White MacBook Not Getting Discontinued, But Upgraded

A generally accurate source of Apple rumors claims to have received internal Apple hardware numbers pertaining to the next version of the white, polycarbonate MacBook. There are also new Mac minis in store for Apple fans, according to the rumor.

Citing a Mr. X supposedly privy of Apple’s short term plans with the Macintosh line of computers, 9to5mac has obtained a serial part number (MC914LL/A – J59, BEST – USA) that allegedly designates a new, upgraded version of the white MacBook.

Thought to be in line for discontinuation, the last Apple MacBook that doesn’t have an aluminum chassis is not going anywhere, it would seem.

Rather, it’s getting the same freshening as all MacBook Pros and iMacs have - Intel’s Thunderbolt I/O technology and Sandy Bridge processors, this source said.
 
The same goes for a trio of Mac minis, also referenced in part numbers obtained by this person.

With the OS X Lion launch scheduled for July, Apple has been widely rumored to hold off the introduction of any new Macs until it can pre-install the computers with the Golden Master (GM) edition of the operating system.

The reason is to avoid having customers download and manually install a new operating system days after the purchase of a brand new computer.

But even so, those who buy a new Mac today with OS X Snow Leopard can upgrade to OS X Lion completely free of charge when it’s released in the Mac App Store.

Customers must fill out a form and redeem their free upgrade eligibility before they can proceed with downloading Lion.

There is also talk of new Mac Pros that boast a completely changed design - from tower to rack-mountable - as well as the new Intel technologies and perhaps other enhancements as well.

The ultra-thin MacBook Air, although more recently updated than the Mac Pro and Mac mini, is also in line to get the Sandy Bridge and Thunderbolt treatment.