Apple Schedules Secret Meeting Ahead of Potential MacBook / iPad 2 Event

Apple retail employees are being asked to sign non-disclosure agreements ahead of a meeting presumably scheduled for this week, in what may be a sign that Apple is planning to hold an event for the launch of several new products.

AppleInsider claims it has heard from people familiar with Apple’s retail plans that the company asked employees on Monday to sign non-disclosure forms for an all-hands meeting.

The same people say Apple had actually planned this meeting for last week, but undisclosed occurrences have pushed it to this week.

Citing Gary Allen of ifoAppleStore.com, AppleInsider points out that Apple typically holds all-team meetings after closing on Sunday evenings.

The meeting likely has the goal to familiarize staffers with whatever new products Apple is planning to introduce.

As noted by Softpedia on multiple occasions, Apple is expected to start sending invitations to select members of the media for a forthcoming event that should see the introduction of next-gen MacBook Pro computers.

We have taken into consideration the possibility that such an event would be perfect to also have the iPad 2 announced, though recent reports indicate its launch has been postponed to summer 2011.

It remains to be seen which of Apple’s new products is being unveiled first, if the event everyone is waiting for even takes place this month.

iPad 2 rumors aside (as pretty much everyone knows it ships sometime this year, with two cameras and a slimmer design), the MacBook Pro family is overdue for a refresh, making it the primary candidate for the next big announcement from Apple.

The systems are said to incorporate Light Peak technology from Intel, Sandy Bridge processors from the very same company, and dual SSD-HDD storage options - one for faster OS booting, the other for storing the user’s files.

MacBook Pro stocks in major territories have become strained recently, indicating that warehouses are to be filled with new-generation Apple laptops soon enough.