The Apple rumor mill has really cooked up a doozy this time. According to 9to5mac -- a site with a
fairly good track record -- Apple's next big thing isn't just a laptop or an iPod... it's an entirely new manufacturing process. If you believe the site's sources, an as-yet-unannounced event on October 14th will herald in a new iteration of the MacBook dubbed the "Brick," but the big news won't actually be about the laptop. Apparently, Apple has created a brand-new process to sculpt casings for products out of aircraft-grade aluminum, using a system that carves the pieces out of a single block of metal using "3D lasers" and water-jet cutting. The new technique will supposedly allow for seamless components which require no bending or folding, won't use screws to join together, are ultra-light but also "super strong," and will enable the company to rapidly prototype and produce new designs. Of course, not a single word of this is confirmed or even acknowledged by Apple, though we have been hearing whispers of the "Brick" for a few weeks now. Ultimately, everyone should approach this news with extreme skepticism, but if these rumors get magically transmuted into reality, there's no telling what kind of new gear Apple might have up its sleeve.
[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
posted October 5th 2008 2:59PM
I have a feeling that the new Macbooks on October 14th are going to be beautiful!! I can't wait!!
yep, apple will make a computer that barely works, is non-upgradeable, with no replaceable battery, costs more to manufacture, doesn't have an IR port or floppy drive, emits toxic fumes, uses a maltron keyboard, and comes in 12 exciting neon colors.
and it will only cost thrice the competition with no support and a 2 week warranty.
. . . the comments above look like Dvorak and Enderle mass-posting under various psuedonyms
Yep, welcome to the Engadget comment system. And this is despite the fact that these Apple hating tards will claim to their dying breath that Engadget is filled with Apple fanboys and not the other way around. It defies any kind of logic, but that's Apple haters for you.
Good lord, will all the morons commenting on no removable battery give it up already? The article said NOTHING about a completely sealed case. Why is it so hard to envision a cut out on the bottom of a sculpted case for a battery? And RAM and HD go in through the battery compartment anyway, so they don't need a separate access panel. This sounds like a pretty revolutionary manufacturing process and should make for some sexy laptops.
Revolutionary? Seriously, decent manufacturers have moved on from aluminium as a structural material as it's outclassed by magnesium alloy. Which is cheaper to sculpt using simple injection moulding and provides better strength and rigidity, why spend what is most likely an inordinate amount of cash to create what will just end up as a huge manufacturing cost increase? I'm not against using aluminium as a material for looks but as a structural material, seriously Apple should try and keep up.
@Juxtah:
Apple (or i should probably say NeXT) already "moved on" to magnesium 20 years ago, ever heard of the NeXTcube?
Sadly that was too expensive at the time...
Even though magnesium may be "better" i still prefer the aluminium look that Apple has today.
"injection moulding"
"what will just end up as a huge manufacturing cost increase"
Um... you're completely missing the point. This is _getting rid of the molds_.
That is a **huge** thing and savings in tooling for future products, time to market, etc.
This is a game changer.
Lasers and water jets are cheaper then using existing infrastructure to simply manufacture using a material that is better then Al in terms of rigidity and strength? Yeah... I'm not disagreeing with the faster to market or lower costs for producing moulds that may surface as savings in a few decades, the fact is the waste material will more then make up for any savings won by using this new process (even if you take the waste and turn it back into 'bricks' melting down waste Al takes a huge amount of electricity). And the simple fact is aluminium as a structural material is outclassed by magnesium alloy. Again I'm NOT against Aluminium as an aesthetic, but as a structural material, definitely not. It's a waste of money considering this technique can probably only be used with Al, and Al will soon be replaced by most manufacturers as a structural material.
This would be the single stupidest way to make a laptop case. Unless...
Let's assume there are still going to be 3 sizes of full featured (IE not the Air) Apple laptops. Whether they go 17, 15, 13 or 18.4, 16.4, 14.4 (or whatever 16:9 aspect ratio sizes..) doesn't matter for this exercise.
Carving each individual size of laptop out from an individual block of aluminum would be cost-prohibitive, terribly environmentally unfriendly, and just stupid.
But if Apple were to take some inspiration from Matryoshka dolls (Russian stacking dolls), this could work. Start off with a chunk of aluminum big enough for the 17", carve out the middle, which should leave a chunk big enough to carve out the middle to create a 15" case, leaving a third chunk of aluminum to carve out, creating the 13" shell.
It's not out of the realm of possibility, considering that Apple does have CNC machines within their rapid prototyping/design facilities.
Sure, it'd still be easier to just stamp out seamless cases, but this is Apple, and they're known for doing things their own way.
How about just melting down whatever you don't use into another brick?
@Mick: I gotta know- do you really think it's spelled "scarcasim"?
another great idea from apple! :scarcasim: lets charge as much as we can for a mid level performance computer. then lets make it more pritty but not work on performance. our mindless followers will for sure buy it because we made a new product thats essentially the same to the last!! now b4 u go bashing i dual boot linux/windows on my personal machine and have a apple for work. and it ONLY gets used for work the POS
OK
oh yea easy for you to low rank a comment but your not able to leave a respond as to why. friggin apple fans
Response as to why:
You come off as a self-righteous douchebag, otherwise known as a fanboy.
Let's at least save attack rants until this is as least confirmed, never mind reviewed.
And I'm not being scarcasict.
fanboy of what? im the farthest thing from a fanboy. i grew up using all 3 OS's they all have there strengths and weaknesses apple weaknesses jus severely outweigh there strengths. microsoft is fairly level and linux i can do exactly what i want with it.
Few responses because you're angry and highly ignorable. I'm embarrassed to be the one who tells you this way; it's stuff you should know about yourself, like bad breath or dandruff.
Spend less time with all three OSes.
Thanks Mick. You just gave birth to a new meme! And I am not being scarcasict!
/scarcasism
im sorry English is not my first language, but i think i did pretty good for teaching my self. both Firefox and Google didn't pick that up.
I love a good Apple rumor as much as the next guy, but take a look at the Macbook Air. The casing on the Air is machined from a block of aluminum (or, based on the thickness of the Air, possibly a 1/4" or 1/2" thick sheet of aluminum). The machining process used is less clear (cnc mills, lasers, etc), but I don't think the manufacturing process for the new Macbook will be a huge departure from the Macbook Air manufacturing process.
Errrr, isn't cutting a laptop case out of a block of metal using lasers and incredibly wasteful way of making something with regards to metal costs (all that wasted hollowed out metal) and electricity costs for the laser. This would not fly well with the green camp apple finally seem to be aiming to please by changing their manufacturing processes and materials on the ipod line.
At best this could be a new method of using and shaping sheet aluminum but I just don't buy the story as it is right now. Apple, just update the mac mini for frig sake, I don't mind a little plastic and a few screws!!!
Yeah, cause all that wasted hollowed out metal can't be reused... Oh wait.
Most Apple rumors are much prettier when Apple announces them.
guess urban dictionary have to reevaluate the term then..
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=lay%20a%20brick
Jobs is god.
No one will notice how crazy expensive and inefficient this process would be, since the cost will just be buried in the ridiculous price of a new Macbook.
the phrase " '3D lasers' and water-jet cutting" doesn't sound cheap
If it's seamless and has no screws, how will repairs be made? It sounds cool, but I'm sure it will end up costing a lot more (in time and money) when something goes wrong and it has to be shipped to an Apple service center.
the water jet cutting process isn't really that expensive... i have a local guy do stuff for me all the time for my car projects
A reliable source told me to "just wait you impatient fool".
I love all the Apple bashing over a freaking rumor! Must be a slow weekend in your mom's basement.
I'm surprised at the lack of commentary on the esoteric Lou Reed Album used as the article image!
Haha, am I the only one laughing at the "Brick"? What a horrible name. I'm tempted to make some joke about how only mac users would think an electronic brick is a good thing, but I know that people would take me seriously...
Just about the only thing I can appreciate about apple computers is that they take the same damn thing, wrap it in a pretty package, vigorously control all components/software and use (admittedly skilled and interesting) marketing to sell it to a lot of people for a ridiculous price.
Yeah, Yeah I know, I'm a fucking PCdiot. It sounds like a great idea. Way to jack up the price and give it reasonable justification. I'll stick to my cheaper, "uglier" (because a non-apple PC CAN'T look good), more capable and more powerful workhorse thank you very much. (Yeah, I actually use my computer, not stare and drool at it, and then proceed to adopt it as a "lifestyle").
I'm laughing at you, because you think Apple is making anything with "brick" in the name. Do you not understand the meaning of the word "rumor"? How about "prototype"? Nothing? Yeah. Learn to read.
And your arguments about pricing are completely baseless. PC idiots such as yourself have tried and failed to prove that Macs are overpriced. It turns out they aren't, when you include the price of every single thing they come with, which most people like you fail to do. Who would have though a computer that comes with more/higher quality options by default would cost more money? Inconceivable!
It's like you people think R&D and custom made components are free or something. What planet are you living on?
I think this is a nice diversion. Apple's core business is not manufacturing.
What would be new however, is a 2 in 1. A 'brick' in a notebook.
- If the key board is replaced by a tablet (remember the stretched iPhone pictured a while back) and can be detached from the laptop.
- The laptop is like a docking station with a large screen, xtra battery, backup hard drive, connectors etc... Once removed, the key-board/touch screen is your computer on the go.
While we're at it put a complete functioning phone in the form/size of an express card. I.e. when removed, it can be used as a normal and fully functioning stand-alone mobile. (Probably not appreciated by the telcom carriers as it keeps the remainder of the hardware out of their value streams.)
see also http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/03/apple-patents-a-maxiumus-alike-keyboard-imac-macbook-dock/
Implausible. In Apple's world, to "brick" means to render inoperable after an upgrade if you've made some unauthorized hack.
Either this is a decoy, or the name is for something completely different. My vote is for a Mac Mini replacement.
Why would anyone use such a bizarrely complex process for making something that can simply, cheaply and easily be stamped out of sheet metal?
CNC milling is not new. But hey, I guess if Al Gore invented the Internet then Apple can invent CNC milling enclosures from blocks of aluminum.
Well, Al Gore never said he invented the internet, and Apple isn't claiming to be the first company to invent CNC milling enclosures. Wrong on all counts, you're batting 1000 there chump.
Why do the idiot Apple haters always think Apple claimed to do everything first? Are you just really bad at reading, or are you just that stupid? It has to be one or the other.
There must be some disconnect. Lasers and water jets don't cut 3D. They cut 2D. There is no way to stop either from cutting all the way through what ever piece their aimed at. You can't use either to "hog" out a cavity in a block of aluminum. In any case, it does not sound sound cheap. This might allow quicker implementation of designs, but it will most definitely NOT reduce prices to consumers. Also I see a possible danger here with the Apple design police, who might run through lots of dumb designs, just because they can. Even with old manufacturing techniques, it still took them a few tries with iMacs and Mackbooks to realize that a plain old rectangle is pretty efficient package. I just hope they have some discipline.
OK, well to clear some things up.
1. There is no way on god's green earth that apple machines their cases out of solid blocks of aluminum. I would be willing to bet theres no machining in them at all. They are stamped out at a high rate.
2. Laser / water-jet cutting has been around for years, and for the most part its a 2 dimensional operation. Yes, there are 5-axis waterjets and laser cutters, but i doubt apple is using them on laptop cases.
3. There is no way they could hollow out a shell using a water-jet or a laser. Think about it, its impossible. And, there is no way to "carve" out the middle of a chunk of metal in the manner described in the Matryoshka dolls example above.
4. Magnesium is about 33% more expensive than aluminum, and no easier to form. Aluminum is very easy to form using the simplest of manufacturing processes.
I don't know what they have planned, maybe its so revolutionary that I can't fathom it, but I'm willing to bet Steve Jobs just heard about lean manufacturing, and now he's pretending to be Toyota by streamlining the whole operation.
Am I the one that got the Die Krupps reference?
Oh never mind it was a Lou Reed reference, doh! But also a Die Krupps song
hmm then whats this?
http://www.techeblog.com/index.php/tech-gadget/macbook-pro-laptop
On another note, I've still got the LP used in the picture.
If this is true - the aluminum casing would help with cooling of the MB, am I right?
Ehm i think prototype is the operative word in that article..
Sounds like they are using this to mock up and test designs and not to manufacture mass amounts of laptops.
Which would make sense. And give them a bit more freedom in trying new ideas.
as for the scroll wheel on the mighty mouse.. when it works its great cause its multi directional but it does break easy. also there are 4 different buttons on them. I use the middle click alot for blender 3d and couldn't survive without a right click after converting 2 or 3 years ago from being a one click person. but overall its an average mouse. Its not bad, but not for videogames. But if i wanted a computer for video games i wouldnt have a bought a mac.
I heard from an associate, who spoke with Mr. Jobs himself, an anecdote where Steve states "there's over a million square feet of factory floor in China of machines cutting the MacAir from solid pieces of aluminum".
What about extending this process to manufacturing of iphones/ipods?
I better Idea than machining from a solid "brick" of AL would be take a page from the new Nano (and old mini iPod) Extrude the "brick" out of AL and machine the top. The components are slid in from the side. Extruding aluminum is low cost tooling an very little waste.
Wow, this is ridiculous - why can't you all just acknowledge that some people prefer two button trackpads and some people prefer one?