Should Apple rename the MacBook the “CrackBook”?
Though the MacBook is incredibly popular in the casual user, blogger, and college crowds, there are many who are realizing the MacBook might not be all it’s “cracked” up to be. Many users are experiencing odd cracking on the inside cases of their MacBooks, and the results aren’t pretty.
Apparently there’s a widespread issue, just like this picture, in which little pieces of the upper casing on the inside of the MacBook chip off and disappear for no apparent reason. These strips of plastic come off in small amounts, but generally are accompanied by some splitting elsewhere around the casing.
What this results from hasn’t really been addressed by Apple; there’s a good chance that the heat of the components inside the top keyboard layer split the casing and the layer. However, it is interesting that many people are experiencing the chipping in a similar area: directly above the indicator light on the right side of the case.
I admit, I am no technical expert: I would love some feedback as to what components rest on that side of the MacBook that could affect the fraying and chipping of the case.
However, as this issue is widespread, it only goes to show us that Apple really is in need of redesigning the MacBook case…and soon. Many are hoping that they return to the brushed aluminum casing of the MacBook Pro and the Powerbook. Hopefully a metallic case will not chip and fray, and can stand up to the strain of being an actually portable device.
The last MacBook revision was over a year ago; some feel the case choice was to parallel the looks and style of the iPod. However, there is little doubt we can expect a revision soon, perhaps around Christmas or in the first quarter of 2008.
If you have this issue, take your MacBook to your local Apple store; hopefully there’s one close to you, because most people have said Apple quickly resolved the issue by recovering the bottom of the MacBook in a matter of hours, free of charge.
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October 16th, 2007
[...] Apple rename the MacBook the “CrackBook”? info@technologyguide.com wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptHowever, as this issue is widespread, [...]
March 12th, 2008
omg. i so agree with this! i got my computer like 6 months ago, and like a week ago i open it and this thing just chips off! another one just chipped off today! i feel terrible because its such a new computer and i feel like i should have kept better care of it…
April 2nd, 2008
My Macbook is a crackbook too. I am so pissed. It cracked within a month of purchase, then cracked AGAIN within a week of the initial repair. This is so annoying!!!
April 27th, 2008
[...] co mi nie przeszkadza bo 90% lapow jest z plastiku No tak, ale MacBook vel CrackBook (vide: Should Apple rename the MacBook the “CrackBook”? – MAC.BLORGE.com , CrackBook on Flickr – Photo Sharing! , Flickr: The MacBook Casing Defects Pool) jest zrobiony z [...]
August 26th, 2008
I had the same Problem. (was one of the first MacBook buyers)
When it appeared I directly went to the Premium Reseller and showed it to him. He was shocked…
They replaced the Topcase (for free cause of Guarantee)
Half a year later it happened again. This time the reseller explained me, that they had a problem with the single ingredients of the plastic. They replaced it again, and now, for one year… no more Problems.
I was also told that the replacement of the topcases will be free of charge, even when there is no more Guarantee
March 4th, 2009
I HAVE THE SAME PROBLEM!! I FEEL SO SHIT! I THAUGHT IT WAS MY FAULT MY MACBOOK LOOKS JUST LIKE THE ONE IN THE PHOTO!!!
March 10th, 2009
I just had this problem happen in I’d say the last 45 minutes for the first time. I would have blamed it on myself if it hadn’t happened to a former classmate of mine. I covered it with scotch tape until I can get it in. Thanks for letting me know.
March 31st, 2009
Mine is cracking on both the left and right palm decks, and above the lid rests, left and right, at the top of the screen bezel. But I will say the first chip came as a result of the MacBook being flung across the front seats of my car into the gear shifter as a result of a near-accident. It has also fallen out of the back of a Suburban into the street twice, has been pissed on by a cat, and has survived the rigors of moderate business travel for a year and a half. Not bad for an expensive “toy.”
April 6th, 2009
Mine is also “On Crack”, looks identical to the one in the picture, same spot and all. I was miffed when I saw it was cracking because I had been taking such good care of it. I am glad it wasn’t me, but instead a manufacturers poor design.
July 23rd, 2009
My Macbook is cracked as well. I just discovered this today. I thought the case was very poorly designed compared to the past ibooks I’ve had. They were rounded and didn’t have a thin plastic cover on the top with an edge that is sharp and can almost rip your hands if you slide them along it. Very disappointed with the case design, but like the way it runs.
The cracking happened after 3 months of use. It’s completely gone, the crack is clearly from thin plastic that is poorly designed. What do you expect, perfect thin sheets of plastic that will never fail from China? It’s not going to happen. I wish the front if it was rounded where I might put my wrists, but once typing on it most people will find they are a little away from the edge so it’s not entirely flawed.
The small spacer pads are not very large when you think about it. Closing the macbook quickly might be putting some nice impact pressure on that area, and over and over again, it will make it’s wear and tear. on the spot. I don’t think a new “plastic top” will solve this problem. It could be that this will continue and apple will be forced to replace the top again and again.
The interesting thing as far as I’m concerned with my case is I have an external keyboard and don’t even type on the thing that much. I use it mostly for surfing. I think some of the comments about a tight fit in a laptop bag might apply a bit in causing the flaw to manifest itself sooner. At times I have more in my laptop bag and there’s a pretty tight fit. Imagine the laptop bag slamming even gracefully on your back when you put it on and all that squeezing weight is putting pressure on that little pad area and that pad is pressing against a small thin piece of plastic.
What’s the solution? Apple should have designed it better and thought about impact of laptop case closure realities. They really blew it on this one, and that’s unusual for Apple. Probably as a cost saving effort and not thinking about it like a car company might think about hinges, etc. There was not enough stress testing on the case design. This is kind of like the infamous apple cord failures as well, where a flimsy design causes cord failure, but that’s another story.
I wish I had this machine squeezed into my G4 ibook case. The rounded edges and keyboard is nicer on the Ibook than the Macbook.
July 23rd, 2009
My Macbook is cracked as well. I just discovered this today. I thought the case was very poorly designed compared to the past ibooks I’ve had. They were rounded and didn’t have a thin plastic cover on the top with an edge that is sharp and can almost rip your hands if you slide them along it. Very disappointed with the case design, but like the way it runs.
The cracking happened after 3 months of use. It’s completely gone, the crack is clearly from thin plastic that is poorly designed. What do you expect, perfect thin sheets of plastic that will never fail from China? It’s not going to happen. I wish the front if it was rounded where I might put my wrists, but once typing on it most people will find they are a little away from the edge so it’s not entirely flawed.
The small spacer pads are not very large when you think about it. Closing the macbook quickly might be putting some nice impact pressure on that area, and over and over again, it will make it’s wear and tear. on the spot. I don’t think a new “plastic top” will solve this problem. It could be that this will continue and apple will be forced to replace the top again and again.
The interesting thing as far as I’m concerned with my case is I have an external keyboard and don’t even type on the thing that much. I use it mostly for surfing. I think some of the comments about a tight fit in a laptop bag might apply a bit in causing the flaw to manifest itself sooner. At times I have more in my laptop bag and there’s a pretty tight fit. Imagine the laptop bag slamming even gracefully on your back when you put it on and all that squeezing weight is putting pressure on that little pad area and that pad is pressing against a small thin piece of plastic.
What’s the solution? Apple should have designed it better and thought about impact of laptop case closure realities. They really blew it on this one, and that’s unusual for Apple. Probably as a cost saving effort and not thinking about it like a car company might think about hinges, etc. There was not enough stress testing on the case design. This is kind of like the infamous apple cord failures as well, where a flimsy design causes cord failure, but that’s another story.
I wish I had this machine squeezed into my G4 ibook case. The rounded edges and keyboard is nicer on the Ibook than the Macbook.