Apple's eagerly anticpated MacBook announcement was canned at the eleventh hour to allow sufficient stocks of the consumer-oriented laptop to be available to buy from launch, it has been claimed.

According to a Think Secret report, the notebook will now be announced next week, with the unveiling currently pegged for Tuesday, 16 May.

Separately, AppleInsider reckons the launch may also feature new iPods, though which ones isn't yet clear. ®