MacRumors

AppleInsider reports that Apple is currently overhauling the design of the MacBook, looking to bring a fresh exterior look to the aging entry-level notebook while also rebuilding the computer's interior architecture.

People familiar with Cupertino-based company's plans say the 13-inch portables are presently undergoing an industrial design overhaul that will see them reemerge in the coming months with a slimmer, lighter enclosure and restructured internal architecture to boot.

The report points to the likelihood of multiple models beginning at price points below the current $999 entry-level price, utilizing low-end components to allow Apple to better compete against budget PC notebooks.

Though details are few and far between, Apple is expected to achieve these markdowns through largely existing tactics, such as using lower-end components and previous-generation Core 2 Duo chips and architectures from Intel Corp. Battery life should receive a boost from cutting-edge technology that recently found its way into the company's other notebook offerings, while high-end legacy features like FireWire connectivity are likely to be sacrificed in the tradeoff.

Sources also claim that Apple had briefly considered using Intel's Atom processor in the MacBook as a way to quickly drop notebook prices, but decided against the move as the much-rumored tablet project came closer to fruition and allowed Apple to redevelop its ideas of the company's product mix for the future.

Apple's white polycarbonate MacBook has been viewed by many as sorely in need of a refresh, having been carried along as a single low-end model when the aluminum unibody MacBooks were introduced in October 2008 and left to carry the "MacBook" banner on its own when the aluminum models were rebranded as MacBook Pros in June 2009.

Parallels today introduced the Parallels Desktop Switch to a Mac Edition, bundling tutorial and migration tools with the company's Parallels Desktop 4.0 software that allows Macs to run Windows in a virtual environment, allowing users to switch between OS X and Windows without the rebooting required by Apple's Boot Camp solution. As the product name implies, the new edition is targeted at Windows users making the switch to Mac, and provides them with tools to easily move their Windows applications and data to their new Mac and offers them more than two hours of video tutorials to ease the transition to Mac.

"The growth in switching is partially due to the ease-of-use and cool capabilities of the Mac," said Serguei Beloussov, CEO of Parallels. "However, users don't want to lose the data they have accumulated and the applications they are already familiar with. Building on our proven track record of Mac innovation, we have addressed this concern and made learning the new operating system even simpler through interactive on-demand tutorials. These are combined with intelligent moving tools and our industry-leading Parallels Desktop for Mac, which offers the greatest performance and stability for running Windows seamlessly on Mac."

Training materials include video, on-screen demonstration and written prompts developed from the perspective of a Windows user and are user-directed allowing users to focus on areas of most interest to them. Migration tools include a USB transfer cable and Parallels Transporter software that allows users to easily move their entire Windows system into the Parallels Desktop virtual machine on their Mac.

Parallels Desktop Switch to a Mac Edition is available today at a suggested retail price of $99.99.

Apple has started airing two more "Get a Mac" ads featuring Justin Long as "Mac" and John Hodgman as "PC". The latest ads continue to target Microsoft's aggressive Laptop Hunters campaign which has focused on Apple's relatively higher prices than comparably equipped PCs.

The new ad called Top of the Line features actor Patrick Warburton who is best known for his portrayal of David Puddy from the Seinfeld sitcom. The new ad focuses on potential viruses and other "headaches" that may affect PCs, but not Macs. A second ad called Surprise was also posted today delivering a similar message.

The Wall Street Journal reports (subscription required) that Steve Jobs has been focusing almost exclusively on Apple's much-anticipated tablet computer since his late June return from a medical leave of absence for a liver transplant. The report notes that employees who had become accustomed to a certain level of freedom in their work during Jobs' leave of absence have found his close attention to even the minutiae of the project "jarring".

Since his return in late June, the 54-year-old has been pouring almost all of his attention into a new touch-screen gadget that Apple is developing, said people familiar with the situation.

Those working on the project are under intense scrutiny from Mr. Jobs, particularly with regard to the product's advertising and marketing strategy, said one of these people. The people familiar with the matter declined to give details on the tablet or disclose when the device would come out.

In a response to The Wall Street Journal's request for comment, Jobs simply reported that "much of [their] information is incorrect" while declining to provide additional specifics.

Jobs' attention to detail on the tablet is said to be similar to his singular focus on the iPhone in the months leading up to its 2007 launch. Jobs has been quite particular about the tablet project over the last several years, having set such high standards that he had reportedly nixed the project twice before finally finding the technology sufficient to achieve his vision.

At Apple, a tablet-like device has been many years in the making. Apple filed a patent related to a tablet device as early as 2000, according to a Thomson Reuters patent database.

But development has come in fits and starts. Mr. Jobs killed the project twice in recent years, the first time because the battery life was too short, and the second time because there was insufficient memory, said one of the people familiar with the matter.

The report concludes by summarizing recent rumors pointing to a tablet introduction later this year or early next year at a price point somewhere between the iPhone and the entry-level MacBook. Also unknown, according to the article and other observers, is whether the device will run full Mac OS X or if it will run a version of the iPhone OS.

In a note to clients released this morning, Piper Jaffray research analyst Gene Munster estimated that Apple will sell approximately 5 million copies of OS X Snow Leopard during the remainder of this quarter. Apple announced earlier this morning that the new version of the company's operating system will go on sale this Friday, August 28th.

Munster calculates an average selling price for Snow Leopard of $22, considering the product mix of Leopard upgrades ($29) and "Up-to-Date" purchases for those who have purchased a new Mac since June 8th ($9.95), yielding approximately $110 million in gross revenue for the quarter and about $66 million in net profit based on an estimated 60% profit margin. That result would add approximately $0.05 per share to Apple's earnings for the quarter, although Munster believes that that contribution is already factored into analyst's estimates for the quarter, as pricing and the estimated release date have been known for some time now.

Munster also sees OS X Snow Leopard as relatively minor upgrade, but one which that will allow Apple to position it as a value-priced upgrade for existing users and cutting-edge technology for new users against the "antiquated technology" of Windows users stuck on XP and Vista who are beginning to think about the upgrade path for Windows 7.

Apple sold two million copies of Mac OS X Leopard during its launch weekend in October 2007.

Bloomberg reports on Apple's retail store performance amidst the current economic situation, noting that Apple's retail sales have held up remarkably well as other merchants have seen sales slip.

Apple, based in Cupertino, California, increased revenue at its stores by 2.5 percent in the first six months of the year to $3 billion as the rest of the retail industry suffered. During the same period, sales at all U.S. retailers fell 9.2 percent compared with the first half of 2008, according to the U.S. Commerce Department.

The report focuses on Apple's flagship Fifth Avenue store in New York City, noting that the store may be the highest-grossing retail outlet in the famed shopping district on a per-square-foot basis.

Apple's Fifth Avenue emporium probably has annual sales of more than $350 million, topping any of the chain's other outlets, said Jeffrey Roseman, executive vice president of real- estate broker Newmark Knight Frank Retail in New York. The location is 10,000 square feet, putting its sales per square foot at a minimum of $35,000, based on Roseman's estimate.

Other high-end retailers noted in the report, such as jewelry shops Tiffany & Co. and Harry Winston, are reported to be bringing in closer to $12,000 to $18,000 per square foot annually.

A previous report had pegged Apple's annual sales for its Fifth Avenue store at as much as $440 million, although that number may have been slightly inflated, as it came from the building's owner as it was being marketed for sale.

Apple today announced that Mac OS X v10.6 Snow Leopard will go on sale Friday, August 28 at Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers, and that Apple's online store is now accepting pre-orders.

"Snow Leopard builds on our most successful operating system ever and we're happy to get it to users earlier than expected," said Bertrand Serlet, Apple's senior vice president of Software Engineering. "For just $29, Leopard users get a smooth upgrade to the world's most advanced operating system and the only system with built in Exchange support."

Snow Leopard is available as an upgrade for users of Mac OS 10.5 Leopard for $29 as a single user license and $49 as a family pack. For users of Mac OS 10.4 Tiger and earlier, the Mac Box Set includes Mac OS X Snow Leopard, iLife '09 and iWork '09 for $169 as a single user license and a family pack for $229. (prices in USD)

The Japanese version of Engadget reports [Google translation] that a Mac mini purchaser appears to have received a Mac OS X Snow Leopard restore disc along with the computer. The source has provided a photo of the DVD, as well as several screenshots showing the Snow Leopard installer.

Meanwhile, several readers report that the status of their OS X Snow Leopard Up-to-Date pre-orders have changed to "Prepared for Shipment" and continue to indicate a shipping date of "By August 28th", adding yet another indication that the launch of Apple's new operating system is quickly approaching despite the lack of an official announcement from the company so far.

As noted earlier today, Apple was expected to file comments with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission regarding their purported rejection of the Google Voice iPhone application. Apple has complied and published their response to the FCC in the Hot News section of Apple.com.

Starting off with background information on the iPhone and the App Store, Apple notes that the App Store now "offers over 65,000 iPhone applications, and customers have downloaded over 1.5 billion applications" and that it has "fostered competition as other companies (e.g., Nokia, Microsoft, RIM, Palm and Verizon) seek to develop their own mobile platforms and launch their own application stores." In describing the App Store approval process, criteria that serves to "protect consumer privacy, safeguard children from inappropriate content, and avoid applications that degrade the core experience of the iPhone" are listed and most rejections are based on bugs, with attempts made to provide feedback to the developer to help them improve it and increase the chances of an app's approval afterward.

In response to the question about the rejection of the Google Voice app, Apple states:

"Contrary to published reports, Apple has not rejected the Google Voice application, and continues to study it. The application has not been approved because, as submitted for review, it appears to alter the iPhones distinctive user experience by replacing the iPhones core mobile telephone functionality and Apple user interface with its own user interface for telephone calls, text messaging and voicemail. Apple spent a lot of time and effort developing this distinct and innovative way to seamlessly deliver core functionality of the iPhone."

Additionally, the response describes how the Google Voice application fails to make use of the Visual Voicemail feature and the native Messaging app, as well as the fact that it uploads a user's Contacts list to Google's servers with no "assurances from Google that this data will only be used in appropriate ways." Apple commits that it is still "continuing to study the Google Voice application and its potential impact on the iPhone user experience."

Regarding the role of AT&T in relation to the Google Voice app, Apple clearly explains that AT&T has no role in the app approval process, nor does anything in Apple's contract with AT&T have any bearing in this situation. It is noted, however, that the agreement with AT&T does require Apple to not "include functionality in any Apple phone that enables a customer to use AT&Ts cellular network service to originate or terminate a VoIP session without obtaining AT&Ts permission," which clearly provides the reasoning behind the Wi-Fi-only functionality of the Skype VOIP app and other similar apps.

Apple's response to Question 6 provides further details on the app approval process, describing that there are "40 full-time trained reviewers" and that "at least two different reviewers study each application so that the review process is applied uniformly." Apple also reveals there is also an executive review board that oversees policies and procedures and reviews apps escalated because they "raise new or complex issues."

USA Today reports that Apple, AT&T, and Google are expected to file comments with the U.S. Federal Communications Commission today regarding Apple's rejection of the official Google Voice iPhone application.

Apple (AAPL) and AT&T (T) Friday are expected to tell the Federal Communications Commission why Google's free voice application, called Google Voice, is banned from the Apple iPhone. Google is also filing comments.

The FCC moved quickly to investigate the application's rejection, looking to determine the extent of AT&T's role in the decision-making process as Apple and the wireless industry have both come under scrutiny in recent months for possible anti-competitive practices.

The report notes, however, that Google may also find itself facing inquiries about a similar issue in which users of handsets based on the company's Android mobile phone operating system are unable to take advantage of full Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service from Skype.

Consumers who use Android, the Google-developed operating system for wireless devices, can't use Skype, a leading Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service. A pioneer in free Internet calling, Skype allows you to talk as long as you want without draining cellphone minutes.

Android users get Skype Lite, a watered-down version of the original that routes calls over traditional phone networks -- not the Internet. As a result, long-distance calls are still cheap or free, but cellphone minutes are gobbled up every time a Skype Lite call is made.

In a statement, Google noted that it does have the ability to block VoIP services at the request of wireless providers. With T-Mobile currently being the only U.S. provider to offer Android-based phones, it would appear that the wireless company is responsible for the limitation on Android-based phones, but a T-Mobile spokesman has denied that that is the case.

USA Today notes that Google has been asked to address its application approval process for Android as part of the Google Voice investigation.