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Liquidmetal Technologies filing outlines its $20 million agreement with Apple - Page 2

post #41 of 52
3/31/12 at 4:16pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by I am a Zither Zather Zuzz View Post

What advantages would liquidmetal give to a desktop machine? where would it be used? The frame?

I can't see it having any significant advantages for a desktop machine.
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post #42 of 52
3/31/12 at 5:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by hobBIT View Post

The promise of Liquidmetal is a strength similar to CNCing from a solid block of metal (like unibody enclosures) with the "processing efficiency of plastics" (presumably injection molding).

Surely Liquidmetal must have proven this processing method before making any such claims.
And plastics processing is a fairly well understood production method. Yet if it turns out that such a process for Liquidmetal still has to be invented, then it perhaps is not as simple as for plastics. Somehow this statement seemingly doesn't match reality.


But perhaps Apple is still deliberately not using it, milking the unibody designs.

Apple and their suppliers have invested 100's of millions of dollars into current production methods for machining aluminium on a huge scale never seen before in manufacturing, and need to recoup their capital investment before investing hundreds of millions more in new production equipment and infrastructure.

Also, of Apple switched over all products at once they would be releasing all that current manufacturing capacity to their competitors to duplicate their current product design and attributes. (Apple currently controls almost the entire world's production locking competitors out.) They would be wise to change over to liquid metal technology gradually product by product for these reasons.

The other great unknown is the total cost of production for this new technology versus their current process and material costs.
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post #43 of 52
3/31/12 at 6:13pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by FreeRange View Post

Apple and their suppliers have invested 100's of millions of dollars into current production methods for machining aluminium on a huge scale never seen before in manufacturing, and need to recoup their capital investment before investing hundreds of millions more in new production equipment and infrastructure.

That is, of course, nonsense.

The investment in current production methods is a sunk cost. If Apple has a better way to make a product, it makes no sense to continue using less efficient method.

Continuing to use an outdated technology on the basis of having an older investment that you want to recoup doesn't make sense.

Quote:
Originally Posted by FreeRange View Post

Also, of Apple switched over all products at once they would be releasing all that current manufacturing capacity to their competitors to duplicate their current product design and attributes. (Apple currently controls almost the entire world's production locking competitors out.) They would be wise to change over to liquid metal technology gradually product by product for these reasons.

The other great unknown is the total cost of production for this new technology versus their current process and material costs.

Whether it is advantageous for any given product is questionable, but if it makes sense, then arbitrarily delaying is generally a bad move.

I would think that the first one where it would make sense would be the iPhone. Next, perhaps, the iPod. Then the iPad. After that, MacBook Air and maybe MacBook Pro. But I don't know enough about the costs of either the current processes or Liquidmetal to have any idea which (if any) of those make sense today.
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post #44 of 52
3/31/12 at 7:40pm
I have a Macbook Pro, a Macbook Air, an iPhone, and a smattering of old iPods.

I don't have an iPad yet. I've been waiting until they made one I could dribble like a basketball. Looks like I may be buying me an iPad 4!!!
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post #45 of 52
4/1/12 at 9:40am
Quote:
Originally Posted by jragosta View Post

I can't see it having any significant advantages for a desktop machine.

Neither can I. But I was hoping to learn something, so I asked.
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post #46 of 52
4/1/12 at 1:06pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by SockRolid View Post

1. Same-size enclosure as current iPhone, but with with edge-to edge 3.8" screen.

2. MagSafe dock connector.

3. iPod touch-like form factor with LiquidMetal back.

4. LTE capability.

you read my mind! just add NFC capability and you have the ultimate phone
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post #47 of 52
4/1/12 at 6:50pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post

CIP granted to Apple a perpetual, worldwide, fully-paid, exclusive license to commercialize such intellectual property in the field of consumer electronic products, as defined in the license agreement, in exchange for a license fee, and (iii) CIP granted back to us a perpetual, worldwide, fully-paid, exclusive license to commercialize such intellectual property in all other fields of use

.

AppleInsider was first to discover that Apple was looking to hire a number of experts on amorphous metal alloys to build products using Liquidmetal's technology. The first product Apple created using Liquidmetal was an iPhone SIM ejector tool.
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But a SIM ejector tool isnt a consumer electronic productits a tool.
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post #48 of 52
4/1/12 at 7:39pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Dunks View Post

But a SIM ejector tool isnt a consumer electronic productits a tool.

So? The agreement doesn't limit Apple to using Liquidmetal products in consumer devices. It simply says that no one else can do so.

If Apple wants to make their landscaping tools from Liquidmetal, they could presumably ask LQMT to do so on their behalf.
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post #49 of 52
4/1/12 at 8:38pm
Hate the narration in that video, as it states absolutely nothing.

"A thing made of bug piss becomes the premier material when a high concentration of bug piss is critical."
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post #50 of 52
4/2/12 at 3:41am
Quote:
Originally Posted by anantksundaram View Post

Bail on the MB!? Heavens, no.

I may bail out if Apple denies me again of graphic performance on 13" sizes

iPhone 4S 64GB, Black, soon to be sold in favor of a Nokia Lumia 920
Early 2010 MacBook Pro 2.4GHz, soon to be replaced with a Retina MacBook Pro, or an Asus U500

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iPhone 4S 64GB, Black, soon to be sold in favor of a Nokia Lumia 920
Early 2010 MacBook Pro 2.4GHz, soon to be replaced with a Retina MacBook Pro, or an Asus U500

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post #51 of 52
4/3/12 at 3:27am
I think you'll find this is more about waterproofing the iPhone, and perhaps later the iPad. One of the processes that Apple and LiquidMetal worked on was an impermeable edge seal. It would supposedly keep out any liquid intrusion and is more than likely the most immediate use of liquidmetal in an Apple product.

melior diabolus quem scies

"No theatrics and no more personal attacks, just stick to the logic and tell me why I don't have any argument ~ Jragosta/2012

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melior diabolus quem scies

"No theatrics and no more personal attacks, just stick to the logic and tell me why I don't have any argument ~ Jragosta/2012

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post #52 of 52
4/3/12 at 8:07am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lukeskymac View Post

I may bail out if Apple denies me again of graphic performance on 13" sizes

By the time you're ready to replace your 2010 MBP, Intel's integrated graphics will have equal or better performance.
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