Personally, we at AtAT are still reeling from the sheer coolness factor of the current PowerBook G3 Series, but apparently Apple is still preparing to provide "speed-bumped" models as early as a week from now. The thing is, these proposed new PowerBooks aren't just expected to use the new faster and lower-power G3 chips recently announced by Motorola, as originally suspected by multiple sources; they may also include a slew of new features packed into the sleek chassis we've all come to know and love.

According to MacInTouch, on or about September 1st, Apple will unveil these new PowerBook G3's which will standardize on the 14.1" screens originally responsible for all the PowerBook availability problems in the first place. (We hope this isn't the case; the 13.3" screen is the same resolution, only marginally smaller, presumably easier to acquire, and doesn't necessitate a modification to the PowerBook's cool chassis like the 14.1" screen does.) There are also rumors that the new PowerBooks will gain resolution-switching capabilities, similar to those present in the hypercool Apple Studio Display. In addition, the lower-end 233-MHz model may gain some backside cache for a fairly significant speed boost. And the really wacky rumor is that the PowerBooks may trade up their Rage II graphics chips for the significantly speedier Rage Pro model; if that's true, we can't wait to see 3D-accelerated Unreal running on a PowerBook.

As for the widely-publicized backlog of current 250- and 292-MHz PowerBooks, it sounds as if Apple is planning simply to cancel all of those orders. This scenario is eerily familiar; remember the Power Mac 9600/350? Plenty of orders, no inventory, and finally the removal of the product from the price list and the cancellation of the whole order backlog. While the new PowerBooks sound like lots more computer for possibly a lower price than the models they are replacing (MacInTouch expects pricing to be "very aggressive"), will Apple's customers buy the new systems after having been strung along for so many months?

Speaking of availability problems, apparently Apple's doing a good job of cranking out enough iMacs to meet demand. According to an article in MacWEEK, retailers claim they're getting plenty of iMacs to push out the door. Every single retailer that MacWEEK contacted claimed they had iMacs in stock and ready to sell-- and furthermore, they claim to be "well-supplied" with other Mac models.

Of course, we've got to wonder about the accuracy of the whole article, since it also reports that availability of the PowerBook G3's is "even better than the iMac," according to one retailer. Now, considering that several people have been waiting for their PowerBooks since last May, we have a hard time reconciling that statement. Granted, there was that little qualifier that "only the 250 and 292 haven't been available" (er, that's two-thirds of the line, there) but something still seems a little fishy about the whole deal.

But if we can trust the article's facts, there's some additional good news in there. J&R Computer World in New York claims to be seeing an "abnormal amount of first-time computer buyers" visiting their stores, and MacCenter of Fort Lauderdale, Florida says that their store traffic has increased 50 to 60 percent. Even if the iMac doesn't add a ton of profit to Apple's end-of-quarter results, it sure has increased mind share and interest in Apple's products. And that can't be a bad thing.

Finally, tonight we leave you with some thoughts from faithful viewer David Puett:

I have been coding all day (and browsing) and it finally hit me. A huge conspiracy that only AtAT could bring to the people. Let's look at the facts:

1. Windows NT 5.0 is well over 2 years late and will not be released until after the year 2000.
2. Apple's OS plans are on on schedule and kickin' ass.
3. Bill Gates is not impervious to Steve's Reality Distortion Field®.
4. Microsoft invested $150 million in Apple.

Nobody knew what Microsoft bought for that money. People think it was QuickTime, or payments for past transgressions. No! Microsoft bought Copland and they are rereleasing it as NT v5. This explains NT 5's delays and Apple's gains. Steve Jobs is a genius.

So is Dave onto something, or is he just working way too hard lately? We can't say for sure, but we can say this: if you find this scenario far beyond the realms of probability, you haven't been tuning into AtAT nearly enough. This has been a public service announcement brought to you by the Committee for the Promotion of Paranoid Thoughts. Sleep lightly.