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2009 white macbook still crack defect?

E

efplaya85

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Mar 14, 2009
15
0
Hi I was wondering if anyone has experienced the palm rest cracks with the new 2009 model white macbooks. I have heard these cracks were prevalent before but now I am curious as to what apple did to solve this problem. Does anyone know if the casing of the new 09 macbooks is designed differently? Uses a different material? Does anyone have any information on this issue? Thanks

The reason I am asking is because this cracking defect is a make it break it deal for me. I want to be sure that something has been changing since the previous models that used to crack. I do not want to dish out an extra 200-300 for an aluminum either. Thanks for your help
 
If the defect is still there then apple will fix it for free. Then you get a nice new shiny top plate. :)

See, it's not all bad....
 
yes but...

lol yes its not bad if they fix it for free but I just don't want the downtime... So if anyone has had the white macbook since january please post and share!
 
efplaya85 said:
lol yes its not bad if they fix it for free but I just don't want the downtime... So if anyone has had the white macbook since january please post and share!
Click to expand...

Cracking is really infrequent with the later MacBooks (after the Penryn revision which took place Feb 08). I've had my Penryn MacBook for about 6 months now and it has no cracks and I know people that have made various different MacBooks and they haven't suffered any cracks either.

Besides, from what people have posted here, the repair takes them 15 minutes.

You're pretty much safe.
 
Mines almost 13 months old and still no cracks, the problem isn't as common as some people claim.
 
I wouldn't say that actually. It is fairly common, since I know two people who have had the cracks, one with a Santa Rosa Macbook and the other with the Penryn model. I would suspect that the plastic Macbooks will always be susceptible to the cracks as long as they keep the current design. I personally would just pay the extra money for an aluminum one and not have to worry about it.
 
polycarbonate is polycarbonate. Even if Apple changed the mixture used to make it, it still has its limits, as is also evident in the iPhone 3G. It will crack, eventually. It may be 6 months, a year, or two years, but it will crack.
 
waffle911 said:
polycarbonate is polycarbonate. Even if Apple changed the mixture used to make it, it still has its limits, as is also evident in the iPhone 3G. It will crack, eventually. It may be 6 months, a year, or two years, but it will crack.
Click to expand...

What if it doesn't crack until 5 years? The computer most likely will already have something wrong with it by then. Every part on your computer will one day fail, is that a reason to not buy computers at all?
 
A lot of it depends on how you use it as well. I travel with mine daily, so it gets beat up quite a bit even if I try to take care of it. The lid gets opened and closed several times a day. Many times there may be more than normal pressure on the lid due to books or something in the bag, or whatever the reason may be. Then there is others that may use theirs 90% of the time on a desk and never move it, thus may never experience the cracking.

I bought mine December 07. In April 2008 I had the top case replaced because it cracked. Last week I had it replaced again (this time out of warranty) as well as the screen bezel. That was cracked too, right by the stop nubs. Fixed for free again. It's a manufacturing defect that Apple recognizes and will warranty it, even if you are out of warranty or no Apple Care.

While it sucks that it happens and it can be inconvenient, it's nice to get a new keyboard and mouse pad every 6-10 months :).
 
oh so they give you a new trackpad? thats pretty hot. i can't wait till mine cracks hahaha, no please don't crack macbook <3
 
Prekesh said:
oh so they give you a new trackpad? thats pretty hot. i can't wait till mine cracks hahaha, no please don't crack macbook <3
Click to expand...

Yeah. The top case I one piece. New keyboard, trackpad/button, the whole thing.
 
mrtune said:
Yeah. The top case I one piece. New keyboard, trackpad/button, the whole thing.
Click to expand...

Well my keyboard has a few non-working keys that were the result of a spill. But if I sent it in to have the crack replaced (which is clearly something that has happened to everybody), you're telling me that they'd probably replace the keyboard while they're at it?
 
just saying

I understand thiings will go wrong and etc but this is a defect and I was just curious if they fixed this defect or if anyone knows what they did about it, why would they continue to sell defective products if they did not modify anything?
 
efplaya85 said:
I understand thiings will go wrong and etc but this is a defect and I was just curious if they fixed this defect or if anyone knows what they did about it, why would they continue to sell defective products if they did not modify anything?
Click to expand...

They did do something about it.

The first white MacBooks shipped with a rock hard plastic that had the yellowing problem. As a lot of these were cracking, the newer MacBooks ship with a softer plastic that is more resistant to cracking. People that got their keyboards replaced noticed the new ones have a new part number as well.

So to answer your question, yes, Apple has done something about it. Are some cracks still going to happen? Yes, but they're going to be less frequent.
 
I had to replace my casing twice because of cracks near the palm rest. But as I understand it, Apple is replacing the casings even if the computers are not under warranty.
 
Looking at my late 06–early 07 MacBook, Apple might have to replace the entire case. I've got all sorts of hairline cracks along the edges of the bottom case where it meets the top case, which is itself tearing apart at the edges. The screen bezel isn't much better off, either. I could end up with something that looks like (but isn't) a whole new MacBook! I dunno, does anyone think they would do it? I mean, it's clear I don't baby the thing, but I don't abuse it either. When I'm not using it, it's mostly in my backpack dividing my textbooks from my notebooks (bridging the gap, if you will), without any other sort of protection. But the bottom of my backpack is kind of cushy, so putting my backpack down on the ground on concrete wouldn't even do much to hurt it.
 
Mine is actually cracking on the bottom case by where the screen touches the case. Not sure why this is happening but it's exactly where the other cracks had been happening but not on the top case.
 
when did you get macbook?

Can you guys with the cracks please post what generation your macbook is? I'm looking for info on the new 09 macbook
 
Warbrain said:
The unibody? Won't crack. It's metal and it's also got a nice rubber gasket around the edge of the screen.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure, based on the very first post the OP is referring to the white MacBook that is still available - they're talking about it as the "Jan 09 MacBook" as it had it's specs slightly altered back in January.
 
My girlfriend has a white Santa Rosa MacBook from late 2007 that has recently developed cracks right where the little 'feet' in the lid hit the palm rest when the lid is closed. You can see that the plastic there is very thin, and that the thing isn't nearly as solidly built as it appears to be on the outside. It kept me from buying a new white MacBook, even though it really did fit my needs better and was less expensive than the aluminum MacBook. I was just worried Apple might try to stick me with the repair bill when it cracked. (And yes, I realize it's a known issue, but so many threads on here about cracks end up with many people accusing the poster of abusing the machine, so I didn't want to take the chance of getting an Apple rep with the same attitude.)
 
Add me to the list. I have a late 2007 macbook that has just cracked.. :(
I take good care of it and there was no warning (no hairline cracks)..just a piece fell off yesterday.

To the OP, you may not find too many people reporting that the '09 macbooks have cracked. I think it takes a while for it to happen. (mine took a year and a bit, a year seems to be about average..)

I'd like to know the answer to the OP's question too, am thinking of upgrading as they are great value for money.

Are they the same material or slightly changed? anyone know?
 
different plastic

Someone posted above that they have softer plastic?? But iin order for it not to crack i would get a palm gaurd like moshi palm gaurd...
 
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