Apple’s MacBook—their lowest end laptop at $999—has received a nice spec update this week. This new model contains a battery that Apple claims will provide a whopping 10 hours of battery life while running a 2.4GHx Intel Core 2 Duo procressor and Nvidia GeForce 320M graphics. Other than those updated specs, it is pretty much the same laptop it previously was. No design changes have been made, and it still only comes in the polycarb enclosure.

I’m not sure when all this fuss over an Apple netbook started…likely the moment the first PC netbook hit the market. I do this myself…see something cool or new in the PC aisle and start wondering when Apple will jump on that technology. Houston Neal at Software Advice is getting a little more specific in his rationale for the need of an Apple Netbook; specifically, as it pertains to the medical industry.

Everybody has a MacBook nowadays, and with most people taking the notebooks on the go, many seek sleeves and protectors to encase them in. Woodworker Rainer Spehl has come up with a, well, more alternative case.

With the state of the economy the way that it is, one might wish to believe that government agencies and groups would be cutting down on extra expenses. However, this isn’t so when it comes to our State Senators. According to the Omaha World-Herald, they have purchased 70 new MacBook Airs at a price of $1,524 each, or a total price of $106,680. I don’t know what you’re thinking, but if I got my own new MacBook Air for free, I would be ecstatic. However, Tony Fulton of Lincoln, Nebraska isn’t all cheers about this. He believes the Legislature could have easily purchased less expensive laptops that would be able to do what they needed for just a fraction of the cost. He does realize, though, that the “… decision was made with proper authority,” and although he doesn’t like it, he will “… accept it.”

Now that the crowds have died down a bit, I was able to spend a little more hands-on time with the new 17″ Macbook Pro. The screen is a thing of beauty, but then, I like the glossy screen and the saturation it gives the colors.

Despite Steve Jobs comment saying that Apple couldn’t successfully build a suitable notebook for under the $1,000 price range, Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster still believes that Apple will announce one in 2009. The reason Munster believes that Apple will be able to introduce this $800 notebook is because they already have the perfect platform in more »

Gearlog recently discovered that if you run your MacBook or MacBook Pro connected to the AC without a battery installed, you may notice a speed decrease of up to 37%. Some users remove the battery from their MacBook or MacBook Pro when connected to power in order to extend the battery’s lifespan, but it seems more »

Have you been holding off on making the plunge and purchasing a NVIDIA based MacBook Air until they started shipping? Wait no longer, as many customers are now reporting that their slim, lightweight laptops are now on their way. Although Steve Jobs said they wouldn’t be shipping until around November 5th, it appears as if more »

And the rumors of the October 14th Apple notebook event appear to be true. Apple will hold an invitation only town hall event in San Francisco at 10am Pacific this upcoming Tuesday, featuring what is likely to be a major revision to their portable Macintosh line. The invite sent out today, pictured above, out and out says what the event will be about; a departure from the otherwise furtiveness of Apple’s prior event invitations.

Marware doesn’t just give the iPhone 3G some love with their cases, they also share it with the iPhone’s thin sister, the MacBook Air. This time around they have two new cases for you to decide between. The first is called the Sportfolio Deluxe and is available for $79.99. The strap on this case is easily adjustable and it comes with plenty of room for your accessories. It is made with black neoprene on the outside and a plush liner on the inside, giving your laptop ultimate protection.

Details and images after the break.