Apple may be dropping the 17-inch MacBook Pro from its products lineup this year, according to an industry analyst.

KGI Securities research analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts Apple is cutting the largest laptop it sells because of weak sales.

The 13-inch (starting at $1,199) and 15-inch (starting at $1,799) MacBooks are, by far, the most popular MacBook models. See the video above to view how the 17-inch MacBook Pro compares in sales.

There has been speculation about a MacBook Air and MacBook Pro hybrid for months. The family of new laptops, according to various reports, would essentially replace the current line of MacBook Pro laptops and compete with the lighter flash memory-based MacBook Air.

“While adding new products, Apple is likely to stop making the 17-in. MacBook Pro this year due to falling shipments, in order to maintain a lean product line strategy,” Kuo wrote in a report.

Kuo’s report says Apple’s laptop sales will likely spike in the second quarter of 2012 due to Mountain Lion, the rumored Ivy Bridge integration, and September’s annual back-to-school rush for laptops.

Kuo expects an early third-quarter release, between July and September, for the new class of MacBook Pros. According to DigiTimes’ sources, the thinner class of 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Pros are already in production.

Do you think ditching the 17-inch MacBook Pro is a smart move for Apple? Will you miss the larger screen option? Let us know in the comments.

Image courtesy of Flickr, Mac Users Guide.

More About: apple, Business, Macbook Pro

For more Dev & Design coverage:

• Follow Mashable Dev & Design on Twitter
• Become a Fan on Facebook
• Subscribe to the Dev & Design channel
• Download our free apps for Android, Mac, iPhone and iPad