While being a long-time member of the Blu-ray Disc Association, Steve Jobs-led Apple Inc. still has yet to reveal its true leaning at the on-gong format war between Blu-ray and HD DVD.

Analysts, however, have a good reason to believe that everything will become known come Macworld Expo 2008.

More details after the jump!

With Macworld 2008 just a couple of weeks away, the rumor mill has churned out more tidbits regarding the new US$ 1500 sub-notebook that Apple will supposedly introduce at this year's Macworld Expo. Check out the full article for the latest on this hot topic.

As Apple's MacWorld Expo draws near, more reports have been made regarding mysterious versions of MacBooks sporting a new "metallic-grey color" and were described to be distinctively  "thinner" than the laptop's usual models.

Is this our first glimpse into Apple's introduction for the MacWorld Expo next year? More details at the full article.

Apple will introduce a slimmer, ultra-compact Apple notebook in the next Macworld Expo. We're looking at a slimmer notebook that's guaranteed not to consume as much energy as most other laptops. What else can be expected in this new model? Read on to find out.

Rumors have been going around recently after website Switch to a Mac speculated that new Apple MacBook and MacBook Pro models should be revealed soon. Some say there's nothing more to it than old tricks of predicting Apple releases, while others believe the idea is feasible.

According to observations, Apple updated the MacBook twice since its May 16, 2006 release with an average of 182 days interval between revisions, so expecting a new Macbook around November 6 would sound like a good bet. If that date is right on the money, the average will remain at 182 days.

However, predictions for a new MacBook Pro also factor in. Apple updated the MacBook Pro for three times since its June 10, 2006 release with 170 days in-between, making November 13 the ideal date. In case this actually happens, the MacBook is expected to get a new model about three weeks earlier.

To further support the wild guess for revised MacBook models, Switch to a Mac added:

Apple's new Leopard operating system has revealed drivers for the Intel GMA X3100 integrated graphics chip, a successor to the Intel GMA 950 which is used in current MacBooks. This finding would imply that the next MacBook revision may be upgraded to the Santa Rosa chipset and that a MacBook revision is imminent.

Even with the release date of the new Mac OS X Leopard 10.5 already finalized, rumors still abound surrounding this highly anticipated operating system. 

TheStreet.com's informer Scott Moritz revealed a juicy little tidbit about Apple releasing a little added bonus alongside the new operating system - a brand new 13-inch laptop installed with the Leopard.

According to Moritz, the aluminum-clad laptop will have an ultra-portable, sleek new design similar to the MacBook Pro and will have Leopard built-in into it. If this is true then Apple may have the perfect package of hardware to go along with the much awaited software everyone has been talking about lately.

Considering the hefty requirements and the numerous features the new OS X will be sporting, we're crossing our fingers that this new laptop will solve any hardware trouble the new operating system might have. In the meantime, you can access the video with the "insider information" through the Read link below.

All for the pursuit of elegance and longer battery life: the new MacBook is rumored to be launched without an optical drive built-in, disorienting those who are used to the quite reassuring presence of the DVD (or CD) drive.

Why take out the DVD drive, though? The new MacBook will sport an ultra-thin package, so the bulky DVD drive has to be removed in order to accommodate the MacBook's diet plans. Battery life was also considered a factor, and it's quite obvious how the removal of an optical drive will boost a laptop's battery life. It may also make the MacBook more durable, with less moving parts in its innards.

If the removal of the DVD drive from the new MacBooks turn out to be true, it's going to cause a lot of commotion. People may lament the loss of the DVD drive, thinking about software installation and DVD burning. Don't fret: that's what the external optical drives are for.

As former laptop market leader Dell continues to struggle, its rivals increase their momentum. Apple, in particular, has taken the initiative and is establishing itself as the likely new ruler of a growing industry.

Sales have continued to increase through the months as a 12 percent spike was noted in June. Reports from last month bring in more good news as a growth of 17 percent was observed.

"These results are great news for Apple, and they serve as powerful evidence that the 'halo effect' is indeed translating into real world Mac computer sales for Steve Jobs and company," says ChangeWare Research founder Tobin Smith.

In a survey of 3,665 respondents conducted by Smith's group, it was revealed that 28 percent of those who were planning to buy a PC within the next three months said that they'll get a Mac. Even more amazing is the fact that 23 percent said that they'll get a desktop Mac.

Smith says this spells a very bright future for Apple as it establishes itself as a more viable alternative to the PC. He also says that the iPhone can be a great tool to spruce up the "halo effect" that the company is enjoying.

In addition, the poll also showed that 86 percent of all people who purchased a Mac system in the past 90 days said that they were "very satisfied" with the product, in contrast to high dissatisfaction ratings for other manufacturers.

Talk about extreme tests of endurance: a MacBook Pro survived after getting run over by a car. The Macbook got "left behind" after stuff was being loaded into a car and, well, it was probably the sickening squeal of grinding metal that signalled what happened.
  
Endurance tests usually only focus on extreme temperature changes, but running over a laptop? That takes the cake. It still works too. The screen's cracked to smithereenies but it's still working.

The story ends with the guy looking for the busted parts in eBay after finding out that repairs will cost US$ 900. Maybe he should go at it with a sledgehammer and Apple will replace it for him like they did for Sledgehammer guy.

  

The Apple Summer Mac product conference is already rolling hot with Steve Jobs manning the show. As expected, his keynote address is filled with surprising unveiling of new Apple projects and the "everybody saw this coming" types. Tab this one under the second category - as predicted and whispered around various boards the past few weeks, Apple is giving us brand new iMacs.

Sporting a retroish look, the sleek new iMacs are made of aluminum and glass. It comes in 20- and 24-inched versions, each equipped with the usual but impressive specs such as up to  2.4GHz Core 2 Extreme processor, up to 4GB of memory, ATI Radeon HD graphics card, up to 1TB of hard drive storage. 802.11n and Bluetooth 2.0 built-in. There's also the usual compliment of ports like USB 2.0, Firewire 400/800, a slot loading SuperDrive, iSight camera etc.

What's also worth noting is that the oft-rumored new keyboard for the iMacs turns out to be true, with Steve Jobs himself confirming it. Boasting of large spacing and flat keys, Apple seems to be aiming to give the iMac users the laptop feel while typing. iMac purists seem to be a bit skeptic with the move, but let's all wait and see what happens. The 20-inch iMac goes for US$ 1,199 each (add three hundred bucks more for a processor and graphics enhancements), while the 24-inch monster demands US$ 1,799 per unit.