This year’s Consumer Electronics Show had record attendance and a number of terrific products unveiled during various CES press conferences should make waves when they hit the market later this year. A dark cloud loomed over the show, however, and the staggering number of ultra-slim notebook PCs and voice-controlled HDTVs on display in Las Vegas last week made it clear that companies are gearing up to do battle with one competitor in particular. Read on for more.

In a note to investors sent Tuesday, Canaccord Genuity analyst Mike Walkley notes that despite the company’s absence from the CES 2012 show floor, Apple’s presence was absolutely felt.

“While Apple did not attend CES, its leading market position was evident as competitors introduced new Ultrabook and LTE smartphone products targeted to compete with Apple’s strong product portfolio,” Walkley wrote. “Despite increasing competition, we believe Apple is well positioned for a very strong C2012 driven by new products, including the pending refresh of MacBook Air (featuring a new 15-inch model), the iPad 3 launching this spring, the LTE iPhone 5 likely mid-year, and potentially Apple TV exiting C2012.”

Apple is widely expected to launch an iOS-powered HDTV product later this year that replaces the standard remote control with voice commands courtesy of Siri, Apple’s digital personal assistant. Earlier reports suggested that Apple will launch its new “iTV” this summer, but Walkley claims the Cupertino, California-based company will release its first television toward the end of 2012.

Walkley also sees Apple launching an “iPhone 5″ with embedded 4G LTE connectivity toward the middle of 2012, though we have been told that a redesigned next-generation iPhone won’t hit the market until this coming fall.

Regarding ultrabooks, the analyst sees PC vendors struggling while new MacBook Air laptops from Apple, including a 15-inch model, help Apple gain PC share in 2012. “While Ultrabooks grabbed many of the headlines at CES, we view Ultrabooks as a Windows alternative to MacBook Air,” Walkley wrote in his research note on Tuesday. “We believe Apple will continue to gain PC market share by launching a refreshed MacBook Air line in the coming weeks, including a new 15-inch version. Further, we believe Ultrabooks at proposed $700-$900 prices will struggle to sell versus competitively priced new MacBook products, as we believe Apple will continue to benefit from its supply chain advantages such as dominant share of the global NAND flash market given growing volumes for iPhones and iPads.”

Walkley reiterated his Buy rating on Apple stock with a price target of $560.

When counting tablets as personal computers, Apple will soon overtake Hewlett-Packard as the world’s top PC vendor. Based on a Fortune poll of 42 analysts, iPad sales could hit the 14 million mark in the fourth quarter, a big bump over the 11.12 million sold in the third quarter. Apple previously sold 4.89 million Macs, with holiday sales estimated to exceed 5 million units. When combined, both iPad and Mac sales are expected to be over 20 million units during the holiday quarter, which would be enough to push Apple past HP. The estimated sales would give the Cupertino-based company a 17.6% market share versus HP’s 13%. Asymco’s Horace Dediu noted that Apple has never held the top spot; the company’s market share peaked at 15.8% thanks to the Apple II in 1984. Last quarter, Apple surprised Wall Street when the company announced lower-than-expected earnings, however Apple is expected to crush estimates when it announces its December-quarter earnings on January 24th.

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Following the early successes of its of 11-inch and 13-inch ultrabooks, Acer has reportedly decided to build a brand new 15-inch ultrabook that may dramatically undercut the price of Apple’s rumored 15-inch MacBook Air. DigiTimes said Wednesday that Acer has already contracted Pegratron to build the new computer, and that the device could be priced as low as $699 — $300 cheaper than the entry-level 11-inch MacBook Air. The latest rumors suggest that Apple could be prepared to deliver its 15-inch MacBook Air to the market as soon as the first quarter next year and that the device is already in the early stages of production. It is unclear when Acer’s new ultrabook will launch.

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Apple has reportedly completed its acquisition of Israel-based flash memory firm Anobit in a deal worth up to $500 million. Hebrew-language financial newspaper Calcalist on Tuesday claimed that a deal had been reached after reporting earlier this month that Apple was in late-stage talks to buy the fabless chip maker. Apple has not confirmed the acquisition. Anobit’s website says its proprietary technology “significantly improves endurance, performance and cost of flash storage products and systems,” and Apple already uses Anobit’s chips in a number of its mobile devices and notebook computers.

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LG on Monday unveiled a familiar looking laptop that falls into Intel’s much-touted new ultrabook category, the Xnote Z330. With the shape of a MacBook Air and the color scheme of a MacBook Pro, the LG Xnote Z330 is a 13.3-inch notebook that boots Windows 7 in less than 10 seconds thanks to “Rapid Start Technology.” The Z330 is even thinner that Apple’s MacBook Air at its thinnest point, and it weighs in at just 2.7 pounds. Spec highlights include a 1.6GHz Core i5 or a 1.7GHz Core i7 processor, a 120GB or 256GB SSD, 4GB of RAM, HD graphics, WiDi wireless display technology and an HDMI-out port. Battery life is rated at more than six hours, and the base model starts at just over $1,500 while the fully loaded model costs more than $2,300. Additional images and specs follow below.

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Apple is reportedly planning to launch a brand new 15-inch MacBook Air in the first quarter next year. A new report from DigiTimes cites unnamed sources from within Apple’s parts suppliers in claiming that Apple will launch a completely refreshed MacBook Air lineup in early 2012. Consisting of 11.6-inch, 13.3-inch and 15-inch models, the new Air line of MacBook laptops is already in the early stages of production according to the report. DigiTimes also says Apple will drop its pricing on current MacBook Air laptops before the new models launch some time next quarter. The site had previously reported that Apple intends to launch its new 15-inch MacBook Air in the second quarter next year.

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Details surrounding Apple’s Black Friday sale have reportedly been revealed and as has been the case in the past, the discounts afforded are minimal. 9to5Mac on Wednesday published what appear to be images of a pamphlet outlining all of the deals Apple has in store this coming Friday, November 25th. Sale items this year include the MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and iMac, all available for $101 off retail pricing. Discounts on Apple’s iPad 2 will range from $41 for the less expensive models to $61 for the high-end tablets, and Apple is lowering the iPod nano’s price by $11 during its one-day sale. The iPod touch will also see discounts ranging from $21 to $41 depending on capacity, and Apple Stores will offer sale pricing on a host of accessories. Two images of the leaked pamphlet follow below.

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Apple is on track to become the No.1 PC vendor in the world next year according to new projections. Market research firm Canalys on Monday announced that it expects Apple to pass current top vendor Hewlett-Packard before the end of the first half in 2012. This estimate includes iPad sales however, while most firms omit tablets from their PC figures. Solid iPad sales propelled Apple into the No.2 spot last quarter according to Canalys, and it will overtake HP some time before July next year if sales continue to grow as expected. Read on for more.

Canalys says tablet sales will total 59 million units in 2011, with fourth-quarter sales alone reaching 22 million. The firm sees Amazon’s Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble’s Nook Tablet both faring well this holiday season, but Apple’s iPad will continue to dominate the market. The Cupertino, California-based company will nip at HP’s heels toward the end of the fourth quarter this year, but Canalys says the launch of the iPad 3 will push Apple to the top.

“Apple has seen its PC market share expand from 9% to 15% in just four quarters, though iPad shipments in its core market – the United States – are likely to come under pressure in Q4 due to the launch of the Fire and Nook at extremely competitive price points,” said Canalys Analyst Tim Coulling in a statement. “HP and Apple will fight for top position in Q4, but Apple may have to wait for the release of iPad 3 before it passes HP.” Canalys’ full press release follows below.

Apple on track to become leading global PC vendor

- Global PC shipments to reach 415 million for 2011

Palo Alto, Shanghai, Singapore and Reading (UK) – Monday, 21 November 2011

Canalys today announced that it expects Apple to overtake HP to become the leading global PC vendor before the second half of 2012. Pads, and particularly the iPad, have radically changed the dynamics of the PC industry over the last year, already propelling Apple into second place in the worldwide PC market in Q3 2011. Canalys estimates full-year 2011 global PC shipments to reach 415 million, up 15% year-on-year, thanks predominantly to increasing pad sales.

Total pad shipments are expected to reach 59 million units by the end of 2011, with Q4 volumes predicted to exceed 22 million. While the iPad will dominate in Q4, the recently announced Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet are also anticipated to impact the US market.

“Apple has seen its PC market share expand from 9% to 15% in just four quarters, though iPad shipments in its core market – the United States – are likely to come under pressure in Q4 due to the launch of the Fire and Nook at extremely competitive price points,” said Canalys Analyst Tim Coulling. “HP and Apple will fight for top position in Q4, but Apple may have to wait for the release of iPad 3 before it passes HP.”

Vendors overall though are struggling to compete profitably with Apple, as many toil to produce comparable devices at attractive prices. The release of Android 4.0 (ICS) should, however, bolster tier 1 manufacturers, as combining smart phone and pad operating systems will enable developers to adapt existing applications to run on pads. Conversely, the release’s timing may harm vendors looking to capitalize on strong holiday season sales. Much of the IT channel’s stock now runs on older versions of Android 3.1, and many vendors are not forthcoming with upgrade timescales, which will deter informed consumers.

Notebook sales also helped fuel market growth in 2011, with total shipments anticipated to hit 211 million, a 10% year-on-year increase. Canalys expects Ultrabooks, bringing much needed innovation to the category, to drive notebook sales over the next five years. With their differentiated appearance, Ultrabooks should spur some consumers to upgrade their existing notebooks.

“For Ultrabooks to become widespread, prices have to drop considerably,” said Canalys Research Analyst Michael Kauh. “The least expensive models are currently around $800, a real barrier to mass consumer uptake. As more vendors embrace the Ultrabook design, component costs should drop and mainstream consumer prices will be achieved.”

On a regional level, Canalys forecasts North America PC shipments to reach 103 million for the whole of 2011, with 32 million units expected in Q4. Overall volumes in 2011 are anticipated to grow 18% year-on-year because of the ongoing popularity of pads. Excluding pads, the market is predicted to grow at less than 1% for the year. The United States’ ongoing economic problems have resulted in to prices falling to their lowest levels since 2009.

Canalys anticipates the EMEA PC market – excluding pads – to contract in 2011 at an annual rate of 6%, although volumes will peak for the year at 30 million in Q4. Western Europe is largely responsible for the regional decline because of investor concerns over sovereign debt issues in the Euro Zone. As with the US market, ongoing economic issues will continue to have a negative impact on consumer confidence levels, affecting shipments in Q4 and beyond.

Canalys expects high growth in Latin America and Asia Pacific in Q4, with total volumes for 2011 predicted to reach 40 million and 153 million. Overall, the BRIC countries will account for 28% of worldwide PC shipments in 2011.[1]

The Canalys PC market forecast for 2012 highlights challenging conditions during the first half of 2012, as flooding in Thailand continues to severely impact the global hard disk market. Thailand is responsible for around 40–45% of the world’s hard disk production, and the business disruption has already led to price rises. Hard drive shortages will further reduce inventories and shipments of desktops, netbooks and notebooks in the coming quarters. Canalys believes that side-effects will include a boost in solid-state drive (SSD) production and lower prices that will benefit pad and Ultrabook vendors.

Apple’s MacBook shipments are expected to remain strong during the fourth quarter of this year, DigiTimes reported on Tuesday. There has been a bit of speculation that the company’s shipments might be affected due to flooding in Thailand, which has impacted hard drive manufacturing, and a recent order for the company’s chassis supplier to freeze its production line. The chassis supplier, Catcher Technology, was reportedly ordered to stop production in October over concerns that the company was over-polluting. Apple’s computer manufacturer, Quanta Computer, shipped 5.3 million units last month and sources speaking to DigiTimes said the increase was largely related to orders for Apple’s MacBook Pro. The MacBook Air is reportedly faring just as well. According to new NPD figures that were revealed in a recent Morgan Stanley note, the MacBook Air was responsible for 28% of all Apple notebook shipments during the first half of this year.

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Apple may launch an ultra-thin 15-inch MacBook laptop as early as the second quarter of 2012 according to a new report. Components for the new notebook have already begun shipping, DigiTimes reported on Tuesday, though details are extremely limited for the time being. The site’s nameless sources say that components started moving this month in small volumes, perhaps for test runs of the new computer. As was the case when earlier reports emerged regarding the new laptop, it is unclear if this new model will be added to the high end of Apple’s MacBook Air line or if it will simply be a new, thinner MacBook Pro. Mass shipments are currently scheduled to begin in March according to the report, though firm launch timing is unknown at this time.

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A new rumor from DigiTimes suggests Apple will “overhaul” all of its products next year. The site’s sources specifically named the iPad, iMac, iPhone and MacBook Air as lines to receive significant refreshes, though each was upgraded to some extent this year. A slightly refreshed iPad 2, with a thinner design and better battery life could land as soon as March, while a brand new iPad 3 is rumored to make its debut during the third quarter of 2012. DigiTimes said a new iPhone and iMac will be launched during the second quarter, which means a June launch for the thinner, lighter and more powerful iPhone 5 is apparently possible. The MacBook Air was last refreshed in July and it is unclear when an upgrade for that, or Apple’s other products, might be announced.

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Apple is designing a new 15-inch MacBook model that will offer an ultra-thin MacBook Air-like design, Macotakara said recently. We heard a similar rumor in July that suggested Apple had already entered late testing stages with the device. It remains unclear if Apple will introduce a 15-inch MacBook Air or if the new model will be a thinner MacBook Pro model. Apple currently only offers 13-inch and 11-inch MacBook Air models, so it is possible the company is adding a larger laptop to the mix. Apple currently outfits its MacBook Pro computers with an optical drive and beefier hardware that contribute to the bulkier size; a thinner model might mean the company is ditching the optical drive to remove some bulk. The Cupertino-based firm quietly upgraded the MacBook Pro on October 24th, however, so any drastic changes to the computer probably won’t be unveiled until some time next year.

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While I don’t have a story to tell about Steve Jobs and myself, I do have a personal story. Years ago, actually almost five years ago now, I posted that I had heard from a close source of mine that Apple was set to release an “all new” MacBook, and it was most likely the ultra-portable laptop that was rumored to be in the works. I got the information from someone close to me, and he got the information from someone with first-hand knowledge of the device. Basically, Apple had requested that a popular music group at the time play at its holiday party. The group wouldn’t be paid for its performance, but every member of the band would get one of Apple’s brand new laptops the company would be introducing at MacWorld. I also reported that the laptop would be available almost immediately after its unveiling. This came true, and that laptop ended up being the groundbreaking MacBook Air. A few days after publishing the scoop, I received a phone call from my source that it went something like this:

Him: Dude.

Me: What?

Him. Dude. I…

Me: What?

Him: That Apple post about the MacBook, Steve is pissed!

Me: Ugh.

Him: You don’t get it, he is so angry.

Me: How angry?

Him: He was on vacation, and as soon as he saw the story he called an emergency meeting at Apple to figure out how this happened.

Me: He came back from vacation over this post?

Him: He got on his private jet and flew back to Cupertino.

Me: Oh shit. Anything else?

Him: He called me a big-mouthed asshole.

I didn’t leak photos of this computer. I didn’t even leak details about it. I just wrote that it would be new, announced at MacWorld, and available weeks later. The information came from someone close to the holiday event, but that’s just how serious it seemed Steve took things, even things as small as this. It’s apparent to anyone who knew even the littlest thing about Steve Jobs that the small details were often the most important details. It was his desire for perfection, among other things, that enabled him to have such an impact on the world as we know it, and while this is just one tiny example, it’s one I won’t forget.

Apple is preparing to finally launch its mid-2011 MacBook Air models in the coming weeks according to checks performed by Ticonderoga Securities. In a note to investors on Friday morning, Ticonderoga’s Brian White recounts channel checks indicating Apple’s authorized resellers in the greater China region are set to begin receiving mid-2011 MacBook Air models as soon as next week. The analyst believes the imminent launch could be a big hit for Apple due to the growing popularity of Apple products in China, as well as the increasing number of consumers who can afford to own a PC. White also notes that “there is no laptop product on the market with the characteristics of the new MacBook Air,” which is likely to draw considerable attention. Apple’s new notebooks launched in Hong Kong over this past week, and White says the launch was met with big demand, and consumers there are also still clamoring for the iPhone 4 and iPad 2. Read on for more.

“Our checks in Hong Kong indicate the new MacBook Air was launched over the past week at local authorized resellers,” White wrote on Friday morning. “The launch was met with long lines and stock outs of certain new MacBook Air models. Surprisingly, we also heard that certain resellers sold out of the iPhone 4 over the past week, along with certain models of the iPad 2. Although the iPhone 4 was sold out for a couple of months during the early days of the launch in late 2010 in Hong Kong, we have not been aware of recent stock outs in Hong Kong until now. Keep in mind, Apple is preparing to open its first store in Hong Kong this fall and historically has relied on local resellers to support this market.”

The analyst continued, “Regarding mainland China, our field checks indicate that several Apple authorized resellers in Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen are experiencing stock outs of the previous version of MacBook Air, which we believe is in preparation for the launch of the new MacBook Air. For example, our checks indicate the new MacBook Air will launch in China as early as next week at some stores (i.e., Apple or authorized resellers) and in September at others. Apple currently has four stores in mainland China but has plans for expansion in Huangzhou and Sichuan later this year.” China overtook the United States last quarter to become the world’s top PC market by shipment volume. “With IDC naming China the largest PC market in the world this week based on 2Q11 shipment data, we believe investors should increasingly think about the Mac opportunity for Apple in China over the next few years,” White added.

Apple has not been able to provide “significant stock” of its new 13-inch MacBook Air notebooks to its indirect reseller channels, including Amazon and Best Buy, AppleInsider reported on Tuesday. Best Buy’s website says it is sold out online while Amazon is currently selling the 128GB and 256GB models for $250 more than the computer’s MSRP. Apple’s web store currently says the computer will ship within 24 hours of purchase and AppleInsider’s checks with 10 stores around the United States revealed that the Cuptertino-based company has had relatively no issues keeping the device in stock in its own retail channels. Only one Los Angeles Apple Store said it was sold out the 13-inch 128GB model. Apple revealed its mid-2011 MacBook Air family on July 20th and the computers were upgraded with Intel’s Core i5 and Core i7 processors and a Thunderbolt I/O port.

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