by , 11:50 AM EDT, October 9th, 2008

An unconfirmed report from The Inquisitr [sic] that Apple will be releasing a US$800 Mac laptop is gaining traction from the mainstream press, with the New York Times, ZDNet, and other publications citing The Inquisitr in coverage of such a laptop.

The Inquisitr editor Duncan Riley's source is unnamed and unconfirmed, and appears to be on the retail side of Apple's business. It's not clear if the information is coming from a U.S. Apple retailer or from somewhere in Mr. Riley's home country of Australia.

His source said that Apple had sent new price sheets to a retail location that lists 12 different price points for Mac laptops, ranging in price from $800 to $3,100. In the U.S., Apple currently has eight price points ranging from $1,099 to $2,799. If the price sheets are real, the new price points would suggest either an expansion of Apple's current laptop lines or the addition of a new form factor aimed at entry-level consumers.

So far, this is doevetailing nicely into rumors surrounding Apple's rumored "Brick" manufacturing process, with speculation already spreading that the two rumors are connected.

In the meanwhile, none of it has been confirmed, even though the mainstream press is getting in on the act. Note that Apple is scheduled to announce its 4th quarter earnings report on October 21st, and that the company seldom makes any major announcements during the two week quiet period prior to making its earnings announcements.

[Editor's Note: Shortly after writing this article, Apple began inviting journalists to a notebook-related media event for an announcement on October 14th, just one week before the above-mentioned earnings announcement. - Editor]

Lastly, when our readers ask, our advice is always, "A new Mac on your desk is worth two on a rumor site."