Tech - MacBook in for a makeover ?

NEW DELHI: Apple is back in the Web buzz. And the spotlight this time is not on iPhone or iPod, but on MacBook. After a flurry of launches by Apple this year which includes its iconic mobile device 3G iPhone, the new line of iPods and the lightest laptop MacBook Air, Apple is now expected to refresh its MacBook models next week. If Web reports are to be believed, Apple will unveil the new MacBook at a press event on October 14. But the bigger news is that Apple's new MacBook cases will be machined out of one solid chunk of aluminum. This will mean that Apple will introduce a new manufacturing method that will make its laptops smaller, sleeker and lighter. The process will involve cutting out the body of the laptop from one solid chunk of aluminum. Reportedly called MacBook Brick, the brick/chunk will be cut out with lasers and jets of water to produce one case for the new MacBook models. The new models will come with a LED-backlit display and is expected to sell at an aggressive entry-level price point. Also, reports suggest that Apple might do the final assembly of the product in-house. This means Apple is all set to get in the business of manufacturing notebooks. Till now the manufacturing process of MacBook was outsourced to Chinese or Taiwanese manufacturers like Foxconn. But, now it seems Apple is in charge. The new process is expected to make design changes faster and reduce costing. Experts say it would not require bending of the metal and even eliminates the need for screws to hold the case together. In fact these models are expected to be unlike any notebook available in the market in appearance and design. Seems like a good Jobs, all over again!