PowerBook G4 Special Offer From Apple Confirmed With New Details

[Editoris Note: We erroneously attributed the breaking source of this story to Macworld UK, instead of MacUser UK, the actual publisher of the article. The links to the story were correct, but we have also edited the story to correctly attribute MacUser UK.]

MacUser UK is reporting that Apple will announce a new promotional offer for its PowerBook G4 product line this Friday. According to the magazine, Apple will be offering a free VST CD-RW drive with PowerBook G4 units in an effort to clear out existing inventory. From the MacUser UK article:

Sources report the offer will begin tomorrow and run until 3 September. It will apply to both the 400MHz and 500MHz models, as well as build-to-order models, but will not apply retroactively to PowerBooks sold before 15 June. Customers will need to provide proof of ownership, and will have to wait eight to ten weeks for delivery. The offer is restricted to customers in the US and Canada – a spokesman for Apple UK confirmed that a similar deal is not currently planned for Europe.

Sources close to the company report the promotion has two objectives, the first of which is to clear existing inventory prior to the debut of new models. But more importantly, Apple will want to avoid upsetting customers who buy a DVD-ROM PowerBook now only to find that if they had waited, the could have got a CD-RW model. iPowerBook buyers would feel they were being ripped off if a CD-RW feature is added at Expo,i said one US dealer. iThis way, they please everyone and they donit create ill will among the Mac faithful.i

We have received confirmation of this news, but we also have learned that the VST CD-RW units will be Titanium colored and will be 8X CD-RW burners, twice the current speed of VSTis CD-RW model. The unit pictured to the right is the 4X model currently offered by the company.