According to a report in the Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN), Apple Computer is looking for a third contract manufacturer in Taiwan for its MacBooks, with Foxconn Electronics (the registered trade name of Hon Hai Precision Industry) standing a good chance of becoming the new partner.
“Foxconn is eyeing orders from Apple for a 15-inch consumer notebook model, the paper said,” Rodney Chan reports for DigiTimes.
Chan reports, “Asustek Computer and Quanta Computer currently make Apple’s MacBook and MacBook Pro respectively, while Foxconn is a contract manufacturer for Apple’s desktops and iPods, the paper noted.”
Full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Michael in Helsinki” for the heads up.]
MacDailyNews Take: Sales continue to be strong, it would seem. Now what’s this about a “15-inch consumer notebook model?” While we think that’s really a reference to the 15-inch MacBook Pro, do you think a 15-inch MacBook consumer model would work in the product lineup?
Related MacDailyNews articles:
Analyst: Apple selling more notebooks than Wall Street realizes – July 31, 2006
‘Fantastic quarter’ helps Apple double share of U.S. retail notebook market to 12% – July 19, 2006
I’m afraid a 15″ MacBook might complicate
the product line-up a bit. This has definitely
not been an Apple ideology since Jobs’ return.
Great to see that they need more manufacturers
though, regardless of which computer it is.
13.3″ is really plenty big enough for most uses. It is bigger than one would think.
Keep the 15″ and larger screens for the MacBook Pro and additional reasons to step up.
I doubt there is going to be a 15″ MacBook. That would take away from the 15″ MacBook Pro. The only major difference is graphics card.
I lived with a 12″ PowerBook for years. Plenty of room for most work. I can’t see Apple bringing out a larger screen for the consumer books. However, with the introduction of faster processors in the MB Pro series, maybe they feel there is enough distinction between the two line to allow a common screen size. We’ll know soon enough.
I would love to see a 15″ MacBook.
It may not be what they are working on, but it would be great.
Apple said at WWDC that they were happy about their simplified line up. I don’t see them adding a 15″ macbook. But good news, last night I convinced my wife to let me get a macbook under the stipulation that I let her use it. Wahoo! It will be my FIRST owned Mac. But I am a college student; donations anyone?
I’d rather see MacBooks get smaller, not bigger. The 13″ model was bigger than I expected.
Spark has the beginning of a good point, there. We use a 12″ iBook because it’s easier for my wife to see the screen. The 13″ model would be as good for her and better for me. My mother could trade her 14″ iBook in for a 13″ with no problems.
Apple is unlikely to bring out a 15″ MacBook without adding more differentiation to the MacBook Pro. A speed bump, a few extra ports and a couple extra basics would not be enough. A 64-bit processor would do the trick. Not that the extra power is required for most notebook uses, but the hunkier chip would add considerable cachet. All hype, but hype is important when you make a lot of money.
Apple reported 18% notebook marketshare
last quarter. Any predictions for this
quarter? Back to school being an obvious
factor.
This is why I have previously posted on MDN that I believe Apple will report in October unit Mac sales closer to 2 million than 1 million. The MacBook and MacBook Pros are flying off the shelves. Holy AAPL!
Bigger? I want more mobile options from Apple, like the PowerBook 12″…
Magic word: alone. As in “am I alone in wishing this?!”
I would to see a 13 inch pro model, i.e. one with a real video card and maybe an extra firewire port.
Of course, I think they need a “mid-tower” as well, something between a mac mini and a mac pro with no built-in screen.
A 64-bit chip adds more than hype for those Mac users who actually work for a living. A 64-bit chip adds years to the usefulness of the Mac Book Pro.
A Lincoln Navigator is short lived hype, a Toyota Land Cruiser is years and years of extra usefulness.
i am looking forward to buying my MacBook (Student)
The Cube has shown us that Apple has had trouble bridging the gap between consumer and pro models in the past.
However, a 14″ MacBook Pro thin may be a success in this untapped market space – if there is such a space…
The products target would be on-the-go professionals – not graphics or creative types, but small business professionals.
The secondary market would be niche’s of the corporate crowd trying out the Mac for Windows and Mac purposes, while some IT teams may simply buy the Mac due to it’s superior hardware and service – even it is becomes a Windows-only device.
The low-hanging-fruit would be the consumer who wants to have something “better” than a MacBook and have choice of non-glossy screen. The video card being an nVIDIA or ATI product will get gamers onboard this product over the MacBook.
14″ Widescreen
2.0 GHz Intel Core whatever
128 MB ATI video
60 GB Hard Drive
SuperDrive
All the other stnd goods.
$1,799
I want a MacBook Pro thin!
I think it would pull people to it due to it’s ultra-thin enclosure, and light weight. it will just be too cool for people to pass up.
Looking behind this speculation, there is a question that needs to be asked:
If Apple is really looking for another contractor to build laptops (yes, that’s the common term), is that because they have had so much trouble with the premature launch of MacBook Pro and MacBook?
Just wondering…
Are we ever going to see a mobile Mac built in the USA?
Pete,
It says “Apple Computer is looking for a third contract manufacturer”, not a replacement manufacturer. Don’t rain on my parade man, it’s because of product demand.
“Are we ever going to see a mobile Mac built in the USA?”
When you say “ever”, well, we already have. The older Powerbooks were built in the USA, not to mention the Mac Portable. If you want to get down to brass tacks, all of the “toaster Macs” were considered “mobile”, but I know what you mean.
Anyway, those days are probably long gone, unless you want to pay the premium to a bunch of union workers that get payed $28 per hour to put screws in a case and other mundane acts.
From: No 15″
Aug 17, 06 – 10:12 am
I doubt there is going to be a 15″ MacBook. That would take away from the 15″ MacBook Pro. The only major difference is graphics card.
Not if the Pro has Core 2 duo, and the mac book stays with core duo……
I’m going to UNI and have decided to opt for a MacBook PC !! Being a long term HP PC fan I realised that no-one has the sense that Apple seems to have in making hardware and designing software. It should be on order by the end of the week! I can’t wait!!