The 13-inch Air is the first to go, it seems; according to AppleInsider‘s inventory checks, the 256GB version of the ultraportable – with Intel’s 1.8GHz processor – is showing extended shipping times in the region of 1-2 months at all the popular resellers bar Best Buy. Though the most expensive off-the-shelf model in the Air range, at $1,399, the 256GB version is a popular one give the absence of user-upgradable storage in the Air.

Beyond Haswell processors, there’s controversy over what exactly Apple will do to the MacBook range in terms of updates. One much-discussed possibility is a Retina display, bringing the Air into line with the top-end MacBook Pro notebooks, by introducing a high-resolution screen for smoother graphics.

Industry predictions about Retina technology have been mixed, primarily because of the cost and availability of the panels themselves. Some have argued that using such displays would make the Air range simply too expensive to also serve as Apple’s entry-level notebooks, or indeed that it would be unable to meet likely demand since yields of high-res screens are still tighter than the more typical panels.

That’s something even analysts who predict Retina will be on the table have conceded, with suggestions that – while WWDC will see the new versions announced – actual supplies won’t be available until after the developer event. There could also be a split in the line, with “normal” resolution models kept around to cater for the budget end of the market.

Of course, WWDC is also expected to see new details on the next version of Mac OS, OS X 10.9, shared. That updated platform is believed to further narrow the gap between desktop and mobile functionality, borrowing features and UI elements from iOS on the iPad.

These new MacBooks are said to be packing Intel’s latest Haswell processors, and it’s believed that while Apple puts a lot of focus on its Retina-equipped MacBook Pros, the company will continue to produce regular MacBook Pros for the foreseeable future, due to their continued popularity and lower price point.

Kuo thinks that updated regular MacBooks will start shipping soon after WWDC, but new Retina MacBooks will see a slight delay due to production issues. As for the MacBook Air, Kuo believes that the next update to the line will include Retina displays, but it’ll obviously come at a cost, just as with the other Retina MacBooks.

Earlier today, we also heard details about OS X 10.9, which could also make an appearance at WWDC this year, where the new operating system will come with even more iOS-like features. OS X 10.9 is expected to be yet another baby step towards closing the gap between OS X and iOS. Kuo also mentioned earlier today that the Retina iPad mini may not see a 2013 release due to production delays.

[via MacRumors]

The increase in prices brings the Office for Mac OS software up to the same price-point as Office 2013 for Windows. Also with the price increase for Office for the Mac OS, it looks like Microsoft has also gotten rid of its multi-license products, which is probably a move that’s meant to drive consumers towards Microsoft’s Office 365 subscription service. For $99 a year, or for $9.99 a month, you can subscribe to Office 365 for families, and install Office on up to 5 devices. With the subscription, the user will be given the installation software for Office for Mac Home and Business. For Windows users, you get the installation files for Office 2013.

According to Computer World, the price change for the Mac OS software was most likely increased around January 29th, the same day Microsoft Office 2013 and Office 365 was launched. For Mac owners, if you still want to purchase Microsoft Office for the older price-point, many retailers, like Apple itself, are still selling Office for Mac 2011 at its original price.

Microsoft hiking up the prices of its Mac software, and also its elimination of multi-license software does bring the spotlight to open source projects, like Open Office or Libre Office, who offer programs with the same functions for free. So unless you specifically need the Microsoft Office software for your job or business, there are plenty of alternative, free software that can meet your needs.

As for the specification bump to the Retina-blessed MacBook Pro line-up, they see Intel’s latest processors slotted inside. The $1,699 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display kicks off with a 2.6GHz processor paired with 256GB of flash storage, for instance.

There are more changes for the 15-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, with the entry-level model now getting a 2.4GHz quadcore processor instead of the 2.3GHz chip previously used. Its more expensive sibling now gets a 2.7GHz quadcore processor and 16GB of memory, up from the 2.6GHz and 8GB of RAM previously specified.

All of the new models are available to order from Apple’s online store, retail stores, and resellers from today, with customization options also available if you build-to-order online. More on the notebooks themselves in our 2012 reviews; you can find them in the timeline below.

With the MacBook Air you’ve got an 11.6-inch display while the Surface Pro works with a 10.6-inch display – you could also get a 13-inch MacBook Air, mind you, but here we’ll compare the display that’s nearest the Surface Pro. The display on the Surface Pro works with 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution while the MacBook Air’s native resolution is 1366 x 768 pixels. It’s also worth making the distinction between these two displays in the fact that the MacBook Air does not work touch.

Windows 8 is an operating system that makes full use of the 10-finger touchscreen display on the Surface Pro while the MacBook Air is a machine that relies on its touchpad to mouse around, select items, and make gestures. The Surface Pro works with a cover that doubles as a keyboard, too. And in that point is the biggest differentiation point between these two machines – one is a tablet, the other a notebook.

While the Macbook Air is a notebook computer that made and continues to make a point of its ultra-thin nature and how it can work as a full-function notebook computer with as tiny an amount of bulk as possible. You’ll see from the images above and below as well as the hands-on video we’ve got prepared that the MacBook Pro is a significant amount thinner than the Surface Pro – or so it might seem at first.

MacBook Air (11-inch)
Thickness: 0.11-0.68 inches
Width: 11.8 inches
Height (front to back, while closed) : 7.56 inches
Weight: 2.38 pounds

Surface Pro
Thickness: 0.53 inches
Width: 10.81 inches
Height: 6.81 inches
Weight: 2 pounds

Both devices have the ability to store a massive amount of data, with the Surface Pro having two iterations, 64GB and 128GB. Those are the amount of internal storage the Surface Pro has in its two different iterations, each of them with their own cash cost – that’s also one of the only things that differentiates the different versions of the Surface Pro at this very moment. The MacBook Air comes int two different iterations (with several different modifications available therein), one of them 64GB, the other 128GB.

The power you’ll be able to work with in a MacBook Air is either an Intel Core i5 or Core i7 processor. The Microsoft Surface Pro works with one configuration at the moment for processing power, that being an Intel Core i5 – and all of the processors here are 3rd gen Ivy Bridge, mind you, regardless of Apple or Microsoft surroundings.

The MacBook Pro has a lovely collection of ports and connections including:
720p “FaceTime” HD camera
2x USB 3 ports
Thunderbolt port
MagSafe 2 power port
Microphone
Headphone port
Wifi
Bluetooth
Stereo Speakers

With the Surface Pro you’ll also be connecting with ports and wirelessly like mad:
2x 720p HD “LifeCam” cameras (front and rear-facing)
USB 3 port
microSDXC card slot
power port
Microphone
Headphone port
Wifi
Bluetooth
Stereo Speakers

You’ll notice that the 11-inch MacBook Pro doesn’t have an SD card slot – the 13-inch version of this device does, but the 11-inch version does not. The Surface Pro also benefits from its form factor in that it can make use of such sensors as an Accelerometer, a Gyroscope, and a Compass. With these you’ll be about to, for example, steer a car in a racing game, while the MacBook Air is meant to stay stationary while you’re using it.

The MacBook Air also benefits from the fact that it’s a notebook computer, able to stand up on its own with its keyboard attached, while the Surface Pro works in an entirely different way for stationary standing. The Surface Pro uses a kickstand on its back that’ll keep it upright while you tap away and also has a keyboard cover that, like a notebook computer, folds up and protects the device’s display or down for everyday typing use.

The Surface Pro also works with its own pen that sticks to the side of the tablet when not in use, utilizing an active digitizer in the display to make more than just standard capacitive moves galore. The pen creates a rather unique experience for you with the Surface Pro while the MacBook Air really isn’t the same universe – the only other place you’re going to get a digital pen experience in a mobile sense like this right now is in the Samsung Galaxy Note series – have a peek at our Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 review for more on that environment.

And this is only part of the story – for more information on both machines, you’ll want to check our full reviews of both devices. Have a peek at our MacBook Air (mid-2012) review as well as our Microsoft Surface Pro review for everything you could ever want to know!

Also be sure to let us know which of these two devices seem like they’d suit your needs given what you know today. Is there one that strikes your fancy more than the other?

Of course, with these lower price tags, there’s a chance that some models will sell out before the promotion comes to a close, in which case you’ll simply be out of luck. That $200 discount brings the 11.6-inch Airs with 64GB and 128GB of storage down to $799 and $899, respectively. Those prices aren’t too bad, but if you’re looking for a MacBook Air with a bit more to offer, the 13.3-inch model with 128GB of storage has come down to $999. Finally, the 13.3-inch model with 256GB of storage is at $1,299 during this promotion.

To make the deal sweeter, Best Buy is also offering free shipping on these MacBook Airs. Expect more than a few people to take advantage of these deals, and indeed, we’re already seeing some restrictions on the $799 11.6-inch MacBooks Airs. Though they don’t appear to be sold out yet, Best Buy is no longer offering to ship them, meaning that you’ll have to pick yours up in store if you order one.

Earlier this week, Apple delivered its financial report for its fiscal Q1 2013. Though things looked solid for the most part with Apple declaring record iPhone and iPad sales, the company’s stock has taken some hits since the report was released. Are you planning on picking up one of these MacBook Airs during Best Buy’s promotion?

[via PCMag]

The iPad with Retina display you’ll be able to pick up for a starting price of $458 USD – that’s $41 USD under the price you’ll have payed earlier this week and starting again on Saturday. The iPad 2 will cost you $368 USD, that being $31 under the standard price of $399. Both of the most recent iPod touch models – both the 4th generation and the newest iPhone 5-esque colorful 5th generation units are similarly discounted with $31 off the new model and $21 off the outgoing edition. The iPod nano (that being the newest model) is discounted by a fabulous $11 USD.

The MacBook Pro, the MacBook Pro with Retina display, and the MacBook Air have each been price-cut by $101 USD. The AirPort Express Base Station has been cut by $11 while the AirPort Extreme Base Station has been slashed by $21 USD. The Apple Time Capsule has been reduced by $21 USD. Each of the standard-sized Apple-made iPad covers and cases have been price cut between $11 and $21, while the Apple In-Ear Headphones with Remote and Mic as well as the new Apple EarPods with Remote and Mic have been discounted $11 USD and $7 USD.

Finally there’s the Apple Magic Mouse, the Magic Trackpad, and the Apple Wireless Keyboard, each of them getting a price-cut of $11 USD. Each of these items will be discounted until 11:59 PM PST, after which they’ll be bumped back up to standard pricing – good luck!

We’ll start with the all new MacBook Airs. 11-inchers come in at a pretty decent price, setting you back only $999, while the new 13-inch MacBook Airs will run $1,199. Though Apple revealed new MacBook Pros with Retina Display, the old Pros are sticking around, and as such have new prices. 13-inch MacBook Pros will cost $1,199, while the 15-inch models will come in at $1,799.

Finally, we come to the Retina MacBook Pros, specifically the the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina Display. Taking one of those home will cost you $1,699, while if you want the 15-inch model, you’ll have to plop down $2,199. Not too bad, but we have a feeling that some will find those prices a little difficult to swallow. Still, $1,699 was considered by many to be the sweet spot for 13-inch MacBook Pros with Retina Display, and it seems that Apple has hit it. Stay tuned for more information straight from Apple’s event, and be sure to check out our Apple hub to get all of the news from today!

Cook started with OS X Mountain Lion, saying that since its release, 7 million people have downloaded a copy. That makes Mountain Lion the fastest selling Apple release of all time, definitely something worth bragging about. The new MacBook Pro with Retina Display – which Apple says is the best Mac it has ever made – and the MacBook Air have been doing quite well too.

So well, in fact, that Apple says its notebooks are now in first place as far as US market share is concerned. To get specific, that’s a 27% market share for its notebooks, and Cook says that for the past 6 years straight, Mac has grown “significantly faster” than PC has. That definitely isn’t bad, and you can bet that Apple will look to keep that growth up with future Mac releases. Be sure to tune into our liveblog for up-to-the minute updates straight from Apple’s press event, and have a look at our Apple portal for more in-depth coverage!

I’ve certainly seen some of my compatriots and associates attempt to use a tablet to do work – lots of different kinds of work – and it just does not add up. When I reviewed the ASUS Transformer Prime, it was the first device that struck me as a “tablet first, notebook second” type of device that could make the cross-over a possibility in the real world. As it turns out, the price of the combination of the tablet and the keyboard dock racked up to be not that far from a used MacBook Air – or any number of notebook devices that could do at least as much in the work department, not to mention the entertainment department.

As it stands, it appears that mobile operating systems like Android and iOS, when sized 7-inches or larger, are at a point where their price does not make a good enough case for the consumer to choose them over a notebook if they want to do work. The market does not reflect this, of course, as the companies that make notebooks and tablets have come to understand – in quite a few cases, not all – that sensible choices in the computer consumption universe aren’t always the ones that are made. Instead we’re seeing tablets appearing more exciting than notebooks, notebooks being less newsworthy while tablets take the headlines – almost without fail.

If I had to make a cutoff where the tablet size starts and the smartphone (or in some cases “phablet”) size stops, it’d be a 7-inch display. Samsung made this distinction when they released the original Galaxy Tab, and it stuck. The word tablet should only apply to devices with 7-inch displays or larger with no physical keyboard and a touch-sensitive screen.

The difference between being able to do work on a smartphone and being able to do work on a tablet is the size of our hands. When we type on a smartphone – for the most part – we do it with our thumbs, and some people can do it really, really fast. Typing on a tablet is not so natural. We’ve not had keyboards as small as a smartphone up until very recently in our collective human past. The physical keyboard made for our hands – a standard-sized keyboard that is – has been around for many generations.

When it’s natural to type on an absolutely flat surface without physical feedback – see any number of science fiction films in the past 10 years – then it’ll be time to go to work on the tablet. Until then, the tablet is something you should buy only if you expect to use it to play games and watch videos.

Apple became the world’s most valuable publicly traded company last year when they surpassed Exxon Mobile. Having already become the world’s largest company as far as market value goes, their next milestone was inevitable. Apple this week became the most valuable public company in the history of the world. Apple’s high marker in this situation is a market capitalization of $622.6 billion.

This marker was last set by Microsoft back in 1999 with a market capitalization of $618.9 billion set back in November of 1999. Apple is currently just the fifth company in history to have surpassed a market capitalization of $500 billion, with groups Cisco Systems, Intel, Microsoft, and General Electric being the rest of the pack. Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White has written this week to clients that Apple will soon have a market cap of $1 trillion.

“In June, analysts and market pundits expressed growing concern that Apple would succumb to the $500 billion ‘market cap flu’ and the stock would finally roll over. In a note on June 18, we highlighted why we felt this was a fallacious argument and pointed out that investors should think of Apple’s market cap in terms of ‘trillions’ and not ‘billions’. Based on our calculations, Apple is now the most valuable company ever, finally surpassing the market value of Microsoft at the peak, and removing a key sentiment barrier for the stock.” – White

We’re currently keeping radars tuned to Apple in regards to several new products that may very well be on the horizon: iPhone 5, iPad mini, and Apple TV (a television set, not just a box.) We’re expecting one, if not several, of these devices to be popping up on the 12th of September at an Apple event that has not yet been revealed nor confirmed by the company. Stay tuned to our Apple portal to keep up to date on all things confirmed and rumored!

Power Nap also supports calendar and contacts synchronization, along with reminders and notes, and makes sure your Mac has the latest content from your Documents in the Cloud account. It will also grab updates for your Mac App Store apps. If you’ve lost your notebook, you can use Find My Mac to locate it even if it’s sleeping.

Not all of the functionality is enabled every time your Mac is sleeping, however. Only when there’s a mains connection will Power Nap download software updates, makes Time Machine backups, run through Spotlight indexing, complete Mac App Store downloads and update Help Center.

Unfortunately, the 2010 MacBook Air isn’t supported by Power Nap, and neither are any MacBook Pro models beyond the Retina Display toting model from this year. That’s apparently due to a flash memory issue. The

More on Power Nap – and OS X 10.8 in general – in our full Mountain Lion review.

[via MacRumors]

So, Apple’s “MacBook Air and MacBook Pro Update 1.0″ is a relatively small one, but necessary for those who were seeing increased power usage when they shouldn’t have been. Apple notes that the update is only intended for “Mac notebooks introduced since June 2012″ so if you’ve had your MacBook for longer than a month or so, there’s no need for you to download this update.

AppleInsider points out that users on Apple’s support forums have been claiming that the CPU power issues have been stemming from port failures, while others have been reporting issues with getting their MacBook to recognize some external hard drives as compatible devices. Regardless of the source of the problems, here’s hoping that this software update fixes those issues for good.

Be sure to check out our reviews for the 2012 MacBook Air and Retina MacBook Pro!

The Nifty MiniDrive is a small plastic adapter with a microSD card, which can be inserted to any MacBook Pro’s or MacBook Air’s full-size SD port. It’s been designed to fit snuggly in there without sticking out from the side. It can support microSD cards up to 64GB and is removable from the port by slipping the end of a paperclip through a small section of the outer-facing side to pull it out.

This “nifty” little storage helper is in its Kickstarter project funding phase right now, and its developers were initially aiming for $11,000 in funding to make production possible. They seemed to have had no problem with achieving that amount since they’ve nearly crossed $35,000, so we’ll be seeing this product in the future for sure. Backers can pledge from $25 up to $1,000 for the Nifty MiniDrive project and shipping will be free in the US.

[via Verge]

The name of the game is control. Apple controls their prices – or at least makes an impression on businesses that are allowed to carry their products that they’d like their prices to remain steady. Another example of a discount here at Best Buy is the least expensive Retina MacBook Pro available being cut by $110 to come out to $2,089.99. Best Buy is a store known for their frequent price changing, and this discount could very well have been agreed upon with Apple for a very short time, so if you’re the type to fuss over a $100 discount off of a $2,000 computer, you’d best head out today.

Each of the discounts are available for in-store pickup only, and also include a MacBook Air, normally costing $999.99 and running for $949.99 right now. These notebooks have been reviewed in full by SlashGear in kind here: [MacBook Pro with Retina Display (mid-2012) Review] and [MacBook Air 13-inch (mid-2012) Review] and are both of them beasts to be reckoned with. Have a peek at our Best Buy timeline below to catch up on the dealings in the store of the hour.

[via CNET]

“Radar bug number 11762608 has been filed with Apple regarding the kernel panics,” the Google spokesperson continued, “since it should not be possible for an application to trigger such behavior.” Apple is yet to comment on the issue.

Google is taking a two-pronged approach to dealing with the glitch. Chrome users should have already received a patch on Thursday afternoon, that temporarily shuts off some of the browser’s use of GPU acceleration on machines with the Intel HD 4000 graphics.

Meanwhile, work is underway to come up with a more lasting fix with full GPU acceleration functionality still in place. There’s no timescale for its release, however.

Yesterday, at its second Google IO keynote, Google confirmed that Chrome now has 310m users worldwide, making it the most popular browser around according to all the metrics the search giant said it could find.

Google Statement:

“We have identified a leak of graphics resources in the Chrome browser related to the drawing of plugins on Mac OS X. Work is proceeding to find and fix the root cause of the leak.

The resource leak is causing a kernel panic on Mac hardware containing the Intel HD 4000 graphics chip (e.g. the new Macbook Airs). Radar bug number 11762608 has been filed with Apple regarding the kernel panics, since it should not be possible for an application to trigger such behavior.

While the root cause of the leak is being fixed, we are temporarily disabling some of Chrome’s GPU acceleration features on the affected hardware via an auto-updated release that went out this afternoon (Thursday June 28). We anticipate further fixes in the coming days which will re-enable many or all of these features on this hardware.”

You’re going to want to take a look at the zombie survival machine ala Hyundai Elantra from the Walking Dead creator before the waves come. There’s a bit more information about that ever-so-giant Baltic UFO you’ve heard so much about. LG has revealed the Optimus L5 in Europe.

The new world’s fastest computer is the IBM Sequoia Supercomputer and it’s not to be messed with! Be sure to check out all the Microsoft tablet rumors and stick around until nightfall as well – we’ll be in California for all the lovely Microsoft action all day!

Who’s the MacBook Air for?

Apple avoided the netbook market but instead made a strong play in ultraportables, phasing out its cheapest MacBook range in favor of the slimline MacBook Air line-up. The 11.6-inch model, from $999, has the humblest specifications – you have to squeeze your data into just 64GB of drive space in the cheapest unit – but a combination of Ivy Bridge processors, a standard RAM bump to 4GB in 2012, and the use of speedy flash storage not sluggish traditional hard-drives keeps things moving with alacrity. Meanwhile, the 13.3-inch version, from $1,199, offers more screen space for those willing to accommodate a little extra heft.

Already, the Air has found itself a loyal and loving audience with road warriors. Its sturdy unibody aluminum construction and light weight – along with a battery that, in 2012 form, can be coaxed into delivering Apple’s promised 7hrs from the 13-inch version – makes it ideal for anybody who spends their time on the move and in their browser or Office apps, tasks the specifications are more than capable of handling.

The fly in the ointment is graphics. Space and power constraints mean the Air is left with only Intel HD Graphics 4000 to keep the pixels crunching. You can plug in a single external display, but not two like with Apple’s more powerful – and expensive – notebooks, and if you’re looking to do any serious gaming then the lack of a discrete GPU is going to seriously hold you back.

Why should I opt for the MacBook Pro with Retina Display?

If the MacBook Air is a compromise in portability and performance to meet a price, then the MacBook Pro with Retina Display skews that balance to emphasize portability and performance at the cost of a hefty price. Starting at $2,199, you could have two Airs for the same money, though the specifications reflect that hefty step up.

The instant appeal – so important it gets a specific mention in the unwieldy name – is the Retina Display. Apple’s panel offers a total of 2880 x 1800 resolution, but according to the settings can resemble a regular MacBook Pro display but with deliciously smooth icons, graphics and text, or even replicate a 1080p panel with up to a fourfold increase in detail over your HDTV. If you work on high-res graphics in Photoshop or process Full HD video – or, indeed, if you create new iPad apps, and need to see them full-resolution in their entirety – then the Retina Display will make a significant difference to your daily use.

However, by making some decisions about what to leave out of the MacBook Pro with Retina Display, not just what to include, Apple has produced its next-generation of Pro notebooks. The optical drive is gone, with the ensuing space used to slim down the chassis as a whole and tweak the ports. There are two Thunderbolt ports now, not one, though you lose the gigabit ethernet and will need a Thuderbolt-to-Ethernet adapter ($29) if you want to get online the wired way.

More shocking – for Apple – is the concession to include both USB 3.0 and HDMI. Neither are connections that Apple showed any inclination of adopting on its notebooks, despite frequent requests. A total of two external screens can be hooked up – though neither can actually be driven at Retina Display resolution – and of course Thunderbolt can be daisy-chained for extra peripherals.

I do frequent video editing, which should I go for?

The obvious option is the Retina MacBook Pro. It has both the Intel HD Graphics 4000 of the Air and a discrete NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M GPU with 1GB of its own memory, automatically switching between the two depending on graphical load. That means plenty of power for crunching through high-definition video or, indeed, playing the odd game.

Still, if you’re a casual video editor then there’s a workaround you could consider. We know more than a few technology writers – some on the SlashGear team included – who use an Elgato Turbo.264 HD Video Encoder dongle with the MacBook Air to speed up the process of exporting HD video from iMovie and other apps. In effect an external GPU that you plug into a USB port, it can near-halve the processing time and, at $99.95, is a darn sight cheaper than stepping up from the MacBook Air to the MacBook Pro with Retina Display.

What about the regular MacBook Pro?

Apple has left MacBook Pro buyers with a choice: the new, Retina Display equipped model with its thinner chassis and extra ports, or the previous design of the Pro, with the same Ivy Bridge Core i7 options but fewer ports, a bulkier design and the inclusion of a DVD burner. If you want a 13-inch MacBook Pro then the old design is your only choice – right now there’s no 13-inch Retina model – and similarly both the 13- and 15-inch original versions are the cheaper starting points to the flagship range.

The “old school” feel isn’t limited to the optical drive, however. As well as a “regular” display – 1280 x 800 or 1440 x 900, depending on size – the storage uses an old-fashioned HDD too, from 500GB. Platter-based drives have the advantage in capacity and price, and are definitely cheaper per-gigabyte than flash storage as Apple uses in both the Air and the Pro with Retina Display, but they’re also slower and more susceptible to bumps and knocks.

In short, if you still make regular use of an optical drive, with CDs or DVDs, or if you want to store a significant quantity of data on your notebook itself (and don’t have the budget for a vast SSD) then the regular MacBook Pro is worth considering.

I’ve heard bad things about repairability…

We left out one final, very significant difference between the two MacBook Pro variants in the last section: how easy they make it to repair or replace internal components. Both the MacBook Air and the MacBook Pro with Retina Display sacrifice such factors in favor of reducing bulk.

So, both has memory soldered directly to the mainboard, rather than added using a more traditional clip like the regular MacBook Pro, meaning that if you don’t opt for Apple’s offer of a RAM upgrade at point of order, you’re stuck. Similarly, the flash storage – though removable – is of a proprietary design and, even, different between Air and Pro models. Don’t expect to simply drop in a newer, bigger SSD if you have an urge for more space.

Those are the common planned upgrades; there’s also the matter of repair. In the new Pro, Apple has opted to glue down the battery packs – sandwiching in the trackpad cable in the process – and the vast majority of the components are unique to the new Retina Display model. Even that eye-catching screen itself could present a real headache should something go wrong. Apple shaved away bulk by bonding together the glass and aluminum, meaning that any breakages will probably demand the whole lid be replaced.

The questions, then, are how many people actively upgrade their notebook and how many attempt to repair it themselves. Apple will undoubtedly be watching the buying patterns for the old and new designs very closely, to see what compromises the public is willing to make.

I just want a cheap Mac notebook, which is best?

If price is your sole guiding star, and you’re insisting on an Apple logo on your new notebook, the MacBook Air is the cheapest step onto the ladder. it’s priced from $999 for the 11.6-inch model; the 13-inch starts at $1,199, which is coincidentally the same as the entry-level 13-inch MacBook Pro (the last-gen design with an optical drive, not a new Retina Display version).

Deciding between those two depends on what you plan on doing with your laptop and how much data you think you’ll be saving on it. The Air has a slower, 1.8GHz processor, versus the 2.5GHz Core i5 in the Pro; the Air also gets a 128GB SSD, faster but smaller than the 500GB traditional hard-drive in the Pro. Both have 4GB of memory and Intel HD Graphics 4000, along with a battery rated for up to 7hrs. The Air is slimmer, lighter and more portable, while the Pro has the benefit of a built-in optical drive.

Of course, it’s also worth considering Apple’s refurbished MacBook range, available direct through the company’s online store. Offers there vary according to what stock Apple has on hand – all wiped clean, tided up and sold with a warranty – but at time of writing there are 11.6-inch 2011 MacBook Air models available from $759 and 13.3-inch 2011 MacBook Pro models from $929. They’re roughly 15-percent savings from list prices.

Wrap-up

If it’s a case of “needs” not “wants” then, for most users, the MacBook Air will be more than sufficient to do all they ask from a computer. The ultraportable has set the benchmark by which rivals are judged, and though we’d love some extra graphical grunt, the Ivy Bridge upgrade has kept the Air ticking along nicely for most of the general use-cases, albeit perhaps with some well-considered accessories.

Tech purchases don’t just come down to pure need, however, and there’s little denying the MacBook Pro with Retina Display’s capacity to inspire lust and admiration. It’s an expensive indulgence but, if you’re a video or photo editing pro, then there’s undoubtedly huge benefits in getting more detail on your screen at any one time. It’s also worth noting that, if you spec out the ostensibly cheaper last-gen design MacBook Pro to the same memory and storage, it’s actually several hundred dollars more than its Retina Display cousin.

If you can afford it – and you can accept that you’re unlikely to be tinkering under the hood any time soon – then the Retina Pro is a hugely potent machine with plenty of strengths. We’ve laid them all out, along with benchmarks, in the full SlashGear review. For the rest of us, the 2012 MacBook Air is a viable alternative while we wait for Apple to broaden its Retina applications.

Design

Apple saved its design news for the new MacBook Pro with Retina Display, and outwardly there’s almost nothing to distinguish this updated MacBook Air from its predecessor. That’s arguably no bad thing, though; given the Air is still one of the more distinctive and good-looking ultraportables out there.

The wedge-profile remains, with ports split between the left and right edges. Our 13-inch review model has power, a USB 3.0, headphone socket and microphone on the left side and Thunderbolt, a second USB 3.0 and an SDXC card slot on the right; the 11-inch MacBook Air lacks the SDXC slot.

The one noticeable change from the 2011 Air is the power connector, with the 2012 model using the same MagSafe 2 port – slimmer and wider – as the new MacBook Air. That means you’ll need a $10 adapter to use older power supplies with the new notebook.

Open the lid and there’s the same bare display, with no glass cover-layer on top, as well as a backlit keyboard and large mutlitouch trackpad. At 0.68-inches at its thickest when closed, and 2.96 pounds (2.38 pounds for the 11-inch), the Air remains one of the lightest and most portable notebooks on the market.

Specifications

With the exterior for the most part unchanged, it’s the internal components in the 2012 MacBook Air that have seen the biggest changes. As with the new MacBook Pro line-up, Apple has switched to Intel’s 3rd-Gen Core processor range, with the 11-inch starting out with a 1.7GHz dualcore Core i5 (with up to 2.6GHz Turbo Boost) and the 13-inch starting with a slightly faster 1.8GHz dualcore Core i5 (up to 2.8GHz Turbo Boost). Both have a Core i7 upgrade option, a 2.0GHz dualcore Core i7 with up to 3.2GHz Turbo Boost.

Each model uses Intel HD Graphics 4000, the onboard GPU paired with Ivy Bridge processors. Unlike the larger MacBook Pro there’s no discrete graphics option, and you can only drive one external display, not two. For most mobile users that’s probably an acceptable compromise in the name of portability and battery life, though if you plan on doing any HD video editing – or, indeed, gaming – then the limitations of the HD Graphics 4000 chipset will soon make themselves clear.

Otherwise there’s 4GB of 1600MHz DDR3L memory as standard – double that of the 2011 model – with 8GB a $100 upgrade. Storage starts at 64GB of flash memory on the entry-level 11-inch and 128GB on the entry-level 13-inch, with the option to double that on each for $100 or $300 respectively. A 512GB upgrade is also on offer, though it’s expensive at $500 or more. It’s worth bearing in mind that, thanks to the soldered RAM and the proprietary flash storage system, upgrading your MacBook Air is near-impossible, so it pays to make sure you’re happy with the specifications when you first order.

Memory benchmark

The other key change over the last-gen Air is the new webcam, stepping up to a FaceTime HD camera running at 720p 1280 x 720 resolution. The 11-inch Air runs at 1366 x 768 resolution, a good choice given the size of the panel, while the 13-inch comes in at 1440 x 900. There’s no word on when – or indeed if – we’ll see Retina Display versions of the Air, nor when Apple might switch to IPS panels which have broader viewing angles.

Performance and Software

Performance in an ultraportable form-factor is always going to be a compromise with power consumption and portability, but Apple and Intel are confident that Ivy Bridge strikes the best balance yet. Our review unit runs the 1.8GHz dualcore Core i5-3427U with the standard 4GB of memory.

In Geekbench, a synthetic test of processor and memory performance, the new MacBook Air scored 6,743. That’s more than 1,000 points higher than the 2011 1.7GHz Core i5 also with 4GB of memory and, perhaps even more interesting, 400 points more than the 2010 MacBook Pro running a Core i7 processor.

MacBook Air 2012

MacBook Air 2011

We then turned to Cinebench, a test of 3D rendering and OpenGL that demands the best of both processor and graphics components. The MacBook Air scored 2.56 points for CPU and 16.41 fps for OpenGL, unsurprisingly lower than machines with discrete GPUs. Still, the flash storage and high-speed low-voltage RAM showed its worth in xbench testing, with the Air scoring 347.67: that’s just 143 points short of the new MacBook Pro with Retina Display.

In practical terms, our usual load of multiple browser windows (each with many tabs), email app, multimedia playback and image editing ran with no issues on the updated Air. Intel quotes a 60-percent improvement in graphics performance from the new GPU, and we did find iMovie exported HD video clips faster than the last-gen model. It took 15-minutes and 28-seconds to import an 8-minute long 1080p video while exporting the same video took 33-minutes and 35-seconds in our testing. In comparison to the new MacBook Pro Retina display, importing the same video took 12-minutes and 5-seconds and exporting only took 20-minutes and 48-seconds. That being said, if you’re planning on doing a significant amount of video processing, we recommend looking to a notebook with a discrete GPU (we highly recommend the new MacBook Pro with Retina display) or alternatively equipping the Air with an external video processing dongle such as from Elgato.

At launch – and for the next few weeks – the new MacBook Air runs OS X Lion. However, buyers are guaranteed a free update to OS X Mountain Lion when it launches in July.

Battery

Apple quotes the same 7hr runtime for the 13-inch MacBook Air as before, or up to 5hrs from the smaller 11-inch version. In our testing, with brightness set to 50-percent and WiFi and Bluetooth turned on, continuous browsing (loop test), we were able to stream a 2-hour long video once while playing a looped video for a total of 6-hours and 18-minutes before the battery ran out.

Wrap-Up

There will undoubtedly be some disappointed that the Retina Display hasn’t made it to the MacBook Air range yet. It’s true that the massively pixel-dense display is one of our favorite features of the new MacBook Pro, but for the moment it’s an expensive addition. In contrast, Apple has actually reduced the price of entry to the MacBook Air club, with the 11-inch starting at $999 and the 13-inch at $1,199.

That’s no small achievement for a machine that delivers not only extreme portability but the sort of performance that, only two years ago, would’ve demanded a top-spec MacBook Pro. The addition of USB 3.0 and an HD webcam addresses two of the most common feature requests, and there’s minimal impact on runtime despite the more powerful processors.

With the PC industry throwing every ultrabook it can come up with at the market in the hope of scoring a win, Apple has done exactly what it needs to with the MacBook Air. Faster, more flexible and cheaper, it presents the strongest challenge from an Air model to-date. That’s certainly enough to leave it as our choice of ultraportable notebook. [Visit Apple for details and videos]

Among Intel’s strategies for trimming costs, the company will supposedly suggest manufacturers opt for fiberglass-reinforced plastic casings rather than aluminum-alloy, and bypassing expensive Li-Poly batteries in favor of cylinder- or prismatic-shaped Li-Ion packs. Intel will also argue for hybrid HDDs – which combine a small amount of flash storage with traditional platter-based hard-drives, speeding access times using caching – rather than SSDs, the sources claim.

Such a strategy would certainly save money, but it could well leave ultrabooks looking like the drab cousins to Apple’s strong-selling MacBook Air line. Plastic bodies and spinning drives may be cheaper, but they’re nowhere near as luxury in feel, likely allowing the Air to retain the premium end of the market.

Intel’s apparent goal is 20-30 million ultrabook unit sales in 2012 altogether; the first models using the latest 3rd-gen Core processor range have been announced in recent weeks. Of course, even if Apple continues to dominate the ultraportable segment, Intel is still in the enviable position of providing processors and graphics to the Air range as well.

iOS 6

First for you mobile-minded folk out there, it’s time to get real about the next version of Apple’s mobile operating system iOS 6. This upgrade is available for developers today but will be coming later this summer for everyday average users. You’ll find Guided Access to be one of the brand new abilities of iOS 6 with UI-disabling features coming with it. Another new app is Passbook, complete with your cards and tickets for movies, airplanes, coffee shops, and more.

You’ll be doing a whole lot more Photo Stream sharing with iOS 6 as well as FaceTime over cellular on the fly! Of course Apple wouldn’t have started any of this without first telling us about how amazing iOS 5 has been and how widely it’s been adopted thus far – the same goes for the iTunes App Store – explosive!

Facebook Integration

Perhaps one of the most important distinctions iOS 6 will have from its predecessors is the fact that it has deep Facebook integration. This integration will spill over to OS X Mountain Lion as well, but it’ll be extremely noticeable here in the mobile operating system world first and foremost.

Apple Maps

Apple has truly come on in a big way with their Google-Maps-ending Apple Maps software which includes turn-by-turn navigation, 3D viewing of buildings, and a whole lot more. This will without a doubt give Google a run for its money – even if Google did make a valiant pre-release effort this past week.

Siri

The personal assistant known as Siri will be coming to several new countries around the world and will also be pushed to the iPad 3, aka the iPad 3rd Gen with Retina display. Siri will also be upgraded to include several new features including sports scores very soon.

MacBook Air

The MacBook Air lineup has been refreshed with 3rd Generation Intel Core processors, both of them i5 or i7 Ivy Bridge. This upgrade also has you gaining a USB 3.0 port (which of course is also backwards-compatible with USB 2.0), a Facetime camera with a new 720p quality to it, and 8GB of RAM inside with 512GB of flash storage. These ultra-thin, ultra-light models will continue to be the most portable notebooks in the Apple range.

MacBook Pro 2012 refresh

Keep it all straight and notice this: there is a MacBook Pro 2012 refresh lineup as well as a brand new MacBook Pro model with Retina Display. We’ll go ahead and call this refresh the “classic” MacBook Pro while the Retina version is one section down. This Classic refresh includes Intel Ivy Bridge processors, for starters, keeping the optical drive that was rumored to be dropped, and comes in at a price that’s slightly cheaper than the Retina model as well: 13-inch for $1,199 or 15-inch for $1,799.

New MacBook Pro with Retina display

The New MacBook Pro with Retina display brings not only a high-definition display that’s to be envied by all your past-generation MacBooks, but upgraded hardware all around as well. There are new air vents at the sides of this device, there’s a new thinner “MagSafe 2″ port for power, and you’ve got both a thinner and lighter notebook than any MacBook Pro before. It can even roll out with Diablo III with no trouble at all, imagine that! This notebook sits between the MacBook Pro 2012 refresh and the MacBook Air for thickness and offers a slightly more powerful option for those of you looking for the sweetest notebook on the block.

We’ve had our own eyes-on look at the Next-Gen MacBook Pro with Retina quality display under a glass case thus far and will see it much closer up soon enough.

Meanwhile you can order this notebook starting today and starting at $2199 – with upgraded models adding on several hundred dollars to that price.

OS X Mountain Lion software and Applications

While there weren’t too many things in OS X Mountain Lion today that we hadn’t seen before in our own hands-on preview, we did see a swath of new options that will have the whole hardware range looking mighty good when they’re upgraded this summer. This upgrade will include AirPlay Mirroring and 1080p streaming to TV as well as integration with the thus-far mobile-only Game Center ecosystem.

For your web browsing needs you’ll be checking out the brand new Safari complete with Unified Search, iCloud Tabs, and Tab View as well. The application and software integration known as Power Nap was revealed as an always-active bit of silent-doer for tasks you’d otherwise have to do while your computer is fully awake.

Apple has also brought on a tiny bit of Siri (though it’s not quite called that yet) to OS X Mountain Lion with Dictation and iCloud integration will be larger than ever, and not just in your browser window this time around.

You’ll be able to pick up Mountain Lion for just $19.99 USD in July if you feel so inclined – and if you’ve purchased one of the devices revealed today, you’ll be getting the upgrade for free – 200 features and counting, so they say!

After-event Updates

After the keynote was over, it became apparent that several news bits did not make the big event cut. The first of these was the dropping of Apple’s 17-inch MacBook Pro from the big lineup. Next you’ll find the Apple AirPort Express update to be bringing a new form factor and set of abilities. The iPad has gotten a new iPad Smart Case and the mighty mighty desktop hero Mac Pro has been pushed up the hill incrementally as well.

Stay tuned to our WWDC 2012 portal for all the news as it continues to pop up through the day and through the week as well – Apple updates galore!

The MacBook Pro with Retina display comes with 256GB of flash storage, comes packed with 1GB GeForce GT 650M as well as 8GB of RAM, and is environmentally friendly to boot! This notebook range is hitting up several areas on the environmental checklist Apple has outlined including items such as it being Arsenic-free, ENERGY STAR 5.2 certified, PVC-free, BFR-free, having Mercury-free glass, and being Highly recyclable.

This notebook has a Retina quality display, is ultra-thin, and is made to replace any and all MacBooks in the past. Of course it wont be released alone, bringing with it a family of MacBook Pro classic models and the MacBook Air 2012 refresh as well. See 3rd Generation Intel Core Ivy Bridge processors on all fronts, USB 3.0, and Thunderbolt ports coming from all directions too!

UPDATE: Apple has just released information on two models, configured-to-order:

The 15-inch MacBook Pro is available with a 2.3 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.3 GHz, 8GB of memory and 256GB of flash storage starting at $2,199 (US); and with a 2.6 GHz quad-core Intel Core i7 processor with Turbo Boost speeds up to 3.6 GHz, 8GB of memory and 512GB of flash storage starting at $2,799 (US). Configure-to-order options include faster quad-core processors up to 2.7 GHz, up to 16GB of memory and flash storage up to 768GB.

Have a peek in our timeline below to see all the details on this massive release and make sure to continue to follow along in our WWDC 2012 portal as well as with our live feed at http://live.slashgear.com/ – check it out!

Both the 11-inch and 13-inch MacBook Air units are available today, shipping today and available for purchase today that is. The 11-inch model has a lovely 1366 x 768 pixel resolution display, while the 13-inch model has 1440 x 900 pixel resolution up across its face. The 11-inch model comes with an i5 processor and upgrades in flash storage between 64 and 128GB and prices range between $999 and $1099.

The 13-inch model comes with a dual-core i5 processor inside and has either 128GB flash storage or 256GB, with prices ranging between $1199 and $1499 USD. Both of these models will be just 2.96lbs heavy while the 11-inch models will be ultra-light as well at 2.38 lbs. Head to the Apple store soon to pick yours up!

Also be sure to continue following along with our main news feed here via the WWDC 2012 portal as well as through our livefeed at [http://live.slashgear.com/]

The new MacBook Airs not only get Ivy Bridge processors up to the 2GHz dual-core i7, but also get up to 8GB of memory, and 60 percent faster graphics. They also get 512GB of flash storage with 500MBps read speed, about twice as fast as the current Air models.

Additionally, Apple is adding USB 3.0 to its MacBook Airs in addition to USB 2.0. There will also now be a 720p FaceTime camera and the notebooks still comes in either an 11-inch or a 13-inch model.

The 11-inch starts at $999 with a 1.7GHz dual-core i5 processor, 4GB of RAM, Intel HD 4000 graphics, and 64GB SSD. The 13-inch starts at $1,199 with a 1.8GHz dual-core i5, 4GB of RAM, and 128GB SSD. And they’re both shipping today.

Exactly what form that new hardware will take is still unconfirmed, though there’s no shortage of rumor about what we can expect. According to the latest talk, a split in the MacBook Pro line is possible, with a refresh to the existing models accompanied by a new 15-inch Retina Display version borrowing some styling cues from the MacBook Air.

As for the Air, that’s also expected to see an upgrade, more than likely to feature Ivy Bridge 3rd-gen Intel Core processors. The Mac Pro, languishing without an update for two years now, is also overdue a refresh.

We’ll be live-blogging the whole WWDC 2012 keynote from 10AM PST (1PM EST; 6PM BST) over at http://live.slashgear.com/ with all the big news filtering through to the SlashGear homepage.

The entry-level “classic” design notebooks would have 4GB of RAM and 500GB hard-drives, the insiders suggest, with customization possible to increase processor power and internal storage. There’s no sign of an upgrade to the existing 17-inch MacBook Pro, which some expect to be retired altogether.

Reported “classic” MacBook Pro base configurations:

13.3 inch: 2.5GHz dual core processor, 4GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive
13.3 inch: 2.9GHz dual core processor, 8GB of RAM, 750GB hard drive
15.4 inch: 2.3GHz quad core processor, 4GB of RAM, 500GB hard drive
15.4 inch: 2.6GHz quad core processor, 8GB of RAM, 750GB hard drive (BTO upgrades to 2.7GHz quad core and 1TB HD will be available)

Specifications for the new-design MacBook Pro – which, its been theorized, will launch alongside the updated “classic” models, with a thinner chassis, high-resolution display and no optical drive – have not leaked, at least according to this particular batch of sources, and neither do we know hardware details on the expected MacBook Air refresh.

However there are indications that only one size of Retina Display MacBook Pro will be offered, a 15-incher that could serve to replace the 17-inch. That will be accompanied by a rebranded USB SuperDrive, ditching the Air-specific label so as to be suited to both the ultraportable and the new slimline flagship.

Interestingly, a new MagSafe connector is also rumored, with an adapter tipped to convert between the existing style and the new connection. No details on what, exactly, that connection could introduce have been revealed, though it’s worth noting that Apple patented a combination MagSafe/Thunderbolt hybrid back in late 2010. A new Thunderbolt-to-Ethernet adapter is also supposedly on the cards.

As for the Mac Pro, the leaks say three new variants are on the cards, one of which is a server model. It’s been two years since Apple changed its high-end desktop, and so features which are now common on the rest of the range – such as Thunderbolt connectivity – are likely to also make an appearance.

Reported Mac Pro base configurations:

Normal configuration: 3.2GHz quad-core processor, 6GB of RAM, 1TB hard drive, and the ATI Radeon 5770 graphics chip.
Normal configuration: 2.4GHz 12-core processor, 12GB of RAM, 1TB hard drive, and the ATI Radeon 5770 graphics chip.
Server configuration: 3.2GHz quad-core processor, 8GB of RAM, Two 1TB hard drives

Update: 9to5Mac has followed up with what are purportedly MacBook Air specs for today’s refresh.

MBA 11.6/1.7/4/64FLASH-USA
MBA 11.6/1.7/4/128FLASH-USA
MD845LL/A – MBAIR 11.6/2.0/8/256FLASH-USA

We’ll be liveblogging the WWDC keynote from 10AM PST today, so join us at http://live.slashgear.com/ for all the details.

Instead, it’s expected that only the 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pro models will be updated, with new processors tipped along with a high-resolution Retina Display. There’s also believed to be a new design, a departure from the current MacBook Pro chassis that has lingered the past few product cycles, and borrowing instead from the wedge-styling of the MacBook Air.

Kuo’s prediction is that Apple will, based on the response to the new models expected next week, trim its notebook range to just four. There will be two MacBook Air sizes, of 11- and 13-inches, it’s suggested, and two MacBook Pro sizes, 13- and 15-inches, renamed “the new MacBook”.

Those 2013 models are likely to use Intel’s next-gen Haswell chips rather than the current Ivy Bridge processors. We’ll know more details next Monday at the WWDC 2012 opening keynote, which SlashGear will be liveblogging at live.slashgear.com from 10am PST on June 11.

What you’ll find in this particular granted patent is a set of images of the MacBook Air with both solid and dashed line segments. The dashed lines are not claimed by Apple to be part of the design specifically, while the solid lines are. As the patent outlines, there are also some attributes in the drawing which outline what the device looks like specifically:

“The gray shading on the electronic device represents a metallic-looking surface. The relatively light gray shade lines on the surface portions indicate contour and not surface decoration. The Broken lines are for the purpose of illustrating portions of the electronic device and form no part of the claimed design.”

This patent, number D661,296, will be in play for a period of 14 years and was first applied for on the 1st of July, 2011, it being a continuation of an application filed on October 19, 2010. This patent was granted on the 5th of June, 2012, and will certainly be defended in court more than just a couple times in the near future. Have at it!

[via The Verge]

This event will play host to developer talks of all kinds, ranging from OS X to iOS, desktop computing to mobile, but what you want to pay attention to first and foremost is the keynote that’ll be given by Tim Cook on June 11th at 10AM PST. This keynote will likely reveal a little bit of everything, hardware included.

Mac and MacBook

Perhaps the most widely anticipated release this time around at WWDC is the refresh of the MacBook Pro for 2012. This device will be a thinner version of what we’ve seen in Apple’s king of notebooks in the past, complete with more iCloud integration, a higher-resolution display, and the complete absence of an optical drive. The extra room that thus far has been taken up by the drive will likely be filled with batteries for more up-time than you’ve ever had before.

Have a peek at our MacBook Pro portal to see all the tips, rumors, and leaks we’ve covered over the past few weeks.

Next we’ll likely be seeing some new MacBook Air models, the MacBook Pro and Air likely being upgraded with 3rd Generation Intel Core processors, the generation code-named Ivy Bridge. You’ll see OS X Mountain Lion coming with these models, all of them, as they’re released thus summer. Don’t forget the Mac Pro as well – Apple’s tower of power might be brought up to Ivy Bridge speed as well!

Mountain Lion

The next version of Apple’s desktop computing software is called OS X Mountain Lion, and we’ve had a peek at it just a few weeks ago well in advance of its official drop. Have a peek at how the iCloud will continue to roll in. It also brings with it more chat and connection possibilities as well as iOS imports made great for the desktop world. By the time Mountain Lion is introduced, it might have additional Facebook integration as we spoke about earlier this month – the same goes for iOS 6.

iOS 6

This version of Apple’s mobile software will bring on some changes to the software build, with a possible larger screen size in mind for the iPhone 5. Apple’s iOS 6 is said to be moving forward with Facebook and will also possibly bring on a whole new application that’ll have Apple mapping the earth. This Apple Maps app and environment has been tipped to be bringing Open Maps to the platform and will have Google and their Google Maps app on their toes.

Siri

The ultra-popular iPhone 4S-selling feature Siri will be expanded in iOS 6 in one way or another, likely bringing on the service to data-connected iPad 3 models and pushing itself into more apps for better integration into the iOS system as a whole. Siri will likely see a reliability boost along with its expanded abilities.

iCloud

As Apple’s cloud storage solution has seen much success in its “automatic and effortless” ways in the newer versions of iOS on both the iPad and the iPhone, there’s certainly room for the ecosystem to expand. We’ll likely see more media syncing as well as expansion of iCloud to new services that will connect each of your Apple products together in an ever-strengthening web.

Again be sure to stick with us all week as we explore the Apple-sphere, but especially on the 11th when we’ll have a livecast coming at you all keynote long!

There’s also a pair of new iMac 21.5-inch machines, along with a pair of 27-inch iMacs. Accessories include a new Airport Express, along with multiple cheaper products – each described as “standalone kit” – guesses to the identities of which haven’t been made.

Perhaps of most interest to the WWDC crowd are the three new Mac Pro systems listed. Apple’s top-end desktop has been long overdue an upgrade, and some worried that the company might axe the range altogether in favor of pushing high-power MacBook Pro machines paired with external displays. That, though, doesn’t appear to be the case.

What none of these product codes tells us is exact specifications. Earlier this month we heard chatter of Retina Display upgrades for the MacBook Pro models, though not for the iMac, though that contrasted with other purported specs.

SlashGear will be at WWDC 2012, and we’ll be liveblogging the whole keynote – complete with new products – at live.slashgear.com on June 11 at 10am PST.

Additionally, new MacBook Airs with Retina displays will also be revealed at WWDC. Both the 11.6-inch and 13.3-inch models will be refreshed with two configurations for each screen size. 9to5Mac has also been told that a new iMac will be released, although the details surrounding the refresh aren’t clear. A Retina display isn’t likely, nor is a redesign, so it will most probably be a simple platform update to Ivy Bridge.

Sources have also told 9to5Mac that a fourth piece of hardware will be updated at WWDC, but were unable to provide specifics. That leaves either the Mac Mini or Mac Pro, with the former seeing an update last year to Sandy Bridge internals, while the latter has been neglected as of late. Finally, sources say that new accessories will be unveiled at the event, although it isn’t clear as to what to expect.

In addition to the refreshed MacBook Pros, analyst Amit Daryanani believes that a MacBook Air refresh will come within the next six months. He goes on to say that consumers may become wary of Apple’s design guidelines for iPhones, seemingly sticking to a two-year cycle between major design changes. That would cause customers to hold off purchasing new handsets until the next design rolls around.

Stocks of the MacBook Pros have been low recently, a telltale indicator that a refresh is imminent. Rumors have suggested that the new laptops will feature Intel’s Ivy Bridge processors, including an improved HD 4000 GPU, plus all new Retina displays as well as USB 3.0 support. High resolution icons have been discovered in Mac OS X Lion and Mountain Lion that point to such a change. WWDC is looming, with Apple expected to make an announcement at the event regarding the new MacBook Pros.

[via AppleInsider]

The reason I chose this specific cover for my MacBook Air was its extremely thin profile and fully transluscent makeup. My MacBook Air comes with my to all trade events, interviews, and the like, so it ends up getting covered with stickers along the way. Because I do not always provide my computer with the most caring of attitudes and because I want to still be able to see the stickers no matter what, this case seemed quite perfect for my situation.

So I pulled it out of the box and applied the top piece first – it snapped on in less than 30 seconds with extreme ease.

Then I attached the bottom piece – it also snapped on with essentially no effort whatsoever. This case features no markings outside the TINY Moshi logo in the corner which sits on your lower right-hand side if the notebook is closed and facing you. It also has four bumpers that are more than equitable to the bumpers the MacBook Air has without its cover on so you’re still not skidding around no matter what.

This same brand-line of case exists for the iPad 3 from Moshi. This case snaps on in the same ultra-simple manner and provides just as much coverage as the MacBook Air cover, all with the same amount of transparency in either case. Both of these cases are both extremely low-profile and super protective as they are made with a strong mix of plastic. These cases are made with slightly different kinds of plastic, with the MacBook Air having a bit less of a reflectiveness to it, but each one is just as awesome as the other in the protection department.

You can grab both cases from the Moshi store right this minute iGlaze XT for iPad 3rd Gen for $30 USD Grab em both now! Also have a peek at our iPad Versacover hands-on at CTIA for more info on Moshi products for the future!

The discounting follows reports last month of Apple resellers such as J&R having trouble sourcing stock of certain Mac models. The 15-inch MacBook Pro, one of the mainstays of Apple’s line-up, was particularly constrained, it was suggested, indicating Apple was ramping down its own stocks in preparation for an updated version.

Exactly what that updated version will include has been the subject of great speculation over the past months. While previous refreshes of the Mac line-ups have generally left the aesthetics of the desktops and notebooks unchanged, focusing instead on the internal specifications, this next upgrade is believed to be more comprehensive, certainly for the MacBook ranges.

Apple is believed to be pushing its OS X machines to follow the path of the iPhone and iPad, with Retina Displays offering hugely pixel-dense LCD panels, while the inclusion of Intel’s Ivy Bridge processors is pretty much a given. More interesting is talk of USB 3.0 connectivity, something Apple has so far avoided in favor of Thunderbolt and, before that, FireWire 800.

When, exactly, the new models will drop is uncertain, though supply chain whispers have suggested a June arrival.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

Intel is pumping big money into the ultrabook segment, trying to help broaden the market appeal of Windows-based, Intel-powered ultraportable notebooks and challenge Apple’s Air in the process. However, the label comes with certain qualifications: an ultrabook must be under a particular thickness and weight, it must use key Intel components such as the processor, and it must tick potentially expensive boxes for solid-state storage.

HP’s Sleekbook name, meanwhile, encompasses both Intel and AMD chips but without any of the awkward Intel rules. HP is free to push the envelope in sizes – 15.6-inches is at the extreme end for what most would consider an true ultrabook – and, if it has to compromise on weight or thickness, isn’t beholden to Intel to put its notebooks on a diet in order to preserve the all-important branding.

Ultrabook sales have, according to persistent industry rumblings, not been anywhere as successful as Intel and its manufacturer partners were hoping. Part of that has been pricing, with the $699-799 tags initially vaunted being replaced by $800-1,000 machines instead. Intel is hoping to revive interest with Ivy Bridge third-generation Core processors, but the ultrabook versions won’t arrive for a while yet.

HP’s decision to generate its own brand, then, is understandable, but it means new degrees of confusion for the consumer. Not all Sleekbooks will be ultrabooks, after all. The PC manufacturer may sell some more, cheaper models this way – pricing kicks off at $599.99, versus HP’s new ultrabooks at $749.99 and up – but it’s a clumsy way to revive the industry.

Interestingly, the computers seem to be running Windows XP service pack 3, though that’s not all that surprising. Older versions of Windows are much easier to pirate, and much more readily available. The rest of the specifications are downright acceptable: 2GB of RAM, integrated Intel graphics, a 13-inch 1366×768 screen and even a SIM card slot for mobile broadband. If it weren’t for the pokey hard drive and a slightly thicker body, the magnesium allow shell might even fool the casual observer into thinking they were getting an ultrabook.

The unbranded knockoff comes in an Air-aping silver, matte black and a red-on-black combination model. Performance is reportedly pretty comparable to similarly equipped notebooks from the likes of Lenovo. There’s no word on price, but then we wouldn’t recommend picking one up anyway – much better to get a budget model from a more trusted manufacturer than roll the dice on a no-name copy.

[via liliputing]

With the demise of the plastic-bodied MacBook, Apple’s point of entry for OS X computing is the $999 11.6-inch MacBook Air. Beneath that lies only the iPad – probably paired with a hardware keyboard accessory for easier text entry – from $499 to $829 depending on specifications and connectivity options.

Still, given Intel and its PC OEM partners are aiming for $799 and below ultrabooks, particularly with the arrival of Windows 8, an OS X machine instantly recognizable as a notebook makes no small amount of sense for Apple. With the ongoing fall in flash memory pricing, Apple could potentially keep the base storage at 64GB, but perhaps pair it with an Ivy Bridge Core i3 processor to save costs. Currently, the cheapest MacBook Air uses a Sandy Bridge Core i5 chip.

Big changes are believed to be afoot for Apple’s computing line-up in 2012, with Ivy Bridge tipped to be just one of a group of sweeping updates to the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro range. The latter is where the most noticeable differences should be found, however, with Apple tipped to be transitioning elements of the Air style over to its flagship Pro line-up, ditching the integrated optical drive and stretching out battery life in ways PC rivals can’t yet achieve.

What you’re seeing here is an illustration, not an actual real set of images of the casing of the MacBook Pro 2012. The top image is indeed real, the bottom is an illustration of what would happen if Apple went the way we’re speaking about here. It’s not unlikely that this will be the way of the truth in the very near future – Apple has presented a non-disk future in its MacBook Air models for several generations now, and with the Mac App Store live and in action for software, we’ll see the MacBook Pro 2012 models hitting stores with no room for a DVD without a doubt.

What do you think of such a possibility? With all that extra battery, the MacBook Pro could potentially have a much more densely-packed set of pixels in its display or could of course allow for days of battery time without worry. With 30% more battery capacity, there’s no knowing what you could do with the power. The SSD Boot Drive is just as likely – why not do such a thing with that space? Expect both of these additions this summer.

[via Reddit]

I personally own a 3rd generation iPad which I picked up and traded out for the iPad 2 this year. I’ve also had at least one Ultrabook in my possession as a review unit here for SlashGear since before the year 2012 began. Now I’ve come to the following conclusion: the reason Ultrabooks aren’t selling very well is because for the extra $300 USD or so they cost over the iPad, they just do not present enough benefits.

This week the Wall Street Journal reported that Acer’s Ultrabook shipments recently had a 72% drop in net profit (as reported this most recent fiscal quarter). They hypothesize the following, per Dow Jones Newswire’s own Aries Poon:

“Some analysts said Acer is placing too big a bet on Ultrabooks, as the market potential for these laptops is unclear. The Taiwanese PC maker, which derives more than half of its revenue from selling middle- to low-priced laptops, hasn’t been able to grab a meaningful share in the Ultrabook market where premium pricing is the norm, analysts added.” – Poon

This is in addition to notes reported by the New York Times showing that research firms NPD Group and Gartner are not currently able to get an accurate reading on the success of the Ultrabook on the whole because there simply aren’t that many of them out there – either on the market or being sold.

“It’s a very, very small part of the market at the moment. We really don’t know.” – Mika Kitagawa, Gartner Analyst

The folks at Gartner also spoke, again, on how the tablet industry, notably the iPad, had a much better value proposal with the $499 tablet as opposed to the $800 Ultrabook. Analyst Stephen Baker for the NPD Group spoke on how he and NPD felt it was too early to tell how the Ultrabook would do in the market, but made sure to mention that there simply isn’t a lot of products on the market at the moment.

“The initial read is that the ultrabook is still small, growing a bit, but way too soon to make any judgment. Consumers are interested, but there aren’t a lot of products to buy quite yet.” – Baker, NPD

Keeping in mind the die-hard Windows OS user out there, one must recognize that even with the power presented in today’s Ultrabooks with Intel processors onboard there’s a sense that a larger more powerful home computer is still needed for hardcore tasks like gaming and video processing. This is also true of the iPad. Until the Ultrabook can replace both the netbook and the desktop computer, the iPad will beat it in its much more concentrated vision for what it can and should be used for.

For users seeing the iPad as a good alternative to a small notebook except for the fact that it does not have a physical keyboard, there’s always the Logitach Ultrathin Keyboard Cover, for example, only adding $99.99 to your total. It’ll protect your iPad’s screen to boot!

I’ve got a 15-inch MacBook Pro I use for daily work – writing, image processing, and video processing. I’ve also got a MacBook Air 11-inch which I use for big press events and on-location low-impact writing. If I’m going to pay significantly more than $500 for a computing device for on-the-go web-browsing, media consumption, and general communication in notebook form, I’d much rather have the proven performance that a MacBook Air brings. The numbers and findings you see above show that it’s more than just myself thinking that same way here in 2012.

How about you?

If you had a need for a mobile computing device (not just a smartphone) and had more than $500 burning a hole in your pocket, what would you rather spend it on? I’d rather have an iPad and pocket all the cash that’s left.

Have a peek at the facts, here, starting with WWDC’s past releases for Apple. WWDC 2009 has the first unibody construction MacBook 13-inch shown off for the first time, WWDC 2006 had the first Intel Processors in Apple products, and WWDC 2003 showed the iSight camera for MacBooks – WWDC 2009 showed the iPhone 3GS as well, and WWDC 2010 showed off the iPhone 4. So it’s not just desktop computing that has popped up here before, but mobile as well.

Next we’ve got Intel releasing their 3rd Generation Intel Core processors unto the world this past month. This set of processors is also known as Ivy Bridge, and Apple is sure to use the lineup in their next MacBook Pro computers. At the same time, Apple’s MacBook Pro distribution channel has been showing less and less of a supply for stores, this always a good indicator that a new model is coming up soon.

The next generation MacBook Pro 2012, whatever they may call it (likely just MacBook Pro as always) will probably be much thinner than we’ve seen even in the most recent iterations. We’ve heard multiple times now that the next Apple computers, even the most powerful notebooks, will be much thinner than we’ve ever seen in MacBook Pro models before. They’ll be closer to MacBook Airs than ever before, and will have much more powerful processors than in the past.

The 2012 MacBook Pro line will also likely employ new technology in its casings. We’ve heard a slightly unlikely tip that Liquidmetal will be used, but certainly are taking that one with a grain of salt. Expect this next model to bring the Apple line of notebooks down in weight, up in power, and modified only slightly in the case department.

Have a peek at the timeline below to see what we’ve got recently for MacBook Pro 2012 news and put the puzzle together. We’ll likely see this new computer inside a couple of months!