The FaMACtics are at it again as rumors are circulating that the leaked photograph above may be the new MacBook Brick casing. Since the picture surfaced on Endgadget, and was later traced to this Chinese-language website, bloggers the world over have gone over it like a Pentagon spy satellite photo to try and decide if this is indeed the real thing. At first glance, these photos seem to show a few differences with the current MacBook Pro: the standard DVI port is gone and replaced with a mini-DVI, the Firewire 400 port also seems to be gone, there are more, smaller speaker holes, and the casing in general seems to be thinner.
Rumors about a new MacBook have been buzzing since August when Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer hinted at a "product transition," leading some to think a MacBook overhaul was imminent. Then, just last week, another rumor suggested a new manufacturing process was being used for Apple laptops that would create a casing made of one single piece of metal -- hence the name MacBook Brick. But, if that's the case, then explain to me how the leaked picture above clearly shows a break between the side and the top, very much like the current Macbook.
The new rumors are already starting to bring others out of the woodwork. The Inquisitor reports some Apple retailers have received a new price list that includes a sub-$1000 laptop, and shows this same image. Photos from a Taiwanese site have surfaced here. They look similar from a thickness point of view, but the ports look more like a regular MacBook than the MacBook Pro.
One particularly dedicated MacRumors forum participant calculated the following specs based on the photograph above:
CAPS LOCK KEY = 1.25"
MBA FROM CAPSLOCK TO RETURN = 10.75"
IMPOSED CAPSLOCK KEYS FROM CAPSLOCK TO EDGE OF CASING X BOTH SIDES = 5"
The bottom casing is 10.75"+5.00" = 15.75"
The MBA screen-enclosure (measured diagonally) to bottom-case ratio is 15" to 13"
That ratio applied to 15.75" would suggest 18.17" accomodate for the fact that screens NEED some border and we have a 2-inch reduction.
The NEW Macbook 'Brick' will have the rumored 16" screen. TRUE 16:9 resolution!
So are we about to see the new MacBooks? Maybe. According to our friends at Computerworld, Apple may hold a press event on October 14. Perhaps all will be revealed then.
