What to Expect From Apple?s Mac Event

The iPad and iPhone have hogged the media?s attention for months, but Apple is preparing to turn the spotlight onto its Macintosh computers in a news conference Wednesday.
Just what can we expect? Apple observers are exchanging whispers about new notebooks and a preview of the next Mac operating system. Here?s a quick rundown of what Apple is likely to unveil at the presser.
New MacBooks
Multiple independent publications received tips about major upgrades for Apple?s ultrathin notebook, the MacBook Air. Rumor has it that the Air will come in two different sizes ? 13.3 inches and 11.6 inches ? and come with an even-thinner unibody enclosure.
The internals could be even more interesting. AppleInsider claims the Air will include flash storage, which would theoretically enable extremely fast boot times and ?instant-on? capabilities. Cult of Mac adds that the Air will have a bigger battery providing 8 to 10 hours of battery life.
These rumors seem plausible given that a bigger battery would follow the trend of Apple integrating built-in batteries into its other MacBooks, which get about 10 hours of battery life. Flash storage and instant-on capability on a notebook would be a logical next step following the iPad.
Publications haven?t been tipped off about new MacBook Pros, but it?s likely we?ll see incremental upgrades for these notebooks as well: They were last upgraded about six months ago, and on average the MacBook Pro gets refreshed every seven months.
Mac OS X Lion
Apple?s press invite includes an image of a lion, so it?s fairly obvious part of the event will provide a sneak peek on the next-gen Mac OS, code-named Lion. Our friends at MacStories received a tip that OS X will abandon the current aqua-based scroll bars in favor of iOS?s translucent gray scroll bar, which disappears whenever you?re not scrolling.
Also, a ?Quick Look? feature will enable you to get a pop-up view with some details about a file that you select with the Spotlight search tool, according to MacStories.
That can?t be all there is to it. We?re guessing that OS Lion will introduce features such as instant-on capability, and some significant performance boosts for the entire Mac family.
Wired.com will report live from Apple headquarters Wednesday morning at 10 a.m. Pacific time. Stay tuned for the news.
See Also:
Steve Jobs Unveils Newer, Sexier Aluminum MacBooks
Rumor: Apple to Introduce 11.6-Inch MacBook Next Week
New MacBook Air Will Come in 11 and 13-Inch Flavors
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