We're not entirely sure why, but generally it seems that of all Apple's product lines, it's the PowerBook that spawns the most drooling, rabid, foaming-at-the-mouth rumormongering among the loyal fans. In part it's probably because often the people who can afford Apple's top-of-the-line PowerBook in the first place are the same sort of lucky bastards who can also afford to buy a new one every time Apple cranks out a spiffed-up model, so there's a "when can I buy my new toy" vibe. Then again, the flip side also applies: those who need a PowerBook but aren't independently wealthy and living off the blood of the oppressed working class really need to pinch every penny and make sure their purchase counts. The last thing you want to do is scrimp and save for three years, buy a PowerBook, and watch Apple release a faster model with more features and at a lower price only two weeks later, so there's a "smart shopper" aspect, too. And still another reason why the PowerBook draws so much attention from the Apple-watchers is that it's always "late"; can anyone remember the last time Apple actually shipped a PowerBook within a month of the first "widely-accepted release date" bandied about the Web? So there's an innate rumormonger's challenge in there, as well.

Whatever the reason, though, despite the fact that today's PowerBook is barely three months old (and one of the "freshest" products in Apple's stable), speculation about the next pro portable is running rampant. Mac OS Rumors calls this upcoming slab-o'-power "Pismo-B," and it's seemingly just an evolutionary step forward, as its alleged code-name implies. Due in September, Pismo-B will supposedly house faster G3 processors (running at 500, 600, and 650 MHz), faster and bigger hard drives, probably more RAM, and a "new translucent enclosure" with "some" structural design changes, including "higher-performance AirPort antennas." Don't get too excited about that new enclosure, though, but it's reportedly still not going to be a completely new design. All in all, Pismo-B is mostly a speed-bump release that refines the current Pismo design and adds a bit of translucency for style's sake.

Now, believe it or not, some people aren't satisfied just dishing dirt about the next PowerBook expected in three months; the serious rumor hounds are already talking about the PowerBook after Pismo-B, reportedly called "Mercury." This, friends, is the revolutionary model that has PowerBook addicts licking their chops and arranging second mortgages. According to Go2Mac, Mercury is the long-awaited PowerBook G4-- but its supercomputer core is just one of many happenin' new features on deck. Apparently Mercury will also sport a mondo new 15.1-inch (or even a 15.4-inch) LCD display, and its subframe will be constructed of a "new and innovative" material that'll make it "stronger and lighter" than any PowerBook before it. Look for this puppy at January's Macworld Expo, if Go2Mac is correct. (Personally, after last January's embarrassing Pismo no-show, we're impressed that Jason O'Grady's willing to make such a prediction. The man lives on the edge.)

Everybody loves iCards, right? Arguably, it's the most engaging aspect of Apple's whole Internet strategy; iTools is a bit useful, but it's not exactly "gee-whiz" quite yet, and iReview-- well, let's just say it's still got room for improvement. (Reviewing AtAT might be a big step in the right direction, hint hint.) But iCards is pretty nifty; Apple could easily have fallen into the "just another e-cards service" trap, but didn't. It's a lot of fun to pick a classy picture, add your own text, and mail it off, secure in the knowledge that your correspondent will receive a custom-made JPEG file instead of a just a gibberishy URL pointing them to a garish GIF animation and a cheesy MIDI version of the Gap Band's "You Dropped a Bomb On Me."

The only real drawback to Apple's approach is that some would consider it a waste of bandwidth; whereas a URL is only a few dozen bytes long and lets the recipient choose if and when to view the "card," Apple's iCards are generally about 30 KB that streams right into your inbox, whether you were expecting it or not. Granted, 30 KB isn't exactly gargantuan, even over the slowest dialup connections, but still, for some people it's the principle of the thing. And if AppleInsider is right about where Uncle Steve plans to take iCards next, well, soon it may be a problem in practice, too.

See, the neatest thing about iCards is that if you're an iTools user, you can drag your own JPEG files to the "Pictures" folder on your iDisk and those pictures become available for you when you make iCards. Our custom Stalin-in-a-party-hat birthday iCard is a work of art, for example. Now, if you've used your iDisk at all, you've probably noticed that there's also a folder there for movies-- which means you can see where this is going. Apparently Steve's planning to integrate iCards with iMovie, so that someday you'll be able to send iCard birth announcements to all your friends featuring full-color video of your blessed child waving his little pink arms (or of the birth itself, if that's your bag). And while that's a natural progression, we can't help but wonder whether Steve's planning some kind of file size limit to iMovieCards, or whether he just figures everyone's got a T3 piped right into the living room. Personally, even with a cable modem connection, we're not thrilled at the idea of receiving a 12.6 MB iCard celebrating the completion of cousin Johnny's toilet training in graphic detail-- and not just because of file size reasons.

Thankfully, at least one legal eagle seems to think that "Redmond Justice" is still heading for a satisfying series finale-- instead of one in which Microsoft wins its appeal. While we shared many viewers' joy when Judge Jackson flatly denied the Redmond Giant six more months to stall show why a breakup is unwarranted, we were a smidge worried that the judge's "no more process" mandate might give Microsoft a big advantage when the case makes its inevitable way to the appeals court. We can just hear the pouty whining now: "We were denied due proceeeesssss!" And the last thing we want is to see the last two years' worth of courtroom drama suddenly get overturned in the final episode, like that whole who-shot-J.R. it-was-only-a-dream season on Dallas.

That's why we're pleased to read over at The Register that antitrust lawyer and Penn State economics professor Richard Hawkins thinks Microsoft has no more right to claim denial of due process than Steve Jobs has to claim denial of stock options. "The only defendant who got as much 'process' was O.J. Simpson," says he. Jackson is apparently under no obligation whatsoever to hear any more arguments from Microsoft, since his findings of fact are "more than adequate" to support a breakup. And let's not forget that even though Jackson's conclusions of law might be overturned on appeal, his scathing findings of fact are not-- they're etched in stone, meaning that even if the government fails in its bid to break up the company, Microsoft will still be branded a monopoly. That's fodder for any number of civil cases filed by companies and individuals filing their own private antitrust suits.

Reportedly there is one way in which Jackson's findings of fact could be overturned: an appellate court would have to determine that "no rational person" would ever have ruled the way Jackson did. Since we find it highly unlikely that any appeals court will ever call Jackson a slavering, howling, arm-gnawing loon, we can take solace in the fact that whether or not Microsoft gets split up, the findings of fact will live on as a historical record of one company's shameless naughty behavior. Suppose the original document is bound for the Smithsonian?