As each day goes by while Apple ignore the call of the PowerBook 12″ user who wants a portable reasonable specification laptop with Intel’s Core Duo chip, more players are eating away at that market. Core Duo Info have highlighted the latest offering from Asus, in the form of the W7J.

I, along with many others on the various Apple rumours forums, have been waiting for a MacBook Pro ~12″, for a year now. Of course, we’re all disappointed that it looks like we’ll have to resort to the iBook replacement, the MacBook (no Pro!), we’ve had to wait even longer as each rumour turns out to be untrue. I was surprised to see that no 12″ replacement of the PowerBook was announced alongside the 15″ and 17″ MacBook Pro, as neither are that portable. Light, sure, and decently specified, they are not portable. Try using one on a train or a plane. As a travelling developer, I need something portable with punch. Mac OS X is one good operating system, and I want on the bandwagon.

Alas, I’ve to wait, as each day I question my decision when lovely portables are being brought out that will give the rumoured MacBook 13.3″ a run for it’s money. The age old computer hardware dilemma of “should I wait just another month?”. Well I’ve waited thus far with my hobbling Sony VAIO k600 (r505 to you US visitors), I’ll wait another few weeks for the MacBook announcement which will be happening “next week” (again) according to the various rumour sites.

I wish they’d just announce it, as I’m sure many would be happy to pre-order it. Besides, going by the problems of the other 2 MacBook models, the first of the 12-13.3″s will be going back anyway!

More “next week”!