AppleInsider dug up some AdSense ads from Google.nl this weekend that suggest the iMac/Macbook/Mac Mini refresh may be coming sooner rather than later. The ads are in Dutch, but the translations could be indications of the rumored upgrades. This is all assuming the ads are from Apple, of course. It seems odd to go to such lengths for a spoof, but I’ve seen dumber things.

I’ll leave the screenshots over at AI, but the text is as follows:

Apple’s Newest MacBook. Thinner, lighter and faster! Free delivery. Order today.

The Brand new iMac. Ultra Thin 20 & 24 inch models. From only € 1099. Apple Store

Apple’s New Mac Mini. Faster and more affordable than ever. From only € 499. Order immediately.

The ads also link back to the localized Apple Store, making things a bit more elaborate than is believable for a hoax. The most convincing ad is the iMac, since “ultra-thin” hasn’t really been part of the ad copy for that machine. The rest could arguably be the same device, just with new ads.

AI also got news that several Apple stores have received new signage in the past few days that is not to be opened until further notice. Trés Mysterieux!

I really need to get a job at a research firm. From what these people produce, I’d say their typical day isn’t entirely unlike that of a psychic. You make some vague generalizations, write nonspecific predictions about products that have months of rumor behind them, and then make some bank.

The latest comes from Wedge Partners, which seems to think the iMac and Macbook are due for a redesign “in the next several weeks.” The firm says the iMac will head toward a “thinner, organic design, likely with smoothed or rounded edges,” while the Macbook redesign “is likely to be limited.”

Well isn’t this brilliant. So Apple won’t be completely abandoning their design progression for the past decade? They’re refreshing the white Macbook like rumors have been suggesting for months? What shocking news.

Source: Tech Trader Daily

Phil Schiller’s Keynote address is happening as I write this, and he’s just unveiled the new 15-inch Macbook Pro. It looks like Apple is rethinking the Macbook/Macbook Pro strategy, going to a more diverse product lineup for the Macbook Pro. All of the unibody Macbooks now sport the Macbook Pro brand, starting at 13 inches.

So Apple has officially dropped the Macbook tag down to just one white, polycarbonate spec which got a much quieter update than the keynote Macbook Pro update today. In terms of price, Apple’s new lineup looks like this.

White Macbook – $999
13-inch Macbook Pro – $1199
15-inch Macbook Pro – $1699
17-inch Macbook Pro – $2499
Macbook Air – $1499/$1799 ($700 price cut on second-tier)

Obviously upgrades are going to cost you, but the update looks to streamline Apple’s approach to the notebook market. Apple has also lifted the ceiling on upgrades to their notebooks, allowing you to get up to 8GB of RAM and a 3.06 Dual Core 6MB L2 Cache. Other upgrades are storage size, including the option for a 256GM SSD instead of a 500GB HD.

Apple has also added an SD slot to all of the Macbook Pros, making them more digital camera friendly. This does mean exclusion of the ExpressCard slot, which is now only available on the 17-incher.

Almost forgot – Firewire 800 is back. The new Macbook Pros will be available today, as soon as the Apple Store is back up and running.

Check back for more from Apple’s Keynote later today.