Apple Says Notebook Sales Exploding

"In January, we declared it 'the year of the notebook,' and it's really turning out that way," Greg Joswiak, Apple's vice president of hardware product marketing, said following the opening keynote of the annual Apple Expo in Paris.

At the expo, CEO Steve Jobs introduced a new 15-inch PowerBook, filling out a line of portables that already make up 42 percent of the company's computer shipments - up from one-third a year ago.

The Cupertino-based company also introduced more powerful models of its 12-inch and 17-inch PowerBooks. The new laptops range from $1,599 to $2,999.

Apple also unveiled a new wireless keyboard and mouse using an improved version of the short-range radio technology Bluetooth that has eliminated interference problems with other wireless devices.

Apple shares were up 19 cents at $22.40 in afternoon trading on the Nasdaq Stock Market.