It's been 311 days since Apple last introduced an upgrade to its Macbook Pro series of computers. Coupled with both supply shortages and delayed shipments of online orders, the evidence for an imminent update to the Macbook Pro seems irrefutable. With Steve Jobs turning 56 this week, speculation points to this Thursday as the day that new models would be available in stores. In anticipation of the announcement, let's examine some of the most likely improvements Apple will take with the Macbook hardware.

Improving Battery Life
Battery life remains a constant issue for device manufacturers, and Apple is not ignoring it with the latest Macbooks.Some rumors suggest that Apple plans to release the new Macbooks with denser batteries, which will vastly increase the duration of a charge, while others suggest that Apple is developing batteries that would offer faster recharge cycles.Slightly more far fetched is the speculation that Apple will use Liquidmetal in future fuel cells. Liquidmetal technology allows for cheap and efficient power applications, with some metrics speculating that notebooks using it could run for twenty hours on a single charge. William Hook
Intel Sandy Bridge Processor
Intel is said to join hands with Taiwan-based notebook makers to push in to Android tablet PC market, a move after Microsoft said its Windows operating system will add support for ARM-based platforms. Intel
Take Advantage Of New High-Speed Data Transfer Technolgoy
It’s been two years since Intel unveiled “Light Peak”, its name for the next generation of copper-based fiber optics. Offering transfer speeds of 10 GB/s in both directions, Light Peak promises to top the capabilities of USB 3.0, which Apple has not yet supported. Intel
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