Stocks of the 15-inch MacBook Pro are starting to dwindle as the rumored release of an updated version of Apple’s popular notebooks approaches. Reports began circulating in late February that the MacBook Pro line was getting a redesign in April. Another report last month clarified that the 15-inch model would be getting updated first,in April. The 13-inch model is said to be getting an update in June, with a release for the 17-inch model still unclear.

According to AppleInsider, numerous retailers are showing diminished or depleted stocks of the 15-inch MacBook Pro, including Best Buy and MacConnection.

Typically one of the best indicators that Apple is preparing to update a product (when they haven’t made an announcement, of course) is that supplies of the older model start disappearing from retailer shelves. The same thing happened earlier this year with the Apple TV: there were few indications that Apple was planning to launch a new Apple TV until retailers’ stocks of the device started to run low and not be replenished. The fact that the same thing is now happening with the 15-inch MacBook Pro is the best confirmation we could hope for – short of an announcement from Apple – that an updated model is imminent.

As far as what to expect from the updated MacBook Pro, there aren’t a lot of details. It’s highly likely that the new model will be thinner and lighter, and there have been rumors that it will be missing an optical drive, a la the MacBook Air. There have also been rumors that the iMac would be refreshing later this year and include Intel’s new Ivy Bridge processors. It’s a distinct possibility that the updated MacBook Pro line will be getting them as well.

Of course, there’s no firm timeframe on the release of the updated MacBook Pro. The rumor mill has consistently been saying April, and the dwindling of retailer stocks seems to confirm that. With a third of April already gone, it’s fair to say that the new MacBook Pro will be coming very soon.

What would you like to see in the updated MacBook Pro? Are you okay with getting rid of the optical drive? Let us know in the comments.