All You Need To Know About The Apple Brick on Blog24

All You Need To Know About The Apple Brick

Posted by Chris
On October 02, 2008
Categories: Apple, Featured

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Shown above is not Apple’s soon-to-be-announced ‘brick’ that you may have read about on numerous blogs and Mac news websites recently. The photo above have illustrated speculative blog posts about the imminent launch of a new Apple computer. In fact the photograph depicts the redesign for the One Laptop Per Child XOXO Laptop, by Yves Behar.

The whole ‘Apple Brick’ rumour seems to be one of the most uncertain rumours about Apple products ever. There is much speculation about what it is, when it will be announced — but what evidence is there that Apple are either releasing a new product or a redesigning current hardware? Well, none really, this too is speculation based on previous Apple releases, basically it’s that time of year — September and October — the pre Holiday Season when traditionally new or updated products are released including:

September 1984 — Apple Macintosh 512k.
The first Apple Desktop Bus (ADB) Mouse released in September 1986.
Macintosh Classic in 1990 and the Color Classic II a year later.
Apple StyleWriter printer in 1991.
The less successful Macintosh TV in 1993.
Powerbooks1400c and 1400cs in 1996.
Apple Power Mac 6400, also in ‘96.
The slot-loading iMac range, 1999.
1999 also saw the first G4 Power Macs.
In September 2000 Firewire was added to the original iBook range.
The 22″ Apple Cinema Display was revealed in September 2000.
Mac OS9 in 2000 and OSX availble to the public as beta.
Apple iBooks and PowerBook G4 were improved in 2001.
October 2001, the first iPod to feature the scrollwheel.
The first Apple wireless keyboard and mouse were available in October 2003.
2003 saw the first G4 iBooks and an eMac upgrade.
iPod U2 Special Edition was introduced in 2004.
iMac G5s were upgraded to have built-in iSights in 2005 (Mac Minis received upgrades too).
Jobs used “one more thing…” to introduce the iPod Video in 2005.
The 2nd Generation iPod Nano was introduced in October 2006.
In 2006 MacBook Pros received a speed bump with Intel Core 2 processors.
This year saw a redesign of the iPod Nano and Touch and iTunes 8 last month.

This list of October and September announcements by Apple over the years could go on and on. Hopefully this emphisizes why the Mac community gets hyped up around this time of year.

Something in the air?

The likelihood of Apple announcing improved specifications of the current line of computers is very high. We can be almost certain that there will be improvements to the MacBook Pro range.

Redesigned Apple products are a possibility too — perhaps the Mac Mini will have been a radically redesigned, or any of Apple’s other products (except the iPod range).

Speculation is rife about a new product all because of the term ‘Apple Brick’ which had been bounced around from technology news sites to rumour mongers to Mac gossip loving blogs.

The term ‘Apple Brick’ first appeared on September 10th, 2008, but left very little to go on.

One of our tipsters has a bit of a riddle for us.

S/he says that the MacBook update event in a few weeks (you know the one with the glass trackpads) is ‘all about the Brick’. What does “The Brick” mean? Can anyone out there help us out? This is one of those tipsters that has a solid track record so we want to go along for the ride.

9to5mac.com — What is ‘The Brick?’

Ever since this term was used there have been many rumours. Here’s a brief list with links…

Mac Mini Redesign
Cheap Desktop
Totally new version of Apple TV
Wireless USB Hub although Belkin already makes one
Dual Screen Laptop or ‘Foldable Netbook‘
Wireless handheld-slash-Mac
MacBook Touch
Wireless power and connectivity for Macbook range
Apple to launch a digital camera (again)

The most believable rumour is centred around the idea that Apple will be doing something or introducing somthing that will break MicroSoft Windows:

“we believe that “the Brick” is Apple’s code word for its “Windows-killer”, be it a brand new product, or simply a series of price cuts and updates to existing Apple products so irresistible that no amount of willpower can withstand them.

“One reason we like this theory is that Steve Jobs warned investors earlier this year that there were some upcoming killer products from Apple that were going to be coming out towards the end of this year at very aggressive price points, prices so low it would likely affect Apple’s upcoming earnings.”

macenstein.com — Apple’s “Brick” riddle, deciphered

This Windows-killer could be something as simple as slashing the prices of the current range of Apple computers. Alternatively it could be a large and free operating system upgrade that allow Windows software to run natively with Mac OSX without the need of buying and installing Windows XP or Vista. (Is that doable and legal?)

A prosumer version of the Mac Pro (perhaps a cheaper Dual Core version with less expanability) would fill the gap between the high end Apple Macs and the iMac range.

“Presenting the all new
Apple Mac Mini Pro”

Waiting for the brick?

If you are currently considering getting a new Apple computer then personally I would wait until the end of October just in case something special is announced. If there is a new product or changes to the current range it should be announced on or around October 14th (according to numerous sources).

What would you like?

Personally I would like to see a Mac Mini Pro or sizable price cuts across the whole Apple line. Or simply something radical, absolute zero cool, bleeding edge, useful and affordable that no-one in the blogosphere had predicted.

Discuss what you would like Apple to launch in the near future via the comments below.

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