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BIG problem when cleaning MacBook

T

tderemigis

macrumors member
Original poster
i have a little discoloration on my macbook, so i tried to use the non-acetone nail polish remover advice, and it went horribly wrong. i now have a streak about .5 inch wide at the biggest spot, and about 1.5 inches long, where it looks like i took the uppermost layer of the plastic off.

i was cleaning this bc i wanted to put it on ebay. how much does this new streka hurt my chances?
should i look into getting those foam palm rest pads? will that hurt my selling value much?

or should i just abandon the selling idea, and keep it because nobody will want it?

thanks in advanve for all your advice
 
Being a big ebay buyer/seller, I would make sure if you are posting the item make sure it is clear that there are "cosmetic issues" however just say that they seem to be minor and don't hinder the performance of the laptop. It's all in the way you describe the item. It shouldn't be a big deal however next time, as they recommended on the apple website(i think), just use water.
 
I was told that I could expect between 750-900 for my MacBook before my cleaning mishap. How much does this hurt my resale value.

I was planning on selling the mb to by an iMac, but am I better off keeping the mb and getting an external monitor now?
 
tderemigis said:
I was told that I could expect between 750-900 for my MacBook before my cleaning mishap. How much does this hurt my resale value.

I was planning on selling the mb to by an iMac, but am I better off keeping the mb and getting an external monitor now?
Click to expand...

To be honest, I wouldn't expect $900 for it even if it was in perfect condition. The C2Ds in the refurb store starts at $850, has a full year of warranty and no trace of usage. If it was a CD I think $700-$750 would be more realistic without the cosmetic damage. However, if you have Applecare then the resale value would be higher. What's the specs of the mb? That might help us to judge how much it's worth.
 
1156670820_cbdf2e9fc0.jpg

not sure if i posted the picture correctly.
heres the link anyways http://www.flickr.com/photos/76377503@N00/1156670820/

I appreciate all your thoughts.
Here's my situation: I jsut got an iphone, and i still have an iBook G4, so i figured i would try to sell the MacBook, and get an iMac and apple tv. I wanted to make teh iMac my main media center and stream from it, and ive just never liked the idea of making my MacBook a desktop computer.

Should I --keep the MB and just get a monitor (essentially making it a desktop), --try and get the top casing replaced by apple. ((any idea how much that would run)) and try to sell then, --or just cut my loses for being an idiot, and sell with the cosmetic damage?
 
Wow...that is pretty bad discoloration. Anyhow I believe apple was replacing the casing free of charge since the problem was getting all kinds of bad publicity when the macbooks were first released.

I would try taking it in to the apple store to see what they say.
 
^ Not only is the discoloration bad, but dang.... that thing is dirty.

If you can, clean it up a bit before selling. And not with nail polish remover. 🙄

I'd say that's at least a $100 hit to the selling price.
 
Youre supposed to use Mr Clean Magic Eraser. That mark wont look nearly as bad after its clean, its just contrasting so much with the incredibly dirty plastic.
 
i tried the mr clean magic eraser, but it wouldnt do anything noticeable, so i continued to look around the internet and people were saying non-acetone. oh well live and learn.

I guess i should goto apple and see what they say about replacing the casing.
 
tderemigis said:
Here's my situation: I jsut got an iphone, and i still have an iBook G4, so i figured i would try to sell the MacBook, and get an iMac and apple tv. I wanted to make teh iMac my main media center and stream from it, and ive just never liked the idea of making my MacBook a desktop computer.

Should I --keep the MB and just get a monitor (essentially making it a desktop), --try and get the top casing replaced by apple. ((any idea how much that would run)) and try to sell then, --or just cut my loses for being an idiot, and sell with the cosmetic damage?
Click to expand...

If you can get it fixed under $150 it might be worth a shot, otherwise just sell it as it is. Either way, sell it. You'd have to at some point in the future anyway. In a few years, you would buy an iMac anyway, so the money you'll spend on the iMac is definite. Except at that point, the mb would be next to worthless. So cut your losses, sell it, and get your dream setup. The money you get from the sale and from not having to buy a monitor will probably offset half the cost of a baseline 24'' 😀.
 
So what is the best stuff to use to clean the shell of a Macbook? I live in the UK and have never heard of that magic eraser stuff!

I've noticed you can get a new top panel and keyboard for £100 or so, that will be my next step if I can't get rid of the dis-colouration.
 
ascender said:
So what is the best stuff to use to clean the shell of a Macbook? I live in the UK and have never heard of that magic eraser stuff!

I've noticed you can get a new top panel and keyboard for £100 or so, that will be my next step if I can't get rid of the dis-colouration.
Click to expand...

If the case has discolouration from normal uses, then Apple would replace it for you.
 
Wow, that Macbook is filthy. What the hell did you do to it? It looks like my friend's remote after he smoked pot nonstop around it for a year.

When I had an iBook, I just used iKlear.
 
That MacBook looks like it was playing in the Sandbox. I have a Black MacBook and have used the white ones.... I don't understand how you can get it that filthy.
 
stainlessliquid said:
Youre supposed to use Mr Clean Magic Eraser. That mark wont look nearly as bad after its clean, its just contrasting so much with the incredibly dirty plastic.
Click to expand...

Ya im pretty sure all the pastic is still there, you just stripped off the layer of dirt and it looks too clean next to the rest of it 😛
 
Get to the Apple Store right now and get them to replace the top case. They should do it for free as it is a known issue with the macbooks.

Your mac will look brand new.
 
tderemigis said:
1156670820_cbdf2e9fc0.jpg

not sure if i posted the picture correctly.
heres the link anyways http://www.flickr.com/photos/76377503@N00/1156670820/

I appreciate all your thoughts.
Here's my situation: I jsut got an iphone, and i still have an iBook G4, so i figured i would try to sell the MacBook, and get an iMac and apple tv. I wanted to make teh iMac my main media center and stream from it, and ive just never liked the idea of making my MacBook a desktop computer.

Should I --keep the MB and just get a monitor (essentially making it a desktop), --try and get the top casing replaced by apple. ((any idea how much that would run)) and try to sell then, --or just cut my loses for being an idiot, and sell with the cosmetic damage?
Click to expand...


3 words: Wash your hands

wow...I have no clue how you can get a laptop that dirty
 
How in the world did you manage to turn your MacBook that color? Did you literally wipe your hands in dirt before using your notebook? That stain is bad, but man, your notebook freaking dirty.
 
Seriously guys, I think we've established that it's dirty. 🙄

I use iKlear on my MBP and iPhone. Works like a charm, can be used on the screen and the rest of the casing as well.
 
i actually had to go and check my laptop to see how dirty it is...i only have one mark that dark anywhere on my laptop, and that's about a square inch of 2B lead...seriously give your laptop a good clean
 
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