CNBC: Apple preps sub-notebook for Macworld

With just a little over one month before the yearly meeting of the Mac faithful, the rumors of an Apple sub-notebook have started to appear.

Sub-notebooks are a relatively new class of laptop computers, although examples have been around since the early 1990s. Many still consider the devices a "niche" product: sales have rarely been substantial.

That, however does not seem to be stopping Apple. In a report by CNBC's Jim Goldman Friday, sources indicate that the company is aiming to debut its first entrant at the Macworld Expo in January.

With Flash becoming a more viable storage medium in actual computers due to falling prices, and larger capacity chips with a smaller physical footprint, the sub-notebook market may be finally ready to take off.

A ultra-portable notebook has been the target of some speculation among Apple rumor sites over the past couple months, and analysts have chimed in as well saying that such a product launch will have a positive effect on the company's bottom line.

According to CNBC, the device will have a 12-inch screen and be priced at approximately $1,500. It will also be about half as thick as a current MacBook Pro.

Along with the report on new sub-notebooks, Goldman also reported that iPod Touches were selling far better than expected, with its manufacturers ramping up production past five million units, and that a 3G iPhone will debut by June of next year.