Coverage – Town Hall Apple Event (October 14)

Town Hall, Cupertino is where it's all going down, and here is where every announcement will be posted as soon as Apple's execs take the stage. This article will be constantly updated with every new detail emerged regarding Apple's new products, whether they're hardware upgrades, or software additions.

We know for a fact that Apple is turning the spotlight to notebooks today, while dozens of alleged spy shots say something about the new designs. In the end, it's only Apple that can confirm or deny these rumors.

A redesigned 13-inch MacBook, said to pack chipsets from NVIDIA's MCP79 platform, is one of those speculated upgrades. People familiar with Apple's plans are cited as saying that the company is adopting NVIDIA's MCP79 as a substitute for Intel's Centrino 2 "Montevina" platform. Benefits brought by the integration of NVIDIA's platform include DriveCache, which uses flash storage to speed up loading times, and Hybrid SLI, which increases battery life (always a top priority for portable systems).

In the meanwhile, multiple rumor-focused sources have been keeping themselves busy leaking all sorts of next-gen MacBook mockups and shell designs, some more convincing than others. One in particular caught our eye, as well as AppleInsider's, which believes the image was taken right on Apple's campus (Town Hall) in Cupertino. Published by Engadget, the picture comes via the same source that previously provided authentic photos of Apple's fourth-generation iPod nano, days before the company unveiled it. It is believed that the picture was taken during a product briefing.

Analysts, for their part, chime in on a low-entry level MacBook (sub-$1,000). Some say a lower-specced, yet new-generation Mac could be introduced at a very affordable price - just $800, boosting Apple's profits in the process.

And so, the wait begins...

Update #1

Don't fret yet, nothing's been announced. We just wanted to let you know that the Apple Store is down, meaning our favorite Cupertino-based electronics maker is prepping some new products to sell. Update #2

The media has been allowed in, everyone's in their seats, classical music is playing... Steve takes the stage: "Good morning -- we appreciate you coming down this morning... I think everyone knows today is about notebooks. And we've got some exciting new notebooks."

OK, so we have our confirmation! Update #3

Tim Cook is now on stage, talking about the Mac and how it has done great lately. One of the reasons is Microsoft's glitchy OS, Windows Vista, says Cook. Ouch!

Cook plays one of their Get a Mac ads. The ad is over. Cook returns to the stage taking on the retail stores. 400,000 visitors are said to visit them every day. According to Apple's Chief Operating Officer, 50% of the Macs they sell are going to people that are new to the Mac.

Update #4

Jobs is back. He's anxious to talk notebooks and (guess what) the new technologies they've developed to build them. He invites Jony Ive on stage. Ive notes that building thin notebooks is hard. Really hard! "We've been looking for a better way [to build them] and we think we've found it", he says. This new method was also used in the design of the MacBook Air, he says. "We discovered if we started with a thick piece of aluminum we could make a lighter and stronger part," Ive continues. "So we make it from a solid piece of aluminum." Well, what do you know...

Update #5

Steve is back. Apple's chief exec confirms the presence of NVIDIA's chipset platform inside the company's new notebooks. The NVIDIA GeForce 9400 M has the Chipset and GPU on one die, 70% of which is just the GPU. 5x faster than the current solutions inside Apple's MacBooks.

Update #6

Large, Multi-Touch glass trackpad confirmed for the newly designed MacBooks. New gestures added, some of them triggered by as many as four fingers.

Update #7

"Introducing the new MacBook Pro!"

Features

- Precision aluminum unibody enclosure - LED backlit display - Next-gen graphics - Multi-Touch glass trackpad - Mini Display Port connector - Environmentally responsible - Backlit keyboard - Built-in iSight and mic - Stereo speakers - Magnetic latch - Sudden motion sensor

Starting point: $1,999. High-end version (2.53 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB memory, Nvidia GeForce 9400M, 320 GB storage capacity, slot loading SuperDrive), $2,499.

MacBook Air also touched by Nvidia's 9400M. Added 120GB hard drive, optional 128GB SSD and Mini Display Port. Same price ($1,799), available next month.

Update #8

Introducing new Cinema Display!

24-inch LED backlit display 1920 x 1200 resolution stereo speakers priced at $899, available in November.

Update #9

Next-gen MacBook confirmed!

Features

- Precision aluminum unibody enclosure - Ledbacklit display - Next-gen graphics - Multi-Touch glass trackpad - Mini Display Port connector - Environmentally reponsible - 5 hours of battery life - $1,299 ($700 more affordable)

Specs