So what do you make of Apple's new patent, reported over at Mac OS Rumors? As described, Apple's been granted a patent for some kind of "customizable enclosures for portable computers." Given that the next "different" portable computer that Apple is expected to release is the consumer portable "P1," this patent might give a little glimpse into what we can expect from the P1 when it finally appears sometime in the next few months. Customizable enclosures? Sounds like a great draw to the young and hip, and a feature that will help differentiate the P1 from other laptops on the market.

According to the patent, Apple's scheme will allow these mobile computers to achieve "cosmetic individuality" by having enclosure panel housings made of several different materials, like "transparent or colorful plastic" (now, where have we seen that before?) or stainless steel. Then the housing is also covered with a "textile, vinyl, leather, or elastomeric material." Fair enough. Suggested functional uses for this design are "pouches for storage, additional electronic component configurability, a solar power source, or a transporting means." And most importantly, the enclosure housing is "interchangeable" with others, making it possible for the user to completely revamp the look (and to a certain extent, the functionality) of the laptop at any time. Sounds to us like Apple will do the predictable thing and ship P1's in five fruit flavors, plus open the doors for third parties to create their own enclosures that consumers could buy at any time. We're imagining thicker enclosures with additional battery power, enclosures featuring designs from popular TV shows (the P1 is a consumer device, after all), and-- dare we say it?-- the long sought after mood enclosure. Sign us up.

That's all certainly possible, but at the same time, when we read the description of the patent, we have to say that it doesn't sound all that much different from the PowerBook 1400's "bookcovers" feature. You remember those; the 1400 had a removable panel that made up roughly half of the laptop's cover. It included a plain, PowerBook-grey plastic bookcover, for those who wanted a staid, consistent, all-over-matching laptop, and also a clear plastic one that allowed the user to put anything underneath it they wanted-- photos, notes, a calendar, etc. In fact, at least some of the 1400's we saw also came with lots of patterned cardboard inserts to use with the clear bookcover for instant style changes. And then third parties got into the act, and we saw all kinds of bookcovers for sale-- brushed aluminum, polished wood, a solar collector, and even one that looked like the grey PowerBook bookcover except that it had a bullethole in it, with wires and circuits sticking out. Whether this patent is just the bookcover feature or perhaps the next logical extension of it, we couldn't tell you. But it sure will be fun to find out.