Analyst Predicts Apple Will Discontinue 17-Inch MacBook Pro

If you've had your heart set on the 17-inch MacBook Pro, then now might be a good time to whip out your credit card. An analyst is predicting that Apple may discontinue the current 17-inch MacBook Pro model this year due to weak sales, according to MacRumors.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who has accurately predicted Apple's Mac product roadmap in the past, issued a report over the weekend noting that Apple will likely drop its largest notebook, the 17-inch MacBook Pro, as part of an effort to revamp and streamline its laptop offerings. Apple is also expected to introduce a new notebook in the coming months that offers both the power of the MacBook Pro models with the portability of the MacBook Air.

The analyst predicted that "Apple will roll out a fully new MacBook model in early 3Q12, boasting strong performance and easy carryability by combining the advantages of MacBook Air and MacBook Pro," according to MacRumors. "While adding new products, Apple is likely to stop making the 17-inch MacBook Pro this year due to falling shipments, in order to maintain a lean product line strategy."

Earlier this year, rumors surfaced that by the end of 2012, giving the laptops a makeover by adopting some of the attributes of its ultra-thin MacBook Air machines. AppleInsider claimed to have sources familiar with Apple's plans who said the company's revamped MacBooks will sport a super thin, lightweight structure, and feature instant-on capabilities and extended battery life.

Meanwhile, KGI Securities' Kuo predicted an increase in Apple's Mac business this quarter, thanks to and back-to-school demand. The analyst predicted that Apple will sell 5.32 million Mac units of this quarter, up 28.5 percent since last quarter and 35.2 percent since last year.