I’m more than a little skeptical of news that the MacBook Pro will get refreshed before the end of the year, especially since the rumor comes from on an unnamed source. However, “people with proven insight into Apple’s future product plans” state the new models will have faster processors, but little else. If you want the latest and greatest, I’d wait a month or two just in case this rumor turns out to be true.

The next in my unintentional “Direct from Steve” series deals with the lack of Firewire on the new MacBooks, and what is arguably one of the most important and useful applications on the Mac, Migration Assistant.

I first wrote to Steve the following email:

I’m sure you are getting tons of these emails, but it is a very important issue for most Mac users. What is the alternative for Target Disk Mode now that a phase-out of FireWire has begun? I’m aware of the wireless Migration introduced with the MacBook Air, but that is absolutely no replacement for the speed of FireWire. Wireless speeds are far from approaching FireWire at a reasonable price. USB cannot support Target DIsk Mode. Migration Assistant, though often used only once, is one of the best parts of OS X, and I really hope it isn’t being removed as FireWire leaves the MacBooks, and presumably, other Macs on down the line.

And one of his secretaries or a mail rule wrote back, to say…

The new LED Cinema Display is a great product, integrating an external display with a camera, microphone, and speakers. The one huge flaw with it is that it uses Apple’s Mini Display Port connector, something no computer except the new MacBook family has. What about all of us with “old” (read: really recent) MacBooks and MacBook Pros that lust after this device?

I sent off an e-mail to Steve Jobs asking this very thing. My e-mail and Apple’s response after the break.

Apple cranked out some new products today, but unfortunately, they seem to have done it in a really shoddy way. After the jump, I outline what I think are the strong points and the weaknesses of Apple’s product announcements today.

The rumors of new MacBooks just won’t die. MacRumors has some new details on the fabled devices. Citigroup’s Richard Gardner is claiming to have inside information about said MacBooks.

The report cites “field checks” as the source of the information and describes the new MacBooks with a “very thin aluminum casing, an LED-backlit display and an aggressive entry-level price point.”

This seems to go along with the rumors that have been circulating about Apple’s updated MacBooks, and their trends in design.

As is typical before an Apple product announcement, the online Apple Store is temporarily closed, and will undoubtedly be right back up the moment Apple stops rocking the live event. The question is, then, what will be in the store when it comes back up? The new iPod nano? An updated iPod touch? New MacBooks more »