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Alu blemish (pics)

post #1 of 30
3/28/04 at 2:47pm
Thread Starter 
hi, my primary machine is a AluBook 17" 1.33 G4. i picked it up when it came out last september and used it exclusively for my design and writing. i don't use an external keyboard but a 5-button mouse. several months ago, i started noticing funny black spots on the aluminum where i rest my palms, both left and right sides of the trackpad. i know the colour is anodized so it's not the paint coming off but it's starting to bother me. has anyone noticed this as well? my palms get sweaty after a while because the palm rests get hot, but i don't sweat profusely. should i do something about this with apple? it's only a cosmetic issue but i still don't like my beautiful alu to have blemishes. i attached some photos of the spots


left side

close up


right side

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post #2 of 30
3/28/04 at 2:53pm
You've got sweaty palms. I have the same thing happening on the right palm rest of my 14 month old 12" powerbook.
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post #3 of 30
3/28/04 at 3:15pm
take a cloth with rubbing alcohol. odds are those are dirty/dead skin spots. they should wipe right off. otherwise you can also scrape them off.
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post #4 of 30
3/28/04 at 4:04pm
I'm so glad I didn't inherit sweaty palmed-ness from my father. That's something I really hate. Using a communal Mac or public terminal after somebody with sweaty hands! Ugh, slimy mice!
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post #5 of 30
3/28/04 at 4:22pm
I'm sure it's just dirt/oil/skin. My old mousepad would get exactly like that (it was a slightly porous hard plastic). Any scratches would just give more places for dirt/oil/skin to collect into. But it is not some underlying material showing through - it is merely deposited on the surface and should clean off.
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"The Roots of Violence: wealth without work, pleasure without conscience, knowledge without character, commerce without morality, science without humanity, worship without sacrifice, politics...

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post #6 of 30
3/28/04 at 5:42pm
No, I have the exact same thing and it's actual nick. I was checking them out with a pin and it's like tons of tiny pokes with a pin. It sucks, because since it's cosmetic they said that AppleCare doesn't cover it. So live with it
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post #7 of 30
3/28/04 at 6:42pm
the other possibility would be that you are wearing a watch that is damaging the computer, or something along those lines.
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post #8 of 30
3/28/04 at 7:03pm
I would invest in an external keyboard. I hardly ever touch my powerbook. When I have to touch it or put it away, I was my hands with soap and warm watler before handling it. I wipe dust from it with a microfiber cloth a couple times a week. I also forbid anyone from touching it without my permission. If they do, they will get thoroughly lambasted by yours truly.

:P
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post #9 of 30
3/28/04 at 7:20pm
It looks like what happens to any aluminum surface when salt comes in contact with it. Salty persperation causing pits in the aluminum.
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post #10 of 30
3/28/04 at 7:48pm
awesome, I have a little bit of that on my alubook, glad to hear it's curable.

now if Only my palms weren't so sweaty
orange you just glad?
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orange you just glad?
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post #11 of 30
3/28/04 at 7:54pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally posted by alcimedes
the other possibility would be that you are wearing a watch that is damaging the computer, or something along those lines.

no, i don't wear any metallic objects on my hand, it's completely bare. i don't think it's dirty/dead skin either, it looks like a permanent cosmetic damage. the chemical reaction between alu and salt does make sense. it's fine as is, but i don't want it spreading any further. i'll try rubbing it with alcohol. but what if some of the alcohol touches the screen when the lid is closed? what's a good way to clean the lcd??? thanks
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post #12 of 30
3/28/04 at 8:32pm
I use these .

They keep my watch, et al, from scratching my 'book. The only problem is that after a few weeks they get kinda bubbly with the heat and use, so I have to deal with the ugly bubbles or replace them with new ones. Overall, they have done a good job, IMHO.

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post #13 of 30
3/30/04 at 3:34am
Quote:
Originally posted by Jubelum
I use these .

They keep my watch, et al, from scratching my 'book. The only problem is that after a few weeks they get kinda bubbly with the heat and use, so I have to deal with the ugly bubbles or replace them with new ones. Overall, they have done a good job, IMHO.


So which is uglier...holy aluminum or disgusting (and ugly) plastic covering my wrists?
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post #14 of 30
3/30/04 at 5:12am
Quote:
Originally posted by RenaissanceGirl
I would invest in an external keyboard. I hardly ever touch my powerbook. When I have to touch it or put it away, I was my hands with soap and warm watler before handling it. I wipe dust from it with a microfiber cloth a couple times a week. I also forbid anyone from touching it without my permission. If they do, they will get thoroughly lambasted by yours truly.

:P

Now, these are some drastic measures .
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post #15 of 30
3/30/04 at 6:32am
Quote:
I hardly ever touch my powerbook. When I have to touch it or put it away, I was my hands with soap and warm water before handling it.

Oh come now... you honestly finish up work, decide to pack up for the day, and go hit the sink to wash your hands with soap and water first? Wow. That's treading into therapist territory.

Damn, you guys, this is kind of freaky. I know Robot hasn't had his PowerBook for too long. What the hell are these things going to look like at 4 years old?

Maybe those Klear Advantage things are the way to go. Just drop some other stickers over the clear, so you can't see the bubbles. Think of it as a neat way to customize your PowerBook.
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post #16 of 30
3/30/04 at 6:55am
Quote:
Originally posted by murbot
Oh come now... you honestly finish up work, decide to pack up for the day, and go hit the sink to wash your hands with soap and water first? Wow. That's treading into therapist territory.

You rang?

Quote:

Damn, you guys, this is kind of freaky. I know Robot hasn't had his PowerBook for too long. What the hell are these things going to look like at 4 years old?

Maybe those Klear Advantage things are the way to go. Just drop some other stickers over the clear, so you can't see the bubbles. Think of it as a neat way to customize your PowerBook.

I'm not too worried about it, personally. My palms can get pretty sweaty, especially when they're in contact with a hot metal surface (rev. a powerbooks get pretty warm) during the summer. I've had my 'book for about 15 months now and my dots are just becoming noticeable. Nothing I can do about it now.
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post #17 of 30
4/1/04 at 10:30am
Quote:
Originally posted by murbot

Damn, you guys, this is kind of freaky. I know Robot hasn't had his PowerBook for too long. What the hell are these things going to look like at 4 years old?

Maybe those Klear Advantage things are the way to go. Just drop some other stickers over the clear, so you can't see the bubbles. Think of it as a neat way to customize your PowerBook.

I just noticed that I have these spots developing as well and I have only had my machine for 6 months. Plus I have the overall screen brightness inconsistency problem on the new screen that I have already once had replaced!

Cosmetic problem or not, this laptop has an excessive amount of design flaws. I should not have to put stickers on the palm rests to avoid the machine looking like crap! What the hell is that?

I really hope Apple gets their act together on the next powerbook design or I won't be buying another.
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post #18 of 30
4/1/04 at 3:48pm
It's a computer, not a work of art. Wear it proudly as the sign that you do more than just admire your computer from a distance.

-- Mark
Mark R. Wilkins
Author of MEL Scripting for Maya Animators
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Mark R. Wilkins
Author of MEL Scripting for Maya Animators
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post #19 of 30
4/1/04 at 11:33pm
Quote:
Originally posted by mark_wilkins
It's a computer, not a work of art. Wear it proudly as the sign that you do more than just admire your computer from a distance.

-- Mark


It is not an act of vanity to be concerned about a 6 month old 15inch Powerbook, that you paid $2600 for, deterioriating before your eyes. Especially when you use an Apple laptop BECAUSE you have to rely on it for your job.

Here is a list of everything that has been wrong with it:

1. Broken lid lock - repaired, faulty design
2. Poorest battery life of all Apple powerbooks- lower capacity battery from previous model?
3. White spots on the screen - poorly designed assembly (had it replaced)
4. Uneven backlighting (on the replacement screen) - proves that it was not a fluke, still has to be replaced again.
5. Gap between screen and keyboard - Designed with good intentions, but also causes powerbook to wake from sleep and suck battery life while you don't know it.
6. Deterioration in the palm rests (pictured above) - How can you not expect sweat on the palm rest? That's why it is called a palm rest.

I sort of see your point, but I disagree. If I paid a premium for a sports car I wouldn't leave it in a garage and buff it with a diaper, I'd drive the hell out of it. But if the door wouldn't close all the way, it leaked gas, and the headlights quit working, I think I would have a right to complain.
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post #20 of 30
4/2/04 at 7:20am
Unlike the other problems you listed, paint problems are not functional defects except maybe over the extreme long run, by which time your computer will have lost most of its value in any case.

-- Mark
Mark R. Wilkins
Author of MEL Scripting for Maya Animators
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Mark R. Wilkins
Author of MEL Scripting for Maya Animators
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post #21 of 30
4/2/04 at 9:42am
Quote:
Originally posted by mark_wilkins
Unlike the other problems you listed, paint problems are not functional defects except maybe over the extreme long run, by which time your computer will have lost most of its value in any case.

-- Mark


First of all, these Powerbook aren't painted, so there isn't even an inexpensive option available to remedy said problem.

Second, people buy Apple products due to their long lifespan, reliability, and high resale value. Unfortunately, a flawlessly functioning machine is often unable to draw much of its resale value with a poor appearance.

The point that you are missing is that the aluminum case flaw is just one more example added to the list of problems with Apple's flagship laptop.
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post #22 of 30
4/2/04 at 9:50am
of course, it can be tough to stress test a material for the 6 months necessary to realize that human palm sweat might make holes appear in the aluminum.

as for the rest, yeah, those are real problems, and the main reason i don't buy the Rev. A of anyone's products.
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post #23 of 30
4/2/04 at 10:54am
Quote:
Originally posted by alcimedes
of course, it can be tough to stress test a material for the 6 months necessary to realize that human palm sweat might make holes appear in the aluminum.

as for the rest, yeah, those are real problems, and the main reason i don't buy the Rev. A of anyone's products.

Well, they due show up in less than 6 months, and the 12 and 17 had been out 6 months before I bought my 15inch.

Yeah, I won't do it again, but I fell back on the principle that you buy the best that you can at the time and stay happier with it longer. I know see the flaws in that strategy. Next time I am going with rev B. refurbished products to save money and frustration.
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post #24 of 30
4/2/04 at 11:27am
well, the problem is that sometimes the Rev. A is a great buy. and other times the first revision is something you just HAVE to have.

for example, i bought the dual G5, and it's a rev. a product. so far it's been ok, but the heat sensor in the drive bay is a perfect example of a rev. a problem.

it's too close to the side of the case, and doesn't pick up accurate heat readings. in the long run, this could cause HD failure. now, i went in a moved the sensor myself to a better location, and since then it's been fine, but that could have wiped two drives after 9 months and i'd have had no idea what hit me.

the last revision of a product is almost always the best though, and a refurbed Ti after the Al books came out would be a great deal.

now in the case of the screen white spots etc, that should have been caught before production. guess everyone misses a few things here and there.

if it's any consolation, Apple's products have the lowest defect/return rate, and highest customer satisfaction ratings. it's just too bad that after dropping thousands crap can still go wrong.
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post #25 of 30
4/2/04 at 11:45am
My little iBook doesn't mind sweaty palms
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post #26 of 30
4/2/04 at 12:04pm
Quote:
Originally posted by Joey
My little iBook doesn't mind sweaty palms

I know, I know. I can't wait until iBooks catch up with the tech that is in the Powerbooks. I really like the tougher form factor. I hope the next generation keeps that rugged feel but loses some of that white plastic look. I would buy a black iBook made out of that plastic though.
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post #27 of 30
4/2/04 at 1:55pm
Quote:
Originally posted by alcimedes
so far it's been ok, but the heat sensor in the drive bay is a perfect example of a rev. a problem.

it's too close to the side of the case, and doesn't pick up accurate heat readings. in the long run, this could cause HD failure. now, i went in a moved the sensor myself to a better location, and since then it's been fine, but that could have wiped two drives after 9 months and i'd have had no idea what hit me.

Drifting off topic for a bit...

Not having access to the firmware for the G5, it's impossible to tell whether the heat sensor is doing what it's designed to do or not.

In any case, using the G5 without modification keeps the drive bays within the range of the specifications recommended by the drive manufacturers. This issue came up in the first place because of some vocal complaints about drive failures and people feeling that the (within spec) drive temperatures were hot to the touch, but what often gets glossed over in these discussions is that the rated first-year failure rate for Maxtor's high-end drives is "less than 1%."

Since this implies strongly that as many as 1% of their drives are expected to fail in the first year even when operated well within specifications, there's a good chance that the vocal owner of a failed drive would have had the same problem regardless of temperature system design or placement.

-- Mark
Mark R. Wilkins
Author of MEL Scripting for Maya Animators
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Mark R. Wilkins
Author of MEL Scripting for Maya Animators
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post #28 of 30
4/2/04 at 1:57pm
Quote:
Originally posted by alcimedes
the last revision of a product is almost always the best though, and a refurbed Ti after the Al books came out would be a great deal.

Maybe, but these problems described here are very minor compared to what the Ti paint will look like after half a year to a year of regular use.

-- Mark
Mark R. Wilkins
Author of MEL Scripting for Maya Animators
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Mark R. Wilkins
Author of MEL Scripting for Maya Animators
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post #29 of 30
4/2/04 at 2:14pm
Quote:
Originally posted by mark_wilkins
Maybe, but these problems described here are very minor compared to what the Ti paint will look like after half a year to a year of regular use.

-- Mark

Not necessarily. I work with several people who have the last revision of the ti book purchased towards the end of 2002 and they still look great.
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post #30 of 30
4/2/04 at 2:46pm
as for the heat sensor issue, there were a few threads about it. it amounted to the heat sensors would never kick the fan above the lowest settings, regardless of the drive's temp. reading.

even when the drives were running at their hottest. (a few degrees still below the max value granted)

move the sensor and the fan would kick into higher gear when they were in heavy use. much better situation.
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