Wow... the new Mac will have an even cooler case!!! That is wonderful since the number 1 reason why I buy computers is because its a fashion statement. It will look great next to my Abercrombie shirt and my Converse shoes. It will also match my 3 ipods and my 2 iphones and my "G.W. Bush = Awesome" bumper sticker. I'm glad that Apple is so concerned about giving us average americans a new improved way of computing. I'm smarter than the average person, so i know a good deal when i see one. I guess i should go ask my parents for another $2500 dollars when this comes out.

Space age? Wasn't that back in the 1960's?

They'll start including PENCILS with their Mac's. Pairs well with Time Machine! Low weight! Long shelf life!

that's OK even more people will get the cancer causing fumes for the cases.......lol

I'm reminded of the Star Trek movie where Scottie pecks away on a keyboard for a minute and creates some unbelievalbe process for making a plexiglass tank that will hold water and a couple of whales. :)

This is not correct, both Laser cutters and water jet machines are essentially 2 axis machines. They are able to control the position in the X and Y plane of the system, but they have no depth control. It is either through or not. There is no accurate way of depth control with either machine unless you use a pulsed laser system to slowly eat away at the block.

I would guess that they are going to mill out a pocket from a block. For something like the bottom plate, it would be very easy to quickly mill out the inside on a CNC.

I have no doubt that they will use a water jet or laser system for cutting through holes and the laser for engraving letters or logos in the case.

For fitting together, I highly doubt that they will go with a screw less system. That would mean that there is some kind of latching mechanism or there is an inference fit. If it is a latch, that would be a complex system that would add cost to the system. If you wanted to make a inference fit, you would end up with a system that is very hard to edit.

I think that the ideas here are nice, but they make it expensive and complicated to assemble and produce.

soon theyll be making them from reinforced concrete.

I didn't think and still don't believe that waterjets and lasers can do any type of controlled depth machining. They are only meant to cut straight through a material, leaving blanks for further forming (stamping etc...) processes. IMHO chances are close to nil that they would make Macbooks from a solid billet of aluminum.

So this time they'll make them stylish, sturdy and cheap to make.
Next round, they should make them cheap to the customers.
After that, they could make them useful too.
Still a long way to go, uncle Jobs.

if you don't have to machine it.

Uh what... did 9 to 5 Mac not think about what they'd just said earlier in their post?!!?!?

/me head assplodes

Apple to make next MacBooks with space-age process?

Had the article been titled "Apple to make next MacBooks with new process", it wouldn't have gotten near as much play. lol

IN SOVIET RUSSIA, SPACE AGE APPLE MACBOOKS YOU!!!!

wait, that don't sound right.

The space age has been around for over 40 years. Glad Apple has caught up.

I hope its true. The aluminum they use now is most certainly not aircraft grade... or anything remotely resembling thick enough for the job, either.

If it is one piece of aluminum with no screws, then how would one upgrade it? How would you say, add ram or replace a hard drive?

Wonder how much benzene these will be made with? ;)

marketing line:

"In space, there are no deadly fumes."

actually, I take that back. 9 to 5 Mac has done a pretty good job with rumors the last couple years, with the iMac and the iPod nanos...there might be something to this.

Not that I care all that much; if the price comes down and/or if build quality improves, that'd be nice.

Yeah uhh...how are they going to get the components inside of it if it's all one piece? They going to produce those with wetjets, too?

I actually have the top secret information in my hand!

The process is even more advanced that that! The block of aluminium (which Apple calls a 'brick') is passed through a machine that applies a distortion field that warps the aluminium into a new reality where it is hollow rather than solid.

After that they use chewed gum to affix the motherboard and other components in place.