Everyone's been waiting years and years for a meaningful update to the MacBook line. According to a report from 9to5 Mac, this will be the year that a new design will arrive. The blog just published a few renderings based on details from unnamed Apple employees. And if they're correct, this new MacBook looks awesome.
The report comes from 9to5Mac's Mark Gurman, who tends to be a reliable source on all things Apple. The details also match up with many of the rumors about MacBook upgrades in recent years. Chief among them is how Apple will ditch ports almost altogether to achieve a slimmer, sleeker profile. Sources say that prototypes for a new 12-inch MacBook Air are a quarter inch narrower than the current 11-inch model. They also have fewer ports than any other Apple computer: a headphone jack and a single USB Type-C port.
Another less dramatic detail is the slimmer keyboard. Apple's designers are channeling the old 12-inch PowerBook by pushing the keys all the way to the edge. They're also evidently narrowing the amount of space in between the keys to squeeze them together a little bit more. Meanwhile, the trackpad will no longer click in order to make the body thinner. It almost sounds like some sort of feature liquidation, all designed to make this machine as sleek as possible.
It looks pretty amazing, though! If that is what Apple actually does, of course. Click over the 9to5Mac for more on the new laptop design. [9to5Mac]
Images via 9to5Mac