Apple Tried And Failed To Make A Black MacBook Air

thejadedmonkey · Jun 20, 2011

I have a bronze Dell laptop, and it's pretty sweet. I dont know why Apple can't just do the same thing that Dell does.

And re:title, I like it. It's rather unbiased, which is rarity these days on this site.

WilliamG · Jun 20, 2011

Shame Steve Jobs didn't notice that the stainless back for the iPod touch etc picks up scratches and looks like crap within 24 hours, too.

Or how about that chrome bezel on the iPhone 3G/3GS etc?

dakwar · Jun 20, 2011

crawdad62 said:
I can't believe oily finger prints held them back. I had a black MacBook and it was a magnet for finger prints.

I still have a black MacBook (4,1). If I don't wipe it down every morning, I swear I won't be able to tell the difference between it and a cheeseburger (admittedly a very large and thin and square-ish cheese burger).

In all seriousness though its all-around a sweet piece of hardware.

notjustjay · Jun 20, 2011

jlgolson said:
Steve Jobs Killed Black MacBook Air Because Your Greasy Palms Made It Gross

OK, just kidding. But I appreciate y'all bearing with me while I do my best to learn the MacRumors style.

Nah, that's more Engadget's style

diogodasilva · Jun 20, 2011

there you go!

Ambrish · Jun 20, 2011

MacRumors said:
Apple did indeed test out a black powder-coated MacBook Air, but the treatment absorbed body oils and didn't live up to Steve's standards, according to an anonymous Apple employee.

This employee got in touch after we wrote about emails we'd received claiming that the next-generation MacBook Air would have a black option.

The email:The sender doesn't have an existing track record, but after chatting with him, we suspect his story checks out.

Could it be that new 'liquid metal' stuff...? Isn't that supposed to look something like dark aluminum?

blairwillis · Jun 20, 2011

I seem to remember Steve Jobs being excited about the original Titanium Powerbook G4 (TiBook) and how they could do some neat things with anodized colors.

But it never happened.

tjb1 · Jun 20, 2011

Ambrish said:
Could it be that new 'liquid metal' stuff...? Isn't that supposed to look something like dark aluminum?

No, it was black powder coated aluminum.

cara0910 · Jun 20, 2011

pjhamill said:
Yeah, because Apple wouldn't hire a talented engineer because their grammar wasn't perfect, get real!

Haha. It's true. This is more atrocious, though: "The RUMORS that the next iteration of the MBA's will have an optional black finish IS grounded in truth." The rumors is grounded in truth? I laughed to myself a bit when I read that.

Your point, however, stands. I don't think Apple cares about your grammar unless your job is writing something that could be seen by the public.

42streetsdown · Jun 20, 2011

Why would they use a powder coat coloring technique when they could use an anodizing technique?

autrefois · Jun 20, 2011

kjjnk said:
Sounds like the aluminum pitting that happened on the pre-unibody MacBook Pro's (which I believe were powder-coated) from your oils and sweat.

And those were the ones that got the go-ahead. Reports of the pitting problem have been going around for almost a decade now with various iterations of Powerbooks/Macbook Pros. And yet the issue persists.

The pitting is pretty darn ugly. So just image how bad the black ones must have looked for Apple to actually reject them...

kiljoy616 · Jun 20, 2011

Thank you Steve for forcing Apple to come up with things we want to own and not bad products just to say look I made one.

Steve rocks, never change.

kiljoy616 · Jun 20, 2011

Santabean2000 said:
That's a shame. I'd love to get one of these black puppies if they can sort out the coat.

Spray paint.

MartiNZ · Jun 20, 2011

kjjnk said:
Sounds like the aluminum pitting that happened on the pre-unibody MacBook Pro's (which I believe were powder-coated) from your oils and sweat.

Yeah I ended up with minor symptoms of that on my 12" PB and pre-unibody 15" MBP. But I have also seen it on the unibodies so it's not exactly a thing of the past, and I don't reckon it should have halted a black. Maybe they need to make it a darker black

?

MartiNZ · Jun 20, 2011

blairwillis said:
I seem to remember Steve Jobs being excited about the original Titanium Powerbook G4 (TiBook) and how they could do some neat things with anodized colors.

But it never happened.

Probably because they had enough trouble with the standard 'colour' melting/peeling off the body and that was enough to deal with.

FlameofAnor · Jun 20, 2011

diogodasilva said:
there you go!

That looks grey..... I like my attempt better.....

blenditall · Jun 20, 2011

jtgreen86 said:
I just wish they would use a black bezel on the Air. That's really the only thing keeping me from buying one at this time. The other MacBooks have them, why not the air?

The aluminum bezel is actually consistent with the rest of the lineup because the Air screen is antiglare. Antiglare Pros have the same thing. As for the reasoning behind antiglare on the Air, it is probably to decrease weight.

spillproof · Jun 20, 2011

ioannis said:
speaking of "soaking body oils", when are they going to replace those plastic keys with something that don't get all 'shiny' after a month's use? They look ugly as well. What about glass keys (ala touchpad) or something like that?

My thoughts exactly. My keys are permanently "shiny" and you can see exactly where I strike each key. But, overall, its trivial.

wolfboy · Jun 20, 2011

They'll can this idea but insist on continuing using metal in the back of the iPod touch? That thing gets micro scratches the minute you look at it directly.

482214 · Jun 20, 2011

wordoflife said:
Whoa ... I never said I didn't like the new style, I was just pointing out that it's a bit different.
If you must know though, I like the variety! Keep up the great work.

And into reverse we go... Ha ha, awkward!!!

kostasw · Jun 20, 2011

If you establish a wireless, almost telepathic connection between the user and the laptop so that the user does not have to touch the laptop... then Steve should be happy.

Or Apple can patent a cleaning chemical to periodically impregnate the aluminium from the inside so that, as it comes to the surface, it reacts with the body fat and eliminates it.

I can see quite a few patents coming up...

peterdanckwerts · Jun 20, 2011

tjb1 said:
Anodizing and Power Coating are two completely different coatings... One is a chemical coating/plating and the other is a plastic coating that is sprayed on and melted.

They might be talking of a powder metallurgical coating, I suppose.

weckart · Jun 21, 2011

jtgreen86 said:
I just wish they would use a black bezel on the Air. That's really the only thing keeping me from buying one at this time. The other MacBooks have them, why not the air?

Because it looks cheap and tacky. I would not have bought one if they had soiled the bezel thus.

wakka092 · Jun 21, 2011

Anyone remember the anodized iPod minis? They had many different colors (except black). The colors didn't wear on those. I'd think black would work.

wakka092 · Jun 21, 2011

weckart said:
Because it looks cheap and tacky. I would not have bought one if they had soiled the bezel thus.

I agree. The MBA style aluminum bezel looks slicker. I got my 15" MBP with the anti-glare screen for the high res and the better looking aluminum bezel.

Apple Tried And Failed To Make A Black MacBook Air

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