There has been talk of an iMac refresh coming in the near future and now it's being claimed that the plastic MacBook is going to get a (long overdue) revamp soon too.

After Apple recently renamed October 2008's metal MacBook as the 13in MacBook Pro, the plastic model continues to define the entry level for the company's laptop line. It's proved a hugely popular design, but it's starting to show its age, especially now that every other Mac is metal.

More to the point, perhaps, the web resounds to the sound of MacBook owners complaining that the machine's polycarbonate shell doesn't wear well, with kit showing signs of distress - typically, lots of small cracks - after time.

Apple has never admitted that there might be a systematic issue with the casing, choosing instead to replace crack-sporting machines on a case-by-case basis under warranty. It's impossible to say how extensive the problem is, by there are a lot of people moaning online and, we have to admit, both of the office MacBooks are showing such signs of stress.

Hopefully, then, the industrial design overhaul the line is currently undergoing at Cupertino - as alleged by insiders who passed on the gen to AppleInsider - will take in new materials.

And a lower price, too. ®