In addition to putting its recalled Powerbooks back on the market, Apple Computer Inc hopes the launch of a brand new line of notebooks this fall will go some way to restore its tarnished image in the portable market. However it will be an uphill battle to win back users who’ve been waiting to buy Powerbooks since May when the notebooks were recalled because of cracks in the plastic exteriors and faulty AC power connectors which led to overheating and to them catching fire in some instances. Analysts believe Apple is at least 18 months behind other vendors in providing features such as CD-ROM drives and large screens which have long been standard on Wintel notebooks and are expected to show up in the new Powerbooks. Apple admits it is going to have to rebuild trust. There’s no word on whether Apple has figured out a way for the new line to run on lithium ion batteries. The recalled portables, originally due in August (CI No 2,955) won’t now be available until the end of this month; there’s no data for volume shipments.
