Apple blogs are on fire today with rumours that Orange could be about to launch mobile broadband dongle packages teamed with MacBooks. As even casual observers of the UK broadband market know, this would mark the first time ever that bundles with Apple laptops have been offered.

But newsworthy as this is, reports have mostly been more concerned with another side of the story. Journalists are speculating that by signing a deal with Orange, Apple is effectively signalling its displeasure with O2 with whom it teamed up in the UK for the iPhone.

Of course as it stands, the hook-up is purely speculation. The case for believing the rumour is that many UK iPhone buyers did indeed complain about the relative slowness of using the devices on O2 for web browsing and downloads. This would certainly seem to suggest that Orange would be a more likely partner for such a deal.

However, the case against affording credence to the reports is also strong. After all, neither party has as yet confirmed the rumour. And then, of course, there’s the fact that Apple has hitherto been reluctant to team up with ISPs to sell its laptops, so why should it change its policy now?

True or not, here at Top 10 Broadband, we’d be happy to see mobile broadband Apple laptops deals arrive as soon as possible irrespective of which provider offers them. Not only do laptop mobile broadband deals allow consumers access to high-end devices that they might otherwise struggle to afford. But their late arrival should also clear the way for 3G embedded Apple laptops, which is what we think the public really wants.