New Mac owner question

[rceit]

Hello all!

I am a proud and excited new Mac user ( Macbook v 7.1 unibody 2010)

Here is my question. The base cover is rubber and is not attached. Is there a way I can reattach with double faced tape, sylicon caulking, gorrilla glue, etc? The actual base cover is in very good condition buy has a number of holes where the rubber mat was attached.

Thanks for any input

 

[bunnspecial]

Unfortunately, this is a VERY common problem with this series of computers-enough so that Apple actually would fix it for free at one time. Usually they just peel at the edges rather than come off completely, but still it's a pain.

I tried ~2015ish to get one fixed, but the extended repair program had ended by then and even though they WOULD fix it, it was going to be I think around $100. I doubt Apple would even touch it now. I ended up buying a beat up parts system on Ebay(the battery had swollen and cracked the trackpad) for a little of nothing that had a somewhat more presentable bottom.

I think you might also find that if you DO try to reattach the bottom, it will be warped/bent/stretched/shrunk in unusual ways and likely won't look that good even when attached.

In 2019, if I had one completely detached, my inclination might be to make perhaps by cleaning up the bottom as best as I could, applying white contact paper, and then perhaps some cork or rubber strips for grip. It won't look GREAT, but should at least look a bit better than a bare metal bottom. Otherwise, keep your eyes open on Ebay for a damaged one that at least has a presentable bottom-swollen batteries are actually quite common, and you can find some fairly "distressed" cases as a result.

 

[rceit]

Unfortunately, this is a VERY common problem with this series of computers-enough so that Apple actually would fix it for free at one time. Usually they just peel at the edges rather than come off completely, but still it's a pain.

I tried ~2015ish to get one fixed, but the extended repair program had ended by then and even though they WOULD fix it, it was going to be I think around $100. I doubt Apple would even touch it now. I ended up buying a beat up parts system on Ebay(the battery had swollen and cracked the trackpad) for a little of nothing that had a somewhat more presentable bottom.

I think you might also find that if you DO try to reattach the bottom, it will be warped/bent/stretched/shrunk in unusual ways and likely won't look that good even when attached.

In 2019, if I had one completely detached, my inclination might be to make perhaps by cleaning up the bottom as best as I could, applying white contact paper, and then perhaps some cork or rubber strips for grip. It won't look GREAT, but should at least look a bit better than a bare metal bottom. Otherwise, keep your eyes open on Ebay for a damaged one that at least has a presentable bottom-swollen batteries are actually quite common, and you can find some fairly "distressed" cases as a result.

Bunnspecial...

Thanks so much for the reply! I was looking for a "rosier" response, but your honesty trumps 'good thoughts'.

In the little time I have had with my MacBook unibody 7.1 I am really having a great time. Once I get the RAM upgrade in, and save a few paydays for a SSD drive, I think it will be quite the snappy item despite the raggity bottom. I am so eager to learn how to really use a Mac, so cosmetics are not a big concern. I had hoped to be able to reapply the rubber bottom but life will go on, and the knowledge I will learn here will be incredible.

Thanks again!

 

[bunnspecial]

Bunnspecial...

Thanks so much for the reply! I was looking for a "rosier" response, but your honesty trumps 'good thoughts'.

In the little time I have had with my MacBook unibody 7.1 I am really having a great time. Once I get the RAM upgrade in, and save a few paydays for a SSD drive, I think it will be quite the snappy item despite the raggity bottom. I am so eager to learn how to really use a Mac, so cosmetics are not a big concern. I had hoped to be able to reapply the rubber bottom but life will go on, and the knowledge I will learn here will be incredible.

Thanks again!

I'm just sorry that I couldn't be the bearer of better news on the case bottom. Unfortunately, that's how it is on these otherwise great computers.

As far as your planned upgrades-I think you'll find that they will make the computer decently peppy. The unibody MB that I actually use(admittedly not much anymore) was really transformed when I went from the stock 2gb of RAM to 8gb and added an SSD.

As a word of warning, though, these computers use the infamous MCP79 controller, which can be a bit "cantankerous" with RAM and SSDs both.

Specifically, be sure you buy DDR3 PC3-8500 RAM and no faster. When I first got mine, I had 4gb of DDR3-PC3-10600 RAM lying around that I'd taken out of a later MBP. The computer wouldn't even POST, but would just sit there and beep at me when I powered it on. It turns out that the MCP79 tries to run the RAM at its maximum possible speed, and consequently you end up overclocking the controller and if the computer does boot it's unstable. Most other Macs are fine with downclocking the RAM if you install something faster than rated, but these are weird.

Also, not all SATA-3 SSDs will downclock properly to SATA-2 speeds, and instead will run at SATA-1. I forget what exactly I put in my MacBook, but I know that I've put Samsung Evo 860s in a few other MCP79 Macs and they run at SATA-2 speeds.