So what's your vision?so glad none of u guys work for Apple. No Vision
Is Apple going to use CF? Should they?
If they don't, do they lack vision, too?
Or are you just fanboying?
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
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Apple Exploring Carbon-Fiber Enclosures for Future Devices
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Is Apple going to use CF? Should they?
If they don't, do they lack vision, too?
Or are you just fanboying?
I'm still having a "2011 MBP Hangover" from that mock pic and rumor run-up to the release...
....and still haven't bought one yet.
I sure a $@&$ would have if they were Liquid Metal or CF (and included the rumored SSD OS).
REALLY hoping they go with a new case for 2012 (or later 2011) refresh....provided i don't buy one before then.
Heh. Cheers, mate.
I figure if I had as much R&D funding as NASA (perhaps more), these are the kind of things I'd be looking at.
Off topic, but I wonder if these alloys have the potential to be strong enough to build a space elevator. They're currently at about 1.7GPa, which is about the level of high-tensile steel. 62GPa is required for the space elevator (carbon nanotubes have theoretical potentials of 200+ GPa - but no one can get them more than a few centimetres long so far).
interesting. are they trying to get a white carbon fiber? since they say it always appears black?
You're not going to increase the strength of carbon fibre by adding liquid metal to the equation. And you'd be talking about a ridiculously expensive product.
Formula 1 sets the standard for this (and just about anything technology-related in racing.) It takes paint and holds up well.
It's a step back aesthetically and environmentally for Apple. But it would make for a nearly indestructible laptop enclosure.
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Are you referring to what you see in the photo?
I suggest you look at pictures of current Formula 1 cars. They are constructed of carbon fibre panels, painted, and are gorgeous.
http://www.patrickgosling.com/folio/photo/2011-mclaren-mp4-26/
They are indeed, but anything painted is not going to be nearly as scratch-proof as what we have right now.
Depends on the clear coat really. Look at how "scratch" resistant a car is going 100 km/h on the highway, exposed to all sorts of elements and debris and then tell me the expose aluminum on a Macbook would fare as well.
Clear coat is surprisingly resistant.
Scotty has been at Apple working on the formula for transparent aluminum according to this video. As you can see, the Materials Dept at Apple doesn't get the preview versions of Lion
I used to work with carbon fiber racing shells.Very pretty, but scratchable and can crack, especially when you start making little skinny cutouts like for keyboards and laptops that would then be abused in bags. Unless Apple gets the good stuff and makes some engineering changes, I don't think pure CF is a good idea. Plus,they'd have to transition their whole line to it, get rid of their unibody plants and paint the cases...
I think using the existing unibody plants, with upgrades, to make liquid metal/CF casings is more likely, cheaper, and nicer looking. If its even possibly to subject metal bonded to CF to unibody techniques. I am not an engineer.
hmmm never thought of it that way...I still disagree because while my car doesn't get scratches that often from driving, driving and small impacts from stones is very different than getting rubbed on a desk in a bag with keys, etc etc. I would not put a small, painted car part in my bag or on my desk without some sort of protection. Would you? Do you know a lot about clear coats? I'd like to hear more (being serious)
You can find or make "transparent carbon" already. To make cheap big pieces you need nanotech.
"Transparent aluminium". Meh.
Why? Have you ever bought any? The fabric is about $30 per yard. YOu have to cut it and stack it and the epoxy is about $100 per gallon. You can build simple carbon/epoxy parts using simple hand tools but the process is very, very labor intensive. It takes most of an afternoon to make one part. The advances are in automation. Once you can automat and get the labor costs down the material is not expensive because you use so little of it.
I don't know more about clear coats besides my personal experience with differing qualities of such on motorcycles and cars. A thick clear coat is quite resilient.
On the other hand, my Macbook aluminum unibody had the underside scratched a lot from simply rubbing in my bag and on my desk. Bare aluminum is hardly scratch resistant, at least not more than a clear coat.
And the beauty of the proper clear coat : You can always apply wax to it or a compound which will make it look brand new. Or you can reclear it. Bare aluminum ? Good luck.
I'm excited
Carbon Fiber Chassis and Liquid Metal screen bezel / supports?
I'm just stating the obvious not by the concept photo but by the actual color composition of liquid metal:
I'm sure Aluminum and Liquid Metal (or any metal at that) can be painted/baked into any color... but with recent postings all showing liquid metal being a "dark" color, I simply was going with that as the example.
Probably one of my favorite videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOEBR3DcqN0
I couldn't disagree more. Apple is a master of marketing, its what makes them so successful. They could sell a computer made out of glass if they wanted to and I'm sure the consumers would just gobble it up.
And besides, apples target market is, lets be honest, the richer more educated portion of the world. Point being, if you can afford to lay down $1,000+ for a computer, I'll gamble that you've at least heard of Carbon Fiber.
Speaking from a cyclists view where most of my bikes are carbon fiber except my beater bike that is aluminum. Carbon fiber sounds like a neat idea but the woven carbon look is kind of old. From what I understand you can get the actual fibers in different colors but you still end up with a slight woven look in even the best. So your left with the option of paint or some form of a different finish. Anything but a solid color through out the fiber would just scream to show wear very quickly.
So I hope this is just rumor and not a serious consideration. Nothing would be as big of a disappointment as to spend a decent chunk of money on a new CF laptop and bump it onto a hard floor and have a chunk of the finish chip off. Any cyclist that is familiar with CF and paint even with clear coats know that it does not take much of anything to damage the paint to the CF or depending on the the impact possibly break/crack the carbon fiber.
ROFL I had to edit my post because I was thinking about the wax since I have to wax my bikes and then I am thinking this is a computer no way is anyone going to want to do this. Really what person wants something they are going to be required to wax to prevent minor wear and reapply a clear coat/paint when it shows wear? The good side about the aluminum is it keeps almost the same color even after a scuff. I guess the Genius Bar people will get retrained in sanding, priming, painting, and coating?
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