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More Apple Notebook Rumors; Glass TrackPad in Upcoming Macbook

Speculation about an upcoming Apple notebook refresh continues to grow. Author of 9to5mac, Seth Weintraub, reports the following information regarding the notebook refresh for ComputerWorld.

“I have been hearing some interesting things about Apple’s upcoming line of portable computers. The talk amongst insiders on the new MacBooks is kind of scattered but here’s a summation of what I’ve heard,” Seth reports:

• The new models are thinner than current MacBook and MacBook Pros and slightly more rounded, taking design cues from the MacBook Air.
• The trackpad is glass, multi-touch and uses gestures. The screen isn’t multi-touch.
• The body is manufactured out of one piece of aluminum. Eco-friendly, yet sturdy. Manufacturing process is completely different.
• Release Date: Last week(s) of September.
• They will most likely have Intel Centrino 2 platform chips.
• 16:9 screens which come in slightly bigger sizes: 14 inch and 15. 6 inch with different resolutions, obviously.
• The Macbook Air line should get a 45nm processor (Atom?) to help with that battery life.
• I have no idea if this will be called MacBook Touch or if they will keep their current monikers.

Our sources have tipped us on the inclusion of a Macbook Air like keyboard in the upcoming Macbook Pro. Additionally, recently leaked case images of the new Macbook/Macbook Pro have surfaced and been confirmed by Apple Insider.

While there is no way to confirm Seth’s reports, this furthers speculation about a complete notebook overhaul in the coming months. Apple’s current notebook line has fallen way behind the industry’s component price offerings, the price margin between Apple and its competitors is widening and the technology being used in current notebooks is a bit outdated. Additionally, Apple has been getting slammed on the parts, materials and manufacturing process they use to produce the notebooks. So expect those elements to change as well.

We don’t expect these rumors at all to affect the “alleged” macbook touch rumors that have been circulating (even making it mainstream) throughout the internet, but the term “macbook touch” may be unintentionally referring to the supposed “glass trackpad” that we are hearing about today, and not an entire netbook or tablet device from Apple.