Demand for Metal Notebook Chassis Going Up

Demand for Metal Notebook Chassis Going Up

A DigiTimes report claims that demand for metal notebook chassis is expected to increase. Shipments of notebooks with metal chassis is expected to reach 30-35% of the total market; an increasing number of vendors are including metal into their designs.

Full Story (DigiTimes.com)

 

Plastic looks cheap...glossy plastic looks cheap and grimy.

 

About time.

I don't necessarily mind plastic cases, provided they're solidly built, but I'm sick of the "cut every corner" mentality when it comes to products that cost hundreds or thousands of dollars.

Like those new video game disk cases with big holes in the plastic. The $0.01 (if that) worth of plastic to give consumers a solid and functional case was just too much? You already charge $50-$60 for a pressed disk and hunk of cheap plastic, now you're cutting corners on the cheap plastic part?! It's like they want people to pirate their stuff. . .

 

Perhaps this is a side-effect of the trend towards thinner notebooks. Metal provides a rigidity that plastic cannot.

John

 

Probably slightly improves cooling, as well, since the entire case can dissipate heat where as plastic cannot. Metal cases certainly have a classier look than plastic.

 

When they refer to a metal chassis, I'm thinking of supporting/protective structures like the ThinkPad Roll Cage. But there are a lot of new notebook designs that feature metal exterior panels (base, lid, etc), so I'd say those are also partially responsible for the increased demand...

I never really gave any thought to this until I bought my first laptop with no metal supporting structure- a Dell Studio 1535. I had always owned either a ThinkPad or an old-school Toshiba Satellite; both of which are rock solid thanks to a metal frame under their hard plastic skins! The 1535 had the structural rigidity of jello, if even that! Within a few months, I replaced it with the Latitude E6400 (uses magnesium alloy extensively)!

 

Expect all the laptops to increase in weight. I better hit the gym.

 

Expect now no laptop will burn due to plastic

 

I doubt metal laptops are that much stronger. Did any of you guys read that thread where some guy dropped his sony vaio z from a real low height? The metal is used to keep a thin and leight construction...but its also quite fragile.
If trends go towards decent metal casing like the sony vaio bz series have, I would have no problem accepting a litle more weight. Heavy stuff tends to look more qualitative. I'd stil drive my dads old solid volvo (that thing is a tank) if it didn't use so much gas. So I would also use a solid metal notebook, if they did offer good graphics options.

 

If they made the keyboards and screens out of metal too we could use the hotter notebooks to make waffles.

 

I think the metal chassis in the context of this article refers to aesthetic components - not metal as we think of in the terms of business class notebooks, where the internal frames and bases are constructed out of metal for durability/longevity reasons.

Not a bad thing by any means, but it likely won't do a whole lot for notebooks other than improve the looks/feel. You are still going to have to buy a business class notebook in order to get the best build quality.

 

Prepare for some cheap crap metal notebooks.

Macbook is enough already.

 

I have no complaints if they go the Envy line...thin, light and powerful! Not to mention strong, reliable and beautiful.

 

Thin and light? Yes
Strong? NO.
Beautiful is subjective. I find that thing ugly.

 

I find it quite nice and appealing I must say.

It is quite strong as in there is no flex, and I can carry it from every corner and not a single creak, sound or flex.

 

I haven't seen any data that proves the Envy is strong, nor have I seen anything to prove that it isn't.

We'll just have to wait and see.

 

I have one, and it is quite strong.

The point is that as long as laptops get thinner and more powerful yet maintaining the aesthetics, I like this move.

 

That's my opinion, if you didn't notice.

As I said before, you can't have skinny guy to be weight-lifting champion. Thinness and toughness can only be on the same road for so long. A laptop can only get so thin at a certain point or else it will be severely weak.

And toughness doesn't only include no flex or picking up a corner with no creak. If something is so thin an impact force will just penetrates through and breaks whatever is next. A laptop is tough if it can survive big impacts.

And yes Serg, the Envy does flex.

 

Finally, plastic is such a turnoff for a laptop.

 

I agree, as long as cheap metal is not used.

Because there's some high quality plastic.

 

I like my plastic laptops. But I couldn't care less. If it means durability + lower cost + cooling etc, I'm all for it. While I have my own opinions of metal chassis, I'm by no means a mechanical engineer and defer to their opinions.

 

Agreed on both accounts on this one.

I personally am looking forward to it ... and do not mind the extra weight this may bring about.

 

[Hugs 8730w] Don't worry you'res still unique to me [/Hug]

Seriously though, I'd take plastic with Mg Alloy underneath over plastic with metal on top any day.

 

I think I need to hit the gym more than you.
I like this trend, the plastic (mostly the black), looks so cheap, especially with the fingerprints. The new Dell Inspiron we got in at Best Buy has a metal chasis, and it looks so cool.

 

My point is that going to metal as the main part of the body is a plus since it allows a better and more rigid structure compared to the same body in plastic.

 

Yes, I have no problem with that. It is a big plus.
The thing is, "better and more rigid structure" comes with a higher price. And of course manufacturers can either charge more (which is unlikely) or use cheaper material.

 

So the next stop is carbon fibre right?

Seriously I don't mind plastic all too much as long as it;'s strong and as said before, a metal under structure(like those in business notebooks) is what really matter rather than a chassis.

Personally, something made completely of metal like the MBP is unappealing for me due to the thermal conductivity of the whole thing.

 

Different tastes for different people. My full magnesium body on the Envy is quite nice I must say, and quite rigid, even if HBQ doesnt think so, I have yet to find flex, other than on the lid, that the size does that...

 

Does the magnesium body conduct temperatures as much as the aluminum in the MBP though? I assume when they mean "metal chassis" that the material will differ from manufacturer to manufacturer so Bao has a valid point in concern to the quality of the material. A cheap metal might not be better than a good plastic with a rigid metal under structure like some business notebooks.

 

I wont argue that, very valid point. Business laptops, though, are magnesium also, right? The Precisions and EliteBooks (a Probook too) are, and Lenovo is plastic with metallic roll-cage, right?

For consumer standards, a metallic body, well done of course, should provide a better result, as in quality, feel and value of the notebook, and also make a more rigid design and more "green" if you want...

Not sure what the OEMs are going to do, but I am looking forward to more metallic laptops.

 

Probook is pure plastic. It's there to compete with Dell Vostro line and Lenovo Thinkpad SL series.

 

Yes, lots of business notebooks are plastic with a metal understructure. My T5010 is plastic with a metal skeleton supporting the parts.

The question is really how the manufacturers will implement it. If they decide to cut corners it'll still end up being cheap, even if "less cheap" than plastic.

 

The Macbook Pro that I have used was nice and sturdy, but then again so is any well constructed plastic frame. Metal frames feel much more 'industrial' and impart a sense of confidence in the product as well. I'd gladly pay a premium (~$100) for a metal frame. I just hope it catches on in mass consumer laptops as well...

 

I personally stay away from plastic laptops, I'm done with them. No matter how durable they may claim the plastic chassis to be, plastic still cracks and is subject to fractures and hairline fissures.

I walk a lot with my laptops in my backpack, and after 2 having two plastic laptops rapidly degrade(structural integrity) I switched to magnesium alloy and it's hard to go back.

Metal cases may have some of their own cons, but to me, it's worth it, it'll last for years.

 

some might prefer a crack to a nasty dent of heavy indentation.

my little brother has a MacBook Air and that thing has a nasty "valley" on the top lid. like someone took the edge of a book and pressed down.

Betcha plastic would never do that.

metal chassis on a laptop means very thin metal in most cases. and thin metal means weak metal. vulnerable to warping, bending, deforming.

but I do not deny that they often times look and feel much better than most plastic shells, which I too have grown sick of. the glossy plastic look in particular.

pros and cons, baby. pros and cons.

 

The latest Probook 5130m has an aluminium body. And so has the Vostro V13.

 

You're might be right, I haven't checked out the newest one.

 

I think they are magnesium in fact, or a mg-al alloy...but these are the new ones. As Han Bao Quan says, most of those low end business laptops are plastic. Albeit, my previous Vostro 1000 was a tank, made out of plastic, but a tank nonetheless.

What I want to avoid is glossy plastic, that thing looks cheap, especially black one, the "piano finish" is terrible IMHO...

 

Yes I agree that "cheap plastic" from the consumer line is what what we want gone(especially the glossy type ).

However I do hope that companies don't try and cut corners with the metal body on the consumer lines and we end up getting cheap metallic frames(or funnier we get metal chassis's with plastic under structures ).

There's also the issue of price. There's no argument that a metallic chassis will yield different(and likely higher) production costs than a plastic one. So companies might up their prices in conjunction. Although it might be worth it, it might also clean the "cheap laptops" for those who really have little money and need a machine.

 

I would be worried with the metal chassis and plastic structure, better feel, worse quality? No thanks.

 

Well lots of laptops use total plastic and the article states that there's an increase for the metal chassis, not the underlying frame. This is a worst case scenario but it'd be a scenario where companies would "cut corners" and still provide "what is wanted".

 

From that point of view, you are completely right...hmmm

BTW, slightly off topic, congrats on your new laptop...I just noticed you have one posted on your sig.

 

I don't know about the internal structure of the 5310m but the lid, palm rest, and area below the lid are rather thick brushed aluminum which is pretty strong. I am glad they put it on the lid because it prevents ripples from showing on the screen. The notebook itself feels extremely solid.
The original ProBooks, on the other hand, are all plastic and their build quality was generally a disappointment. The latest ProBooks being introduced are responding to that and are much better built according to reviewers. I don't have any experience with the original ones however.

 

I think one of the biggest problems is with the word plastic itself. Plastic can refer to many, many different compounds. When most consumers think plastic, they think of common/cheap plastics that are very weak, but they can be better than metal in almost every physical way (except possibly cost).

 

To each their own.

Personally I've never had dents in titanium/mag alloys, extremely rigid. Like I said, give it a year or so in my backpack with books and files and plastic doesn't hold up, just my experience.

Don't get me wrong though, I think plastic is appropriate in certain settings. My brother for example, he uses a laptop as a replacement desktop, only moves it occasionally from bedroom to living room, etc. And plastic does the job fine, while costing less too.

But for me, I'm highly mobile, and I'm guessing that's why most business laptops switched over to some metal frames(ie: Hp elite, dell latitude, and thinkpads... for all those lines only some are metal, not all, incase someone tries to be nitty gritty on me). So to each their own, but again, for me metal is practical, not just a classy feel.

 

Actually, the new Inspiron's are made of plastic, but with a metal look palmrest/keyboard deck.

/Dell nerd :GEEK: