Rumor: 9to5Mac says The Brick is 'a block of aluminum'
In the ongoing saga of The Brick, the site that first speculated on the blocky code name for a rumored new Apple product now says it knows the meaning of the phrase. Seth Weintraub at 9to5mac has posted that 'The Brick' refers to a new manufacturing process that will carve MacBooks out of solid blocks of aluminum, creating laptops that are structurally superior to current products. While a laser-and-waterjet manufacturing line may seem more suited to aircraft parts or sportscars, there are some advantages in a milling/CNC approach to making the laptops.Using a solid block for the shell could avoid seams and screws, and the elimination of human hands in the assembly process would reduce cost and defects. A light, rugged MacBook would certainly be appealing... and might be the perfect laptop to appear in the Iron Man sequel. Apple's industrial designers could pull it off, and certainly the legacy of the all-magnesium NeXT Cube (see Fortune's story about the Cube's manufacturing) hasn't been forgotten by Apple's management team.
Equally interesting is the discussion of where these cored Apples would actually be made. In a Computerworld post also written by Weintraub, he speculates on a MacObserver suggestion that Apple should be investing in a domestic manufacturing plant to use this new process, which would be both a highly controversial move in an economic downturn, and an interesting use of some of the company's $20 billion cash hoard.
If the next MacBook is an all-aluminum model, is that a selling point for you? Let us know in the comments.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Jim Cavoli said 12:47AM on 10-05-2008
domestic Apple plant? PLEASE!!!!!!
otherwise, yeah, I'd say an Al MacBook would be a selling point...feels more substantial than the composite they use now (I own an MBP)
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Tas said 12:50AM on 10-05-2008
If they make an aluminum macbook w/ discrete Nvidia graphics, AND keep the Macbook pricing, I'm sold. This is coming from a Macbook Pro user (I would prefer the smaller size).
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TMM said 3:27PM on 10-05-2008
Well, gaming is not important to me.
But Al. and NON-GLARE-SCREEN(!!!) and I'm sold.
steve said 12:50AM on 10-05-2008
'Apple may be investing in a domestic manufacturing plant to use this new process, which if true would be both a highly controversial move in an economic downturn, and an interesting use of some of the company's $20 billion cash hoard.'
A "green" computer made in the "USA" by Apple? Seriously awesome! The only controversy would be over how Apple could top it.
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willie said 4:40PM on 10-05-2008
Am I missing something, or is there a way to actually get all the insides into the Mac? And wouldn't it be really hard to carve curves into the inside? And FYI, your "Seth Weintraub at 9to5mac has posted that 'The Brick'" link is broken.
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waiownsyou said 12:55AM on 10-05-2008
I don't know if I'm extremely picky or something, but I can't stand the crappy screen on the MacBooks (like many other PC laptops). I'm sticking with the MBP's LED screen. Aluminum is nice but Titanium with diamond keyboard buttons is better.
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Larry said 12:59AM on 10-05-2008
I thought codenames were used for products, not methods of construction.
But hey, that's just me.
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PSM said 1:33AM on 10-05-2008
Well then "the brick" would presumably refer to the product that results from this process.
Matt Kern said 1:03AM on 10-05-2008
A domestic Apple plant would be nice... and it may make Apple look really good in such an economic low in the US. I don't see what would be controversial about it, other than that shareholders may be a little hesitant. Anyway, Apple needs desperately to update it's three biggest sellers, the MB, the MBP, and the Mac Pro. The MBP and MP should both receive an optional BluRay burner/reader, and the MB should receive a betters graphics card, a real DVI port, FW800, and a new trackpad. As intriguing as a tablet sounds, I think that it would be a very strange step for Apple, and a huge software development hurdle for them to leap while being expected to hold true to it's three big hitters. For me, I see very little use for a tablet. And for those that really can't bear the primitivity of the keyboard/mouse combo there is always the ModBook. Apple is slacking, at least in my opinion... I desperately want to get a MP for a small production company that I am currently running off two MBP's, and it's been so long since an update, I just know the second I get one they'll get updated and price slashed. Apple, quit being so damn secretive!
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Carl said 3:33AM on 10-05-2008
Bearing no concern for the rest of your post, I just wanted to point out that I believe the iPod is apple's biggest seller.
ianlive said 11:27AM on 10-05-2008
True Carl, though he was likely refering to their computer line. My thought was that the Mac Pro is not likely one of Apple's biggest sellers and would guess they move quite a few more iMacs
Matt Kern said 5:02PM on 10-05-2008
Yeah, I was referring to the computer line, not iPods the iMac probably sells more. I'm not sure though. When it comes to schools, it seems like Mac Pros are purchased in quite high numbers. At my school I would estimate that there are literally over a thousand Mac Pros, and probably less than 25 iMacs than but I also do go to the largest art school in the country, so this may not be the norm elsewhere. But yeah, iMacs probably make better numbers overall.
ipodrulz said 1:06AM on 10-05-2008
They probably won't be too user replaceable, but I don't give a f*ck about how "user replaceable" components are. If it's obsolete, get a new laptop - that simple.
I'm definitely getting the next Macbook Pro, and if it's American made it'll be twice as good - just cause I'm sick of "Made in China".
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Dan said 2:20PM on 10-05-2008
My CD drive just died. Time to buy a whole new laptop!
Or, well, if it was user replaceable one way or another, I could simply swap it out myself for the cost of a new CD drive.
basscadet said 5:14AM on 10-06-2008
user replaceable and accessible parts has saved me and my friends much money. If "buy a new laptop" happened every time a hard drive crashed, a disc drive failed or a memory unit was faulty, I'd stop buying laptops. Even a dead motherboard could be scavenged @ ebay at quite a low price so I want my laptops user accessible.
ipodrulz said 7:29AM on 10-06-2008
Maybe it's just my personal experience with laptops. I've had this iBook G4 for 4+ years, and it still runs amazingly well, and I don't really "take care" of it. I've just always got this impression that Apple products are really well built, and don't break down.
Luigi193 said 1:12AM on 10-05-2008
Well if the internet is just a series of tubes, I could understand why the Brick is just a block of aluminum.
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Vince said 1:44AM on 10-05-2008
"Equally interesting is the discussion of where these cored Apples would actually be made. In a Computerworld post also written by Weintraub, he suggests that Apple may be investing in a domestic manufacturing plant "
Not true, you completely misrepresented this. If you read it carefully, you would see that Weintraub is not suggesting this, he is actually quoting John Martellaro of the Mac Observer, who is not suggesting that Apple is actually investing in a domestic manufacturing plant as you claim, but as Weintaub says, is simply posting his own "brilliant idea". The whoel thing is John Martellaro's idea, nowhere is it suggested that Apple "may be investing in a domestic manufacturing plant." Please correct this error immediately, and avoid such mistakes in the future. It is deceitful.
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Vince said 1:45AM on 10-05-2008
"whole" not "whoel"
Michael Rose said 10:49AM on 10-05-2008
Vince, thanks for the feedback. I adjusted the wording to reflect that Weintraub appears to agree with the MacObserver post that Apple 'should' invest in domestic manufacturing, rather than 'will.'
In the context of Seth's aggressive cross-linking of his 9to5 rumor post with his analysis story at CW, I would take that as a strong hint that he believes this theoretical domestic plant is actually going to become a reality, but that's my opinion from context.