Apple Brick rumours building
A chip off the old block
THE WEB has been buzzing with rumours that a new Apple product, codenamed Brick, would be announced in an industry keynote on October 14th.
Some commentators have guessed that the announcement, which is likely to become one of Jobbso's infamous 'just one more thing' teasers, would be a new notebook design, or even a refresh of the increasingly long-in-the-tooth Mac Mini.
One wag even suggested that Brick would be a new OS and that it was so named because it would 'smash Windows'.
But the latest mumblings from the rumour mill point to something altogether more substantial.
The 'brick' in question is a block of aircraft-grade aluminium and, rather than a new product, we're looking at a new manufacturing process according to some sources within Club Cupertino.
The new manufacturing process, which apparently will allow Apple to carve cases and components from a single block of lightweight metal using high pressure water jets and three-dimensional lasers, could be a game changer for the laptop industry. It means that chassis and cases will no longer have to be folded or joined, adding huge strength and making the next generation of Mac laptops seamless and virtually screwless.
Jobs is no stranger to setting up impressive manufacturing plants having overseen the development and operation of what was once described as "the ultimate computer factory" whilst running NeXT.
Apple is well known for its desire to keep as much of the manufacturing process as possible in house, and this bold move could mean that some processes currently outsourced to China and Taiwan could come closer to home.
It's all rumour and speculation at the moment but don't forget, if it comes true, you heard it here first. µ
Comments
Heard it here first??
Nope, Fudo already reported it early this morning (8:30 AM, that's 7:30 AM UK time, 2:30 AM east coast)So what about the other definition?!
Did Apple really codename a project "Brick" without realising what else might be described as a brick?iPhones that Apple bricked themselves with firmware updates (according to some news outlets, this wasn't just limited to unlocked iPhones). Several bricked iPods over the years...
With planned obsolescence engineered into pretty much everything they've released thus far, it seems "Brick" is just reflecting consumer expectations.
I hope the Inquirer is right
I hope it is a MiniMac update, it is sorely needed. I want one bad but have been waiting for this because the current Mini is horribly aged right now. Apple should be selling it for $199 and $299 for what you are currently getting.Forgot the best part?
It's gonna have nVidia chipset/GPUs... Chaaaaarrlliiiieeeeee!!!! :)iPhone
The new iPhone software update?Heard it here first?
Aaah, but I most certainly did not hear it here first. I heard it at AppleInsider a few days ago. You guys are running a bit behind on your "score the rest of the net's IT/computer sites for something to post here" routine. What ever happened to the days when The Inq *actually* did solid reporting of their own? I guess this is what happens when the been counters take control. Sad. Really.Nowt new
If this "new" manufacturing process is really what Brick is about, they'll just be using what others have done in the past, such as Moshi with their Celesta keyboard (same materials, same process, available on the Apple store website)It's an update
Apple Brick is an update for all Apple products. It takes any modified, hacked, or unlocked products, and turns them into a brick.Brick(ed)
I'm new to computers and such, would buying a computer codenamed Brick be a good idea?I didn't hear it here first.
I didn't hear it here first. I heard it over the weekend from Gizmodo who properly credited the source of the rumor.opposite of modern products
A brick is almost the exact opposite of the current products being made by Apple and most others. Its durable, long lasting, heavy, good value for money, useful, and does not need to be returned to have the battery replaced. Give me a brick over an iPod anyday.apple makers
I thought asus and quanta made the macbooks?Father Jack a mac fanboi?
Well, he did go totally overboard:"I LOVE MY BRICK!"
..and true to form, after a few minutes had passed, the novelty had worn off..
"FED UP WITH BRIIIIIICK!"
I think we should be told.
The Brick
That's easy. It's a sub $300.00 US replacement for the Mac Mini in the shape of a brick. It will have a small SSD, no fan, in fact no moving parts. You plug it in and it just works. VGA port, network port, and 4 USB ports on the back side, with 802.11G or N wireless. Chip probably an Intel Atom or something else low power (Arm anyone). No CD/DVD drive, you download anything you want through ITunes like with the IPhone. It will be designed to sell huge volumes, with the aim of putting Dell out of business (Steve Jobs still remembers Michael Dell saying that Steve should have wound up the company and distributed the proceeds to the shareholders).
In other words the perfect white box replacement, what you could give your mom and dad to use without worrying about having to make support calls.
And of course this opinion is worth exactly what you paid for it.
All your brick
Looks like the PR department will be getting some big bonuses. Now people will actually want their fruit-themed toys 'bricked'.seamless laptop?
if the case is seamless, how do they get all the electronic bits inside?bs
"It means that chassis and cases will no longer have to be folded or joined, adding huge strength and making the next generation of Mac laptops seamless and virtually screwless."It is true that Aluminum derives its strength mainly from material mass, however creating laptop casing material purely out of a singular Aluminum block would be wasteful (think of the material cut out).
Folds and joins in AL plate have the potiential to ADD strength and stiffness to a structure (Think Al bodied cars)
Making a laptop case from a single brick of AL would make it heavier and not as stiff as one made from AL plate based methods. The primary reason is that it would be harder to calculate the stiffness of the structure as it would have have to be thought of as a 3d stucture. This is always complicated to model and prone to error.
It is for the above reason why you dont see tiny computer cases made solely from a machined billet of Aluminum (small boxes for electronics are a different matter).
Thats my three pence
Niki Mistry
BEng Mechnical Engineering