A new report claims that Apple has built a test MacBook Air powered by the same low-power A5 processor found in the iPad, and the company was impressed by the results.

The claims came on Friday from Japanese site Macotakara. Citing an anonymous source, it reported that Apple, in its internal labs, made “test equipment” of a new Thunderbolt-equipped MacBook Air powered by an A5 processor.

“According to this source who saw live A5 MacBook Air actually, this test machine performed better than expected,” the translation reads.

The report also noted it was “not clear” whether this system was running Apple’s lightweight iOS operating system, found on the iPhone and iPad, or the full-fledged Mac OS X operating system. It also mentioned that a switch to a processor based on the ARM architecture would require developers to modify their existing applications.

Given the challenges that would come with a transition from Intel processors to an ARM-based CPU, the A5-powered MacBook Air was characterized as an “experiment.” The hardware is said to have been built by Quanta Computer.

The latest rumor comes weeks after a separate report claimed that Apple is looking to transition its laptops to ARM processors “as soon as possible.” That report claimed that Apple could switch to ARM processors for its laptops when 64-bit variations are available at the end of 2012 or by early 2013.

As the role of ARM CPUs for Apple has grown with the iPhone and iPad, Microsoft also has plans for the ARM architecture in the future, as mobile devices offer longer battery life with the low-power chips. The Redmond, Wash., software giant revealed at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show that the next version of its desktop operating system, Windows 8, will also run on ARM architecture.

Last December, Macotakara correctly reported that Apple’s second-generation iPad would have a smaller bezel, a flat back panel, and a larger speaker. The site also revealed that Apple was planning an event to announced the iPad 2 in March.

The same site also joined a chorus of others in reporting that Apple will ship its fifth-generation iPhone later than usual this year. A report in March said that Apple was not yet ordering components for its fifth-generation iPhone, and that the anticipated device was not expected to contribute to Apple’s fiscal 2011 bottom line. Apple’s fiscal year 2011 concludes on Sept. 24, which would put a new iPhone launch in late September at the earliest.

A new rumor claims that Apple plans to ditch Intel processors to instead adopt the ARM architecture currently found in devices like the iPhone and iPad.

Apple’s alleged move to ARM processors is expected to take place “as soon as possible,” likely when 64-bit variations are available at the end of 2012 or by early 2013, according to SemiAccurate (via MacRumors. The site is run by Charlie Demerjian, previous editor of U.K. tabloid The Inquirer.)

Though SemiAccurate is not a frequent source of Apple rumors, the site did report in July 2009 that Apple was moving away from Nvidia chipsets at a gradual pace. Currently, Apple’s new MacBook Pros and iMacs exclusively feature AMD Radeon graphics, or Intel’s integrated option.

In addition to laptops, the report said that Apple would “presumably” be looking to move its desktop Macs to ARM architecture as well. It characterized the transition to Apple-made chips for its line of computers as a “done deal.”

“Now you realize why Apple is desperately searching for fab capacity from Samsung, Global Foundries, and TSMC,” the report said. “Intel doesn’t know about this particular change of heart yet, which is why they are dropping all the hints about wanting Apple as a foundry customer. Once they realize Apple will be fabbing ARM chips at the expense of x86 parts, they may not be so eager to provide them wafers on advanced processes.”

The rumor comes just days after a report indicated that Intel could be interested in building mobile chips for Apple, like the A5 processor found in the iPad 2. Intel currently makes the CPUs powering Apple’s notebooks and desktops, but Apple has turned to ARM processors for a range of devices, including its iPods, Airport base stations, and iOS devices, including the new Apple TV.

Apple even entered the chip designing business starting with the A4 processor that powers the iPhone 4 and first-generation iPad. Apple gained the ability to design its own systems-on-a-chip through the acquisition of PA Semi for $278 million in 2008.

Even Microsoft has plans for the ARM architecture in the future, as mobile devices offer longer battery life with the low-power chips. The Redmond, Wash., software giant revealed at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show that the next version of its desktop operating system, Windows 8, will run on the ARM’s architecture.

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Despite sharing similar specifications, Apple’s bigger A5 System on a Chip processor used in the iPad 2 has posted better performance than Nvidia’s Tegra 2 chip, causing one analyst to believe that Apple is leading a trend toward larger, faster mobile processors.

Responding to another analyst’s claims that, from a semiconductor perspective, “Apple is falling behind – way behind,” analyst Didier Scemama of RBS issued a report on Friday defending the A5′s larger footprint, Barrons reports.

Given that the A5 is 122 square millimeters in dimension, compared to the Tegra 2′s 49 square millimeters, Scemama finds the difference “surprising” because both processors have similar specifications: “dual core Cortex-A9 ARM CPU, high-end GPU, HD video, high-end audio and imaging.”

That size difference is partly attributed to the 45-nanometer process used by Samsung to build the A5, as Nvidia used Taiwan Semiconductor’s smaller 40-nanometer process.

According to Scemama, “the major difference in specification between the chips is that Apple uses Imagination Technologies‘ PowerVR SGX543 dual-core GPU in the A5 and Nvidia uses its own GPU called GeForce.”

The PowerVR SGX543, which AppleInsider was first to report would be included in the iPad 2, provides a dramatic boost in graphics power. Though Apple claims a 9x graphics speed bump from the original iPad to the iPad 2, real world tests suggest the second-generation tablet has roughly 5x the graphics power of its predecessor.

The analyst cited OpenGL benchmark tests that show “that the A5 beat Tegra 2 handsomely.” When tested against the Tegra 2-powered Motorola Xoom tablet, the iPad 2 performed 3.7x better than the Xoom.

The Tegra 2′s slower performance may be a result of cost limitations that Nvidia faces with its customers, the report noted. Scemama believes that Nvidia needs to keep the Tegra 2 chip in the $15 to $20 range. In contrast, UBM TechInsight estimates that Apple’s new chip costs $25 to make, though the research firm speculates that high volume, generated by building A5 into a range of products such as the iPhone 5 and next-generation iPod touch, could bring the costs down to $15.

“Apple can afford to use a larger chip, which delivers substantially better performance, as it pays a fraction of the price it would pay if it used an off-the-shelf solution with similar performance,” said Scemama.

Scemama speculates that ARM and Imagination Technologies would benefit from an ensuing spec race as competitors attempt to match Apple in terms of performance.

“Given the current gap in performance between the A5 from Apple and other competing chips, we believe it is possible higher performance (and therefore potentially larger die size) processors may be required by OEMs. This may explain the current race among ARM partners to launch higher performance processors in terms of CPU but also, crucially, GPU,” he noted.

Nvidia’s price limits could stem from struggles by rival tablet makers to keep costs down while remaining competitive with the iPad on features and performance.

Last year, Apple CEO Steve Jobs noted that the company’s “potential competitors [in tablets] are having a tough time coming close to iPad’s pricing. iPad incorporates everything we’ve learned about building high value products. We create our own A4 chip, software, battery chemistry, enclosure, everything. This results in an incredible product at a great price. The proof will be in the pricing of our competitors’ products, which will offer less for more. “

Jobs’ words rang true this spring when Motorola revealed a $799 price tag for the entry level Xoom, despite the company’s use of the cheaper Tegra 2 chip. Shortly after Apple unveiled the iPad 2, Motorola announced a $599 Wi-Fi only version of the Xoom.

Without providing a price or release date, Dell has begun showing a non-working prototype representing a 10 inch tablet running Windows 7.

According to report by CNET, the product is aimed at users “who need greater mobility, as well as IT organizations that demand control, security, manageability, and integration with existing infrastructure investments.”

Named the Windows 7 Business Tablet (rather than using the Dell Streak brand), the product concept is short on specifics apart from needing to use an Intel processor. Last month, Microsoft announced plans to port Windows 7 to the ARM architecture used by Apple’s iPad, but said this would take at least two years to deliver. Dell hopes to bring the concept to market “sometime later this year,” according to the report.

Steven Lalla, Dell’s vice president of its commercial client product group, said that “businesses want Windows because it fits into the IT management scheme,” before qualifying that with, “not to say Android doesn’t.”

For those who don’t need Windows to fit into the IT management scheme, Dell will offer the same hardware running Android, an interesting choice given that so far, most Android tablets are built around ARM devices like the iPad.

Apple itself was believed to be evaluating Intel’s Atom mobile chips back in late 2007, before deciding to design its own A4 SoC used in the iPad. Apple has also touted that most businesses in the Fortune 500 have been eager to fit the iPad into their IT management schemes.

At the Dell event, Intel appeared to contradict evidence that the PC market was going mobile, with Rick Echevarria, vice president of Intel’s Architecture Group, maintaining “we have 30 years in which the PC has proven to be able to adapt itself to the environment,” adding, that “rumors of the death of the PC have been greatly exaggerated.”