Foxconn may produce Apple's laptops
updated 09:30 am EDT, Thu August 17, 2006
Apple to expand production
Apple is looking for another company to produce its laptops and may turn its to is current iPod manufacturer, despite recent allegations of labor abuse in its "iPod factories." Citing the Chinese-language Economic Daily News (EDN), Digitimes reports that Apple is looking for a third contract manufacturer in Taiwan for its MacBooks and that Foxconn Electronics, the registered trade name of Hon Hai Precision Industry, has a "good chance of becoming the new partner." The EDN report says that Foxconn is "eyeing orders from Apple for a 15-inch consumer notebook model, although it appears to have confused Apple's consumer and professional notebook sizes: the 13-inch MacBook is designed for consumers, while 15-inch MacBook Pro, which soon may be updated with Intel's new "Merom" Core 2 Duo, is designed for professionals. The report notes that Asustek Computer currently produces Apple's MacBook, while Quanta Computer manufacturers the MacBook Pro. In addition to iPods, Foxconn is a contract manufacturer for Apple's desktops. While Foxconn initially denied the labor abuse claims, it has since reportedly admitted to breaking some Chinese labor laws after Apple announced it began an investigation into the claims.
