When the new Apple Mac models roll out this month expect to see a dearly missed feature on the Mac Book Air make a comeback- the backlit keyboard. The current generation MacBook Air has been missing the much loved feature when Apple decided to overhaul the ultra-thin notebooks into more cost-affordable products late last year, according to AppleInsider.

Insiders are now saying that Apple is once again bringing back the backlit keyboard to the MacBook Air making the white 13.3 inch MacBook the only notebook without the keyboard backlights. Apple's decision to overhaul the MacBook Air without the backlights had been met with disappointment from users who were used to keyboard highlights that help illuminate the keys in dim light. All first generation MacBook Airs had keyboard backlighting as standard features. Keyboard lighting was never particularly taxing on power usage so getting rid of it wasn't a part of energy saving.

The new Airs which are expected to be released the week of July 21st will once again sport the backlit keyboard as well as Intel's Sandy Bridge processors and high-speed Thunderbolt ports. Both 11.6" and 13.3" MacBook Air models will have the keyboard backlights.

It has also been reported that Apple will be shipping the new MacBook Airs with the finalized version of the Mac OS X Lion which had been made available to developers last week. The Lion's unveiling has been set for this week but new rumors are now pushing that date to next week due to last minute security issues. Apple has only begun accepting applications for the Lion to the Mac App Store yesterday so it seems that the release of the OS would indeed be set for the next week.

MacBook Airs are among Apple's most successful devices with nearly 1 million units available in the first quarter of their release. Consumers had chosen the Air over the established MacBook Pro at a one-to-two ratio. It's estimated that the next generation of MacBook Airs will boost sales 50% or 1.5 million to a quarter. The new MacBook Airs will also be released with new Mac Pros and Apple will release three Mac Pro models with one Mac Pro Server in addition to the four new MacBook Airs.