For weeks now, we knew Apple would be releasing a refreshed line of MacBook Airs. It all started with rumors that the new MacBook Airs will come with Sandy Bridge processors, and a report that the ultra-thin notebooks are to be launched late June. Now, Apple reseller Best Buy has stopped shipping MacBook Airs, indicating a product refresh is imminent.
Best Buy’s online storet has placed all four models of MacBook Air on ‘not available for shipping’. This means that with constrained supplies, they are now focusing on selling the remaining inventory in their retail stores. The reseller did not provide a date when they will ship the notebooks again, possibly hinting the consumers of a product refresh. Some stores have indicated that they are running low on MacBook Air stocks.
Reports say that Apple is giving the finishing touches to Lion, their news OS, and would release the MacBook Airs when the software update is ready. The Mac OS X is slated for release in July.
The company’s Chinese partners are ready to ship the notebook’s hardware, but Apple wants its notebooks to have the latest OS when it begins shipping. It is also reported that Apple asked its manufacturers to ramp up the production of MacBooks as they see an increase in sales in the upcoming months.
According to a DigiTimes report, Apple has asked its manufacturers to ramp up as it hopes to deliver more than eight million MacBooks in the third quarter.
Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO, said that the MacBook Air is “the future of notebooks,” which features “solid state storage, instant-on, amazing battery standby time, miniaturization and lightweight construction.”
Does the Best Buy’s shipping stoppage of MacBook Airs really signify a product refresh?
