New 13-inch MacBook to be Bumped to 2.4GHz, NVIDIA 320M

[miles01110]

I doubt polycarbonate which requires petroleum to make costs less than Aluminium.

Plastic ploycarbonate requires minimal amounts of petroleum to make, but the real cost savings are in the manufacturing process. You don't need to mine bauxite ore, smelt it and form it into the necessary raw outlines, then use various cutting methods to actually form the unibody shape with plastic. For the plastic they probably just mold the pieces.

 

[aiqw9182]

Plastic ploycarbonate requires minimal amounts of petroleum to make, but the real cost savings are in the manufacturing process. You don't need to mine bauxite ore, smelt it and form it into the necessary raw outlines, then use various cutting methods to actually form the unibody shape with plastic. For the plastic they probably just mold the pieces.

Sounds like someone is basing this off of Apple's manufacturing process that doesn't exist.

 

[Durendal]

I think that Jobs is going to do what the US military could not. He's gonna turn that whole country into a smoldering crater and devour the organs of every man, woman, and child within the borders to sustain himself.

 

[iZac]

Just give these things a damn matte finish, so they don't scratch like a bugger.

incidentally, those Aussie product numbers the other day could very well be referring to these?

 

[KnightWRX]

Plastic ploycarbonate requires minimal amounts of petroleum to make, but the real cost savings are in the manufacturing process. You don't need to mine bauxite ore, smelt it and form it into the necessary raw outlines, then use various cutting methods to actually form the unibody shape with plastic. For the plastic they probably just mold the pieces.

Yes, and plastic is available naturally from plastic trees.

Seriously, again, the difference is probably a few cents if even that. Aluminium is pretty cheap and flow jets used to make things like the unibody cases are not expensive, at least, not very much more than the energy required to heat up the plastic and molds.

The processes and materials are different. That doesn't mean one is more expensive than the other by any significant margin.

 

[miles01110]

Sounds like someone is basing this off of Apple's manufacturing process that doesn't exist.

Yep, I'm making it all up.

Yes, and plastic is available naturally from plastic trees.

Your words, not mine.

Seriously, again, the difference is probably a few cents if even that. Aluminium is pretty cheap and flow jets used to make things like the unibody cases are not expensive, at least, not very much more than the energy required to heat up the plastic and molds.

The amount of energy required to melt plastic is quite a bit less than the energy it takes to make aluminum malleable.

The processes and materials are different. That doesn't mean one is more expensive than the other by any significant margin.

That the processes are different doesn't make one automatically more expensive than the other, no. But to non-contrarians with a bit of knowledge about the subject it's quite obvious which one will cost more.

 

[aiqw9182]

Yep, I'm making it all up.

Nice job linking to the ALUMINUM video, einstein.

 

[KnightWRX]

Yep, I'm making it all up.

Care to enlighten us about the part where it talks about costs relative to each process ?

, the waterjet is used to cut it into the unibody. Apple has video on it.

Plastic cannot be cut like that. Rather, you use a mold.

So, no, they aren't the same.

No one argued it was. The argument was over the COST of each process/material combo and miles has been saying without any proof or facts that the Aluminium unibody case is more expensive to produce.

 

[Compile 'em all]

I agree with the sentiments people are echoing about these leaks. It is almost accelerating everyday. Something doesn't feel right.

 

[johnqh]

Yes, and plastic is available naturally from plastic trees.

Seriously, again, the difference is probably a few cents if even that. Aluminium is pretty cheap and flow jets used to make things like the unibody cases are not expensive, at least, not very much more than the energy required to heat up the plastic and molds.

The processes and materials are different. That doesn't mean one is more expensive than the other by any significant margin.

Really?

A factory in china can make your plastic case for 1 dollar or so. Can you find someone to do the aluminum casing for me at that price?

 

[brendu]

Made in USA? Great idea, BUT be prepared to pay double to triple the retail prices we're paying now.

not when the robots make everything...

 

[millypede]

I agree with the sentiments people are echoing about these leaks. It is almost accelerating everyday. Something doesn't feel right.

Indeed it seems like all of a sudden nothing then all this happens over the last month or two. Very strange.

 

[KnightWRX]

I agree with the sentiments people are echoing about these leaks. It is almost accelerating everyday. Something doesn't feel right.

Yeah, just like that video of a 5 USB port Mac Mini that everyone claimed was fake for a few weeks until Apple unveiled a Mac Mini with 5 USB ports... Seriously, business as usual.

Really?

A factory in china can make your plastic case for 1 dollar or so. Can you find someone to do the aluminum casing for me at that price?

The factory next door in China.

Volume people. Apple isn't using some machine shop around the corner that can pump out 1 case per 12 hours.

 

[aiqw9182]

Really?

A factory in china can make your plastic case for 1 dollar or so. Can you find someone to do the aluminum casing for me at that price?

Aluminum cans

 

[andalusia]

Could possibly be faked?

 

[xgman]

Does anyone really care about this?

 

[miles01110]

Nice job linking to the ALUMINUM video, einstein.

That was the entire point. The aluminum process is clearly different from the plastic process because, you know, they're different materials. I'd imagine a video of plastic setting in a mold wouldn't be as exciting.

Care to enlighten us about the part where it talks about costs relative to each process ?

It doesn't. As I've stated (or at least strongly eluded to) before- if you're manufacturing comparable pieces out of aluminum and plastic, the plastic one is going to cost you less.

You cannot discount the cost of manufacturing different materials when considering the retail price, no matter how much you and aiqw9182 want to.

 

[Macsterguy]

I just can't stand a thief...

 

[brendu]

Does anyone really care about this?

+10, were pretty bored today it seems.

 

[ValSalva]

So is this the item that Australian MacWorld thought was the MacBook Air update?

 

[aiqw9182]

That was the entire point. The aluminum process is clearly different from the plastic process because, you know, they're different materials. I'd imagine a video of plastic setting in a mold wouldn't be as exciting.

You were unsure of how Apple does their manufacturing process by saying probably, you have yet to show any FACTUAL information on how the aluminum unibody costs more to manufacture than the polycarbonite unibody.

It doesn't. As I've stated (or at least strongly eluded to) before- if you're manufacturing comparable pieces out of aluminum and plastic, the plastic one is going to cost you less.

You cannot discount the cost of manufacturing different materials when considering the retail price, no matter how much you and aiqw9182 want to.

Again, you have yet to show any factual evidence that manufacturing aluminum costs more than polycarbonite plastic. It's just you guessing that it costs less.

 

[antic]

Fake.

I believe this is just the old Macbook with a sticker on the box quoting new specs.

Lets see it fired up with the new info in "About this Mac"

 

[Ironduke]

i can see Apple invading Vietnam after all these leaks

That would be a mistake

Remember what happened last time

Yeah Baby Gitsum!

 

[Mattie Num Nums]

i can see Apple invading Vietnam after all these leaks

Funny on one hand and scary on the other.

 

[johnqh]

Aluminum cans

;-) I didn't know they use waterjets to cut off the inside of those cans.