Is the MacBook line in trouble? From January to November 2012, Apple had a 2.6 percent share of unit sales according to the NPD Group. Fast-forward that data a year and Apple's unit sales dropped to 1.6 percent. Apple could never compete with Windows laptops when it came to amount of units sold, but its profit margins were a hell of a lot better. What's surprising is that Google's line of laptops, called "Chromebooks," has overtaken Apple's sales, despite hardly registering on the NPD chart a year ago. With 9.6 percent of all total unit sales (compared to 0.2 percent a year ago), "Chromebooks" seem to be appealing to consumers.

Chromebooks are for the most part vastly cheaper than Apple's least expensive laptop model, the MacBook Air. Each Chromebook generally costs $249 or $299. Should Apple make the MacBook Air, which starts at $999, more affordable for the masses? Any worries Apple fanatics might have about declining Mac sales, though, haven't taken one thing into account: cannibalization. Apple Inc.'s own iPad line is largely responsible for the dip in its laptop sales. iPads account for the most tablet and laptop sales (besides Windows-based machines) on NPD's chart.

A big rumor floating around the tech world is that the 2014 MacBook Air is going to be completely redesigned. Will the Air incorporate more tablet-like features in order to prop up Mac laptop sales? A touchscreen would single-handedly be the biggest tablet like feature. Will the Macbook Air be convertible, meaning that its hinges will be flexible enough to allow the user to flip the screen nearly 180 degrees and hold it like a tablet?

One surefire feature the MacBook Air is going to have is a 12-inch display. The current 11-inch and 12-inch models will cease to exist. And yes, that 12-inch panel will house a gorgeous Retina display double that current 13" models resolution of 1440x900. KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo had this to say about the upcoming MacBook Air's display:

"We expect the unprecedented 12" model will boast both the portability of the 11" model, and productivity of the 13" model. The high resolution display will also offer the outstanding visual experience of the Retina MacBook Pro. The offering will likely be lighter and slimmer than the existing MacBook Air to further highlight ease of portability in the cloud computing era. We think the form factor will showcase a much improved clamshell structure, and that it will redefine laptop computing once again following the milestone created by the MacBook Air. 

Another feature fans have been clamoring for is mobile connectivity. Could the MacBook Air feature an optional 4G LTE service? It seems unlikely, but with Apple you never know.