Apple to Slash Prices on New iBooks

Apple will be revamping its portable line of computers sometime this week. The forthcoming announcement will give way to new versions of the company's PowerBook G4 line, as well as speed-bumped consumer iBooks.

With the holiday shopping season approaching, Apple will have to take extra strides to compete in a flustered US economy. As a result, for the first time in its history, the company will offer consumers a sub-$1000 laptop, sources told AppleInsider last weekend.

Each iBook model will be bumped by 100MHz and recieve a price cut of $200. Two models will feature 12-inch displays and run at 700 and 800MHz (G3), with pricing set to $999 and $1299, respectively. The high-end model will run at 800MHz and will include a 14-inch display for $1799, sources said.

The $999 model will ship with a standard read-only CD-ROM drive, while the remaining two configurations will boast the hybrid CD-R/DVD-ROM drive.