All the usual issues with MBP plus... paint flaking?

[elbirth]

I've had most of the normal issues with my MacBook Pro... the buzzing screen (which has gotten really loud lately and is really annoying me where it didn't bother me before), dropping wireless connection, getting extremely hot, and even a dead pixel and a couple issues on the side of my screen that almost look like scratches or something on the LCD that I can't figure out what they are...

But yesterday drew the line and I called Apple and they're sending me a box to send it in for repair. Now it seems to just randomly turn itself off after about 15 minutes of usage on battery power and won't turn on again until I plug it into the AC... it's happened once on AC but immediately started back up when I hit the power button.

Plus, right below my spacebar the paint seems to be flaking off! I started noticing a slight discoloration there, but I figured it was from wear or something, since I've used it extensively for 2 months now. However, I was in class and noticed something on the bottom of my thumb... I looked down and it had come from my Mac! I brushed my finger acros the spot on the computer and more came off. It's like dark lines of discoloration coming from it and slowly flaking off from that area... I stopped right there and called.

They put me on the phone with some kind of specialist and he emailed me a .dmg file to run and collect system information to email back to them. They think most of my issues are heat related, but I don't know. I'm hoping they'll just replace the whole thing now that it has this terrible eyesoar from who knows what.... he said if I got it back and they hadn't fixed where the paint is flaking to shoot him an email and he'd handle it, so we'll see...


Anyone experienced this before? It severely takes away from the aesthetics of my computer now... I've attached a picture below for reference.

 

[FocusAndEarnIt]

Dude, that's really serious. Get that thing repaired quick.

 

[esaleris]

Dude,

You've used the MBP "extensively for the last two months." That means there's going to be wear on it. If it flaked off in a location that you don't touch often (like in the middle of the lid), I'd call them up. But since it looks like it's where your thumb rests when you're typing, it seems a bit unreasonable. Would you expect the undercarriage of your car to be perfect after driving 10K miles?

The product isn't really aluminium; it's aluminium coated with a coat of paint. It'll eventually wear off. So will the plastic that the space bar is made out of.

Anyway, in your defense, your other problems are worthy of mentioning. So go ahead and return it. I just don't think the paint flaking was that big of a deal, unless it was in a place you never touch.

 

[devilot]

But since it looks like it's where your thumb rests when you're typing, it seems a bit unreasonable. Would you expect the undercarriage of your car to be perfect after driving 10K miles?

Er... I've seen plenty of older PBs that never ever displayed that kind of 'wear.' I think the OP has every right to be upset.

Get that paint fixed!

 

[lanray]

Big bummer. Never seen anything like that, really. Hopefully, they'll make things right.

Not to threadsteal, I have a Gateway convertible tablet lappy, and I found out today that it may be 7 weeks total that the thing is out being fixed. By that time it will be obsolete. Ug. Apple is way better than that, for real.

 

[elbirth]

I just don't think the paint flaking was that big of a deal, unless it was in a place you never touch.

That's the thing, I never touch that area. My thumb rests on the spacebar and the spacebar alone and it has not even begun to show wear. My IBM Thinkpad has a really shiny spot on it where my thumb rests there all the time and I'm perfectly ok with that because I know it's from use. The only reason I got some paint flakes on my thumb initially was because I had stopped typing and was drumming my fingers on the area below the keyboard and when I went to scratch an itch I felt/saw it.

That area, along with the area across the top of the F1-12 keys get extremely hot to the touch, though.

 

[Minute Man]

I've got an aluminum powerbook that I've used extensively for three years that doesn't show that kind of wear. And I do mean extensively. (Got it going into college, graduating next spring with a degree in computer science - so yeah... "extensively" may not even fully describe the amount of use this computer has gotten...).
-Sean

 

[elbirth]

I guess my phrase of "extensive" is making it sound like I come close to abusing this thing..... let me clarify this, as it seems to be much too harsh of a term:

I bought a Bitolithic sleeve for it that it stays in unless it is in use. I keep the orange felt (or whatever it is) insert on the keyboard when closing it so as to keep the screen clean. I am very gentle with it when moving it around and placing it inside my backpack, etc. When it's in use, I do tend to type very fast, but I keep my hands arched so that just my fingertips hit the keys and part of my forearm rests on the front of the laptop. I have the Apple Bluetooth keyboard that I use when sitting down for long periods of time to work, so during that time the laptop's keyboard isn't being touched at all.

What I meant by "extensive" I guess now in retrospect should be more just "exclusive". I've always used an IBM Thinkpad while in college (I'm finishing my senior year now) but ever since I got this 2 months ago, I have used it and only it. Due to classes and my job, I use this thing upwards of 12-15 hours a day on many days. Yet NOTHING else shows any signs of wear at all that I can see, even the spot beside the touchpad where my metal watch band occasionally hits when I have it on. So for that one spot to be flaking off like that (which is a spot I don't even touch) is completely unacceptable in my opinion. I see no way possible that it could be me causing this.

 

[MacBookProRay]

These computers are made out of aluminum. There is no paint. That is clearly and obviously done in photoshop. My 4 year old 12" g4 after 4 years of very very extensive use does not have anything like that, nor my 1 year old 17" g4, and nor does my macbookpro. You know why? Because there is no paint on these cases!!! And if there were, it would not be white....you could have done a better job phtoshopping.....it looks more like something done with the pencil tool in ms paint!!

 

[elbirth]

These computers are made out of aluminum. There is no paint. That is clearly and obviously done in photoshop. My 4 year old 12" g4 after 4 years of very very extensive use does not have anything like that, nor my 1 year old 17" g4, and nor does my macbookpro. You know why? Because there is no paint on these cases!!! And if there were, it would not be white....you could have done a better job phtoshopping.....it looks more like something done with the pencil tool in ms paint!!

lol, seriously, WTF. Why would I make something like this up?

Hang tight, I'll get some other shots and let's see how accurately I can recreate it at different angles, huh?

 

[yankeefan24]

These computers are made out of aluminum. There is no paint. That is clearly and obviously done in photoshop. My 4 year old 12" g4 after 4 years of very very extensive use does not have anything like that, nor my 1 year old 17" g4, and nor does my macbookpro. You know why? Because there is no paint on these cases!!! And if there were, it would not be white....you could have done a better job phtoshopping.....it looks more like something done with the pencil tool in ms paint!!

I agree with you about the paint. I looked through the EXIF Data and here's what i got (see attached) :

What this means, is that the file did go through photoshop.

I am wondering why you would make this up, but the proof is right below in the attached image.

 

[Placeholder]

There is no paint. That is clearly and obviously done in photoshop.

That's quite the accusation to be throwing around on a Wednesday afternoon...

 

[elbirth]

You do realize that I resized the image, I hope.

 

[Placeholder]

MBPRay,
You also have to keep in mind that not all of the machine is made up of aluminum (the keyboard for example) - I'm not sure whether that part of the casing is platics or not though...

 

[elbirth]

Here's 3 more shots for the person that has the balls to claim I'm making this up.

you can obviously see the aluminum underneath. What do you think they're going to do? Give us a raw aluminum case? pfftt

 

[Placeholder]

Elbirth, Those last pics make it look like you at least let you MBP get some serious gouge or scrape though - it's understandable that the paint would flake if your computer got 'keyed' or soemthing of the sorts.

 

[elbirth]

and for good measure, here's a full resolution image directly out of the camera:

http://www.unc.edu/~dhendley/_MG_0493.JPG

Elbirth, Those last pics make it look like you at least let you MBP get some serious gouge or scrape though - it's understandable that the paint would flake if your computer got 'keyed' or soemthing of the sorts.

right... but I'm the only one that uses this, and there's no way in the world I would purposely scrape away at my computer.

 

[Whistleway]

Elbirth, Those last pics make it look like you at least let you MBP get some serious gouge or scrape though - it's understandable that the paint would flake if your computer got 'keyed' or soemthing of the sorts.

If you look carefully on the full resolution pic, you can see it is burnt up rather than scratched out.

 

[Placeholder]

right... but I'm the only one that uses this, and there's no way in the world I would purposely scrape away at my computer.

I believe you wouldn't, but are you sure that no one else - even if just for a secod - got their hands on your MBP? It just seems like such an odd thing to have happen for no reason...

 

[elbirth]

I believe you wouldn't, but are you sure that no one else - even if just for a secod - got their hands on your MBP? It just seems like such an odd thing to have happen for no reason...

no chance at all. I live in a dorm without a roommate and if I'm not in the room, the door is locked (it pulls itself shut and locks automatically always).

The guys I talked to on the phone said they think it's due to heat and have engineers looking into various issues surrounding it.

 

[katie ta achoo]

The same thing is happening to my PowerBook. It started to come off after I iKlear'ed it, getting it in the little trough.


OT, yet slightly related: Will MBPs have pitting issues, too?

 

[Placeholder]

Will MBPs have pitting issues, too?

What do you mean by "pitting issues"? This is my first apple portable - my last computer was a g3 Imac, so I'm out of the loop

 

[yankeefan24]

and for good measure, here's a full resolution image directly out of the camera:

http://www.unc.edu/~dhendley/_MG_0493.JPG

no photoshop in there.

sorry for my doubts.

It does look burnt. I'm scared to think about how hot these MBPs get. At first I thought it was a bunch of newbie switchers who never used a mac before, but if the paint is flaking, wow.

Good luck with apple.

-yankeefan

 

[katie ta achoo]

What do you mean by "pitting issues"? This is my first apple portable - my last computer was a g3 Imac, so I'm out of the loop

pitting

It's like acid sweat, goin' on.

I have it pretty bad... I've put PDA screen protectors on the wrist rests

 

[WildCowboy]

What do you mean by "pitting issues"? This is my first apple portable - my last computer was a g3 Imac, so I'm out of the loop

PowerBooks are infamous for developing black spots on the palmrests...generally thought to be the results of sweat reacting with the aluminum. Also thought to be exacerbated by wearing a watch while typing, which can scratch the surface slightly and allow sweat to really get in there.

Mine started pitting very slightly after about 10 months of use...but Apple replaced my top case while my PB was in for a separate repair under AppleCare, so mine's beautiful again!