Apple is preparing the first significant overhaul of its MacBook Pro laptop line in over four years, according to people familiar with the matter, using one of its older products to help reverse two quarters of sliding sales.The updated notebooks will be thinner, include a touch screen strip for function keys, and will be offered with more powerful and efficient graphics processors for expert users such as video gamers, said the people, who asked not to be named. The new computers have been in advanced testing within Apple since earlier this year, said one of the people, who didn't want to be identified discussing products before their release. The MacBook Pros aren't likely to debut at an event currently scheduled for Sept. 7 to introduce next-generation versions of the iPhone, according to one of the people. Apple spokesman Bill Evans declined to comment.Apple co-founder Steve Jobs heralded tablets as possible laptop replacements by calling the iPad a "post-PC" device after it launched in 2010, but products like the MacBook Pro have shown surprising resilience.

Sales of Macs, including the Pro line, rose 6 percent to $25.5 billion in the last fiscal year, while iPad sales fell 23 percent to $23.2 billion.Used Furniture Store Boise Id This year's MacBook Pro overhaul is aimed at increasing notebook sales at a time when consumers are taking longer to buy or replace iPads. Kittens For Sale In NigeriaApple research suggests customers upgrade iPads roughly every three years, while they buy new iPhones every 18 to 24 months, according to a person familiar with Apple's strategy, which helps explain why iPad sales numbers have fallen from a peak in 2013.The most significant addition to the new MacBook Pro is a secondary display above the keyboard that replaces the standard function key row. Old English Bulldog Puppies For Sale In Ohio

Instead of physical keys, a strip-like screen will present functions on an as-needed basis that fit the current task or application. The smaller display will use Organic Light-Emitting Diodes, a thinner, lighter and sharper screen technology, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said earlier this year.Apple's goal with the dedicated function display is to simplify keyboard shortcuts traditionally used by experienced users. The panel will theoretically display media playback controls when iTunes is open, while it could display editing commands like cut and paste during word processing tasks, the people said. The display also allows Apple to add new buttons via software updates rather than through more expensive, slower hardware refreshes.The new top-of-the-line MacBook Pros will be slightly thinner than the current models but are not tapered like the MacBook Air and latest 12-inch MacBook, one of the people said. The new MacBook Pros have a smaller footprint than current models and the casing has shallower curves around the edges.

The pressure-sensitive trackpad is also slightly wider, the person added. An option for a version featuring a higher-performance graphics chip from Advanced Micro Devices will be available, another person familiar with the matter said. It's unclear which provider Apple will use for the main processor, but Intel Corp. has supplied this in the past.Apple is using one of AMD's "Polaris" graphics chips because the design offers the power efficiency and thinness necessary to fit inside the slimmer Apple notebook, the person said. The new graphics card is more than 20 percent thinner than its predecessor, AMD said earlier this year. AMD declined to comment, referring inquiries to Apple.The new design will include USB-C technology, a multifunctional type of port that can handle charging, data transfers, and display connectivity, one of the people said. Apple has also considered bringing gray, gold, and silver colors to the new line, as it has done with other products like the iPhone, iPad, and the 12-inch MacBook, a person said.

It's unclear whether colored Pro laptops will be available when the new line is released.Apple is planning to bring over its Touch ID fingerprint technology from the iPhone to the new MacBook Pro line. Apple has tested versions of the upcoming laptops that integrate the scanner beside the new function key display, according to one of the people. The sensor would allow users to log in more quickly and theoretically authenticate Apple Pay purchases. Like with iPhones, the new Pro laptops will encrypt fingerprint data so it can't be removed from the devices.Apple will also release a new version of its Mac operating system named Sierra this fall that brings Siri, new messaging and photo-management features, deeper iCloud integration, and more efficient file storage to Apple's desktops and laptops, the company said in June.Ian King and Alex Webb contributedSix people from New York have been charged with allegedly attempting fraudulent transactions at the Deer Park Apple Store near Chicago, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Lake County authorities tell the paper that the scheme is an "organized criminal enterprise." Last week, authorities learned that the scheme was being attempted at various Apple Stores in the Chicago area. The suspects were using stolen identities and credit card numbers throughout the country to make purchases, according to police. Christopher Covelli, a spokesman for the sheriff's office, told the Chicago Tribune that the suspects would fly into O'Hare International Airport, rent a car, and immediately head to local Apple Stores to attempt the enterprise. Authorities began increasing patrols and surveillance around the Deer Park store after another store in Schaumburg was targeted. Between Wednesday and Sunday, six people attempted the scheme at the store. Police recovered $10,000 worth of stolen Apple products from the alleged suspects. Covelli said the traveling scheme is not common with out-of-state individuals.Tags: Apple retail, Apple Stores iOS 10 September 13

Next version of iOS with overhauled notifications, lock screen, Messages, Apple Music, and much more. macOS Sierra September 20 Siri on the Mac, auto-unlocking via Apple Watch, Apple Pay support in Safari, and more. MacBook Pro Late 2016 New Skylake MacBook Pros coming in the fourth quarter. MacBook Air Late 2016 Thunderbolt Display Late 2016? Apple 'Reboots' Self-Driving Car Initiative Amid Project Layoffs and Closures Apple has closed parts of its self-driving car project and laid off dozens of employees attached to it as it reboots its plan for self-driving vehicles, according to The New York Times. Dual Rear Camera Likely to Remain Exclusive to High-End iPhones in 2017 On the same day the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus became available for pre-order, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has released a new research report outlining his expectations for a dual rear camera in... Tim Cook Says Apple is 'Very Committed' to the Mac and to 'Stay Tuned'

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