Report: subnotebook coming

Surging Mac sales are expected to beat Wall Street expectations by nearly 400,000 units, Apple is readying a new 10-inch to 12-inch subnotebook for next quarter, and Apple's total worth is twice that of rival computer maker Dell, according to TheStreet.com. Apple is expected to sell 2.35 million iMacs and MacBooks this quarter, fueled by back-to-school shopping as well as a recently refreshed iMac. Sources cited by TheStreet.com say APple is planning to unveil a widely rumored subnotebook with sleek round edges that weighs less than 2-pounds. The subnotebook is expected to debut next quarter in time for the busy holiday shopping season, and Apple is reportedly telling employees to cancel vacation plans between Thanksgiving and Christmas to prepare for a year-end sales push.

Apple in mid-August filed for a patent on retractable notebook ports that may well find their way into a smaller, slimmer model in the near future. The retractable ports would allow users to fold each port not currently in use into the base of the laptop, leaving exposed only those ports in use. The fold-in ports would also reduce the required size of a potential notebook, and would allow for a slick tapered edge around the base of the device when all ports were retracted.

Apple also patented a low-profile memory slot in early September that could find its way into the tiny notebook.

by MacNN Staff