Apple to soon release notebook with flash memory ?

Rumour goes that Apple is thinking of introducing a new laptop this year that will save data on flash memory chips instead of a hard drive, American Technology Research said.

Apple would like to introduce the product in the second half to further capitalize on its strong MacBook growth.

The release date of Apple’s lighter and smaller notebook personal computer may depend on how much prices of NAND flash memory chips decline as they are still seven-to-eight times more expensive than hard-disk drives.

Semiconductors are smaller than hard drives, allowing electronics makers to design slimmer products. They also process data faster and consume less energy. In 2005, Cupertino, California-based Apple used NAND flash chips to make the iPod Nano, reducing the size of the company’s flagship music player by 80 percent.

Furthermore, the trend is definitely sat, as Apple is to drop the hard disks from it’s iPod devices.

Update: Apple to use mini-OS X for FeatherBook “subnotebook”.