Apple will update its iMac and MacBook Pro lines during the first half of 2011, moles from Taiwan say.

Even if the claim is guesswork, it's well educated guesswork, based on the fact that the first half of any given year is usually when Apple updates these model - the current MacBook Pros were introduced in April 2010, for example.

More to the point, perhaps, than Apple's past release schedule is the anticipated introduction early next year of Intel's next-gen 'Sandy Bridge' processor family, a product range Apple will undoubtedly want to make use of pronto - its competitors all will.

The Taiwanese contract manufacturer insiders, cited by DigiTimes, say the machines will all come with the next version of Mac OS X, Lion. The Pros will use a slightly modified casing, though what the changes are, subtle though they may be, was not made clear. ®