I just woke up, got my macbook out of its bag(i put it always inside my bag, since last time i left it out, when i came it was full of ants) and i notice a BIG crack on the right down wrist pad. Its new, i bought it on december, and i DONT live in the U.S. I got some pictures, and I want to know, what do I have to do on my next trip to the U.S., do I have to buy the whole piece? I really dont know what had caused this, i have always seen that when i closed the lid, the right side of it, is lower than the left side. Please help me out. And I just noticed another crack, I have treated this notebook so gently, this crack is on the left side of the little hole where you put your finger, to open the lid. It doesnt really appear on the pictures, ill get another camera, my iphone doesnt makes it right now.
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My MacBook is cracking!
- Thread starter Samarium
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You will not have to buy a new piece. You need to take it to the Apple store and they will replace the top case for free. As long as your within your 1 year warranty. 
Honestly, for that type of crack (being right along the edge), I would just get some plastic cement and seal it myself.
First ants now a crack in the case...you're not having a good month of luck are you? I would suggest taking a little better care of your machine. Perhaps not dropping the bag, placing items on it, having any type of food near it, etc. It's the small things that make the machines last a long time.
For now though head to Apple and get a new case.
For now though head to Apple and get a new case.
Agreed, you definitely need to be weary of the environment you're subjecting your MacBook to.
The same exact thing happened to my white MacBook (built and bought in Nov. 2006). My Apple store kept it a couple days under factory warranty and replaced something or other, and warned me to be gentle in closing it. I promptly got it back and it works just like new ever since.
I have seen a lot of these problems occur on the top case of white MacBooks. I believe Apple is aware of it, and you should not have an issue having it replaced at any Apple Store, or Authorized Repair center, and you don't necessarily have to have it done in the US, the warranty is worldwide.
Why would a person have to wonder what to do? If it is under warrantee then take it to apple, how easy is that? Or call the Apple Care number and mail it in to them. You need to get a new replacement, in my opinion.
Good luck what ever you do.
Good luck what ever you do.
They're made of the same material as the whitebooks; the design flaw affects both types equally. You'll see more cracked whites than cracked blacks because more people have white Macbooks than black Macbooks.
Actually YMMV, but Apple seems to be willing to replace them outside of the one year AppleCare. I had mine replaced about 18 months into my ownership well outside of the 1 year AppleCare and they still replaced mine. Granted mine was one with the staining problem but they just took the thing no questions asked and replaced it within a day. The problem is that after the replaced it I the top cover doesn't go flush with the case all the way around. O well at least I got a new keyboard and mouse out of it.
Like posted, this is a pretty common problem with early macbooks. I've got it too. I'm out of warranty and I haven't tried to get it fixed. I might give it a shot sometime. My local Apple Store has been very amenable to all types of service requests. I haven't encountered any resistance from them yet. The crack bothered me a lot at first, but I've gotten used to it. I lost the piece that snapped off, I had been planning on gluing it back, but oh well, cést la vie.
Yup it's just as common on the black as one the white. If you do anything but leave your macbook sitting on a desk you will get a crack in the topcase eventually.
My girlfriend's laptop has that exact same crack, but it is still under applecare. Once we get back in the country we'll swing by an apple store.
Is that actually a crack or the top piece or is it just separating from the bottom seam? I's very hard to see.
To answer the OP's question, the reason this happens is due to the ridge on the plastic bezel surrounding the LCD snapping against the palmrest when the MacBook is closed over.
It has been suggested that early MacBook's used a weaker plastic on the bottom palmrest and/or a stronger magnet which pulled the lid closed with excess force. This seems to have been fixed with newer models.
Oh and yes, Apple have no problem with replacing the palmrest area for you free of charge. They are completely aware of this issue.
It has been suggested that early MacBook's used a weaker plastic on the bottom palmrest and/or a stronger magnet which pulled the lid closed with excess force. This seems to have been fixed with newer models.
Oh and yes, Apple have no problem with replacing the palmrest area for you free of charge. They are completely aware of this issue.
Same Problem
I have the same problem, in the same spot on my first gen white macbook. The problem is it is out of warranty. Can anyone confirm if the Apple will fix this even out of warranty given that this is a common issue and a design flaw? I don't want drive an hour to the apple store and be told I will be charged X amount of dollars for a known issue.
I have the same problem, in the same spot on my first gen white macbook. The problem is it is out of warranty. Can anyone confirm if the Apple will fix this even out of warranty given that this is a common issue and a design flaw? I don't want drive an hour to the apple store and be told I will be charged X amount of dollars for a known issue.
I am on my third top cover not sure why they have not fixed this issue but now my warranty is up so i am going to have to live with it also a bunch of the screws that fasten the chip set are starting to separate. I am just hopping it stays in one piece it Sep so i can pick up the new revision. Probably go Pro this time unless they fix this problem i was out of a computer for over a month because of this. Thankfully this is the only problem i have had though knock on wood.
Thankfully i have not dropped it my sister dropped hers from lap hight and the thing came apart into like 3 pieces. I worry the day this happens to me but i am vary careful. MB are defiantly school functional but not built in any way for school life.
Thankfully i have not dropped it my sister dropped hers from lap hight and the thing came apart into like 3 pieces. I worry the day this happens to me but i am vary careful. MB are defiantly school functional but not built in any way for school life.