Leading innovation and following suit

Spring is in the air, but that means summer is right around the corner. While we are finishing up classes and finals, Apple is thinking about the next wave of college students with its summer refresh of the MacBook Pro lineup. While not a redesign, but rather a specification boost (i.e. faster processors, bigger hard drives, and increased graphic performance), the summer refreshes are targeted towards high school seniors about to graduate and head into the fast-paced college life. The new models are a perfect gift for the driven high school graduate looking forward to many late nights spent writing a papers that are due at 8am the next morning. Often coupled with a deal such as a free printer or an iTunes giftcard, purchasing a new notebook from Apple is a hot trend during the months of May to July.

This year’s summer selection will be different than past year’s lineups, however. Previously, students had three options for an Apple notebook: MacBook, MacBook Air, and MacBook Pro. This year, Apple has discontinued the original white-plastic clad MacBook in favor of the chic and highly recyclable unibody aluminum MacBook Airs and Pros. Choosing between the two isn’t difficult: the Air is for the everyday student looking for a lightweight notebook who isn’t worried about storage space or screen size. On the other hand, the Pro wields bigger screen size options and packs a punch with seemingly endless storage and power options.

But to make the decision a little easier, rumor has it that Apple is set to bridge the gap with a 15-inch MacBook Air this summer. This version introduces the first 15-inch model Air to appear in the lineup since its introduction at the Macworld Conference & Expo in 2008. Considerably thinner and lighter than the 15-inch MacBook Pro, the Air swaps out the traditional hard drive in favor of the more preferred and smaller solid-state hard drive. Solid-state drives employ no moving parts, making them much more reliable and reluctant to failure than their traditional counterparts. The new Air is also rumored to be released with Intel’s latest Sandy Bridge processor, which is much more powerful and efficient than the lineup’s current Intel Core i5 and i7 processors.

Shopping for a notebook this summer will be a walk on the beach with the imminent launch of the all new 15-inch MacBook Air with solid-state drive. No longer is the decision about processor handling power or screen size. Now the deciding factor is whether you can part with a disc drive or not. We look forward to seeing the announcement of the 15-inch MacBook Air in mid-May with a release date around early June. Which side will you Air on?