Going off the board…

I’m going completely on a limb and away from the above suggestions:

The brick is a device in the size range between a Mac Mini and portable drive. It is intended to be light weight and highly portable, but also entirely dependent on other devices to operate.

It will:

1) Serve as a complete repository for a users information (think of the Home on iPod, where a home folder and all settings were retained on an iPod for portability).

2) Potentially include a low-end processor and connectivity to other devices i/o (monitor, keyboard, mouse). The processor could be scaled up dynamically (think x-grid) if connected to another host computer.

3) Or be entirely dependent on the processor of the device it’s connected to (tower, laptop, iPhone), allowing the user of the “brick” to have complete access to all their data, apps and settings no matter what computer they’re using.

Target customers would be those in creative fields who frequently move among computers, ie:

1) photographers, who work with Mac Pros in the office/studio, but MacBook Airs in the field

2) video pros, who are on location with MBPs, but in the office with MacBooks

3) creative pros, who need access to lots of data, but could suffice with their iPhones to run a presentation on the “brick” while it is connected to a projector.

From a sales perspective:

1) Facilitates the ability for a person to seamlessly move from a primary computer to multiple computers (ie: “now that I can make a MB Air fit into an easy work flow with my tower, it makes sense to buy one.”)

2) All the iPhone users have the ability to buy a “brick”—which can either be an accessory for their iPhone, but also be a “try me” mac when connected to their existing monitor, keyboard mouse (like the mini)

Re: The Brick

[quote author=“Zeke”]Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer, July 21, 2008:

We will be delivering state-of-the-art new products that I cannot discuss today that our competitors will not be able to match.

OK, what are our best guesses about the “Brick”?  Entirely new technology/application/market?  New twist on an existing product?

Did Apple ever explicitly refer to this as the “Brick”? Because I’ve assumed that Oppenheimer’s comment was in reference to the new iPods.

Remember, to Apple, all products are “revolutionary at a price competitors can’t match”. Remember the iPod HiFi? The same was said about that.

We can certainly expect new MacBooks/Pros in October (the 14th?). And while AppleTv needs an update, there’s no certainty that there will be any other announcement along with the books. Any really new and exciting product ( a tablet, for example) should have it’s own release event.

I think it’s a GPS-encoded device that, using an iPhone, will allow you to bean idiot drivers who don’t know what a PASSING lane is for. I’d buy a dozen.

There will be NO new product. He said that there would be product revamps that will sell at prices the competition can’t match.

I wonder if the rumor mill didn’t catch wind of this project from over at Gizmodo.

RP Cuento sent us this time-lapse video showing how he built his 2,558-piece Lego Mac Pro, which he dubs Bricked Mac. He also told us a few more facts about this fantastic Lego computer, starting with a basic question: Does it overheat?

It doesnt really overheat too badly. If I’m running batch compressor stuff, I’ll just pop open the side, which is removable.

The box took 14 hours to build. It includes a Mac Mini with a 250GB hard drive hack, with the system drive being an ESATA drive. The Hackintosh running Mac OS X, the second computer inside the box, uses:

2.4GHz Intel Q6600 Quad Core
Gigabyte ep35-ds3l motheboard
BFG NVIDIA 8800gt with 512 Mbytes
2GB of 800MHz RAM
750 and 400GB harddrives

-Dan

Apple TV replacement looms?

Sat, 09/27/2008 - 13:38 ? Andy Space

The weekend Apple rumour machine has clipped across to the Apple TV, with venerable website TUAW reporting insider sources who claim existing versions of that product are set to be removed from sale by September 30.

The report adds “Additionally, the e-mail says that there will be a webcast “kick off” on September 30”. A Tuesday. Is this an Apple-Tuesday?

Naturally, the report then speculates the move could see the introduction of a new model Apple TV, perhaps even a combined machine expressing elements of both the Mac mini and Apple’s “in your den” ‘hobby’ product.

Is this related to the brick?

[quote author=“willrob”]

Apple TV replacement looms?

Sat, 09/27/2008 - 13:38 ? Andy Space

The weekend Apple rumour machine has clipped across to the Apple TV, with venerable website TUAW reporting insider sources who claim existing versions of that product are set to be removed from sale by September 30.

The report adds “Additionally, the e-mail says that there will be a webcast “kick off” on September 30”. A Tuesday. Is this an Apple-Tuesday?

Naturally, the report then speculates the move could see the introduction of a new model Apple TV, perhaps even a combined machine expressing elements of both the Mac mini and Apple’s “in your den” ‘hobby’ product.

Is this related to the brick?

A comment from TUAW:

The story I hear over on Page Mill Road is that Apple is going to make a bid on Tivo Inc—and that’s why they’re ending AppleTV.

[quote author=“Zeke”][quote author=“capablanca”]Great post, Zeke.
I like the idea of a tower both in the context of it being a Windows killer and because I would like to buy one.

...  But the more likely and doable item is the mid-range, customizable desktop tower.  It just makes a lot of sense, for many of the same reasons that the Mac mini made sense as a switcher machine.

I’m having a little trouble understanding how this could be a product that Apple’s competitors couldn’t match?

[quote author=“coaten”][quote author=“Zeke”][quote author=“capablanca”]Great post, Zeke.
I like the idea of a tower both in the context of it being a Windows killer and because I would like to buy one.

...  But the more likely and doable item is the mid-range, customizable desktop tower.  It just makes a lot of sense, for many of the same reasons that the Mac mini made sense as a switcher machine.

I’m having a little trouble understanding how this could be a product that Apple’s competitors couldn’t match?

I’m still wondering what evidence there is that the new product transition wasn’t the new iPods earlier this month. Did I miss something?

With only a couple of days left in the quarter, any new product would have to be announced either Monday or Tuesday.

[quote author=“willrob”]With only a couple of days left in the quarter, any new product would have to be announced either Monday or Tuesday.

Yup, Tuesday!

I have actually had a nagging feeling that products have been delayed recently.  I think after the mobile me debacle they can not afford another lame launch and are being very careful and perhaps holding back on planned introductions.

I thought there were two distinct and different items… a product transition in Q4 (iPods), and a new product after that. SJ mentioned several new products in the pipeline.

[quote author=“willrob”]With only a couple of days left in the quarter, any new product would have to be announced either Monday or Tuesday.

I believe the quarter ends on the last saturday in the quarter ie it ended on saturday Sept 27. Look at the previous 10Qs for confirmation.

I agree and am optimistic that there will be some kind of an announcement this coming tuesday.

[quote author=“MacOz”][quote author=“willrob”]With only a couple of days left in the quarter, any new product would have to be announced either Monday or Tuesday.

I believe the quarter ends on the last saturday in the quarter ie it ended on saturday Sept 27. Look at the previous 10Qs for confirmation.

I agree and am optimistic that there will be some kind of an announcement this coming tuesday.

You SIR, win the prize!!!!

CUPERTINO, California,October 22, 2007,Apple today announced financial results for its fiscal 2007 fourth quarter ended September 29, 2007.

From HERE

September 29, 2007, was a Saturday.