Apple is said to be holding an event near the date of the company's 30th anniversary this April 1. However, since that falls on a Saturday this year, potential dates for this upcoming event are March 28th and April 4th.

In typical Apple fashion, this event will most likely be used to introduce new products. Currently, Apple has only transfered its iMac, Mac Mini, and PowerBook (now known as the MacBook pro) to its list of intel-based products. Its consumer laptop, the iBook, is still on sale with PowerPC processors, as are the 12" and 17" PowerBooks and their professional desktop tower, the PowerMac. It is most likely that the iBook will be the next to make the transition to intel, as the consumer laptop is popular among students, meaning Apple would need to release it within the next few months for the school-buying season.

Rumors abound that the new iBook will use a similar form factor as the current models, but be offered in with a 13" widescreen, built in iSight camera, and like all recent Mac hardware, Front Row and the Apple Remote. It is likely that the new iBooks will use Intel Core Solo processors, much like the low-end Mac Mini, as opposed to the Core Duo chips in the MacBook Pro. Because the PowerBook line got a name change to MacBook Pro, it is also likely that the iBook will follow suit and be called MacBook. Apple has recently filed a patent for the name "Mac Pro", implying a possible name change for the next PowerMac as well.

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