Five features the MacBook is still missing

Rumours keep flying over Apple’s impending MacBook refresh, and with good reason: the design is over two years old. We’ve seen supposed spy shots of the new version, but what’ll be inside? Here’s our take on the five new features desperately needed by Apple’s plastic lappy.

Lighter shell
The MacBook Air might not have manila envelopes fearing for their lives, but the MacBook’s a heavyweight by comparison. Add competition from the likes of Asus’ Eee PC, and it’s clear the MacBook needs to shed its puppy fat. Rumours persist the new design will use a single piece of aluminium as its shell, but will it be enough to cut down the bulk?

Better graphics
Apple’s been using integrated graphics chipsets for donkeys years. They cut down on power consumption and bulk, but they’re also weedy and not well suited to gaming. If Macbooks are to compete with other lappys they’ll need more graphical grunt. Games publishers are beginning to look at Apple more seriously, but without the guts to show off their titles, Mac-compatible titles will stay at the bottom of their to-do lists.

Solid state drives
It’s time to hurl away the hard disk and equip the MacBook with a solid state alternative. It’ll mean faster load times, no noise and less risk of damage from a nasty jolt. The MacBook Air already offers them as an option, so why can’t Apple shove them inside the regular MacBook too?

Blu-Ray
While top-end laptops are hamming it up with high def movies on the move why is Apple, which is a member of the Blu-Ray Association, still languishing in the low def wastelands of DVD? Any uncertainty in the hi-def format war has long gone. We’ll be expecting the next MacBooks to tote Blu-Ray.

Multitouch
We’ve been pawing the iPhone for over a year now, so why hasn’t multi-touch technology made the move to the Mac? The MacBook Air and MacBook Pro already boast multi-finger gestures through their trackpads, but the MacBook’s been left lacking. Why? Because Apple’s got something special in store. We’ve heard there’ll be a glass trackpad in the new MacBook. Could Apple be prepping a multi-touch pad with a screen underneath?

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