Several weeks ago, word that a new manufacturing process for apple laptop cases was in the works, and there was widespread speculation about what the word “brick” would mean.Previously, speculation has centered on a new design, derived from the Macbook Air, which the company introduced earlier this year at its annual MacWorld conference.

Now, however, economics and price will probably get more attention than the company’s latest industrial design. One site reported that the entry price of an Apple Macbook laptop would fall to $799, potentially a drop of $300.

In July, after an unusually strong quarter, Apple’s chief financial officer teased analysts with hints that the company was preparing to introduce a new class of products that would give the rest of the consumer electronics industry fits.

The company is planning on taking away what Peter Oppenheimer, the company’s chief financial officer, called an ”umbrella for our competitors.”

Since then, there have been a variety of leaks suggesting that the word “brick” refers to a lower-cost manufacturing process for the company’s sleek cases, although given Mr. Oppenheimer’s description, it is unlikely that a new case could give Apple any unmatchable advantage.

It remains to be seen whether the new computers will give the quirky consumer electronics firm enough of a boost to carry it through what is promising to be a catastrophic Christmas for most of its competitors. The company’s stock has literally been in free fall in the current Wall Street crises, dropping from a 52-week high of $202.96, to $92.14 at last glance.

Tags: apple laptop, apple macbook, brick, chief financial officer, laptop cases, macworld conference, new computers