By AppleInsider Staff

Published: 11:00 AM EST

A new line of Apple notebooks believed to be nearing release have been spotted in both black and traditional aluminum enclosures, according to a new report.

The systems are said to be thinner than the company's existing MacBook and MacBook Pro offerings, while also sporting a more compact footprint that includes a thinner display bezel.

Outside of this information, details appear to be scarce. It's not entirely clear whether the notebooks are part of an upcoming revision to Apple's consumer-oriented MacBook line or are simply one-and-the same with the much rumored "ultra-portable" design first detailed back in February.

The latter systems are expected to include L.E.D-backlit 13-inch LCD panels, on-board NAND flash (for faster application launching and boot times), and lack a traditional optical disc drive.

It's believed that Apple had originally intended to launch the slimmer notebook line alongside its next-generation Leopard operating system back in June, but subsequently pushed the release out to "late 2007 or early 2008" when Leopard's expected release date slipped to October.