Apple Computer plans in the coming days to cut the retail price of its Titanium PowerBook G4 by up to $500 (£300). Apple plans to drop the price of the 400MHz PowerBook G4 by $400 to $2,199 and slash the price of the 500MHz model by $500 to $2,999, according to a Macintosh reseller familiar with Apple's plans for the high-end notebook. The company has already made similar cuts to the prices it offers to schools and students. According to Apple's Web site, college students can now pick up the 400MHz machine for $2,067 and the 500MHz model for $2,819. An Apple representative was not immediately available for comment. The Titanium PowerBook G4 has been a popular model since Apple introduced it in January. Since June, Apple has been offering for free an external CD-rewritable drive with the PowerBook. The deal ends Sept. 3, fueling speculation that Apple might upgrade the notebook shortly thereafter with faster processors or an internal CD-RW drive. A key question is whether a slot-loading version of the drive is available in sufficient quantity to include it in the PowerBook. Apple said on Tuesday that CEO Steve Jobs won't introduce any new hardware at Apple Expo Paris at the end of September. However, a company representative would not say whether the same holds true for Apple Vice President Phil Schiller, who is giving a keynote address at Seybold Seminars, a graphics industry trade show that takes place the same week in San Francisco. See the Hardware News Section for full coverage. Have your say instantly, and see what others have said. Click on the TalkBack button and go to the ZDNet news forum. Let the editors know what you think in the Mailroom. And read other letters.