RBC Capital Markets analyst Amit Daryanani on Tuesday stated that Apple will revamp its MacBook computers in June and release a new iPhone in September or October. Daryanani reiterated his Outperform rating for the Cupertino-based company’s stock and maintained his price target of $700, achievable thanks to new MacBooks, the upcoming next-generation iPhone and a potential “iTV” television set, which would make “strategic sense” for the company. The analyst believes Apple’s ...

NPD Group on Thursday released the results of its Apple Ecosystem Study, which suggests that almost 25% of U.S. iPad owners are first-time Apple buyers. The firm’s data, as reported by AppleInsider, indicated that 33% of U.S. households own Apple products, with a majority owning an iPod. That number is growing beyond the 37 million American households the Cupertino-based company’s products are already found in, thanks to Apple’s flagship tablet. “iPad sales are growing much faster than...

Security firm Sophos on Tuesday indicated that a surprisingly high level of malware has been found on Mac computers — the firm’s research revealed that one in every five Mac computers is harboring some kind of Windows malware. Of the 100,000 customers sampled through Sophos’s antivirus offerings, 20% of users were found to be carrying one or more instances of Windows malware. The firm highlighted that Windows malware on a Mac won’t cause any harm, however, unless the computer also runs a W...

Research analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of KGI Securities predicts that Apple may discontinue the 17-inch MacBook Pro model due to weak sales, MacRumors reported on Monday. The analyst has previously offered accurate information regarding the discontinuation of Mac products, specifically the 13-inch Macbook in 2011. Kuo estimates Apple will sell 5.32 million Mac computers in the second quarter of 2012, representing a 35.2% year-over-year increase. The Cupertino-based company is expected to launch an updated line of Mac...

Intel is expected to move up the announcement of its next-generation Ivy Bridge processors from the original date of April 29th to April 23rd, Digitimes reported on Thursday. ASUS, Acer, Lenovo and Hewlett-Packard are all preparing to release their second generation of ultrabooks in May, with average prices expected to “rapidly” drop from $999 to $699. To promote ultrabooks, Intel has also reportedly set up a $300 million fund to assist its partners in ultrabook design as well as research and deve...

Apple is reportedly planning to refresh its iMac family of computers with Intel’s 22nm-based Core i5 and Core i7 Ivy Bridge processors in June or July, How To Arena reported on Wednesday, citing a “reliable tipster” in Apple’s supply chain. The Cupertino-based company is also reportedly ramping up production in preparation for thinner 13- and 15-inch MacBook Pro models, which will use the same Ivy Bridge processors. Previous rumors have suggested that Apple’s redesigned iMac would...

Apple has reportedly scheduled mass production of its new 15-inch MacBook Pro to begin in April, and production of a new 13.3-inch model will ramp up in June, according to a report from Digitimes. The site’s unnamed sources from Apple’s supply chain said that the Cupertino-based company has ordered a far greater number of 13.3-inch models than 15-inch laptops, and it is anticipating higher demand for the smaller device. The source also indicated that the 15-inch model’s monthly production ...

There’s no going back to a standard-resolution display after using the new iPad, the iPhone 4 and 4S, or any one of a number of Android phones with qHD or better resolution, and Apple may be preparing to create a similar experience with its notebook computers. Apple’s next-generation MacBook line of laptops could feature high-definition Retina displays according to a recent report from Ars Technica. MacBooks with high-resolution Retina displays could launch as soon as this summer according to the ...

Following multiple reports claiming Apple was working with suppliers and manufacturing partners to develop a new 15-inch MacBook Air, it now looks as though the rumored slim 15-inch laptop is part of a redesigned MacBook line that will also include a 13-inch model. Citing unnamed sources within Apple’s supply chain, DigiTimes on Friday reported that new thinner MacBook Pro laptops have entered production and shipments could begin as soon as this month. Monthly yield is expected to initially fall between...

How To Arena on Thursday cited a “reliable source in the Far East Asian supply chain” who claims Apple is planning to release a new, thinner 15-inch MacBook Pro by the end of April. The rumor corresponds with a report from Wednesday and an earlier rumor from DigiTimes. The reports differ in one key area, however, with confusion surrounding whether the 15-inch model will be an ultra-thin MacBook Pro with Air-like features or a 15-inch MacBook Air model. According to How To Arena‘s source, t...

The magnetic MagSafe connectors Apple uses on its MacBook laptops was first introduced in 2006 and it has become a signature design element used across all Apple notebooks, but MagSafe technology is about much more than just aesthetics, of course. Rather than using cable and port combinations with male and female connectors that can wear down or pull a notebook computer off a desk when a cable is accidentally stepped on, Apple’s solution marries the power cable and MacBook charger port using small mag...

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 ...

Apple may currently be prepping a huge display upgrade for its MacBook Pro line of notebook computers that would be on par with the bump from its iPhone 3GS display to the Retina Display on the iPhone 4. Citing sources from within Apple’s component supplier chain, DigiTimes on Wednesday reported that Apple will add new display panels to its MacBook Pro laptops in 2012 that pack a resolution of 2,880 x 1,800 pixels. The new displays would quadruple the resolution of the current 1,440 x 900-pixel screen ...

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 t...