Are widescreen iBooks coming?

"Apple appears on track to deliver an Intel-based iBook early next year, sources report, and in doing so will replace its long-standing 14.1-inch model with a widescreen 13.3-inch display." Doesnt that say that they will be intel-based?

Not too unlikely, assuming it as tall or deep as an existing 12 inch ibook, the longer format would still allow it to fit on some airline tray tables or other tight spots, and allow for actually decent speakers to either side of the keyboard, like 15 inch powerbook models have.

This is complete speculation, but I think these are not actually "iBooks", i.e., lower-line notebook machines, but actually the new "powerBook" line. I wonder if they could get away with a single notebook line initially, in small and medium sizes with configurations from $1000 to $3000. Then, they could introduce a 17"er in the summer, at the same time they raise the specs on this line and introduce a lower line of notebooks, all in time for school year 2006-2007.

I think that since there is an attraction to the very 'smallness' of the 12" (both iBook and PowerBook), I wonder whether increasing its width would be a smart thing to do. Back a few years ago (they may still do this, I don't know...) Sony had a couple of 'wide-screen' sub-notebooks that were more than 1024 pixels wide, but still only 768 pixels tall -- and they did it on a screen that was SMALLER than the standard 12" 1024x768. At the risk of being branded a heretic, that's what I'd like to see from Apple; please make it MORE PORTABLE by slimming down the size of the box, instead of stretching it out.

It seems like this would undermine the current Powerbook line even more than it already is.

Mac Rumors? I would just leave it to ThinkSecret and well, MacRumors. ;) I like you guys for the general Apple blog that you are. As for the widescreen iBooks, I suppose it could happen. I wonder if they'll keep the 12" square ones though, like in the PowerBook series. If they don't, I'm thinking the 12" PowerBook will disappear soon. No point to buy one unless you want a marginally better processor and a better video card.