[bentoon]

Where I rest my palm, to the right of the Track pad, the surface is beginning to come off, not "flake" like paint, but small, tiny black spots, like a rust (and I dont have sweaty palms) are beginning to form..
Any advice?
Can I coat this with something?
I purchased this 133 17' last Nov. Is the 1 year warantee still good?
(if not could I still get Apple Care for it? and would it cover it)

Anyone else have this?

Thanks in advance,
John

[Tomster]

Do you wear a watch with a metal band?

[bentoon]

No watch or anything around my wrist,
it is subtle, but it is right where my right palm rests
???
I'll try and include a pict , but so far my digital Cam cant focus close enough to get a good resemblance

John

[Kermy]

Sounds like sweat is corroding the al. Do a search for corrosion on here and on the Apple.com support forums. There's been a few posts about it.

[rag on a muffin]

wow. are you sure its not sweat, my little powerbook gets pretty hot, so my hand sweats and leaves like a grayish stain, or if my hands are a little dirty, dark gray. have you tried wiping it with a cloth?

[bentoon]

Kermy, thanks for the Apple Forums link
It seems like this is happening to many with newer Al Books :
http://www.iammattthomas.com/book/

What is to be done ?
I don't have Apple care , I am still in the first year, would it be covered ?
or
Should I get Apple care if I still can (assuming it will be covered under that) ?

Hmmmm

[Kermy]

Well if you're still under a year, try bringing it into an Apple store and see what they say. But most likely EVEN with Applecare, they're going to say it's cosmetic and won't repair it.

[saranwarp]

Originally posted by bentoon:
Kermy, thanks for the Apple Forums link
It seems like this is happening to many with newer Al Books :
http://www.iammattthomas.com/book/

I'm getting scared looking at those pictures. Right now, though, it's like looking at a car accident as you're driving along -- glad it's not you. Yet.

[rag on a muffin]

looks like corrosion. when apple see this, they may stop making the albooks, and make another type of metal, im gunna guess... depleted uranium. nah that just doesnt sound good "depleted uranium powerbook g4". have you tried scraping it with something soft, like your fingernail. noting too hard, or you might scratch it. aluminum is soft.

[Spheric Harlot]

I get the little black spots.

it's where the casing was fused together, so it's actually ever so slightly dented from the inside, meaning the little points actually protrude very slightly and get a little more exposure and thus oxydizing.

that's all.

It is not an issue for me, being more on the level of the inevitable little scratch or battle scar.

Edit: just looked at the pics - that's a lot scarier than what I'm seeing, I have to say!

tiBook paint issues, anyone?

-s*

[urrl78]

Bring it to an Apple Store and have the Genius look at it. My 17" screen was replaced along with a logic board and it seems to be looking and working fine. I am hoping their service repair dept. has improved. Of course the dead pixel I had with the defective LCD is gone and it looks perfect; very heartening.

On another note, if your warranty is expired I am sure they sell handrest pads to cover the flaking, just don't know a link. If you are creative you could probably make your own. A grey-silver handrest would be cool, especially the kind you could just peel off without adhesive backing.

[Diggory Laycock]

I've got them too - it doesn't really bother me as it doesn't affect how the pb works.

I don't wear a watch or any jewelery - I suspect it's sweat corrosion (yuk) as the dots appear exactly where my wrists rest on the pb. I seem to remember from my Chemistry lessons that Al was pretty inert - because it gets a thin (protective) layer of oxidisation by air - so I didn't expect it!

http://www.monkeyfood.com/thestuff/f...PowerbookDots/

(They are more pronounced than the photos suggest - my pb looks lighter than than in real light - and the dots are blacker.)

I have an original 17" PB (1GHz).

[Milk&Cookies]

Originally posted by bentoon:
Where I rest my palm, to the right of the Track pad, the surface is beginning to come off, not "flake" like paint, but small, tiny black spots, like a rust (and I dont have sweaty palms) are beginning to form..
Any advice?
Can I coat this with something?
I purchased this 133 17' last Nov. Is the 1 year warantee still good?
(if not could I still get Apple Care for it? and would it cover it)

Anyone else have this?

Thanks in advance,
John

I have the same problem! I live in Singapore and own a Rev A 12-inch Powerbook. Have been using it extensively for work for about a year and a half. It gets so hot in the palm rest area that my palms tend to sweat, and now the palm rest area (both sides) is corroded, with black dots (like little bubbles) appearing. Initially thought it was dirt, and discovered with a magnifying glass that it wasn't.

[olePigeon]

If it becomes too much of problem, I believe there are kits for repairing the paint on PowerBooks. It's a silver color paint that you rub on and it fills in where the paint has corroded or flaked off.

[bentoon]

I don't remember where I found them now BUT
There are protective coatings online that are great
clear/silver plastic coating for palm rests and for the edges of older pb's
Do a search for them, they are out there and I would highly recommend
Sorry I cannot remember the name

[rag on a muffin]

Originally posted by olePigeon:
If it becomes too much of problem, I believe there are kits for repairing the paint on PowerBooks. It's a silver color paint that you rub on and it fills in where the paint has corroded or flaked off.

as far as i know, the powerbook case is made entirely out of aluminum, no paint layer.

[Tenacious Dyl]

probably no paint layer.. looking at the side of the metal form opening the battery bay shows that... or at least suggests that.

Wouldn't surprise me if there was a coating, or some sort of liquid applied to it. Perhaps even in just pollishing or "milling" the aluminum.

Perhaps just the process to perfect the aluminum body, involves a chemical that, over time, with heat and chemicals and oils from your skin, produces these dots.

[SplijinX]

The aluminum casing on the PowerBook are indeed NOT painted, but are anodized. Following the link to learn more about it: http://www.alphametal.com/anodizing.htm

In any event, the salt from your sweat and/or living near the ocean is a likely culprit if your palm rest is corroding. If you�ve ever seen documentaries with the Titanic, you�ll notice the salt water has eaten away much of it. Similarly, paint on cars gets eaten away during the winter when salt gets kicked up onto the body panels.

It�s been some time since I�ve taken a hard look at my PowerBook, but I know there are some pieces on there that are plastic (ie the bezel framing the LCD). It�s also possible that the palm rest is made of plastic as well and may be more prone to corrosion, than other areas of the PowerBook.

Below are some options that you could use to cover up the spots:
http://www.buyconceal.com/
http://www.vixinc.com/

As far as prevention is concerned, perhaps wash your hands before handling or wiping the area with paper towels and tap water periodically.

[Tenacious Dyl]

When at home, use a cheap external keyboard. this is better for your back, your neck, your wrists, and maybe even your fingers.

Posture is very important with a long time spent on computers!

It may also save you from corrosion