Last October Apple unveiled its latest MacBook Pro line. The newer laptops feature “Retina” displays and are thinner, lighter, more powerful, and all-around better than previous models.
It’s no surprise, then, that DigiTimes is reporting Apple will be ceasing production on its 13-inch non-Retina display MacBook Pro sometime during the second half of 2014. The report’s unnamed “Taiwan-based supply chain makers” are quoted as saying the production line will be replaced with the newer model MacBook Pros.
Such a move would be far from surprising, given Apple’s history of quickly dropping production of previous models when newer versions arrive. The company has already stopped production of the non-Retina 15-inch MacBook Pro in favor of the latest laptop.
In addition to the Apple news, the DigiTimes report also claims that Intel will be supporting a new line of “ultrabooks” for the fourth quarter of 2014. The devices are expected to use Intel Broadwell processors and use Ultra HD displays.
Ultra HD displays are one of the features that manufacturers are relying on to help keep notebook sales from sinking further. The popularity of tablet and smartphone devices has driven consumers to devices that are racing downward in price and almost constantly iterating on features and software. In contrast notebook offerings look largely the same as they did one decade ago, contributing to the continued decline of the traditional PC industry. Only ultra-portable devices have been seen as a growing product category in the segment, though even Apple has been shipping fewer MacBooks in recent quarters.