Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Yellow stains on new white MacBook?
- Thread starter orthodoc
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Evidently not. This sort of ignorance appears everywhere this problem is mentioned: "It's a Photoshop job (Apple can't possibly do wrong)"; "You must have filthy hands or weird acidic sweat (despite the fact that had I read anything at all I would have seen that you owned a white iBook for two years that never had such a problem)"; "Just wipe it with a damp cloth or use some iKlear and stop moaning (read: I couldn't be bothered to look at any other posts on here but thought I'd chime in anyway)"; "It's white - what did you expect (because I would be absolutely fine with this problem of course)". It's getting really frustrating, not to mention boring. If one more person thinks they are the epitome of wit by making some comment about Cheat-ohs (or whatever they're called), I think my larger intestine might just rise up and strangle me.
pvc stick-on laminate sheets...cheap invisible shield or bad idea?
I've had my white 2 gig macbook for about a month and I have been super careful to not stain the wrist areas, although I still have very slight yellowing appearing. One unfortunate mishap was a streak of blue pen ink which transferred from my hand. My experience so far is that nothing gets stains out of this new macbook plastic formulation. I've thought about ordering an Invisible Shield or Marware protection pack. However, I've found one thing that might do for now or for good...A4 sheets of pvc stick-on laminate for 5 cents each. This is the same material as disposable PDA screen protectors. Does anyone know if using these sheets is a bad idea. Obviously this new plastic leads to one experiment after another, but does anyone think that the heat from the macbook could seal these sheets to my case or make them hard to get off. After a few days I tested romoval and had no problem whatsoever and no residue...but after 2 or 3 months I'm not so sure. Any ideas are appreciated. Thanks.
I've had my white 2 gig macbook for about a month and I have been super careful to not stain the wrist areas, although I still have very slight yellowing appearing. One unfortunate mishap was a streak of blue pen ink which transferred from my hand. My experience so far is that nothing gets stains out of this new macbook plastic formulation. I've thought about ordering an Invisible Shield or Marware protection pack. However, I've found one thing that might do for now or for good...A4 sheets of pvc stick-on laminate for 5 cents each. This is the same material as disposable PDA screen protectors. Does anyone know if using these sheets is a bad idea. Obviously this new plastic leads to one experiment after another, but does anyone think that the heat from the macbook could seal these sheets to my case or make them hard to get off. After a few days I tested romoval and had no problem whatsoever and no residue...but after 2 or 3 months I'm not so sure. Any ideas are appreciated. Thanks.
Got my MacBook back!
Just an update on my progress since starting this thread.
I called Apple 3 weeks ago and informed them of the staining. They said they had not heard of the problem and I informed him that there was plenty of information about it on the web. He gave me a repair order number and they sent me a box. I mailed the computer to Apple last Wedesday (June 28th) and I received it back today (July 5th). They replaced the cover around the keyboard and mouse. They also replaced the mouse button, which was also stained. This was a covered repair at no charge to me. The new cover looks a little bit greyer than the original one. I am praying that this does not happen again!
Just an update on my progress since starting this thread.
I called Apple 3 weeks ago and informed them of the staining. They said they had not heard of the problem and I informed him that there was plenty of information about it on the web. He gave me a repair order number and they sent me a box. I mailed the computer to Apple last Wedesday (June 28th) and I received it back today (July 5th). They replaced the cover around the keyboard and mouse. They also replaced the mouse button, which was also stained. This was a covered repair at no charge to me. The new cover looks a little bit greyer than the original one. I am praying that this does not happen again!
orthodoc, glad to hear that they have fixed this for you. It should not happen again because they are using a differnt plastic now.
I have the beginnings of discoloration on my macbook and am not sure what to do about it. It is still quite slight (my gf says I am crazy and it isn't even there, but I'm sure it is), but I fear it is getting worse.
However, I can't afford to be without my macbook for a week while they repair it. I use it every day for work. Oh how I wish I'd waited a few more weeks to sell my ibook...
I have the beginnings of discoloration on my macbook and am not sure what to do about it. It is still quite slight (my gf says I am crazy and it isn't even there, but I'm sure it is), but I fear it is getting worse.
However, I can't afford to be without my macbook for a week while they repair it. I use it every day for work. Oh how I wish I'd waited a few more weeks to sell my ibook...
QCassidy352 said:
Do you know how long ago they started using different plastic? Is the plastic still the same for the trackpad button? I've had my MacBook for 4 days and on the 3rd day the button developed a barely visible yellowish stain on the left corner. I thought I did something to it and tried cleaning, but then accidently ran across information about this problem with MacBooks online. So far the discolouration is barely visible and is only on the button, but now I'm scared to touch my MacBook for fear that stains will apear elsewhere and the button will get worse. I also can't afford to be without my laptop for a week because I use it for work.
Those of you with new top covers please keep posting back.
My local Authorized repairman has told me that he's in touch with Apple about this issue, and that Apple has NOT solved the problem.
This is contradictory information to what I'm reading here - I am hoping and praying that those of you who have had top cover replacements will not begin to see staining again in approximately one month's time.
My own MacBook now looks completely hideous. The black staining is plainly visible, and of course as others have said, there is nothing - and I do mean NOTHING - that can be done to remove the stains. Trust, me I've tried everything, short of purchasing a can of white paint (I'm trying to keep my sense of humor about this - but I am obviously very dissapointed with Apple right now).
Honestly, my six week old MacBook looks as though it's five years old. I sure hope that Apple doesn't abandon us on this.
My local Authorized repairman has told me that he's in touch with Apple about this issue, and that Apple has NOT solved the problem.
This is contradictory information to what I'm reading here - I am hoping and praying that those of you who have had top cover replacements will not begin to see staining again in approximately one month's time.
My own MacBook now looks completely hideous. The black staining is plainly visible, and of course as others have said, there is nothing - and I do mean NOTHING - that can be done to remove the stains. Trust, me I've tried everything, short of purchasing a can of white paint (I'm trying to keep my sense of humor about this - but I am obviously very dissapointed with Apple right now).
Honestly, my six week old MacBook looks as though it's five years old. I sure hope that Apple doesn't abandon us on this.
Acehigh said:
This comment is so ridiculous, and so out of place, that I politely request one of the moderators to remove it.
I have washed my hands EVERY SINGLE TIME I've booted up my six week old MacBook - every single time. There is absolutely no way that a computer that's not even two months old should look this hideous.
I have computer equipment that's four years old that looks newer than my MacBook.
[Okay, maybe I shouldn't have responded to this person's comment - maybe this person was just attempting to rile me up; well, that's kind of sad, isn't i?]
Velcro951 said:
I guess I can't be sure. Reports online are that the plastic is different and even feels different.
My discoloration started out so hard to see that my gf insisted I was seeing things. Now it's readily apparent. If you continue to use your macbook the staining will get worse.
I too use my macbook for work, so here's what I did. I took it to an apple store and had them order a new top case. Tomorrow (friday) after work I'll take it to them and hope they can fix it right then. But if I have to leave it that will be ok; they assure me I can have it back before monday, in any case.
This is an issue that Apple must look into right now. I mean I am really disappointed - I am really disappointed.
QCassidy352 said:
Unfortunately the nearest Apple Store is 100 miles away from me. I'll have to wait until I'm back in NYC this September to get this taken care of. At least by then Apple should have a better idea of how big the problem is and how best to fix it (or so we hope). Until September I'll have to walk around with a MacBook with urine-like stains on it. Lovely.
I have 2 questions, I hope someone can answer or can guide me to the answer...
- What week did the changeover occur on the production side? I have a week 24 MB I bought to set up for Mother and am not sure what material it is. Mine is slightly grippy, like something you would put on the bottom of a leg of something to stop it from sliding on a hardwood floor.
Is that the new or the old material?
- If I order now one for myself, chances are that I will have a week 26 or week 27 MB.
Have they cleared the issue at the manufacturing plant?
WabeWalker said:
seems to me that your tech guy said he would replace your stained case.....so why haven't you moved ahead and done that?? I gather that Apple is replacing the cases as warranty repairs......... you're disappointed in that? Isn't that what you would want??? and if it happens again, have them to replace it again
WabeWalker said:
still, it seems like since they've offered to replace it that you should move ahead and get it replaced........some people here that have had theirs replaced report that the plastic feels and looks different which would seem to conflict with what your repair guy is claiming.......you don't know that the replacement isn't going to stain or not until you try it
Macky-Mac said:
Yes, this is absolutely true.
This is exactly what has me worried: Should I, or should I not, take in my computer to get it fixed. As you say, a lot of people here are claiming that their new plastic top cover looks and feels different than the original (the one that got stained).
Truly, this, in my opinion, is what free forums are all about. We can exchange information and tell people of our experiences. I've been told one thing by one person in the flesh (the technician). Other people here have provided me with information that is contradictory - information that without the internet I would otherwise never have learned.
And yet, I go all the way downtown and meet with an obviously informed Apple technician (who actually showed me the transcript of a conversation he had with Apple), and he tells me that the problem absolutely has not been fixed.
Shouldn't it be Apple's responsibility to clarify this right from the get go, rather than be silent on the matter. Here I am, completely conflicted, trying to decide what to do. I have contradictory information on my hands: people here are telling me one thing, an authorized Apple technician is telling me something else.
As a person who has just spent an awful lot of money on a new computer, should it really be up to me to solve this problem all on my own?
Shouldn't Apple be a bit more definitive about this? Shouldn't they just come straight out and say something like: "We realize that for some people, certain MacBooks are staining - we are working hard to resolve this problem; please be patient, a solution is in the works."
Okay, maybe that's a bit over-the-top. Still, it would be nice if Apple were to acknowledge, at least, that there is a problem. In being silent, aren't they just causing a lot of confusion and grief for their customers?
(And by the way, as I type this right now, I'm staring straight at the stains on the palm rest and on the mouse button, and the stains are absolutely hideous. And it's just getting worse - much worse! This isn't exactly a minor issue, you know).
WabeWalker said:
since I think the answear to this is obvious.....and obviously, yes, you should get it fixed.......I have to ask, what do you stand to gain by NOT getting it fixed????
From other threads here it's obvious that apple is readily replacing the stained case for people.
In your other thread you posted a copy of an email from your tech guy in which he says that he talked to apple about this for another customer A MONTH AGO !!! If he hasn't talked to them since then I've got to say your tech hasn't kept himself very up to date on the problem. If you go back to the earlier posts on this thread you'll see that people only started posting a month and a half ago.....and on macrumors "page 2 rumors" there's a thread titled Apple "Acknowledges MacBook Staining" that was started just a couple of weeks ago. Maybe you need to direct your tech guy to these threads so he can see what's going on?
In any event, you tech guy already said he could replace the case for you...........so it's baffling to me that you would continue to put up with the situation.
Anyway, it seems that Apple is indeed taking care of the problem and I urge you strongly to get on with getting your situation fixed.
Macky-Mac said:
Allow me to clarify this.
The technician I spoke to claims to have talked with Apple just two days ago. He actually e-mailed me a transcript of the conversation he had with the person at Apple.
In fact, here it is...
"Eric:
I need to know if Apple already resolve the issue in discoloration top case in macbook white ?
Eric:
and if there is special part number to be ordered to resolve the issue ?
Agent:
Sure, please give me a moment.
Agent:
Thank you for your patience Eric.
Agent:
There is no special part number for the Top case, you can use the same part number and order the replacement.
Eric:
one sec
Agent:
Sure.
Eric:
ok.. so the discoloration problem is already fix with new top case ?
Agent:
No Eric, Apple has heard reports of this issue and we are currently investigating it. Apple currently does not yet have a complete understanding of the issue, hence it is not possible to promise a solution or predict when the investigation will be complete.
Eric:
Ok then Thanks for your info..
Agent:
If you have any further queries on this issue please refer to the case number 65486989.
Eric:
ok.. Have a nice day ..
Agent:
You are welcome Eric."
Well, that seems pretty clear to me.
The person at Apple seems to be saying that the problem hasn't been fixed. It seems illogical to me to go in and have my top cover replaced for no reason. Am I going to have to get my top cover replaced each and every month - wouldn't it be better to wait until the problem has actually been solved.
Absolutely it would be.
Which is why I'm saying that Apple needs to be more direct with its customers about this issue, rather than forcing us to dig up the information for ourselves.
Has the top cover issue been resolved or hasn't it? I still don't know the answer to this question.
In fact, right now, all I can do is wait one month to see if the people who have had their top covers replaced post back to let us know whether or not the issue has been resolved.
Kind of a drag, really, but oh well, I guess that's life - I don't know why Apple feels the need to keep their customers in the dark like this. In my mind it's just bad business.
Kind of a drag, really, but oh well, I guess that's life - I don't know why Apple feels the need to keep their customers in the dark like this. In my mind it's just bad business.
WabeWalker said:
well, if you find the discoloration hideous and they're offering to replace it.....I don't see why you would wait to get it replaced????
It's just like any other defective part.....if it fails, get it replaced!!!!! It doesn't matter if Apple has "resolved the issue" or not....if a part is defective, you replace it
if your motherboard failed, you would get it replaced.....if your LCD failed, you would get it replaced......if a hard drive failed, you would get it replaced....etc., etc., etc.......in none of these failures would you be waiting for Apple to "resolve the issue", you would just go ahead and get it set right
ok, it's possible that you might get another case that stains, which means you might have to get it replaced again.....but why punish yourself in the meantime???
Ok, good luck
Macky-Mac said:
I think his point is that he wants to wait until they've definitively fixed the problem and deal with one downtime than two.
Why the hell would you have them replace the palmrest only to have it discolor 1 month later. That's two x 4 or 5 days of downtime. Why not wait for a definitive solution that will fix it once and for all and go in once?
He has a point. Unless someone call tells that the new material is not the same, then people are going to face the same issue 2-3 weeks down the line.
the same thing that work for ibooks will not work on a macbook. the plastic is different. what you need to use is non-acetone nail polish. i have heard mixed results about this so i am under the belief that only certain ones work. just make sure it is NON acetone.
cheers
cheers
Yes, that is exactly my point - why replace a faulty part with a faulty part?
And yes, you're right again when you say that I don't want to be without my computer. Having to be without my computer for five or six days is difficult enough. Having to repeat the process one month later to fix the exact same problem is quite frankly ridiculous.
Here, where I live, you get put on a waitlist to have your computer serviced - there's no jumping the queue, not for any reason (which is fair, really). Right now there's a four day wait just to have your computer looked at.
Although we've not actually seen any photographic evidence, some people here at this forum are saying that their new top case is definitely a different color than the previous, and that the plastic actually feels different. What's all that about then? Why did the person at Apple inform my technician that Apple knows of the problem but has not yet found a solution?
When I put all of the evidence together it kind of suggests to me that Apple has indeed changed the formula for the plastic, but are presently uncertain as to whether or not the new formula will also develop problems.
Anyhow, I sure hope that Apple eventually acknowledges this problem in a more public fashion. And I hope that new MacBook purchasers don't also suffer the same fate as I did. It's incredibly frustrating.
(And by the way a woman at the local coffee shop actually stopped and looked at my computer and asked me if this was the new iBook. I said that it was, but that Apple is now calling it the MacBook. Smiling, she looked straight at the palmrest and at the trackpad button and said that I should wipe the dirt off because it was such a nice looking computer. I informed her that the so called 'dirt' doesn't actually come off when you attempt to clean it. She then asked me if I had tried using soapy water. I just smiled and tried to remain calm.)
And yes, you're right again when you say that I don't want to be without my computer. Having to be without my computer for five or six days is difficult enough. Having to repeat the process one month later to fix the exact same problem is quite frankly ridiculous.
Here, where I live, you get put on a waitlist to have your computer serviced - there's no jumping the queue, not for any reason (which is fair, really). Right now there's a four day wait just to have your computer looked at.
Although we've not actually seen any photographic evidence, some people here at this forum are saying that their new top case is definitely a different color than the previous, and that the plastic actually feels different. What's all that about then? Why did the person at Apple inform my technician that Apple knows of the problem but has not yet found a solution?
When I put all of the evidence together it kind of suggests to me that Apple has indeed changed the formula for the plastic, but are presently uncertain as to whether or not the new formula will also develop problems.
Anyhow, I sure hope that Apple eventually acknowledges this problem in a more public fashion. And I hope that new MacBook purchasers don't also suffer the same fate as I did. It's incredibly frustrating.
(And by the way a woman at the local coffee shop actually stopped and looked at my computer and asked me if this was the new iBook. I said that it was, but that Apple is now calling it the MacBook. Smiling, she looked straight at the palmrest and at the trackpad button and said that I should wipe the dirt off because it was such a nice looking computer. I informed her that the so called 'dirt' doesn't actually come off when you attempt to clean it. She then asked me if I had tried using soapy water. I just smiled and tried to remain calm.)