[Cody Overcash]

With rumors flying all over the internet about what "The Brick" is we though we would throw together a nice list of the current speculations. If you haven't heard about "The Brick" it is a rumored product code-name that many believe will be announced by Apple soon. While no one can confirm that "The Brick" really exists everyone seems to agree that if there is an Apple Brick it will probably be announced on October 15th.

Now for the fun stuff. What could "The Brick" possibly be?

1. A Mac Tablet.
   
   
   
   There have been rumors off and on for years now about the possibility of a mac tablet. Apple has made a name for themselves in the portable computer world in recent years and as of this month finally grabbed 10.6% of the U.S. laptop market share putting them at the #4 most popular laptop brand behind Dell, HP, and Acer. We think a "Macbook Touch" would be an awesome addition to the Mac line filling in a void that Apple currently has empty. If I have to wait for Apple to do it themselves much longer a Modbook might become a serious possibility.
   
   
2. A New Mac mini.
   
   
   
   The Mac mini is currently Apple's entry level desktop. It's small, moderately powerful for day to day tasks, and reasonably priced at $599. I'd like to see a more powerfull revision of the Mac mini myself to fill in Apple's current tower desktop line between the entry level Mac mini and the super powerful crazy expensive Mac Pro.
   
   
3. A Wireless USB Hub.
   
   
   
   Really? The picture above of an Apple webpage (yah probably Photoshopped) seems to show a next generation Apple laptop and some strange brick-like device to the right. There is a lot of speculation that that device would be a wireless USB hub to work hand in hand with new Apple laptops. Our take? If there is this much hype about something as miniscule as a wireless USB hub we will be very disappointed.
   
   
4. A product or group of products that will steal market share away from Microsoft.
   
   
   
   Macenstein seems to think they have decifered the riddle.
   "Well, not to toot our own horns, but we think we’ve solved the riddle behind the code name “The Brick”, although unfortunately our theory does not shed any real light on what the device actually IS, but perhaps it can help end speculation as to what it is not.. We mulled the “brick” name over in our official, patent-pending Macenstein Lab Think Tank™, and it is now our belief that The Brick has nothing to do with the device actually looking physically like a brick at all. Rather, we feel it is likely that it is simply a name for an upcoming product (or group of products) that Apple thinks will be sexy enough to pull a huge marketshare away from Microsoft. After all, how do you break “Windows”? You throw a brick through them!"
   Well um yeah. If there is a brick Apple will most likely be trying to take some market share from Windows, the most widely used OS in the world. That is the basic Apple business plan after all.

What do you think "The Brick" is? We'd like to know. Vote in our poll above or leave a comment with your speculations.

[via iphonesavior , computerworld , macenstein]

[Cowboyfromhell4]

i bet its some kind of mind reading device that knows exactly what you want to do...but sadly if this is so, it will probably just be another 24/7 porn machine

but seriously, big ol stretched out iphone, would be cool but just like my gf said she wouldnt be able to use it cuz of her retarded long nails. And since most mac users are dumb blondes with too long of nails, it wouldnt be a very good market.

[clarkbark]

I'm a little skeptical about this rumor. Even for a code name I haven't heard of anyone come up with a crappy code name like "the brick", Not to mention Apple. Companies always have cool code names. There may or may not be a new product this October from Apple but I think someone is making up this code name.

[tattoojack]

Originally Posted by jguest

I enjoy reading things on other sites, then coming here a week later to read them reposted. I liked it better when it was just breaking iPhone news....

if you don't like this site, go away.

i think it is awesome that they keep us informed no matter how long ago it was "news"

if you are sooooo informed, why arent you posting to the news section?

too greedy to share info, or too lazy and would rather call people out that do what you could have done.

*end rant*

i hope its a new mac mini.

i totally agree with the gap between the mini and the G5

[davalos]

lol @ first post. I HOPE its more than one thing. like a new mac mini or new cheaper macbooks, and nicer macbook pros.

I think its the right time for mac to release a cheaper laptop, this way they can tap deeper into MS market-share.

[rysher]

maybe its an apple couch...only sold at "The Brick"...just a thought

[skatertrash]

that mac tablet is the sickest thing i've ever seen. i would love to own one; too bad the modbook costs about as much as an mbp. maybe it really is just a sexy brick they designed to throw through a window at microsoft headquarters...

[NakedFaerie]

I think its the codename for the next iphone firmware. The way thier going I believe it.

[Sparblaze]

That new mac mini looks nice if it is real. I would love to buy a Mac tablet. The modded one costs way too much last I checked.

EDIT: The prices for the ModBook are $2,239.00 and $2,479.00. Whoo expensive!

[elr0y7]

Originally Posted by NakedFaerie

I think its the codename for the next iphone firmware. The way thier going I believe it.

That's a scary thought, the "brick" firmware for the iphone. I don't like "iphone" and "brick" in the same sentence.

[jamescrofton]

My Theory is that apple intends to take market share from Microsoft by releasing a version of OS X that can be installed on PC Hardware.

It would be a big break from apple policy, ( hence brick maybe, I know its a leap) but would certainly give Microsoft a major problem.

Any thought people .?

[Macdaddy5539]

I think it will be a mini macbook to compete directly with the eeepc and Dell's Inspiron 9.
At least that's what I hope it will be...

[MetallicaFan1991]

Please, please, please let it be a new iPhone, 2 months and still no new phone is too long in the mobile market.
I'm still waiting for a 3rd gen iPhone(not the 3G, one after it), until then 1st gen for me.

Or it might be just a red brick with a silver Apple logo lol (joke)

Honestly, in picture 3 in the little blue box it looks like a 2.3 with a smudged iPhone written in the title to me, maybe new firmware, I do wear glasses/contact lenses btw.

[elr0y7]

Originally Posted by jamescrofton

My Theory is that apple intends to take market share from Microsoft by releasing a version of OS X that can be installed on PC Hardware.

It would be a big break from apple policy, ( hence brick maybe, I know its a leap) but would certainly give Microsoft a major problem.

Any thought people .?

That's a good theory, being able to download OSX on a pc would definitely put a "brick" to Windows, but I don't see them doing something so suddenly, especially now that they are selling even more of their computers now more than ever and would probably try to stick with their own. They would also have to thoroughly revamp their security to handle the "open-ness" of a pc platform. I could definitely see this happening somewhere down the line, I just don't think now's the time.

[zurie]

well if psystar wins that lawsuit about the EULA being null and void on the OS X as well as apple then it would open the OS up for all PC's anyway. might as well have apple counter that, open it first, support it, sell it, and start taking the profits.

trying to pidgeon hole you into hardware specific for mac, but its not really specific hardware, its just a apple case, glued together as a mac. still a intel chipset, intel NB/SB, and still the same ram, HD, DVD drives, audio, etc that PC's are using (most of the time inferior parts.. as I run DDR3 1300 on my mac, but you can't do that on the same equivelant mac for triple the price. I'd love to take my Vanilla Hackintosh Q9450 and actually install a "supported" version of 10.5.4 rather than one that I have to support myself.