Second, why will Apple make the MacBook’s battery non-removable? I understand that the MacBook Air has a non-removable battery, but the target markets for the MBA and the MB are completely different.

I see no reason for the MB to have a battery you can’t remove. Currently, user-servicable upgrades are done by removing the battery to gain access to upgradeable components.

Why will Apple move to 16:9 ratio screens? None of the other manufacturers are moving to 16:9 – sure, they may offer it, but they all remain committed to 16:10. I’m not saying the screens won’t be 16:9, but you haven’t justified why they will be that ratio.

As for the abandonment of the 13.3 inch form factor, I’d like to point out that Apple was a leader in making that size popular. Sony may have done it before Apple, but it was after Apple popularised it that Dell and HP (for example) created products with that form factor – the dv3500 and the XPS M1330, plus the Inspiron 13 and the 13 inch Vostro (I think).

Apple has gotten rid of 12 and 14 inch sizes from their lineup – 13 inches presents an excellent balance between portability and power/usability. Many find 12 inches to be too small to use on a regular base, although it is very portable. 14 inches becomes bigger and more usable, but it less portable.

I’m not honestly convinced there will be huge price drops on MacBooks. Sure, it could happen but it’s unlikely. Apple is a premium brand/manufacturer, and studies have shown that part of the allure of premium brands comes from their price.

Apple likes big, thick profit margins and a price cut of $600 means smaller margins. Apple is not a low-end manufacturer, they do not market to the low end and I feel that it will remain this way.

To be honest with you, this article isn’t very well written and doesn’t communicate your points very well. Case-in-point: the battery comment. It reads as if you are saying the battery will not be removable.

Having said that, you’re better than 9to5mac who have been hit-whoring recently. Your site does offer some interesting content, this particular article just isn’t very good.

“The battery may be removable, but odds are, no.”

As for the whole Brick idea. its quite feasible yes, however would not reduce the price. Not paying Chinese kids 50c a day reduces the Macbook by $600 does it?

Blu Ray will likely happen. However in some form of hot swappable bay I hope. I can assure you now if the Macbook Pro has a built in non removable Blu Ray drive you will despise your computer after you realise it carries a puny 1 hour battery life.

Again I”m not saying the price of the Macbook definitely will not drop by $600. I’m just saying that if it did I will go elsewhere, as I like to pay more for a decent computer than a poorly made piece of junk. And that if Apple did they would cut their profit margins on each unit to around 30 dollars.

Unfortunately (wait what am I saying)… Fortunately you can’t have OS X and a cheap computer. You get what you pay for.

http://9to5mac.com/macbook-brick

That’s how they’re gonna make it cheap and still make a profit.

I’m not saying I’d want a 16:9 screen. I’m saying they will put it on the computers. This is not a wish list… its a prediction sheet.

Non-removable battery is very likely for the MacBook. As for the MacBook Pro, I said the odds lean toward no. Go back and read carefully.

I know. The new processors will be from this platform.

Blu-Ray seems very likely at this point for the MacBook Pro. Not the MacBook, but the MacBook Pro. As a film editor, I would love the option to burn HD discs on my laptop.

These are predictions: not facts. Based on what has been going around the web, and what I’ve heard from my sources, I put together this prediction list.

We’ll see next Tuesday how much of it is pulled out of my ass, and how much is truth.

Firstly you assume that Apple would be able to create a laptop like the Macbook for $600 let alone sell it for a reasonable profit.

There is a reason Apple has ignored the low end market:

No one makes a sweet dime off it. The profit margins are abysmal and the competition is fierce. Companies like Dell only make a profit here because they sell so many to home users and companies. Many of the companies within this market are not even in it for the money. Sony for example uses the Vaio line just to add another notch to their belt.

Apple on the other hand are currently well within the top 5 OEM’s in the world, and as it stands are making the most profit per computer sold (about 30%). Dell would be lucky to scrape 5% on their budget boxes. The only OEM making more than Apple is Dell, and thats simply because they sell so many of the damn things especially within the corporation space. Why pay $1200 for an iMac just for word processing and email when you can pay $400 for a Dell.

Just some general follow up comments:

Why would you want a 16:9 screen? I like as much screen real estate as I can get thanks.
Non removable battery? In a professional computer? If Apple knows what’s good for them they wont.
Centrino is not a processor, its a platform, like Santa Rosa, Montevina et al.
Blu Ray is a useless endeavour if you want more than 1 hour battery life.

You have pulled a substantial amount of this information from your ass, and are now spouting it as truth.

Portable:
a) Consumer (MacBook)
b) Professional (MacBook Pro)

Non-Portable:
a) With Screen (iMac)
b) Without Screen (Mac Mini)

Corporate:
a) Server (Xserve)
b) Workstation (Mac Pro)

Handheld:
a) With GSM (iPhone)
b) without GSM (iPod Touch)

Music Player:
a) Large (iPod Classic)
b) Small (iPod Nano)
c) Entry Level: (iPod Shuffle)

The Music Player market is the only place where they have an “Entry Level” device. Everything else is mid-range and high-end. The Mac mini is mid-range, NOT entry level. There is no bare-bones Mac. The iMac is high-end, not mid-range. (It’s “low” high-end aka “pro-sumer” level)