CF Apple Computer

Apple to put Blu-ray drive in MacBooks? Computer Troubleshooters Ireland opens Cork officeAccessibility still a big problem for Irish websitesMicrosoft cuts Vista prices to boost salesGoogle’s new health service gets a workout 03.03.2008 - Apple has been investigating the possibility of incorporating a Blu-ray drive into its MacBook Pro line of notebooks for the past few months and is potentially sourcing Sony to do the job, say unofficial industry insiders.

Now that Toshiba has said it will stop producing HD DVD equipment, it looks as though the format war is truly and definitively over, paving the way for manufacturers to begin incorporating the Blu-ray drive into their machines without fear of missing out on some of the next-generation, high-definition market.

Principal analyst at research firm Mercury, Dean McCarron, told Wired magazine that the only problem with incorporating a Blu-ray drive into a laptop is it may be a significant drain on battery life as the laser used in a Blu-ray drive is very high-power and needs a lot more battery power to perform. Another computer manufacturer said to be considering replacing its notebook’s DVD drive with the next-gen Blu-ray is Dell.

Technology strategist for the PC manufacturer, Brian Zucher, said a Blu-ray notebook will be available commercially from next month, and will be one of the most budget-conscious on the market. Currently, notebooks such as the Sony Vaio have Blu-ray disc drives with more models in the Vaio line due to feature this high-def drive later this year.