11.6″ Macbook Air On The Way?

Finally, an Apple rumor I can really get my teeth into. AppleInsider reveals that Apple may be planning to release a smaller, lighter version of their ailing Macbook Air laptop.

In a time of lousy rumors, this one actually piqued my interest. With all the talk about the iPad and competing tablets, it’s refreshing to see Apple remembers some people still actually use computers.

It’s been three years since the Macbook Air debuted to mixed reception, generally hailed as an extremely niche product for those who travel a lot and don’t require a huge amount of power.

Perhaps now with much more experience of cramming tiny components into tiny enclosures, Apple is ready to rethink their smallest Mac OS X device.

The new Air would allegedly feature an 11.6″ screen and the Intel Core i-series CPU for low power and high output. No doubt the new Air will feature an SSD, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a 3G data package option, similar to that on the iPad.

Apple tends to release products in the wild and then forget about them, letting consumer response govern how much resources it dedicates to each line. While for some time Apple referred to the AppleTV as a ‘hobby’, the Air is undoubtedly the hobby of its Mac OS X lineup.