I’ve been noticing a trend lately. It seems that while Apple is moving away from brushed metal in Mac OS X Leopard, the same cannot be said for their hardware products. Yep, it’s a very bold statement to make: an entire line of products dressed in aluminum.

I can already hear sounds of ‘Boo’ coming from the audience; let me finish speaking first. What’s wrong with polycarbonate? Scratches and fingerprints have always been the biggest complains regarding the MacBook’s glossy white surface. Polycarbonate also weighs more than aluminum.

That’s what’s wrong. Now, why do I think Apple is moving towards aluminum? Two reasons. First of, the entire line-up has been slowly transitioning away from glossy plastic. The ‘Pro’ hardware is already fully in aluminum, while some of the consumer line uses a mixture of both plastic and aluminum (iMac, Mac Mini).

Second of all, rumors. Some people might disagree, but I think most of the major rumors have turned out to be true (cellphone, widescreen iPod with touch controls). So when all the major rumor-mongering sites say that brushed metal iMacs and that slick ultraportable are coming soon, I’d say that’s very likely to happen.

Personally, I prefer aluminum. It makes things look classier and cooler. Either way, it certainly is something interesting to think about. Hmm, I wonder, what about an aluminum iPhone?