wireless card, etc.).
Apple is supplied by companies who already make netbooks for other PC makers so for all we know, they could have one in the pipeline. Apple is also orienting their next OS X revision, OS X 10.6 “Snow Leopard” to benefit from dual CPUs or dual-core or quad-core CPUs. 10.6 is focused on performance. I would say Apple is going to wait until the dual-core Intel Atoms are available. That should coincide with 10.6.
I wouldn’t put it past them to produce a small tablet (somewhere between a MacBook and an iPhone / iPod Touch). They’ve spent a tremendous amount of time and effort on touch interfaces (and they have the patents and sales to prove it).
With all of that said, I’m going to way they will probably wait on a netbook and tablet until the dual-core Atoms are available.