Apple Will Introduce Its Color Powerbook Laptop : Technology: The announcement marks the second time in four months the firm has rolled out new products.
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CUPERTINO, Calif. — In an effort to capitalize on its highly successful Powerbook laptop computer line, Apple Computer Inc. plans to introduce the much-awaited color Powerbook and a new line of business computers this week.
The new product introductions, Apple’s second in four months, were set to be made today at the MacWorld Exposition in Tokyo, chosen for the announcements because Japan is one of the computer maker’s fastest-growing markets, said Apple Chairman and Chief Executive John Sculley.
“They are responding to the competition,” said Janet Cole, an analyst with market research firm Dataquest Inc. of San Jose.
Apple also plans to introduce a new Macintosh Color Classic, the popular all-in-one personal computer for homes and schools with computer, monitor and software all in a single unit.
It also will formally announce that it has shipped its 10-millionth Macintosh.
The new Powerbook 165c, the first color laptop made by Apple, will be shipped with a suggested price of $3,399 with 80 megabytes of memory and $3,759 with 120 megabytes.
Apple said it expects demand for the color Powerbook, as for all of its laptops, to continue to outstrip supply because of “phenomenal” demand for the machines.
Dataquest estimates that Apple in 1992 held the largest market share worldwide in the burgeoning laptop area, with 10% to 11% of sales.
Apple’s new Macintosh Color Classic, meanwhile, will sell for a suggested retail price of $1,389 with four megabytes of random-access memory, known as RAM, and an 80-megabyte hard drive. It will feature a 10-inch Sony Trinitron monitor.
Apple also will introduce an improved line of Macintosh LC desktop computers with better display capability, priced from $1,349 to $1,499. The LCs are designed for homes, schools and small firms.
Its Quadra 800, designed for high-end business use, will sell for a suggested price of $4,679 to $5,429.
A new Macintosh line known as the Centris will offer variations for home and office use ranging from the low-end Centris 610, with four megabytes of RAM and an 80-megabyte hard drive, for $1,859, to the high-end Centris 650, which will retail for $4,379.
