Why Apple can’t make computers in the USA
Anyone who understands how iPhones and Macs are made knows how hollow President Trump’s boasts about Apple bringing production back to the United States are. But if you’re looking for a solid anecdote explaining why, then The New York Times delivers with a story about a screw, and how it, and other factors, handcuffed Apple’s ability to mass-produce the ill-fated Mac Pro at its Austin, Texas facility.
Here’s the gist:
Tests of new versions of the computer were hamstrung because a 20-employee machine shop that Apple’s manufacturing contractor was relying on could produce at most 1,000 screws a day.
After creating months of delay, Apple ended up ordering the screws from China, which could produce incredible quantities of the custom part on…
