If a report from Apple Insider is correct the 2012 update of the MacBook Pro lineup is going to make the professional lineup of laptops look more like the current MacBook Air offerings. That being, very thin, light and devoid of an optical drive.
In addition to these changes, the MacBook Pros will likely only offer flash memory (SSD) instead of a hard drive. Whether this would also be true of the 17” MacBook Pro is unknown, obviously it’s a little tougher to get rid of the large storage capacity feature that workstation buyers prefer, but Apple could provide a larger capacity SSD or more iCloud storage to such buyers as a compromise.
According to Apple Insider, the first release of a MacBook Air-like MacBook Pro will be in the Spring of 2012, probably the May time frame. The new MacBook Pro will be based on Intel’s upcoming Ivy Bridge processor platform and will of course have the Thunderbolt port. Later on in 2012 the 17-inch model will get an update, but since the 15-inch model sells a lot better the focus will be on revamping that first. By the end of 2012 all of the current MacBook Pros will be phased out and replaced by the new design.
Apple continues to have strong growth in laptop sales, last quarter they shipped 3.62 million Mac laptops, the most ever for the company. PC manufacturers are trying to combat the popularity of the MacBook Air with equivalent Windows based Ultrabooks. Obviously Apple is viewing the increasing demand of the MacBook Air as a sign that people like the idea of thinner and lighter, yet some people still need the power of a MacBook Pro. The new MacBook Pros (or whatever they end up being called) should provide the best of both worlds for such buyers.
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