[NewsPoster]

The MacBooks on the verge of a WWDC update are MacBook Airs, a source indicates. New pricing data for leaked SKUs is said to match that for current-generation Airs. Conversely, there has yet to be any leaked pricing for new Retina MacBook Pros, despite low stock of the notebook. That could mean the Pro will only be updated sometime after the Air.


9to5Mac adds that supplies of the AirPort Extreme and Time Capsule are low, which suggests they could be among the peripherals Apple will update next week. It's speculated that both the routers and the Air may be upgraded to 802.11ac Wi-Fi, particularly since OS X 10.8.4 -- released earlier this week -- incorporates support for ac-compatible Broadcom chipsets.

The source suggests that Apple may drop the price of the high-end Air in some countries. Why hasn't been explained; the Air is intended to be one of Apple's most affordable computers though, and lowering costs could encourage people to go beyond the base 11-inch model.

[DrSkywalker]

The Air is perhaps their most under-rated computer. The 11" is infinitely more powerful and versatile than an iPad - with about the same form factor. Hook it up to the (also under-appreciated) Thunderbolt monitor and you have something great. Especially with an i7 processor. If only they made a retina display for the Air....

[abbaZaba]

do you think this Air update will bring a Retina display?

[Mr. Strat]

Oh sure...great idea...spend $1,000 on a display for a $1,000 computer.

[sunman42]

Let's see: the channel has no Airs starting two weeks before the WWDC, then Apple Stores show low or no availability ("ships to store") starting a week or so before the same WWDC. Think this article is really news today? Maybe not so much.

[Jeronimo2000]

@sunman42: Yes, you are 100% correct. Since every MacNN reader checks channel inventory levels on a regular basis and keeps a close eye on Apple Store availability, it is indeed completely gratuitous of MacNN to state the obvious.

Then again, maybe not everyone is as clever and well-informed as you are.

[Jeronimo2000]

@DrSkywalker: sure, you can do a whole lot more with an 11" MBA than you can with an iPad. But, to paraphrase Steve Jobs, not everyone needs to drive a truck when a car will do just fine. For plenty of people, the iPad covers their computing needs completely. Plus, battery life of 10 hours on the iPad (easily achievable), compared to 5 hours (if you're lucky) on the 11" MBA, that's an important factor for some folks.

But I'm with you on the "retina for the Air!" front.

@Mr.Strat - Is there some law that says an external display can not cost as much as the computer connected to it? The 11-inch is super portable and can drive the Cinema display just fine. It is desired not for its cheap price, but for the portability. When you don't need the portability, dock it to a beautiful Cinema display. So what if they both cost the same? I really don't see a problem with that.

Would you really think to yourself "Gee, I'd love to use this Cinema display at my desk, but my computer costs the same! I'd better get rid of it and buy a more expensive computer even though I don't want a bigger one and don't need the extra power, but what would people think if they knew I spent the same amount of money on the display as I did on the computer?!?"