Apple's 'Brick' Is an Innovative Manufacturing Process

October 06 06:05:03 AM, Yahoo News

NewsFactor - New laptops from Apple, maker of such advanced products as the iPhone, the iPod and the Mac, could be made from bricks. An aluminum brick, that is.

According to reports on the Web, the computer and consumer-products innovator is about to unveil a new kind of manufacturing that carves a solid-aluminum chassis for MacBooks out of an aluminum brick. With new MacBooks scheduled to be released next week, speculation has grown that it might include models made with the brick process.

'Totally Revolutionary'

According to the reports, the manufacturing process uses lasers and water-jet cutting tools to carve the aluminum block. Some observers have suggested that, rather than making the laptop heavier, it could lead to stronger and lighter laptops.

The reason is that a solid chassis could mean no seams, bends, screws or other fastenings, saving a bit of weight and increasing strength. And, as with all Apple products, it could result in a visually pleasing device.

According to the Mac enthusiast site 9to5mac.com, the new manufacturing process is "totally revolutionary, a game changer," adding that it was the "biggest Apple innovation in a decade."

The site also reported that Apple has spent several years perfecting the process, and that it can now become more self-reliant in controlling the manufacture of its products, rather than farming them out to Chinese or Taiwanese factories. They point out that Apple CEO Steve Jobs built a totally automated plant in 1990 for his NeXT computers, an accomplishment that he said made him as proud as the computers from that company.

There are several advantages to making a chassis out of a solid metal block, the site said. In addition to seamless smoothness and no need for fasteners, the site said the chassis can be very inexpensive and creative in its shape.

'Another Stroke of Innovation'

Mark Margevicius, a research director at industry research firm Gartner, said that, if true, this new manufacturing process would represent "another stroke of innovation from Apple."

He added that what would be most important would be "Apple's intent to take this approach to a large consumer market." He noted that, while Apple is known for the "cool" style of its products, high-style, highly differentiated computers have mostly been the province of Alienware or Dell's XPS line, both of which appeal primarily to enthusiasts.

In addition to the advantages suggested by 9to5mac.com and others, Margevicius added that the solid-aluminum chassis could also help out with heat dissipation on MacBooks. Some owners have complained about the "hot seat" they get with some MacBook models, which can heat up on the underside.

While many Mac fans would enthusiastically greet a brick manufacturing approach, some will undoubtedly be a bit disappointed that the innovation is a process and not a product. The first wave of the "brick" rumors had indicated that Apple was releasing a new device called a "brick."

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