Next MBP Revision with Redesign/LiquidMetal?

[Adidas Addict]

With apple's new involvement with Liquidmetal Technologies do you think they will redesign the next MBP using this technology? Or do you think its something they will be looking at using in the more distant future?

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/989396/

 

[I'mAMac]

They'll probably keep the unibody for some time. Apple loooooves their unibody design. But possibly in the future a Liquidmetal design may happen.

 

[Adidas Addict]

They'll probably keep the unibody for some time. Apple loooooves their unibody design. But possibly in the future a Liquidmetal design may happen.

I know what you mean, and they are right loooooove it as it hasn't been bettered yet. Look at the closest design, the HP envy, looks ok in photos but damn have you seen that heap of cheapness in the flesh? I think it would be nice for apple to change the design though, stay ahead of the game.

PS: I think the poll will go heavily with option 2 purely because of the amount of people that have recently bought the current design won't want to see a major change.

 

[circularforward]

From what I understand, it'll be a little while until the liquidmetal can be made for mass manufacture in a cost-effective way. It's used in small expensive items like watches. So it'll probably be a couple years.

 

[Narse77]

From what I understand, it'll be a little while until the liquidmetal can be made for mass manufacture in a cost-effective way. It's used in small expensive items like watches. So it'll probably be a couple years.

SanDisk used to use it as the backing material on the e200 series mp3 player and it was used as the casing on the U3 Titanium USB drives.

http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Cruzer-Titanium-Smart-Flash/dp/B0015UQ5LC

I can say from personal experience the stuff is tough. Hard to scratch and damn near impossible to break or bend.

 

[I'mAMac]

I know what you mean, and they are right loooooove it as it hasn't been bettered yet. Look at the closest design, the HP envy, looks ok in photos but damn have you seen that heap of cheapness in the flesh? I think it would be nice for apple to change the design though, stay ahead of the game.

PS: I think the poll will go heavily with option 2 purely because of the amount of people that have recently bought the current design won't want to see a major change.

Oh yes i completely agree that its one of the best( if not the best) laptop designs out there. I just meant that its special to , like a baby. They thought of it, designed it, and manufactured it and it was a huge success while being completely original so I don't think they will be in a hurry to replace it.

 

[Yixian]

They could redesign the current unibody case, make it more crisp/sharp, I think I'm ready to lose some of the curves.

 

[geox]

They could redesign the current unibody case, make it more crisp/sharp, I think I'm ready to lose some of the curves.

+100000

much like iPhone4

 

[circularforward]

SanDisk used to use it as the backing material on the e200 series mp3 player and it was used as the casing on the U3 Titanium USB drives.

http://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Cruzer-Titanium-Smart-Flash/dp/B0015UQ5LC

I can say from personal experience the stuff is tough. Hard to scratch and damn near impossible to break or bend.

You're right, thank you. It's also been used in tennis rackets, baseball bats, and skis. Along with military, space, and medical applications. Interestingly, the 3g/3gs sim ejector pin is also liquidmetal!

http://gizmodo.com/5614154/giz-explains-what-is-liquidmetal

 

[ccashman92]

You're right, thank you. It's also been used in tennis rackets, baseball bats, and skis. Along with military, space, and medical applications. Interestingly, the 3g/3gs sim ejector pin is also liquidmetal!

http://gizmodo.com/5614154/giz-explains-what-is-liquidmetal

I would think the new iPhone 4 they are preparing will be made of liquidmetal. Maybe even the new iPods who knows. I feel like they will keep it to the smaller machines rather than the big.

 

[chris2k5]

My tennis racquet is made from Liquidmetal and it is hard stuff. It always gets banged on the court while I play and it hasn't cracked or anything. Only the paint comes off.

 

[pedrofan]

Yesterday Apple changed their corporative colors in their web, from the traditional silver that represented the alluminium of all their product line to a darker gray.

So... do you think this new color represents an all new liquidmetal age introducing it in next weeks with the new ipad?

Here you can see some pics of aluminum and liquid metal. You can see that colors and feelings matchs with what I'm saying:


Aluminium:

Liquid metal:

 

[joelobrien]

I don't think Apple will make the switch yet. From a simple sales standpoint, why up the ante on a product that is already the top of the line. It makes no sense to switch to LM until they are seeing sales dip. It's a simple maximizing of profits in my opinion.

Also, the current aluminum unibody is still a phenomenal product that no other companies have been able to come close to. Like a previous poster already said, the next best thing is the HP envy and it is not in the same league as apple.

 

[Hornzog]

Yesterday Apple changed their corporative colors in their web, from the traditional silver that represented the alluminium of all their product line to a darker gray.

So... do you think this new color represents an all new liquidmetal age introducing it in next weeks with the new ipad?

Here you can see some pics of aluminum and liquid metal. You can see that colors and feelings matchs with what I'm saying:


Aluminium:

Liquid metal:

Very interesting! That would be sweeet!

 

[pedrofan]

Talking about the hardness of aluminium.. I've just dorpped my mother's unibody aluminium macbook on my table and it has gotten dented... Now the display can't totally close because it is out of shape..

 

[CopperX]

I don't understand why the liquid metal and the unibody are mutually exclusive things.

Can't they just pour liquid metal into the molds instead of the aluminium?

What am I missing here?

 

[iMacrumors]

Yesterday Apple changed their corporative colors in their web, from the traditional silver that represented the alluminium of all their product line to a darker gray.

So... do you think this new color represents an all new liquidmetal age introducing it in next weeks with the new ipad?

Here you can see some pics of aluminum and liquid metal. You can see that colors and feelings matchs with what I'm saying:


Aluminium:

Liquid metal:

WOW! This is very interesting Pedro. When I originally looked at Apple's site, I couldn't make a connection to why they would change it to a darker grey. The Navigation Bar was that of an aluminum colour. This darker grey doesn't correspond to any of their products, hmm...

I hope they use liquid metal in the next MBPs, although I think that's unlikely.

 

[Funkymonk]

I really hope they change it up and use stronger material. Current pros dent so easily

 

[vipergts2207]

I don't understand why the liquid metal and the unibody are mutually exclusive things.

Can't they just pour liquid metal into the molds instead of the aluminium?

What am I missing here?

I believe they machine the uMBP. It's not molded. They would have to move to a molding process though for liquidmetal and even then cooling something the size of a MBP chassis on the order of 1,000,000+ degrees per second would be no easy nor inexpensive task.

I don't think we'll see liquidmetal chassis anytime soon. Especially since I don't think Apple is quite ready for a chassis redesign at this point. I'd be more than happy if I were wrong however.

 

[modit]

What a change! Nice work!

WOW! This is very interesting Pedro. When I originally looked at Apple's site, I couldn't make a connection to why they would change it to a darker grey. The Navigation Bar was that of an aluminum colour. This darker grey doesn't correspond to any of their products, hmm...

I hope they use liquid metal in the next MBPs, although I think that's unlikely.

+1000000

I'd be stoked if the new MacBook Pro comes in that colour.

Apple would have man up their game

It'd be worth the wait (more damange proof, ect).

This should be second page news at best.

 

[vant]

pedrofan, I think you hit it right on the spot.

Facts: Apple changed apple.com to reflect darker toolbar. Apple purchased a company making metal that resembles the darker toolbar.

DARK MBP. HERE WE COME!

 

[SwedishBassist]

As Apple = design in everything they do, I actually find the idea quite plausible. Good catch.

 

[modit]

pedrofan, I think you hit it right on the spot.

Facts: Apple changed apple.com to reflect darker toolbar. Apple purchased a company making metal that resembles the darker toolbar.

DARK MBP. HERE WE COME!

IT'S THE SECOND COMING OF THE BLACKBOOK!

Only 100X cooler for another generation!

Hope this comes out before my sophomore year at University this fall.

 

[iPhysicist]

But why is the sim tray opener, which is made of liquid-metal, as shiny as silver

Well - some month ago they run short on supply, i do not think they have resources for the MBPs... FIRST this will be used for the iPhone Frame. It is way smaller and more complex.

 

[Peterpot]

pedrofan you are a genious! I think you may be onto something, that really makes alot of sense.

I've also heard that liquid metal is lightweight too (not sure if it's lighter than aluminum), can anyone confirm this?