Rumors are rife about the Black MacBook Air hitting stands soon. Over the past week, we've received several anonymous tips claiming that at least some models of the next-generation MacBook Air will be available with a black finish, MacRumors wrote in a blog post. The most specific of the claims suggests that a black anodized aluminum case would be available on a top-end MacBook Air model.

The MacBook Airs rumored about having an option in black are the next-generation Sandy Bridge powered MacBook Air ultraportable notebooks arriving in the near future.

At the same time another rumor contradicting the Black Air rumor has been reported by Apple Insider which says An alleged Apple employee claim Apple experimented with black powder coated MacBook Air and MacBook Pro models, but Apple CEO Steve Jobs killed the idea because the coating soaks up body oils. At some point we may offer a black coating, but it won't be powder coat, and it won't be anytime soon, the tipster wrote.

But MacBook Air users are warned that black may not be the best colour for the metallic MacBook Air. Black can be a vexing color on metal. The Dell Adamo--an all-metal ultrathin design that competed with the Air--also came in jet black and was a magnet for fingerprints. I used a black Adamo for a few weeks, and after a day of heavy use its pristine black exterior became a fingerprint mosaic, Brooke Crothers, wrote on cnet.

Dell Steve jobs Apple Apple inc.