• San Jose Mercury News, Thursday, October 14, 2010 9:34 AM

Troy Wolverton tells us that Apple sent out an e-mail to select members of the media yesterday inviting them to an event next Wednesday where it promises to show off "what's new" for its Macintosh computer line. Remember that? It also will offer a sneak peek at the next iteration of its Mac OS X operating system.

Apple last updated the MacBook line exactly a year before next week's event, Wolverton reports, and it hasn't refreshed its MacBook Air since June 2009. Analysts say it may show off the ability of the Mac to make video calls to Apple's new iPhone and iPod touch devices. As it stands, Apple's iChat software is incompatible with the FaceTime video calling software on Apple's handheld devices.

But don't expect big changes, Wolverton writes, as the Mac is doing just fine as it is. Gartner projects that Apple sold 1.8 million Macs in the third quarter of this year, up about 14% from the same period last year and a growth rate that is far faster than the industry average.

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