Now that Blu-ray has won the high-def format war and HD DVD is out of the picture, more PC manufacturers are likely to incorporate Blu-ray drives into their machines without fear of missing out on some of the next-generation, high-definition market. And according to reports, Apple and Dell could be leading the charge.
Citing an unconfirmed source, AppleInsider claims that Apple is actively pushing Sony for slot-loading Blu-ray writers for its MacBook Pro systems. In fact, such a drive almost made the cut into the latest revisions to the MacBook Pro, though some quality issues with both the blue laser and slot-load mechanism forced Apple to postpone its plans. A release date for any Blu-ray equipped Apple systems remains unknown, though Intel is set to unveil its Centrino 2 and new Core 2 processors in early June, which provides the earliest opportunity for a MacBook Pro refresh.
For its part, Dell already offers Blu-ray on many notebooks but often reserves it as an option due to the typically high price for these drives. Next month, however, Dell will reportedly set a new point of entry for the format by introducing a sub-$1,000 Blu-ray notebook.