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Apple is expected to unveil new notebook computers, perhaps even one priced for those with tight budgets, at a "town hall" gathering at its northern California headquarters next week.
In typical enigmatic style, Apple hinted at the theme of the invitation-only event but provided no details other than that it would be held Tuesday morning at the iconic firm's headquarters in the city of Cupertino.
Invites sent out by email bore the lone message "The spotlight turns to notebooks."
While discussing earnings with investors earlier this year, Apple executives tempered profit expectations by saying it is investing in new designs but didn't give specifics.
Apple's Macintosh computers remain a distant second place to world-dominating PCs based on Windows operating systems from Microsoft but have been gaining market share.
Analysts believe the popularity of Apple's trendy iPod MP3 players and iPhones revived the company's cache and attracted buyers to its computers.
The Internet is buzzing with rumors and unconfirmed reports that Apple will try to shake off its reputation for selling premium machines at premium prices by introducing its first model priced at less than $1000.
