[NewsPoster]

Flextronics America is in the process of hiring close to 1,700 people to work on a "next generation desktop computer" at its factory in Austin, Texas, according to the Austin American-Statesman. The company has declined to go into any more detail on the product, but filed a presentation with Travis County commissioners on Monday, as part of a bid to have its facilities declared a foreign trade zone. At least 879 jobs have already been created, and Flextronics says it could add another 815 if it hits peak targets.

The computer in question could be Apple's upcoming Mac Pro refresh. Flextronics has previously been rumored as the Pro's manufacturer, and the company's Austin complex is less than a mile from Apple's local offices. Whatever the case, Apple has promised that the Mac Pro will be assembled in the US instead of China, where most Apple products are built.

[Inkling]

Great to see Apple bringing work home.

[jfgilbert]

Sad to see that Apple is copying again, after stealing from Microsoft and Samsung, this time it's Dell.
(just in case)

[jfgilbert]

Edit: there was a closing "sarcasm" tag before (just in case)

[prl99]

@jfgilbert Sarcasm aside, Apple used to build Macs in the US, they just outsourced everything to be able to compete on price. Because parts for Macs are manufactured in the US as well as around the world, it's just labor and shipping costs they have to worry about. I remember seeing that the labor costs for an iPhone are under $10 making labor not a real issue since iPhone manufacturers are finally paying their employees more than they used to.

[thinkman]

A little off topic but VERY interesting. I just received my new 2013 iMac, and it says in several places "Assembled in the U.S.A." I wonder if it was labeled as such due to the fact that it was highly upgraded and ordered directly from Apple? Anyone have any insight into this. This could be a bid deal!

[DiabloConQueso]

Tim Cook stated last year that Apple will begin assembling a new model of an existing Apple product line in the USA:

http://www.tuaw.com/2013/05/21/tim-cook-us-made-macs-will-be-assembled-in-texas/

Perhaps certain models of the iMac were a domestic "test-run" for the upcoming Mac Pro?

[DiabloConQueso]

Edit: Sorry, not last year.

[bobolicious]

...might part of the issue be security, and the fears of back door chips of other countries, or perhaps special features that could only be 'Made in the USA'...?

http://www.eteknix.com/expert-says-nsa-have-backdoors-built-into-intel-and-amd-processors/

[Spheric Harlot]

The chips aren't produced locally.

The machines are just assembled in the US.

[Spheric Harlot]

Originally Posted by DiabloConQueso 

Tim Cook stated last year that Apple will begin assembling a new model of an existing Apple product line in the USA:

Tim Cook: US-made Macs will be assembled in Texas | TUAW - The Unofficial Apple Weblog

Perhaps certain models of the iMac were a domestic "test-run" for the upcoming Mac Pro?

A number of CTO machines have been assembled in the US and in Ireland for the US and Euro markets, respectively, for a decade or longer.

[DiabloConQueso]

Sorry, *manufacturing*.

[Spheric Harlot]

Explain the distinction?

[DiabloConQueso]

No.

Tim Cook may be able to, though. He's the one that said it.

[Spheric Harlot]

The point is that there isn't one.