Apple PowerBooks to get iSight and iBooks to go widescreen

Apple Insider writes Apple's new Intel-based notebooks will have new eye-catching designs. Officially Apple claims the first Intel-based Macintosh systems will arrive by mid-2006 but reliable sources claim Apple will launch them much sooner.

Without getting into specific dates at this time, sources familiar with Apple's Macintosh hardware roadmap say the company is striving to unveil a completely redesigned set of Intel iBook laptops just in time for next year's K-12 educational buying season, which takes place around April or May.

Currently the iBooks have 12 and 14-inch displays but the new model will likely have a 13-inch widescreen. It's not sure whether Apple will offer other iBook models or standardize around the 13" widescreen model.

Also, new Apple PowerBooks will arrive even earlier than the new iBooks. The new 15-inch PowerBook will feature many of the design elements that made the aluminum PowerBooks so successful but will be about 20-25 percent thinner than current models.
>br> Apple has dropped the 12-inch PowerBook model from its roadmap and a 17-inch model will arrive a few months later.

Following a trend that began with Apple's new iMac desktops last month (and first predicted in this AppleInsider report), both the new 15- and 17-inch are scheduled to include a built-in iSight video camera. As is the case with the iMac, the cams will be centered in the PowerBook's upper display bezel. The latest version of Apple's Photo Booth application will also be included with the new PowerBooks.