Munster: 11-13" Ultraslim NoteBook, No 3G at MWSF


A post on ZDNet blogs reports on analyst Gene Munster of Piper Jaffrey's note to clients Monday.

Munster originally predicted an ultra-light Mac portable would have an 8-11" screen, but checks with Asian sources suggest that 11"-13" is more within the ball park. He still expects it will be Apple's "thinnest and lightest ever" notebook. It could also incorporate some touch technology from the iPhone.

The question of whether it will employ flash storage remains an open one; Samsung have a 64GB flash drive available, which could be enough for a road warrior's portable, as opposed to the desktop replacement variety, aka the MacBook Pro.

In related news, Munster gives the 3G iPhone announcement a big thumbs-down for MWSF. Certainly, 3G is in the iPhone program, but not until late in the second quarter 2008 or early third quarter. That said, Munster does believe that Apple could rev the iPhone to keep unit shipments trending up.

Other analysts believe the focus at MWSF will be Mac, with revisions and feature upgrades. Given the theme of the conference, together with the tremendous growth in Mac sales in recent quarters, it's a reasonable conclusion to draw.

Munster also points to the possibility of iTunes movie rentals, but these are more likely to be a mid-2008 announcement.