by , 4:00 PM EDT, June 2nd, 2003
Apple has dropped the price on the 12" and 15" PowerBooks by as much as US$300.Price drops are for all four 12" and 15" models, making the 12" product line start at just US$1,599, a US$200 drop. The 15" line now starts at US$1,999, some US$300 less than yesterday's price. The 15" SuperDrive model dropped US$200 to US$2,599. The 17" model is still priced the same at US$3,299.
The price drops are as follows:
| Model | Old Price | New Price | Price Drop |
| 12" Combo Drive | $1,799 | $1,599 | $200 |
| 12" SuperDrive | $1,999 | $1,799 | $200 |
| 15" Combo Drive | $2,299 | $1,999 | $300 |
| 15" SuperDrive | $2,799 | $2,599 | $200 |
| 17" SuperDrive | $3,299 | $3,299 | Same |
The move comes with little fanfare save the promotional spot on the main Web page of the Apple Store.
You can find the new prices at the Apple Store.
The speculation machines will be kicking into overdrive now, as Apple often lowers the price of existing models before introducing new ones. For our money, we have been expecting a rev to the 15" line perhaps as early as summer simply because of the timing. This product line was last revved in November, and Apple usually revs its lines in 9-month cycles. Once the aluminum skinned 12" and 17" lines were introduced, a similar move for the 15" units was obvious.
Be that as it may, however, Apple could well be taking advantage of component pricing issues, and is seeking to boost sales for the quarter. It's technically not quite three months too soon for a 15" update (the units were updated at the end of November, which is closer to 6 months ago), and the 12" models have only been shipping for a bit more than 4 months. In any event, our mantra for buying new Macs is always a new Mac on your desk is worth two on a rumor site. Your mileage may vary, but the new prices are awfully attractive today.