Super Tuesday, Apple Style

So in case you haven’t noticed, Apple has been having product updates every Tuesday. From the new MacBook Air to Aperture 2.0 to new iPod shuffles, of all things. Well, what does this week bring us? Nobody is exactly for sure, but all signs are pointing to some update in the MacBook/MacBook Pro family. Why am I posting what I’m thinking is going to happen? Well, it’s related to the (former) format wars.

Apple is a supporter of Blu-Ray and always was, just not a very loud supporter of it. They weren’t in the streets shouting, “Death to HD-DVD and all who follow it!” That would be horrible PR. Some people have theorized that Apple has been holding off on integrating an HD optical format because of the war, and I agree with them. For a while, it seemed that HD-DVD may have been the way to go, but as seen now, it took a sharp turn.

I believe one of the things that will be updated in the MacBook Pro line (read: not consumer MacBook) is that the high-end 15″ and 17″ models will come with a Blu-Ray burner, either standard or as an option. This means that video editors will now be able to burn a high definition movie in it’s raw format straight to a Blu-Ray disc without having to worry about using a certain type of compression codec to get high defintion content on a disc. Upgrade cost: $600

Another theory I’ve come up with? The MacBook HD. Basically an (updated) 17″ MacBook Pro with an aluminum case and black keyboard (a la MacBook Air) with a Blu-Ray drive built in. None of the other MacBook Pros will have the Blu-Ray drive option. Complete notebook cost: $3499.

Now, I did not put in techincal specs of what I think will happen. I’ll leave that up to you to think of what’s going to be put in.

For continuing coverage of what Apple releases tomorrow (if anything), click on over to The After Mac.