Apple component orders hint imminent MacBook upgrade

 Looks like Apple is moving to accelerate its delayed laptop range upgrade, according to reports emanating all the way from Taiwan.

Seems the company has put out a major order for components for the new MacBooks, reportedly requesting 20 per cent more circuit boards for them than it requested in spring.

Compeq Manufacturing, Gold Circuit Electronics (GCE), Nanya Printed Circuit Board (NPC) and Tripod Technology are the four manufacturers Apple’s claimed to have approached for the new boards.

Sure, this doesn’t mean new models are definite, but we’ve expected them a while, and believe their introduction to have been delayed when Intel hit some last minute processor production problems with Centrino 2.

Centrino 2 was scheduled for release at Computex Taipei 2008, which took place on June 3 – 7, 2008, but was delayed until July 14, due to problems with integrated graphics and wireless certification.