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Anodization wearing off. Im done with apple

S

schmintan

macrumors regular
Original poster
Mar 1, 2007
181
0
So my 2 year old apple macbook pro is losing its adonization on the strip just below the keyboard. I dont have a picture just yet, but it looks like this image, except it is below the left apple key and is much smaller in size:

attachment.php


Before anyone asks:
1. I dont abuse my macbook. it cost me a fortune so i treat it like gold. it rarely leaves my desk, i wipe it down with a cloth once a week(light shammy cloth, the same as you use to clean guitars so as not to scratch them), I dont wear rings and i remove my watch before using the macbook so as not to scratch it.

2. I did not scratch it. I have saw die hard apple fans accusing folks with this issue of scratching the paint off with keys/pens etc, and of even photoshopping the image.

How does adonization come off? I thought it was a coating electronically plated onto the aluminium case? even heavy usage would not cause this, and i dont give it heavy usage at all. its really treated like a baby.

Anyway, as the laptop is 2 years + old i doubt it will be under warranty. I will still be ringing up apple and complaining as its not the only thing that was wrong with this laptop. when i got it first, out of the box, the catch wouldnt work and it had to be sent back. the replacment i got had about 10 dead pixels and had to go back, and i finally got this one which has been fine for 2 years.

This is a true sign that apple's quality control is non existent. This is appalling considering you pay a premium for the "quality" of their hardware.

I dont know what my next computer will be. i like OSX, but as i cant get it legally on a non apple computer i will happly go to another OS if the hardware it runs on is of a better standard. I have a lenovo at work that is a fantastic machine so might look in that direction.

Im not posting this to start a flame war, im just letting folks see my firsthand experience with apple and the falling quality of their products.
 
Same thing with my 2 year old MacBook Pro, but it's to the right of the trackpad, where i rest my hand.
 
My 3 year old MacBook Pro is absolutely not babied but I certainly don't have anything like that happening to the case. Now, I have my own issues with the increasingly disappointing levels of quality control with Apple products in the last few years, but this particular issue imo is relatively minor and you're reaction is a little extreme.
 
schmintan said:
This is a true sign that apple's quality control is non existent. This is appalling considering you pay a premium for the "quality" of their hardware.
Click to expand...

The quality of most metals under frequent use is unpredictable depending on a host of variable including exposure to minute amount of airborne chemicals. There is no way Apple could test for this on a product before mass distribution, and it is obvious that this kind of thing is in isolated experiences only. You could complain to Apple about it, but odds are they aren't going to fix it because it is merely aesthetic damage. In reality they probably would have covered it if you had chosen to buy the AppleCare.

I don't think infrequent circumstances like this should determine the quality of a product.
 
made in China...what a shame

Why does this problem seem to be occurring more frequently? Is on the side of my first gen unibody macbook 13 on the lid where i reach to pull it out of my bag.
 
That's the spot where my thumb rests when typing. The natural oils and sweat and salt that come out of our skin can be pretty abrasive over time, especially on those hot MBP's. Even though I wash my hands before I use my computer, I smoke and that causes it to get pretty dirty by itself evn though my hands are visibly clean.

Maybe you have a habit of scratching that spot with the corner of your fingernail or something that you don't realize?

I only ask because there are millions of the anodized aluminum MBP's in the world that probably don't have issues with them, but wear and tear is inevitable over enough time and under certain circumstances.

As with every mass produced product, there are bound to be "mutations" that happen to many machines. That doesn't mean the company as a whole is negligent in any way.

I'm not trying to say you are wrong, I'm just saying that the chances are higher that through some random series of events this happened to you, as opposed to it being a faulty product; or even some combination of both. Either way, most likely isn't just a case of the anodizing process being 100% at fault.

Edit: I didn't see Techie's comment at first, but that is a more elegant comment of what I am trying to say.
 
I hope that doesn't happen to mine.. : ( Well i don't plan on having it longer
than 3 years anyways. Going to upgrade when I am close to graduating. hehe
 
Even the Mona Lisa is falling apart...

There are other, more important things in the world to be concerned about, you should value what the machine can do, not how it looks after 2 years of use.
 
schmintan said:
So my 2 year old apple macbook pro is losing its adonization on the strip just below the keyboard. I dont have a picture just yet, but it looks like this image, except it is below the left apple key and is much smaller in size:

<image snip>

Before anyone asks:
1. I dont abuse my macbook. it cost me a fortune so i treat it like gold. it rarely leaves my desk, i wipe it down with a cloth once a week(light shammy cloth, the same as you use to clean guitars so as not to scratch them), I dont wear rings and i remove my watch before using the macbook so as not to scratch it.

2. I did not scratch it. I have saw die hard apple fans accusing folks with this issue of scratching the paint off with keys/pens etc, and of even photoshopping the image.

How does adonization come off? I thought it was a coating electronically plated onto the aluminium case? even heavy usage would not cause this, and i dont give it heavy usage at all. its really treated like a baby.

Anyway, as the laptop is 2 years + old i doubt it will be under warranty. I will still be ringing up apple and complaining as its not the only thing that was wrong with this laptop. when i got it first, out of the box, the catch wouldnt work and it had to be sent back. the replacment i got had about 10 dead pixels and had to go back, and i finally got this one which has been fine for 2 years.

This is a true sign that apple's quality control is non existent. This is appalling considering you pay a premium for the "quality" of their hardware.

I dont know what my next computer will be. i like OSX, but as i cant get it legally on a non apple computer i will happly go to another OS if the hardware it runs on is of a better standard. I have a lenovo at work that is a fantastic machine so might look in that direction.

Im not posting this to start a flame war, im just letting folks see my firsthand experience with apple and the falling quality of their products.
Click to expand...
Bit extreme given your computer has been fine for two years and even now it's only a bit of cosmetic alteration. Hardly indicative of major flaws with the product.
 
CrackedButter said:
Even the Mona Lisa is falling apart...

There are other, more important things in the world to be concerned about, you should value what the machine can do, not how it looks after 2 years of use.
Click to expand...

The Mona Lisa is 500+ years old. A 2000usd laptop should retain it's finish under normal use for 2 damn years and it's not unreasonable to think so. If your paint wore off your car so fast due to defective application or mix the dealer would address it.

I will accept lower standards for a lower price. But for what these cost the finish should stay ON the machine for many years.
 
harperjones99 said:
The Mona Lisa is 500+ years old. A 2000usd laptop should retain it's finish under normal use for 2 damn years and it's not unreasonable to think so. If your paint wore off your car so fast due to defective application or mix the dealer would address it.

I will accept lower standards for a lower price. But for what these cost the finish should stay ON the machine for many years.
Click to expand...
No one saying he cannot be a bit annoyed but to view this minor 'problem' (and it is minor) as Apple's quality control being non-existent and a reason to leave Mac's altogether is a bit much.
 
So, let me get this right.....the computer is rock solid but you're done with Apple because of a cosmetic flaw. Wow, fashionista.

I have a 4 year old HP laptop that looks like crap but it continues to plug faithfully along. Perfectly reliable ugly duckling. I'm not pissed at HP. The machine has never failed me. Now Microsoft, that's another matter.

Take a step back. Deep breath. Now what matters?
 
miles01110 said:
anodizing, not adonization.

Like almost any other veneer, anodizing can wear off as well.
Click to expand...

If you want to be pedantic, anodization is not a veneer at all. If you've ever cut a piece of anodized aluminum you'd see that it chemically bonds and becomes part of the surface of the metal. It's more like staining wood. The anodization process is always done on a completely machined part, because it does not affect the tolerances like a veneer or coating would. To wear off anodization you have damaged the part so it is no longer its original shape.

That said the wear in the picture is almost certainly not wear on an anodized aluminum part, that small piece below the keyboard is probably just painted plastic, like the keys themselves and the trackpad button.

We've had hundreds of this design of Macbook Pro over the years at my work, and I've seen them beat up in every way imaginable. Nobody takes care of them, so my guess is that the original poster's problem is that he unintentionally hits that area with either a ring, or has a nervous habit of running fingernails along it. Notice that no other part of the keyboard or palm rest has a mark on it.

It's also worth pointing out that the keyboard shown in the original picture is more than two years old. They removed the apple logo from the command keys in early '07
 
I guess I missed that, but the point still stands, the damage shown is not normal wear and is not an anodized aluminum part.
 
It doesn't happen often, even it happened to you (and I understand your frustration) you have to admit that it's not a common problem. Paint wears off and so do other kinds of finishing.

BTW, any idea how it happened there? That must be the only part of my MBP never come into physical contact with.

On my 1.5 year old MBP, the paint is coming off the spacebar and trackpad (small visible difference in the finish) but the anodised finish looks fine.
 
harmonica01 said:
made in China...what a shame

Why does this problem seem to be occurring more frequently? Is on the side of my first gen unibody macbook 13 on the lid where i reach to pull it out of my bag.
Click to expand...

I haven't yet read a majority of the posts in this thread yet, but EVERYTHING is made in China. So I'm sorry, that's a completely moot point to make. The frickin system you're using to make this post is most definitely made in China.
 
schmintan said:
Im not posting this to start a flame war, im just letting folks see my firsthand experience with apple and the falling quality of their products.
Click to expand...
you expected the thing to stay immaculate? be realistic, chap. if you didn't want it to show anywhere, logic says you shoulda stuck the thing in a glass case. suck it up, use the thing and move on.
 
Since the MBP is all metal, currents leaking out to you if you use the 2 pin adaptor might affect the anodization. I have used my MBP on my 3 pin extension cord even though I am less than a meter from the outlet, just to have my MBP grounded. It is still perfect now.
 
Andonization wearing on UNIBODY MACBOOK PRO (8months OLD!!!!)

Dear All,

I am a proud owner of a Macbook Pro 15 inch (2.4 4GB DDR3 250GB). I purchased this machine from an Apple store in Feb 2009. The machine has been great and I appreciate all the benefits of the OS against Windows.

Yesterday morning I encountered what appeared to be a surface mark on the bottom right hand side near the trackpad. I wiped the area with a dry cloth and was horrified when small area of the surface came away. It seems as though the surface is peeling!!

http://picasaweb.google.co.in/luthra.rahul/UnibodyMacbookProSurfacePeeling?feat=directlink

I have taken images (please follow the above URL.

Has anyone else encountered such an issue. I would like to add that I have been meticulous while handling the Macbook Pro.
 
lauph said:
Since the MBP is all metal, currents leaking out to you if you use the 2 pin adaptor might affect the anodization. I have used my MBP on my 3 pin extension cord even though I am less than a meter from the outlet, just to have my MBP grounded. It is still perfect now.
Click to expand...


It has just dawned upon me that I encountered small shocks from the edge of the surface frequently. Users from the forums suggested this was minor and normal. But now it is peeling from the edge!!!! I do connect the Macbook pro to the 24 ACD could this current issue be affect the Andonization??????????
 
harperjones99 said:
The Mona Lisa is 500+ years old. A 2000usd laptop should retain it's finish under normal use for 2 damn years and it's not unreasonable to think so. If your paint wore off your car so fast due to defective application or mix the dealer would address it.

I will accept lower standards for a lower price. But for what these cost the finish should stay ON the machine for many years.
Click to expand...

Do cars keep their finish for 2 years under 'normal use'?

The Mona Lisa comment was making reference to Fight Club. It was an unspoken message about aspiring perfection from consumerism and how it can take over. This is exactly what we have here.
 
Yes cars do keep their finish on for 2 years under normal use...much longer normally. Unless some physical damage happens or the paint/process is flawed you don't see rusty late model cars driving around all over. Same with any product designed with a durable protective finish. As a STANDARD (which doesnt mean perfect but the norm) you should expect the finish on a 2000usd laptop to stay on for a very long time.
 
harperjones99 said:
Yes cars do keep their finish on for 2 years under normal use...much longer normally. Unless some physical damage happens or the paint/process is flawed you don't see rusty late model cars driving around all over. Same with any product designed with a durable protective finish. As a STANDARD (which doesnt mean perfect but the norm) you should expect the finish on a 2000usd laptop to stay on for a very long time.
Click to expand...

Cars cost more don't forget and have to protect against the elements. Laptops don't.
 
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