To coincide with the release of Mac OS X Lion, Apple has also released a new generation of MacBook Airs, Mac Minis, and LED displays (now dubbed Thunderbolt displays). The most interesting to us, of course, is the MacBook Air, particularly the 11-inch version which is a real -- if more expensive -- rival to the iPad.

Now with more processing power, courtesy of Intel's Core i5 or Core i7 (Sandybridge) processor, a high speed Thunderbolt I/O port, and a backlit keyboard(?!), it makes an already compelling alternative even more so. (If rumors of an early iPad 2 Pro or iPad 3 turn out to be true, it could make the decision even harder.)

“Portable, affordable and powerful, MacBook Air is the ultimate everyday notebook,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “MacBook Air features our most advanced technology and is an ideal match for Lion, especially with its new Multi-Touch gestures, full-screen apps, Mission Control and Mac App Store.”

Mac Mini with the new chips and port make a good if expensive home theater PC even more powerful and (eventually) flexible, while the new LED displays can be chained together to turn your desktop into a NASA-style control center.

“Mac mini delivers the speed and expandability that makes it perfect for the desktop, living room or office,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With faster processors, more powerful graphics and Thunderbolt in an incredibly compact, aluminum design, the new Mac mini is more versatile than ever.”

“The Apple Thunderbolt Display is the ultimate docking station for your Mac notebook,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing. “With just one cable, users can dock with their new display and connect to high performance peripherals, network connections and audio devices.”

Anyone going to pick up a new Air?

[Apple PR (Air), Apple PR (Mini), Apple PR (Display)]

Apple today announced new 21.5" and 27" iMacs, a new line of MacBooks, mightier Mac Minis, and a Magic Mouse (with iPhone-like multi-touch), and new Apple Remote.

• The new iMacs [PR link] include cinematic 16x9 displays, quad-core option,
• The new MacBooks [PR link] have plastic unibody construction, 7-hour non-changeable batteries, LED backlights, and glass multi-touch trackpads (basically like the pros but without the aluminum)
• The new Mac Minis [PR link pending] are now up to 2.66GHz and up to 4GB, and a special version with Snow Leopard Server pre-installed.
• The Magic Mouse [PR link] is wireless and has a seamless multi-track surface, and laser-tracking engine. Click, swipe, and scroll anywhere.
• The new Apple Remote is black and aluminum, with a large 4 way (re: Muero in comments -- not sure if it's a click wheel), and now 2 separate buttons beneath, menu and play/pause (which used to be inside the 4 way).

More as this develops!

According to Daring Fireball, Apple is set to introduce new products tomorrow morning, including:

Redesigned Plastic MacBooks, Redesigned (‘Impressive’) iMacs, Updated Minis (Including One That Ships With Mac OS X Server), the Multi-Touch Magic Mouse, and, as the Wildcard I’m-Not-Sure-I-Really-Believe-It-Myself Out-There Rumor, Maybe Even Some Sort of Mentioned-Nowhere-Else-But-in-This-Very-Headline Multi-Touch Trackpad Gadget for Desktop Macs

Last year, Apple held a special event, Spotlight Turns to Notebooks, to debut their last before-the-holidays offerings. Would they just dump so much new, and frankly interesting, products tomorrow morning without benefit of stage or keynote? Sure, but we'd be lying if we said we wouldn't prefer the song and dance to go with them.

TiPb will cover whatever does get released, however it gets released, mainly as it pertains to anything that looks to have cross-over with iPhone technology like the "multi-touch trackpad" (why not just make an official Apple Mac trackpad app for the iPhone and iPod touch?)

Keep your eyes peeled for the Apple Online Store going down...

Mac Mini, iMac? Check. Check. Mac Pro. Check. Airport Extreme. Check. Time Capsule. Check. Yep, that's the rumor list Apple just plowed through one after the other, with nary anything resembling a "Spotlight on Desktops" Event in sight.

Nary anything, aside from the friendliness of the new routers, approaching iPhone updates either -- though we imagine new developers eyeing Macs to get into iPhone App-making with have their hands, and charge cards, full today.

You getting anything?

We repeat, this is not a drill! The Apple Store is Down! Reports are flooding in from all over the intertubes... Details are sketchy but could this be the Mac Mini, iMac, and Mac Pro update to bring in Nvidia chipsets and Nehalem cores? What about a new 30" LED Display? How about those iPhone friendlier Airport Extreme and Time Capsule base stations we just heard about? And what does this mean for that Apple Special event we heard rumored for March 24? Almost certainly no new iPhones yet, but last March was the iPhone SDK Road Map event...

Find your loved ones. Cling to them. And hold to hope. The Apple Store WILL be back. And it will once again restore your childlike sense of wonder.