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Alu. PowerBook Corroding

MillieWales

MillieWales

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Sep 15, 2003
484
191
UK
I am sure there has been something on here before about this, but after a long search I can't find anything.

I have a 15" Alu. PB, got it in October. I am a heavy user I guess, and recently noticed that the areas around the track pad where my palms rest are pitted, basically wearing away.

I am sure Apple will say 'tough', so am not going to bother asking them. I know someone made some protectors for the Titanium PB, but I can't seem to find them, and also don't know if they will fit. Also, surely sticking something to the areas won't be good for the PB either?

Any help or advice would be great, and as I am in the UK any company who can supply a protective system needs to be able and willing to ship the UK.

Also, please don't 'advise' me to clean the areas and my hands, I do this, but as I am often on the PB all day, contaminents are inevitable.

Marc
 
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/59078/

Look at this thread.
Anyway you should call Apple, it is a design flaw and it shouldn't be doing this, so get it fixed. If all people would think like this, Apple is never going to acknowledge this issue. This is actually what keeps me from buying a powerbook. Within the Apple Care Period you can get it fixed... and after that? Oh well, they couldn't have known before although they should have. Those things just happen when you try to do unconventional designs. Let's just hope Apple fixes this with the G5 Powerbooks.
 
I will call them after the Bank Holiday. I have been wanting to send it in anyway as I have severe white spot problem - 4 major white streaks actually, and the screen is creaking badly when opened or shut, and wobbles about as if it is falling off of it's fixing. I know I can get all that done under the warranty, just hoping Apple will sort out the corroding problem, although I am betting they say it's not their problem, from what I have read in the Apple Discussion sections.

Marc
 
No, it's metal. At least, Apple say it is, and it does feel like metal. I am not mad, this is a big problem - on Apple's site in the discussion forums there are numerous people with the same problem. I am sure Apple will say it is my fault and that I shouldn't be resting my palms on it in the way that I am, but we will see. I am certainly not going to let it go without a fight - I buy several PowerBooks from Apple each year, and was meant to be taking another one next week.

Marc
 
marccarter said:
No, it's metal. At least, Apple say it is, and it does feel like metal. I am not mad, this is a big problem - on Apple's site in the discussion forums there are numerous people with the same problem. I am sure Apple will say it is my fault and that I shouldn't be resting my palms on it in the way that I am, but we will see. I am certainly not going to let it go without a fight - I buy several PowerBooks from Apple each year, and was meant to be taking another one next week.

Marc
Click to expand...


sadly mine is starting to corrode too. Although the pitting is very tiny and around the edges....not very pretty though.
 
I'm not too bothered about the pitting as it is, it's just I don't know how bad it will get. Maybe the areas will completely corrode away.

Marc
 
I have a 12in al PB(rev. b) and i haven't seen any Corrosion. But this one has me worried, could someone please post a picture of what this looks like so that i have a heads up.
 
I will get a picture up, but basically, hundreds of tiny pin head size little holes, black underneath.
 
marccarter said:
I will get a picture up, but basically, hundreds of tiny pin head size little holes, black underneath.
Click to expand...

i've seen a picture before of somebody having extremely bad corrosion on their powerbooks...
 
What I think is funny is that it seems a bit unclear to me as of how big this problem really is. Whenever a thread like this pops up you don't get a hell lot of responses. So is it just that a lot of people don't have a powerbook or is it that they don't have this problem or is it that they simply don't care?
I mean a powerbook getting black spots and stuff is probably not going to boost longevity and resale value, which macs are usually good at.
My thing with this is, I really want a powerbook(since my Mum wants to rid me of my iBook :D ) It's just that thing that keeps me from getting one. And when I called Apple they just said that they've never heard of this to be a problem... :eek:
And I am not a very big fan of plastic protectors, if I want sth. that ugly looking I'll buy a Dell ;)
 
Why would a problem like this be any reason not to buy a powerbook? Some tiny little blackheads won't do anything to the real reason you want a Mac. It's like not buying a car or something because over time, it might not smell new.
Personally, I haven't noticed this problem at all. I admit, my PB is pretty dirty, and I dont' keep my wrists too clean when I use it. Maybe I'm just lucky...
 
Kingsnapped said:
Why would a problem like this be any reason not to buy a powerbook? Some tiny little blackheads won't do anything to the real reason you want a Mac. It's like not buying a car or something because over time, it might not smell new.
Personally, I haven't noticed this problem at all. I admit, my PB is pretty dirty, and I dont' keep my wrists too clean when I use it. Maybe I'm just lucky...
Click to expand...

LOL. Isn't one of the main reasons we buy macs the aesthetics? Seriously if I buy a $ 2000 product I don't want to get black spots on it after a couple of months... and to your car comparison... think of a silver car getting many black holes on the hood after 3-4 months... how would you like that?

By the way for you people who haver never seen what it looks like... I found a picture.
http://members.rennlist.com/nickdtm/powerbookfinish.jpg
 
I've been using my 15" aluminum since the day they were released. Pretty heavily too (some might say excessively :) ). I haven't noticed anything like this. I doubt it will happen to everyone.

Despite that, those pics look pretty nasty, though there's not enough depth to tell that it's anything that can't be cleaned off. Definitely something I'd like to see in person. I'm not too worried at this point.
 
This isn't too surprising. Different people have different skin/sweat chemistries, and some of them aren't too friendly to metals. I have a friend who's an avid guitar player; over time the finish comes off all the metal pieces of his guitars (tuners, bridge, etc.). I keep my guitars just as long or longer, and mine don't have those problems. I've heard of people also doing this to rings and other jewelry.

I'm not sure how I'd respond if it happened to me. Cut a sheet of clear contact film to fit the wrist-rest area? Paint it over with clear coat or some kind of clear varnish-like stuff? Wash the area regularly and wax it, with automotive products? Sell the PowerBook and get an iBook?

Here's hoping Apple can come up with a fix.


Crikey
 
Crikey said:
I'm not sure how I'd respond if it happened to me. Cut a sheet of clear contact film to fit the wrist-rest area? Paint it over with clear coat or some kind of clear varnish-like stuff? Wash the area regularly and wax it, with automotive products? Sell the PowerBook and get an iBook?

Here's hoping Apple can come up with a fix.


Crikey
Click to expand...

Rub it down periodically with WD-40. Seriously!
 
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