Rumor: Is 'The Brick' a wireless hybrid handheld-slash-Mac?

I'm guessing a home server so you can stream your media to appletv, ipod, iphone etc, without using itunes. Drobo and HP Server shows there's a market and also as HD downloads are taking a massive amount of disc space. I'd love it to be a tablet but unlikely as the market isn't large enough.

hmmm.... so about the brick. What if apple is making something that you build upon, as to me the name brick reminds me of Legos.

Well, just to get some things straight (because there is some nonsense repeated over and over here):

There won't be a tablet soon for the simple reason that Apple has no OS for it. OS X itself does not work on a touchscreen, it's just not practical. All these windows, tiny buttons, menus and keyboard shortcuts do *not* translate well here. A tablet would need a custom OS and GUI, very much like the iPhone and while I think that Apple can do this, they won't do it so soon. While I think that a well-done tablet would be the ultimate Netbook, you just have to look at the state of the iPhone OS to see that Apple has to put quite a bit of work into this first. Maybe in two years or so, but not now.

Wireless power: Forget it. While it works basically, it has high losses, works only over very short distances and most people wouldn't be that happy about powerful high-frequency EM radiation at their elbows and/or wasting energy just for a little bit of convenience.

Netbook: Even if it would be a good idea, you will never see Apple coming late to a trend with a me-too product. Period. Steve Jobs would rather eat a living snake.

Everything else: Remember that every really new Apple product has to be something that sells *really* good. They will not be targeting geeks or vertical markets, but the mainstream high-volume market as with the MacBooks, iPods and the iPhone. Forget about everything not selling in the millions.

Maybe the "brick" will dock with a new type of Cinema Display. It could function as a hub (for devices like cameras, iPods, etc.), a docking station, and a monitor for use with a Mac or PC when the brick isn't connected.

One thing I can guess about a hardware brick, without having any idea what it is...

It will overheat. It's the wrong shape.

?

I was in the local PC store today ( looking for external HD) and I have to say all the interest was around the e-pc counter. Mums and dads with kids looking for £200 e-Pc's with Atom processors. You may think they are all misguided, but the deal on offer was for iPhone like contracts that gave them 'unlimited' data when signed up with a T Mobile package on a mini-laptop - easily capable of doing student essay type stuff.

For £20 per month upwards; and with software included for Skype access to the mobile messaging and calls. Hence internet access on the go and, if you signed for an 18 month plan the e-pc was given free.

This market has the potential to eat deep into the college kids Macbook market; and very quickly reverse the trends on recent years. I therefore think Mac is about to unveil its answer to the low cost internet connected mobile platform.
This is going to hit Macbook sales and the difficulty is to get the spec good enough to gain share but not so much as to destroy Macbook sales - unless they too get revamped with a mobile data plan option.

SJ its all to play for....

>> Dude - have you heard of the Mac Mini????

Oh, the Mac Mini runs on a battery?

And comes with a touch screen?

I wasn't aware of that.

My bad.

Apple realizes that everything is moving toward wireless and over-the-air communications so I believe the BRICK that Apple is working on is a wireless docking station.

Check out this video of the Toshiba Wireless Docking Station
--> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRlYYI9hCS8

Imagine walking into your home office where only a Cinema display, wireless keyboard and mouse are visible on your desktop. Place your laptop [or portable Mac tablet] anywhere in the room within range and it automatically docks, your Cinema display comes to life and displays your desktop. The BRICK connects to all of your peripherals (display, external drives, usb, wifi network, etc) and your laptop or tablet connects to the BRICK, wirelessly.

Undocking is as simple as picking up your laptop/tablet and walking out of the room. This would likely drive more peripheral sales for Apple (Cinema displays, wireless keyboards, etc.) as more and more people move to replacing their desktops with laptops.

How about a mac mini size device with the new micro projector so that you could could play video games, surf, or what ever onto a wall up to 100".

I'm thinking that the 'brick' is that transition device that has been talked about so much during this quarter.

I hope that this means transitioning the Apple TV to a DVR finally! These capabilities have already been laid out in a patent filed by apple. And the term "brick" may imply a redesign... maybe like the SlingBox design.

This would be a definite brick thrown towards Windows since Apple would finally be able to beat anything Media Center can do. (Not to mention TiVO). I think the time is right too... especially with so many options now available in the iTunes store!

Pure speculation... but am still very excited to see what Apple comes out with next!