By Zach Spear
Published: 11:40 AM EST
A Chinese-language blog with a debatable track record claims Apple is working on a 15-inch MacBook Air with more information to come in the "second half" of this year.
Translated from Chinese by Google Translate, the recent
entry on
Apple.pro said, "It is understood that Apple is producing more than the current MBA size MacBook Air (15-inch?)." (Apple's current MacBook Air, of course, ships with a 13.3-inch display.)
"Core architecture will use Intel processors, the latest...from the current ultra-low voltage processor 'Core 2'," the report claims. "[This will] make a stunning ultra-portable suitable for the older poor eyesight."
Apple.pro's track record in Apple rumors is mixed. Photos
it posted in August billed as the new MacBook turned out to be false, while
its July photos of the new MacBook Pro turned out to be quite revealing of the actual product.
Also turning out to be fake was a video
it claimed in October to be of the new aluminum MacBook. On the other hand, despite the video, still images it posted of the same product that same month did turn out to be accurate (
last item).
The site claims more information will be published in the future.
While there is a subset of Apple's customer base that would welcome a larger-screened MacBook Air, it is unclear if there would be enough overall demand to sustain such a product.
Apple does not provide breakdowns of notebook sales by model, but a quick glance at the Apple Store's Mac Top Sellers column lists the MacBook, MacBook Pro, and iMac ahead of the fourth-place MacBook Air.
It is unknown whether the average customer, for whom travel and portability are not major factors, would forgo the added performance of the 15-inch MacBook Pro in favor of a 15-inch MacBook Air.
While such a product is possible, Apple's product line-up tends to very well-defined with a clear hierarchical difference between each model. Thus, it is difficult to judge where a 15-inch MacBook Air would fit in with the other portables, since the current 13.3-inch version trails behind as it is.
