Newest iPod debuts

Apple Computer Inc.’s newest iPod digital music player, debuting in February for $249, will be a half-inch thick and roughly the size of a business card.

The price is about $50 cheaper than Apple’s previous least expensive model of digital music’s most popular product.

The iPod mini, introduced by Apple chief executive Steve Jobs, above, on Tuesday at the Macworld Conference & Expo, will hold about 1,000 digital songs on a 4-gigabyte hard drive.

Although the Expo crowd applauded the mini, many analysts and Macintosh aficionados had predicted that Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple would debut a music player for as little as $100. Apple’s other iPods range in price from $299 to $499, and some hold up to 10,000 songs.

Economy

Factory orders drop

Orders to U.S. factories, after posting two months of solid increases, fell by 1.4 percent in November, the biggest decline in seven months. But analysts viewed the fall as a temporary blip in what has been an improving picture for American manufacturers.

The Commerce Department said Tuesday that while a number of sectors suffered declines in orders, the weakness was concentrated in communications, which saw orders plunge by 41 percent.

Aviation

Boeing bows to Airbus

Boeing Co. on Tuesday said it delivered 281 jets in 2003, marking the first year in its history that European rival Airbus delivered more planes to the world’s airlines.

Although Airbus, 80 percent owned by EADS, won’t release its official totals until Jan. 15, it delivered its 300th plane in 2003 to Singapore Airlines just before Christmas. Airbus, whose additional 20 percent is owned by British aerospace and defense industries group BAE Systems Plc, is expected to come in slightly above the 300 threshold for the full year.

Boeing had projected 280 deliveries in 2003 after delivering about a hundred more in 2002. This year’s result is the lowest level since the 271 tallied in 1996.