14 DAY TRIAL // An analyst at market research firm iSuppli going by the name of Kevin Keller believes Apple's "Brick" is indeed a laptop in the making. And, while such a radically different production method would boost costs in some areas, overall manufacturing costs would be lower, he claims. So, it's plausible.
Yesterday, we discussed an editor's findings, regarding Apple's “Brick” and what it really was. Seth Weintraub revealed that what Apple (internally) referred to as “Brick” was actually a manufacturing process for the case of a new product, most likely a new portable device.
According to a BusinessWeek report, Kevin Keller of iSuppli embraces this theory, and claims that such a different approach is not unlikely for the Cupertino Mac maker. Noting there could be savings from the change, the analyst stated, "If you're working with one single unit of metal, you're reducing a lot of the materials costs and also a lot of labor time on assembly."
Then there's the Apple touch, of course. Everyone knows that the company aims to create products that resemble nothing out there. Using a single piece of metal to create most of what a laptop is comprised of would provide Apple with the immense opportunity to achieve its boldest design goals, eliminating all screws and joints. “In short, these notebooks would be unlike anything else on the market in appearance and design,” the report reads.
Apple's patent filings are also a good reference point, if we're to try and unravel the mystery behind Apple's “Brick.” Back in May, 2007, the company actually filed a patent related to the design of notebook enclosures. Developing new technology for "enclosure parts that are structurally bonded together to form a singular composite structure... is particularly useful in portable computing devices such as laptop computers,” Apple believes. So there you go, another clue that the “Brick” really is nothing but a brick.
However, as the same report will tell you, there's no evidence whatsoever that Apple is undertaking the construction of a new facility. The company isn't known to be carving aluminum bricks for the time being, so at least one piece of the puzzle is still missing. But, if Apple was to consider a factory to start making laptops out of aluminum bricks using laser beams and water-jet systems, it would almost certainly be located in China. "If they're doing this at all, there is no doubt in my mind that it would have to happen in Asia," Keller concluded by saying.