According to AppleInsider and their sources, Apple has begun to slow down the production of the current Core Duo MacBook Pro portables ahead of the new models that will sport the new Core 2 Duo chips.

It seems that - while Apple's online store lists the MacBook Pro as having immediate availability - the company is quoting some of its distribution and reseller partners wait times of 2 to 3 weeks for new custom-configured orders. Also according to insiders, Apple is "preparing to begin -- if it has not done so already -- manufacturing ramp of its holiday line of MacBook Pro notebooks."

The Cupertino Company has been said to have completed revisions to the entire portable product family, including new 15- and 17-inch professional MacBook Pros, as well as new 13-inch consumer MacBooks. The new models are expected to be very similar in specifications to the current offerings, except of course for the microprocessors, Intel's new Core 2 Duo chips, which run at speeds of up to 2.33GHz dual-core.

While it has been repeatedly reported that both the MacBook Pro and the consumer MacBook are ready for the upgrade, it is still not clear whether Apple will release both of them at the same time. Nevertheless, AppleInsider sources familiar with Apple's plans say "the company is on track to update both notebook lines prior to the holiday shopping season, which kicks off in typical chaotic fashion the day after Thanksgiving."