The clever, but practical subtleties of the white unibody MacBook

[glossywhite]

Here are some clever things I feel Apple have thought about whilst designing the new white unibody MacBook (late 2009).

People have been complaining about the glossy upper of the unibody, where you rest you palms while typing... well guess what happened on the iBook/old MacBook, the matte finish went all shiny with wear & skin oil, but if you think about how simple and elegant the solution is this time around - you can't clamp a clamped car, and you don't worry about making shiny objects more shiny!.

Also, the etched glass trackpad is a stroke of genius!. It would take MANY years for this to even start to look even vaguely shiny; glass is VERY hard wearing indeed on the whole.

Well done Apple, I'll take shiny which can't be made shiniER over matte which shows wear-shine any day thanks, and nice touch with the protruding rubber rim around the screen, internal, longer lasting battery (I mean are you SERIOUSLY going to worry about 1,000 charges being reached?). Loving the rubber base to prevent more scratches for the magpie-esque shiny addicts, and prevent lap-burn (which I have NEVER experience with all wide variety of machines I have owned, but then I don't sit naked with a laptop on my man-jewels thanks [sorry, too much info!]).

PS: Whilst I'm on the subject of design subtleties, one of my pet "ARRRRGH!!" hates is how some (most) reviewers call the Aluminium Apple use "brushed" - it is NOT brushed, it is ANODISED; brushed metal has a streaky finish!.

Phew, that feels better.

Result, Apple!.  > [+]

[MacDawg]

Phew, that feels better.


There, there... let it all out
Don't keep it bottled up inside

[martynmc7]

It would take MANY years for this to even start to look even vaguely shiny; glass is VERY hard wearing indeed on the whole. [+]

Unfortunately the glass trackpad on my MBP 13" has already gone shiny around the middle and I don't even use it that much. This has more to do with the coating than the glass itself. I don't know if it's any different on the white MacBook but I wouldn't guarantee that trackpad staying nice for too long.

[glossywhite]

Unfortunately the glass trackpad on my MBP 13" has already gone shiny around the middle and I don't even use it that much. This has more to do with the coating than the glass itself. I don't know if it's any different on the white MacBook but I wouldn't guarantee that trackpad staying nice for too long.

It's not a coating, it is a scientifically friction-coefficient calculated texture etched into the glass. I'd bet that this is caused by skin oils, not wear. I think you'd have to have pretty abrasive fingertips to wear glass out!.

[mike.coulter]

I suppose their product designs go deeper than we normally think of.

[glossywhite]

I suppose their product designs go deeper than we normally think of.

Define "we" and "normally". Their designs make perfect sense to me.

[martynmc7]

It's not a coating, it is a scientifically friction-coefficient calculated texture etched into the glass. I'd bet that this is caused by skin oils, not wear. I think you'd have to have pretty abrasive fingertips to wear glass out!.

Haha, ok, well it still maintains a shiny glean that can't be washed off so I would still say be wary of it maintaining it's nice finish, even if it's not physically being worn down.

[sml238]

Haha, ok, well it still maintains a shiny glean that can't be washed off so I would still say be wary of it maintaining it's nice finish, even if it's not physically being worn down.

iv never once seen a shiny glass trackpad. hope i never do lol.

[martynmc7]

iv never once seen a shiny glass trackpad. hope i never do lol.

Quick update on that front. The reason I presumed that the shine could not be removed is because I thought there was a coating on the trackpad, and neither water nor iClean would shift it.

After finding out that it's actually a texture in the glass I thought some glass cleaner was worth a try, and lo and behold it got rid of it! It really was stubborn finger grease after all!

So the trackpads can get shiny, but it CAN be removed. Sorry for my ignorance!

[glossywhite]

Quick update on that front. The reason I presumed that the shine could not be removed is because I thought there was a coating on the trackpad, and neither water nor iClean would shift it.

After finding out that it's actually a texture in the glass I thought some glass cleaner was worth a try, and lo and behold it got rid of it! It really was stubborn finger grease after all!

So the trackpads can get shiny, but it CAN be removed. Sorry for my ignorance!

Yes, I was confident it was not permanent. What you have to remember is that the glass is etched, and such has microscopic cavities which trap the grease. Simple physics.

[Nago]

About the trackpad...

Since I own the MB, I don't even take an external mouse when I go to the library to study, I find myself using the trackpad even faster than my friends with a mouse!

Track gestures and huge trackpad is the way to go. Glass also makes a huge difference.:apple:

[vistadude]

That means the old iBook also had a bad design. There are tons of non-shiny white plastics which don't become shiny with age or use.


Here are some clever things I feel Apple have thought about whilst designing the new white unibody MacBook (late 2009).

People have been complaining about the glossy upper of the unibody, where you rest you palms while typing... well guess what happened on the iBook/old MacBook, the matte finish went all shiny with wear & skin oil, but if you think about how simple and elegant the solution is this time around - you can't clamp a clamped car, and you don't worry about making shiny objects more shiny!.


Result, Apple!.  > [+]