Report: Apple gears up for new MacBook Air
And the Intel chip refresh would follow the update to the 13-inch MacBook Pro in February.Like the existing MacBook Air, the 13-inch MacBooks had been on an old Intel chip diet before Apple finally beefed them up with new Sandy Bridge processors. One outstanding question is whether the new Airs will get the coveted, high-performance Thunderbolt port that is now standard on all MacBook Pros.A recent report claimed that is indeed the case. Graphics silicon is also expected to change.The first-gen MacBook Air used Intel graphics, while the second-gen and third-gen Airs got an Nvidia graphics chip. This time, Apple is expected to return to the Intel fold (as it has done with 13-inch MacBook Pro already). Why? Intel's Sandy Bridge graphics offer good-enough performance for a heat-challenged, ultrathin laptop like the Air.Plus, real estate is precious. There just isn't room for a lot of extra chips.
