Apple confirms Titanium price cuts

The price of Titanium is falling.

Apple Computer confirmed Friday that it will drop prices by up to $500 on its Titanium PowerBook G4 laptops.

As previously reported, the price cuts bring the 400MHz model to $2,199, a $400 drop. The price of the 500MHz machine is dropping by $500, to $2,999. Both cuts take effect Saturday.

"Now, with this aggressive new pricing, we're offering an amazing value for the world's best notebook computer," Greg Joswiak, Apple's senior director of hardware product marketing, said in a statement.

However, Apple also is curtailing a promotion, previously slated to run through Sept. 3, that offers a free CD-RW drive to those who purchase a PowerBook. That deal now ends at the end of the day Friday.

Apple said retailers have been notified that the CD burner promotion is ending, and it has updated its Web site to alert potential buyers of the change.

When Apple might upgrade the PowerBook, introduced in January, remains an open question.

Apple said Tuesday that CEO Steve Jobs won't be showing new computer models at Apple Expo Paris at the end of September. An Apple representative on Friday added that the company will not introduce any products at the Seybold Seminars graphics industry trade show held the same week in San Francisco.