Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Macbook Pro unibody, edges' paint is wiped out

Powder coating can and will chip, it was used for many years before the PC industry started using it. I had a classic Chevelle SS when I was 18 and had the valve covers and several other assorted parts power coated. It is more durable then paint but is not bullet proof.

BC
 
My MacBook unibody has exactly the same problem. Now I have gaffer tape along the front edge. it look crap but without it the computer is unusable the edge is so rough. No I not wear a watch and it has not taken a knock. Its directly from wear of my wrist on the edge.

The original poster said paint instead of anodizing. Big deal, as consumers we are not expected to know this. The point is still that this is a design fault. The sharp edge looks nice but its to sharp. Your hand wears down the edge and this exposes the aluminium which is then having a reaction with the air and causing a very rough surface.

If anyone knows of any covers that can go on the edge, a link would be appreciated.
 
I'm not a metals expert, so I won't pretend to know anything about it. In my very limited experience with anodized aluminum materials I have noticed that certain actions will cause it to chip as others with more experience have stated. I tend to agree (again with my limited experience) that the damage was probably caused by a piece of jewelry or the like. Though, the OP did say he does not wear a watch. My advice? If it really bothers you take the computer into an Apple store and see what they say about it. In my experience, I doubt they would do anything. It probably falls under "normal wear and tear".

Also, tempers seem to be flaring a bit among some of us, let's try to keep everything level headed and civil.

@Miles: I have to agree you are coming across as slightly condescending toward other members. It doesn't make the Demi's look good, try to be more helpful and less...well...you know.
 
Just my own experiences here:
I had the exact same thing happening to my uMBP.
I'm not the sort of person who wraps their uMBP in velvet lined dove-down pillows, I prefer to actually use it and if it gets a few scratches etc. who cares? Im not looking to resell it, and I dont mind a few little marks or scratches.
The edge of the palm rest on my uMBP slowly became serrated over the 18months since I got it (the top case recently got replaced under warranty, so I can start fresh), I just think its general wear from general use.
Sure, people who wipe their computer down every day and handle it like a new-born baby may not have this happen, but I dont go out of my way to care what it looks like, so I'm not exactly surprised when I see a few small scratches on my laptop.
 
So I'm having the same problem. It's not quite as bad as the OP's, but it's still annoying.

img0105aw.jpg


Some of the little chips I noticed months ago and I pretty much ignored them, but recently, maybe a week or two ago, I noticed many more smaller chips around the edge just in front of the trackpad; in most situations it's difficult to see, but when I'm lying in bed using the computer the lighting makes the marks stand out and look like crap. The chips may be getting worse too; I've been noticing more and more of them, but I don't know if these are new or if I just didn't notice them until now.

My computer runs great and still looks more or less new other than this (well, there's this weird finish issue where the anodization flaked off at the back, but that happened a long time ago and I never did anything about it, though I should have).

Anyway, this issue is bugging me, especially if the wear gets worse. The odd thing is, the chips aren't even forming where I usually rest my palms; the places where there should be wear are more or less pristine :confused: It's possible I dropped something or bumped into it, but I don't remember doing so; I've also noticed that the edge is slightly sharper on the left than the right side, and it's the left side that's been getting the chips, so I'm thinking there might be a connection there...
 
I have the same pitting along the right wrist rest as the OP. This is the first machine that has had this issue out of 3 unibody MBPs and 2 MBAs in the past few years. I baby my machines and as far as I know my sweat and the way I rest my wrist hasnt changed, which means it is some kind of issue with this particular MBP.

Very annoying. Has anyone had any luck getting Apple to replace the top case under warranty?
 
I mother mine too and I've just noticed this pitting/serating on mine.
I keep it inside a incase neoprene sleve in the house and when out it's inside the sleeve and then an incase backpack.

Just to confirm, does everyone have 2010 machines?
Maybe it's a bad batch..I've only had mine 5 months and it's already pretty apparent.

I'm going to give them a call and see what they say..



http://imageshack.us
 
Here I thought the unibody Macbook Pro was just raw aluminum that is bead blasted. It's bad enough the keys wear early, now I have to worry about the anodized aluminum being prone to chipping. If we have to use keyboard protectors, wrist pads and case covers, it makes me think the unibody isn't as durable as a plastic laptop.
 
Resist said:
Here I thought the unibody Macbook Pro was just raw aluminum that is bead blasted. It's bad enough the keys wear early, now I have to worry about the anodized aluminum being prone to chipping. If we have to use keyboard protectors, wrist pads and case covers, it makes me think the unibody isn't as durable as a plastic laptop.
Click to expand...

Aluminium is very light but it is a soft metal. You can alloy it with other metals to make it harder but it gets brittle if you make it too hard, so you have to compromise for better all round durability. The anodised finish adds a harder layer but will still scratch if mistreated. And of course we've all seen the photos of dented MacBook Pros from even minor impacts.

Plastic is tougher in a lot of cases but it doesn't look half as pretty (or as expensive) which is important to Apple. ;)
 
OllyW said:
The anodised finish adds a harder layer but will still scratch if mistreated.
Click to expand...

Scratching is not the same as chipping. Almost any metal surface will scratch if the right scratching material is used. Not all metal surfaces chip. True anodized aluminum does not chip, and the outer coating of the Macbook Pros is clearly not anodized based on the various cases of chipping posted here and elsewhere.
 
miles01110 said:
True anodized aluminum does not chip, and the outer coating of the Macbook Pros is clearly not anodized based on the various cases of chipping posted here and elsewhere.
Click to expand...

Anodising only alters a very thin layer of the aluminium (typically 0.025mm/.001" thick). It won't stop the base metal from chipping and you can see those chips are a lot deeper than 25 microns.
 
Resist said:
Here I thought the unibody Macbook Pro was just raw aluminum that is bead blasted. It's bad enough the keys wear early, now I have to worry about the anodized aluminum being prone to chipping. If we have to use keyboard protectors, wrist pads and case covers, it makes me think the unibody isn't as durable as a plastic laptop.
Click to expand...

If it was, your hands would be black as soon as you touched it and it would look like crap in a short time.
 
Perdification said:
I recommend you buy one of those palmrest stickers that you can just stick on, even on the trackpad. They come in many textures and colors, some are rough, others are smooth. Just get one of them and you'll be more or less fine. I don't know if they sell em' in the apple store.
Click to expand...

I'm considering the Moshi Palmguard for my MBP 13. I had a Moshi on my
2007 white MB.

I notice that the Moshi is listed on the Apple.com website. Assuming I can find an Apple store that has it in stock. do you think they would do the application themselves for a price?

Edited...Just ordered it online. Didn't have trouble applying it to the original MB, so I'm hoping that it is just as easy to apply on the MBP.
 
OllyW said:
Anodising only alters a very thin layer of the aluminium (typically 0.025mm/.001" thick). It won't stop the base metal from chipping and you can see those chips are a lot deeper than 25 microns.
Click to expand...

But you cannot chip the base metal before otherwise damaging the anodized layer. Unless you are proposing that somehow a mechanism is chipping the base metal underneath the powder coat first? I don't see how that's possible.

In any case that's not really the issue. I'm not disputing the surface is chipped, but the surface is clearly not anodized. If it was anodized, chipping to the degree presented would not be possible.
 
miles01110 said:
But you cannot chip the base metal before otherwise damaging the anodized layer. Unless you are proposing that somehow a mechanism is chipping the base metal underneath the powder coat first? I don't see how that's possible.

In any case that's not really the issue. I'm not disputing the surface is chipped, but the surface is clearly not anodized. If it was anodized, chipping to the degree presented would not be possible.
Click to expand...

Maybe the aluminium is too brittle on the corner? If the base metal is at fault anodising wouldn't fix it.

Anyway, I'm not sure exactly why it's chipping but it's definitely an anodised finish.

If it was painted or powder coated, damage such as this would cause flaking...

unibody_macbook_pro_chipped_03.jpg


broken-macbook-pro.jpg
 
OllyW said:
Maybe the aluminium is too brittle on the corner? If the base metal is at fault anodising wouldn't fix it.

Anyway, I'm not sure exactly why it's chipping but it's definitely an anodised finish.

If it was painted or powder coated, damage such as this would cause flaking...

unibody_macbook_pro_chipped_03.jpg


broken-macbook-pro.jpg
Click to expand...
Wow, that is painful to look at. What happened there?
 
Same thing is happening to my pre unibody model. Apple won't fix it as it is cosmetic, so I guess it depends on who you ask and their mood.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back