Apple cuts prices on notebooks

8220;Bad for the stock today, good for the stock over the next couple of months,8221; said Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, who said that the new machines looked good even if the new entry-level price was not as low as Wall Street had hoped.

Chief Executive Steve Jobs, looking thin but active, put the focus on the new line of MacBooks, although he took a few moments at the end to joke about his health.

His blood pressure was 110 over 70, he said. 8220;And that8217;s all we8217;re going to be talking about Steve8217;s health today,8221; he added lightly, referring to concerns earlier this year that the cancer survivor8217;s health was deteriorating.

He said he would not take questions on the economy or his health.

The new line of metal notebooks, starting at 1,299, are in what Gartner analyst Van Baker called the sweet spot of Apple8217;s line. Previously a white plastic-body machine held the spot.

8220;The biggest news is the 1,299 MacBook,8221; he said.

The 999 price will be for an updated model of the white-body notebooks. The new aluminum machines will use Nvidia Corp graphics and Intel Corp processors.

When asked if Apple would get into the market for small 8220;netbook8221; notebook computers, Jobs said, 8220;It8217;s a nascent market,8221; and that Apple would see how it went.

Apple also rolled out an 899 24-inch wide display for the new MacBooks.