By Prince McLean

Published: 02:40 PM EST (11:40 AM PST)

While Apple Computer has been working hard to meet demand for its new MacBook Pro notebooks in the UK, recent moves also offer evidence that the company will soon introduce its MacBook line of consumer notebooks, Jonny Evans reports for MacWorld UK.

"Today, the UK Apple Store has been updated to match the US store, with a small green circle atop the MacBook Pro listing that promises customers that their new pro notebook will ship in just 24-hours," Evans reported on Thursday. "Availability at Apple's flagship Regent Street store has also been improving in recent weeks. Spot checks mid-month showed no available stock, but a check last week showed all MacBook Pro models were available."

Meanwhile the same report comments on speculation that Apple will announce an Intel-powered replacement for its current iBook models, explaining that an announcement could come as soon as next week on the eve of the company's financial release (April 19).

"Apple has an arrangement with a UK firm under which that firm disposes of all Apple's ex-demo stock," Evans wrote without specifying the firm's identity. "That company this week announced a number of iBooks and eMacs at slightly discounted prices, inadvertently furnishing potential evidence that a move to release new consumer portables could come soon."