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Apple Researching a Matte Black Finish for MacBooks
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Nope... I hadn’t heard about it. Which is why I asked the question... I wasn’t saying it wasn’t true... it was a genuine question. Curious why netmage ‘disagreed’ with a question... smh
Are there any examples of the patent coming to light before the product?
Most companies are pretty good about keeping patents under wraps until the product is announced. I get the sense that most of the patents we see are for ideas that Apple has abandoned. Can anyone think of any examples where a patent revealed a product?
Most companies are pretty good about keeping patents under wraps until the product is announced. I get the sense that most of the patents we see are for ideas that Apple has abandoned. Can anyone think of any examples where a patent revealed a product?
daaaaaaaamn.... Apple is killing me with these titbits, Im trying to save money and get a matte black mountain bike (it's not just the colour), then this comes up... If this does come out and the M series SoC continue to astound as they have been, I'm gonna be financially ruined lol
I can tell you how this will work out,its happened before,like all tech, mostly doesn't live up to the hype.
If its a coating, which it most likely is, it will start to come off no doubt,it will give you a handbook,on how to care for it, basically you cant use it,or hold it to long,the acids on your skin eat it away, but obviously that's your fault,it was in the booklet,didnt stick to the advice, whatever nanotech, bollocks they give you,it will come off,it will be all over the internet,and eventually,maybe a few years, admit there was a problem,cut you loose and move on,seems daft,but these things happen,that's why I've given up on newer tech,first in,first one to be shafted,i will wait,but it is fun to know whats going to happen,why wouldnt it,from the clowns that make this stuff.
If its a coating, which it most likely is, it will start to come off no doubt,it will give you a handbook,on how to care for it, basically you cant use it,or hold it to long,the acids on your skin eat it away, but obviously that's your fault,it was in the booklet,didnt stick to the advice, whatever nanotech, bollocks they give you,it will come off,it will be all over the internet,and eventually,maybe a few years, admit there was a problem,cut you loose and move on,seems daft,but these things happen,that's why I've given up on newer tech,first in,first one to be shafted,i will wait,but it is fun to know whats going to happen,why wouldnt it,from the clowns that make this stuff.
I mentioned in another thread that the Apple silicon macs should have a black matte finish like the old black MacBook. When I worked for an Apple reseller people payed the extra money just for the black colour of that MacBook.
Last year I put a matte black skin on my MBP and it looked killer.
Well, the only way it would be able to resist scratches if it had like a PVD coating, similar to what the Apple Watch uses for protection. But in the same respect, I doubt Apple would include that type of coating on such a large scale product with a MacBook, when it would probably be pricey to do so and would only pass on the cost to the consumer. When you look at the effects of PVD on the Apple Watch, it’s pretty durable, but not on the durability scale that DLC is. Anyways, I doubt know Apple will invest into a scratch resistance.
1998 called... that want their ideas back. A black Apple laptop, I swear I already owned one 🤔
Apple has filed a patent application for an intense light-absorbant matte black finish for a range of products, including the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and MacBook (via Patently Apple).
The patent application, filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, is titled "Anodized Part Having a Matte Black Appearance," and outlines the characteristics of the finish and possible manufacturing processes to achieve it. The patent notes that the finish can be used on a range of metals and metal alloys, including aluminum, titanium, and steel.
The finish comprises an anodized layer that includes "randomly distributed light-absorbing features that are capable of absorbing visible light." The layer contains pores, "where color particles are infused within the pores." The resulting surface is a deep, intense matte black.
A genuine black color is extremely difficult to achieve, with most commercial "black" products actually being dark gray or blue. The patent explains that "merely depositing dye particles within pores of an anodized layer is insufficient to impart a true black color."
One of the issues involved is that, generally, the truer the black, the higher the gloss of the finish, which in turn reflects a large amount of visible light. In etching the surface of an anodized layer with pores, Apple is able to absorb "generally all visible light" to deliver a truer black finish without increasing glossiness.
Apple's solution appears to be tantamount to existing true-black solutions such as "Vantablack," which is one of the darkest substances known, absorbing up to 99.965 percent of light.
Although there are other options such as skins, Apple has never offered a matte black MacBook. The company has experimented with a number of matte black finishes on other products, however, such as the iPhone 7.
Patent applications cannot be taken as proof of what Apple is intending to bring to market and many patented ideas never reach the shelves. Nonetheless, they provide an interesting insight into what Apple is researching and developing behind the scenes.
Article Link: Apple Researching a Matte Black Finish for MacBooks
Back during the crustaceous period, I owned both versions of the Apple Newton that incorporated a rubberized black finish, and they were great! Unlike every other product Apple has made, they were not slick as snot and prone to dropping. Hopefully, this new surface coating will work similarly.
Now that Intel’s out, Apple has to find a way to make their laptops still overheat... so they absorb all visible radiation!
