Appleinsider reports that Quanta will be producing the upcoming iMac, which is rumored to have "major cosmetic changes" for early next year but is still unable to provide details on the new design.
A previous report from the same site claimed that the new transition would be a dramatic one.
Apple has been on a recent surge of product releases with recent iPod, iMac, PowerBook, eMac, and iBook releases in rapid succession. Presently, the LCDs and xServes hold the oldest positions in the Apple product line.
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OK, while I like my stuff to be made in the U.S., I am cool with things being made in Taiwan, as they are a free country with good civil rights. They've held the line for freedom in the face of mainland China across the straits threatening them both with words and an ever-growing missile battery aimed at them.
But according to this article, which I hope isn't true, Quanta is shifting production over to Shanghai on the mainland. Crap.
For those that don't know why I'm throwing a conniption fit over this, China continues to have a horrible, horrible human rights record, and nobody seems to care about it, provided they make cheap stuff.
Are you a religious person? You better belong to the "Official" version of your church, or you may be prosecuted and your church leaders thrown in jail. The real Catholic Cardinal for China died in jail last year, because he wouldn't recognize the supremacy of the "Official Chinese" Catholic church.
Are you someone who'd like more than one kid? You better hide it well or bugger out of the country, because the government might just force an abortion on you or your spouse.
Are you an engineer wanting to design a cool chip, maybe for communication? Well, now Motorola engineering offices in China have Communist party political officers stationed in them, looking over your shoulder.
Are you a factory worker? Pay attention to this quote from the AI article: "In the new manufacturing facility, labor, electricity, tax and government fees will account for only 5 percent of manufacturing costs..." Nice to know your labor rates will support a nice livable community...
One last thing: When I first started working with Chinese engineers in this country, it was right after the Tiananmen Square massacre, and they seemed to truly appreciate the freedom of the west, and how wrong the Communists were.
Now the new ones coming over are just fine with repression - they have all kinds of excuses for why it is justified. I have yet to meet a new Chinese immigrant (in the last 5 years) with an interest in defending basic human rights. And they're coming over here, to California, by the boatloads.
So, a fine place to make an iMac, eh? Crap.
EDIT: Corrected spelling and grammar mistakes