Apple Rumored to Use Aluminum "Bricks" as Next Big Thing

[Marcus Yam]

New MacBooks are on the way, that much is certain, but the word on the street is that one crucial new feature comes from a metal brick.

Apple Rumored to Use Aluminum "Bricks" as Next Big Thing : Read more

 

[chaohsiangchen]

Apple’s new technique involves the use of 3D laser technology and water jets to carve out precise structures from a brick of aluminum.

Are they trying to make firearms receivers? I think this is marketing hype possibly from marketing department of Apple Corp. This will be the dumbest way to produce computer chassis, since the process is wasteful on both material and energy. Usually these methods are used to produce parts that requires high precision to endure high mechanical stress. Chances are they are only using these things to create that Apple Corp. logo in the picture. The rest of the chassis is still stamped.

 

[layzer253]

Eh, with properly cooled cnc equiptment, your machinery would last quite a while

 

[frozenlead]

Agree with chao, i do.

I also never understood what was so "trendy" about all of their laptops. Everyone who has them thinks their so unique...they don't realize that all the laptops Apple makes follows the same design. They don't even come in colors, for god sakes.

 

[chaohsiangchen]

[citation][nom]frozenlead[/nom]Agree with chao, i do.I also never understood what was so "trendy" about all of their laptops http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/laptop . Everyone who has them thinks their so unique...they don't realize that all the laptops Apple makes follows the same design. They don't even come in colors, for god sakes.[/citation]

To be honest, their design feature is never mine style. I prefer good old IBM/Lenovo Thinkpad style which comes in sandblast black surface and angled corners.

Some people need to feel that they are unique by having certain things that advertised that way.

 

[jimmysmitty]

Just because Apple says so its the next thing. Gotta love how they believe they set trends....

Next up, iWear: Clothing from apple in white only. Trendy yet goes with your new aluminum Mac book.

 

[TwoDigital]

No, the iWear line includes a complete selection of black turtlenecks... with or without a jacket.

 

[Guest]

I believe the term is billet. They have been making car parts (ok, high end custom car parts) this way for years. They take a aluminum brick (called a billet, they also make billets from other materials), and carve it into any shape required. This creates a stronger part then if you poured the aluminum into a mold to make the shape.

 

[hellwig]

Doesn't the VooDoo Envy come in a solid aluminum chassis? No wait, that's carbon fiber. Anyway, I'm pretty sure a solid aluminum chassis is simply a way for Apple to make it even harder to replace the battery, necessitating a new macbook every 6-12 months when the battery dies. Why do people put up with Apple? Their stuff might be trendy, and they are an even more proprietary alternative to Microsoft, but come on. Their product quality and life expectancy sucks (and no, I don't need stories of how your particular iPod battery still works after 3 years). Every single product they release comes with crappy batteries, and they even tell you on the box (300 charges with the new iPhone 3G), and people still buy this crap.

 

[DXRick]

All the others chose to use a material that does NOT conduct electricity. Could this be a problem?

 

[hakesterman]

It's amazing what some companys will do
just to get attention. Nobody really cares
what a laptop looks like, we care about what
software comes with it and how easy it is to
use and how expandable it is. What does apple
think? Do they think we drop and drag are
notebooks on the floor??? All the designs and
shapes and colors are non factors, give us a break.

 

[falchard]

Amazing. Apple has discovered Aluminium. I wonder what other triumphs they will unveil. Maybe next week they will talk about thier carbon fiber manufacturing process, where you poor the goop into a mold and bam it comes out in 1 piece everytime.

 

[chaohsiangchen]

[citation][nom]blackz06vette2[/nom]This creates a stronger part then if you poured the aluminum into a mold to make the shape.[/citation]

You don't mass produce things based on that method unless absolutely necessary. Modern Car engines are made from cast aluminum alloy to save cost, but the piston and sleeve are milled and machined from forged steel. The original AK-47 uses milled receiver, and it takes Russians another 10 years to master precision stamping to mass produce AKM/AK-74. All H&K rifles and submachinegun up to G41 and MP5 use stamped/welded receivers.

Another thing about molding. Molding, if done right, is just as strong as machined parts. Aluminum alloy is tricky, but things are done that way in massive scale. M16 receivers are made by injection molding. The casing of 40mm grenades are also made that way. Since aluminum alloys usually have melting point at about 600-700C, it makes injection molding a good option for making aluminum parts.

 

[Guest]

I want mine forged and heavily anodized w/ m4 feed ramps and a silicon nickel lined carrier surface!!!!!!!!

 

[crosshares]

I wonder what happened to make people actually believe the stuff coming from an Apple fansite.



oh that's why.

 

[yottabit]

It's just a type of machining. It's nothing new and it sounds exuberantly expensive.

People are right in calling the "brick" a billet and a billet the size of a laptop will cost a lot of money even in the quantities apple might order.

 

[crom]

Well obviously Apple is doing something right. They're outselling the other brands in the consumer market. The other brands look to them for innovation.

 

[chaohsiangchen]

[citation][nom]crom[/nom]Well obviously Apple is doing something right. They're outselling the other brands in the consumer market. The other brands look to them for innovation. [/citation]

Get your fact right. Dell is still No.1 and HP is still No.2, followed by Acer, Lenovo and, then is Apple Corp.

But your right about they're doing something right: overhyping their products, M$-bashing mis-infomercial and Windows-crashing software.

 

[Guest]

I wonder how retarded everyone in this article must feel now...