Chatter picks up for Sandy Bridge MacBook Air
The latest report from Taipei-based DigiTimes says the MacBook Air supply chain will go into high gear in July as Apple ramps up production, supporting earlier speculation from analysts.
Apple's smallest and lightest laptop is also expected to become its most popular this year. Total MacBook shipments for 2011 have been upped from 13 million to 15 million because of the Air's projected popularity, the report said.
Raw production numbers aside, the Air will likely become--if it hasn't already--Apple's flagship laptop, as it embodies Apple's design direction with all of its best-selling products. In short, a small, minimalist industrial design aesthetic, not unlike like the iPad. The importance of getting Intel's Sandy Bridge processor into the MacBook Air can't be overstated. It will bring the Air in line with the processing oomph the 13-inch MacBook Pro already packs. And it paves the way for future updates with Intel's faster, more power-efficient Ivy Bridge processor.
