[Cipher13]

So, I'm pissed. I've just noticed a crack (well, several crackes that join together), on the corner of my iBook (900 G3). Bottom right corner, above the edge of the battery, but on the middle piece of plastic (the top case).

Looks like it's been there for a while, too, as it's quite yellowed.

Absolutely pathetic; had Apple not switched to the cheap, shitty material, this wouldn't have happened.

[cold aspiration]

what was it made out of before?

[teknopimp]

it's made of the same Lexan� polycarbonate resin (plastic) as the older 'ice books'. it's just opaque now instead of clear and painted on the inside. seems to scratch more easily though.

[cold aspiration]

Well I think it looks nice but it also looks wimpy. Like it is very fragile... I could see what you mean by the crack thing, it seems very likely when I lift the ibook and the battery compartment kind of creaks.. I thought it would be more sturdy but I guess not. I am still incredibly hapy with it because it is so small and my first mac, os x is lovely

does the powerbook have a more sturdy feel?

[escher]

Originally posted by Cipher13:
I've just noticed a crack (well, several crackes that join together), on the corner of my iBook (900 G3).

How about some pictures, Cipher13? Is this a tiny hairline crack, or is it a wider crack that you can pry open?

My 3 year-old iBook/500 is a bit creaky, but is still holding up like a tank.

Escher

[Cipher13]

Originally posted by cold aspiration:
what was it made out of before?

Originally posted by teknopimp:
it's made of the same Lexan� polycarbonate resin (plastic) as the older 'ice books'. it's just opaque now instead of clear and painted on the inside. seems to scratch more easily though.

The bottom shell, and screen shell, are still the Lexan resin, but the top shell isn't, I don't think.

The material definitely changed, but I'm not 100% sure what from. It's far "cheaper" now.

Originally posted by cold aspiration:
Well I think it looks nice but it also looks wimpy. Like it is very fragile... I could see what you mean by the crack thing, it seems very likely when I lift the ibook and the battery compartment kind of creaks.. I thought it would be more sturdy but I guess not. I am still incredibly hapy with it because it is so small and my first mac, os x is lovely

does the powerbook have a more sturdy feel?

It does, but I find the older iBooks feel even sturdier still (yes, sturdier than the PowerBooks, even).

Originally posted by escher:
How about some pictures, Cipher13? Is this a tiny hairline crack, or is it a wider crack that you can pry open?

My 3 year-old iBook/500 is a bit creaky, but is still holding up like a tank.

Escher

Yeah, they're awesome machines.

I took a few pictures, but I can't find the USB cable from my camera. I'll take a few shots at work tomorrow, and upload them.

They're not large cracks, but they're not tiny; and they're very visible (they look quite aged). The machine has NEVER been knocked or dropped.

[teknopimp]

if you're in doubt about what it's made of look it up for yourself on apple's site.

"So we made the iBook�s sleek case out of impact-resistant polycarbonate plastic. That would ordinarily be sufficient to survive everyday use and abuse, but we took the idea of protection even further. Inside, a sturdy magnesium frame provides superior strength, while reducing the iBook�s weight to well below that of other full-featured PC notebooks."

the surface texture is different, so that may have fooled you. same material on all rectangular ibooks.

[Cipher13]

I disagree. Even if the material is the same, at a basal level, the manufacturing technique is different, as is the structure. It isn't just the texture (which I couldn't care less about).

So, I forgot to take a photo at work, however, another iBook 900 there has a crack in the exact same place.

NOT happy.

****ing cheap-ass ****.

Perhaps they've made the plastic thinner? That could affect how it feels when you press/tap on it, and that could affect how easily it cracks.

[Mr Yuk]

It sounds like you may have "stress cracks" in the polycarbonate. Stress cracks can come from a number of sources:
1-They can "molded in" when the part is injection molded.
2-The material used to mold the part could have been improperly dried before molding.
3-Your iBook could have been exposed to a chemical environment. (did you clean it with Windex?)
4-Thermal degredation (hot car syndrome)

None of these involve "impact". A thinner part would be more suseptable to (1). They should have used Makrolon polycarbonate. Much less stress crack resisant. FWIW we used to sell the same material to medical device companies to produce heart lung machines used for bypass surgeries.

[LoungeFly]

Originally posted by cold aspiration:
Well I think it looks nice but it also looks wimpy. Like it is very fragile... I could see what you mean by the crack thing, it seems very likely when I lift the ibook and the battery compartment kind of creaks.. I thought it would be more sturdy but I guess not. I am still incredibly hapy with it because it is so small and my first mac, os x is lovely

does the powerbook have a more sturdy feel?

The PowerBook most certainly does not feel as sturdy, nor does it hold up as well. We have iBooks and PowerBooks in our middle school, so they tend to take a bit of a beating. The iBooks seem almost indestructable (a couple have been dropped down a flight of stairs with no real damage inside or out).

However, the PowerBooks have a soft metal strip that runs around the whole laptop casing, and it doesn't take much to cause it to buckle. Even just putting a laptop in a backpack and carrying it around with other books can be enough to cause visble damage.

Despite the pretty blatant cosmetic damage, however, even the PowerBooks haven't had any problems that have affected performance.

[LoungeFly]

Originally posted by cold aspiration:
does the powerbook have a more sturdy feel?

The PowerBook most certainly does not feel as sturdy, nor does it hold up as well. We have iBooks and PowerBooks in our middle school, so they tend to take a bit of a beating. The iBooks seem almost indestructable (a couple have been dropped down a flight of stairs with no real damage inside or out).

However, the PowerBooks have a soft metal strip that runs around the whole laptop casing, and it doesn't take much to cause it to buckle. Even just putting a laptop in a backpack and carrying it around with other books can be enough to cause visble damage.

Despite the pretty blatant cosmetic damage, however, even the PowerBooks haven't had any problems that have affected performance.

[seonline]

I've owned many powerbooks and iBooks. Neither the Tatanium or the Aluminum even come close to being as strong as the iBooks. Yes, the powerbooks look more sophisticated and well manufactured. However just because they are metal doesn't mean they are stronger. The two Aluminum 17" and 12" powerbooks both easily dinged on the corners. A friend of mine had his fall off a desk and the thing is completely bent. I mean half of it is a good 1/2" higher on one side. The keyboard doesn't sit right but somehow it still works. The two ibooks I have (12" 500mhz G3 & 14" 933 G4) seem indistructable. They get three times the abuse. I don't even have special cases for them. Yes they look more plastic and aren't the cool silver but they are awesome work horses and have proved to be invaluable. I would have no problems saying that the ibooks are easily twice as strong as the powerbooks. The powerbooks seem to lose their feet way easier too and that starts to cause scratches quicker on the bottom. They seriously need to do something about the rubber feet on these powerbook machines.

[avalon]

I was wondering if I was alone with this.. guess not.

I have the *exact* same problem.. right above the battery compartment, on the edge of the wristrest. It's been there since I got the iBook.

I've argued a few times with my Apple auth. service centre over this, but they say it's a mfg. defect & needs to approved for repair by Apple, or be a known published issue, for them to do anything about it.

I'm absolutely sick of getting the runaround when it comes to getting things that should be fixed quickly. It took almost a month to get my logic board replaced, an experience I'm still not overly pleased with.

When I get home from work, I'll post a picture of it.

-- Joe

[gioele]

Originally posted by Cipher13:
Absolutely pathetic; had Apple not switched to the cheap, shitty material, this wouldn't have happened.

Did not Apple switch from the great Crystal to the toysh Opaque to avoid scratches and other esthetic problems?

[AKJeff]

I have an iBook G4 800mhz with a nice crack in the area that everyone is talking about. Mine is right along the right edge of the top case. It terminates right before the edge of the Combo Drive slot. It just showed up out of the blue about 3 weeks ago.

[chasg]

Jeez, I was reading this thread and, when I got to the end (thinking that it was a bummer for all of you guys that you had cracks), I took a good look at my own iBook (G3/800). Yep, a crack! Bummer for me too :-/

Oh well, mine takes quite a bit of abuse (always being carted around, but in a sleeve at least), and one little crack is not that bad (for me).

Here's hoping that it doesn't spread, leading to big pieces of the case popping out, exposing the battery contacts, allowing me to electrocute myself next time I pour a pot of coffee all over my machine (I _hate_ it when that happens!)

[finboy]

The corner cracks may come from using a sleeve/case without something in the sides. I've looked at a couple of cases made for the ibooks that advertise "plastic inserts" but really have only things on the top and bottom. Where it's really needed is molded around the corners and on the sides.

I'll keep my eyes open.

That's one thing I'll miss about the "toilet seat" ibook -- damned near indestructible, and the rounded corners made it resistant to stuff like this.

[Steve Bosell]

Pics ????

[egleband83]

Here's some pictures that I took of my iBook 900. I bought it in August, and I think it started showing the cracks about 2months after use. They aren't too bad, but it is annoying to have them in a product that I spent so much money on.

iBook 900 cracks

Sorry if the focus is bad on some of them. It's hard to get my little camera to focus properly on close ups sometimes.

Matt

[Ice33]

Is there anyone who can be emailed about this? If enough people complain and report the defect would Apple acknowledge it or maybe at least correct the problem in future versions.

[teknopimp]

thanks for posting the pics.

after first reading this thread i opened the battery compartment and cd tray try to see how thin the case is and found that it is around 1mm on the top surface around the keyboard and edges. pathetic. the thicker areas are the top and bottom, but still subject to cracking and even heat warpage.

did the same thing with the new AlBooks and found the aluminum is like sheet metal but aluminum is much softer and more prone to warping after getting knocked. sad.

[Cipher13]

Thanks for posting those pics - I still haven't found that USB cable of mine

It's the exact same location.

As soon as I back up my iBook, I'll be taking it to the nearest service center.

If Apple refuses to do anything about it, they will face hell incarnate, I guarantee.

[escher]

Originally posted by egleband83:
Here's some pictures that I took of my iBook 900. I bought it in August, and I think it started showing the cracks about 2months after use.

Autsch, that's terrible. To think that my 3 year-old iBook/500 has held up better than a newer model is scary. (I did have to pay $300 to replace a pinched backlight cable, but that was an internal problem.) Sure hope AppleCare would cover a crack like this that is obviously structural.

I guess cracked iBooks are one more reason for me to move back to a PowerBook. Quality control at Apple sure isn't what it used to be.

Escher

[Spliff]

Wow. It looks as if Apple has some "crack" engineers.
Sorry about the pun. I couldn't resist.

How many years has Apple been making laptops? And they still make a case that cracks. Impressive. Their laptop engineers might as well work for NASA since both NASA and Apple seem to have about the same level of quality control.

[SciFrog]

I have the exact same problem, iBook 12'' 900 bought last august...

Should we try to call Apple?

[Smirks]

Sorry to bring up an old thread, but I just noticed a crack in the same exact spot on my 12" iBook 900 G3.

.... and anyother thing, one of my little rubber feet on the bottom of my iBook appears to have run away. Does anyone know where I can find a replacement?

[Komisar]

its happened to me i went to a local apple reseller and they replaced it for 100 dollars

[larseko]

I have a crack on the same spot (iBook G3 800MHz), as I mentioned in another thread. I think it's important to post it here, since it helps to show the frequency of the problem.

An image of my crack can be found
here

Best regards,

Lars Erik

[darcybaston]

Cipher13! So pained that you ended up getting a problem like that so soon. I remember how excited you were when you first got the iBook. Well, get them to fix it and keep on computing blissfully.

Very chagrined for everyone else getting cracks. I don't have any on my G4 14" model, but I love this thing and I can imagine how distressful it must be to have something as silly as that happen.

[Cipher13]

Originally posted by darcybaston:
Cipher13! So pained that you ended up getting a problem like that so soon. I remember how excited you were when you first got the iBook. Well, get them to fix it and keep on computing blissfully.

Very chagrined for everyone else getting cracks. I don't have any on my G4 14" model, but I love this thing and I can imagine how distressful it must be to have something as silly as that happen.

Long time no see

Yeah, it sucks. I can't take it in to Apple yet, though, as I have several huge papers to write.

Perhaps at the end of the semester... I will update people on how it goes, though. I'm not paying a cent to get this fixed. Apple will fix it for me, come hell or high water.

[darcybaston]

They'd better.

[larseko]

So I returned my iBook with the crack. The local reseller (Officeline, Norway) contacted Apple, but they gave me a cold shoulder. According to them, this damage had to be my own fault, either by a sudden impact or by stress over time, and hence not a reason for them to pay for repairs. Now I don't know what I should do. Any others who have been in touch with Apple?

[iguana9999]

Yes i had those cracks to on my iBook G3 800. Think it has something to do with the plastic coming under alot of stress. Did u ever disassembled ur iBook Cipher? Well i didnt notice the cracks until the 1 who bought it last week told me it was der. But it was in the exact same corner.

Come to think of it my iBook G3 500 also had thesame crack in the same spot. Both were disassembled though.

Hope my iBook G4 doesnt get it. But anyway still happy with it cause it can take alot of abuse.

[chasg]

Hey larseko,

Why not point Apple to this thread? It started spontaneously with a real, reproducible, issue. We've all had the same problem, in the same place. That points heavily towards a design fault.

[Komisar]

Won't help its accidently damage... same problem with me but i only started worrying when my harddrive cracked from it... i payed for the plastic to be replaced for 100 and the harddrive i think wasz under warrenty sorry guys but apple won't pay for it

[larseko]

Originally posted by chasg:
Hey larseko,

Why not point Apple to this thread? It started spontaneously with a real, reproducible, issue. We've all had the same problem, in the same place. That points heavily towards a design fault.

I did, actually, but it don't seem to have helped. I was never directly in touch with Apple, though, had to go through the company selling me the plastic.

[chasg]

Hmm, well is it possible to contact Apple directly in Norway and demand this repair?

It might be an impossible task, I guess it depends on how anxious you are to get this part of the case replaced (I'd say that Apple will strongly resist: how many iBooks would they suddenly have to fix if they admitted this was a design fault??)

My iBook just succumbed to the logic board problem, and it's going back to Apple. I detailed the cracked case to the tech I spoke to, and am going to put in a note as well (pointing them to this thread ;-). We'll see what happens...go Apple, do the right thing!

Chas

[smic]

well now after reading all this, i looked at my ibook 700
and...
its got a tiny L shaped crack on that corner
strange

[sledsbehave]

just wanna chime in here. i have an ibook 600mhz w/combo drive and it had all four corners cracked when i got it. i replaced the whole thing myself with an ebay bought replacement part and it's as good as new.

i got a reasonable discount for the defects, but it turned out to be a great deal considering i did the repair myself.

definitly a problem though.

[OreoCookie]

My ex gf's iBook 800 also has cracks.

[cold aspiration]

it sure does seem like a design fault to me. I closely examined my ibook g4 800 on the corners and found that the plastic piece of the case in question is not one piece but at least two. they already have lines right on the corner where it shows it was put together. lines right on the corner? the corner where the stress while carring the computer will most likely be put? that isn't very smart. No wonder the cracks spread from that line in those previously posted pics

[larseko]

I went to pick up my unrepaired laptop today, but they didn't want to give it to me before I pay dem about $150 (NOK1100). This is OfficeLine, Norway, I'm talking about. Of course, I don't intend to pay, so now I appearently have given my laptop away for free. Be warned. I'm so angry now that I have huge problems containing myself. I can't call the service department, as they have closed for the day, so I just have to get it out somewhere.

[macaddict0001]

Originally posted by cold aspiration:
it sure does seem like a design fault to me. I closely examined my ibook g4 800 on the corners and found that the plastic piece of the case in question is not one piece but at least two. they already have lines right on the corner where it shows it was put together. lines right on the corner? the corner where the stress while carring the computer will most likely be put? that isn't very smart. No wonder the cracks spread from that line in those previously posted pics

actually its all one piece it just has those bumps

[Bobby]

Originally posted by Mr Yuk:
...None of these involve "impact".

I disagree with this. It's an extreamly tiny joint (of sorts) that is modeled in such a way as to make it easy to crack... At the smallest point it's under a quarter inch across (just a little over 1/8th)...

It doesn't supprise me, I'm guessing it's more common than these boards make it out to be...

[tujucrue]

I know I'm relatively new to the board, but my experience is different. I had a crack near the Power Adaptor port. Everything worked okay, it just cracked. Keep in mind, that was a G3 700. That model had the metal frame. Based on what I've what seen on my new iBook G4, it appears to be much more durable.

In a similar situation, I had an HP Omnibook that I gave to my Mother. The notebook has a crack all the way across back near the joint where the screen meets the CPU. I have threatened HP with a suit because this is the second computer from them, I had it replace for a logic board problem that kept reoccurring. Although they won't cover it under warranty. The problem is a design flay by HP and they are going to pay one way or another. GOD BLESS CONSUMER ADVOCACY.

[aellath]

i have the care of about 30-40 schools in my job, and i don't know how many PowerBooks and iBooks. It is extremely rare for me to have to replace a housing for damage, unless something extraordinary has happened to the unit. (see below!) The most common repair is reseating the keycaps or replacing the bloody keyboards because the cap or the scissors under it was lost (and even then, only if i don't have a spare hanging around!). Otherwise, given what students do to these things, they hold up magnificently.

Speaking of extraordinary abuse, the link below shows a recent repair i had.

http://home.earthlink.net/~argentgre...azingbook.html

i was so amazed at it i had to take photos, and the photos don't do the reality justice. The only other unit i've had like this was a PowerBook Duo that had been run over by accident. That one worked wonderfully afterwards, too, except for the treadmarks delineated by dead pixels on the display.

One more thing: Apple has *never* covered plastics except as part of a Repair Extension Program. (read: housing parts) That's because there's no way to definitively ascertain whether the problem was caused by a defect in manufacture, normal use, or abuse. This causes problems for honest consumers, but there you go.

[markb]

Come on, get a life. My iBook has been dropped and even stepped on and it still works fine. It has one crack in the battery corner, too. So what.

Do you really want to let a little crack send you into a fit of anger?

The iBooks are small, light and tough.

Originally posted by Cipher13:
So, I'm pissed. I've just noticed a crack (well, several crackes that join together), on the corner of my iBook (900 G3). Bottom right corner, above the edge of the battery, but on the middle piece of plastic (the top case).

Looks like it's been there for a while, too, as it's quite yellowed.

Absolutely pathetic; had Apple not switched to the cheap, shitty material, this wouldn't have happened.

[g3_brandon]

I'd like to mention a couple things here. First of all, my iBook 600 doesn't have any problems with cracks and it has seen its fair share of abuse. Now when you people that are understandably upset go in to your local Apple repair centers, PLEASE don't get upset with who you are talking to. It doesn't do you any good to be yelling at the technician, they are only the messenger that has to follow Apple's rules about these situations. They are going to be FAR more likely to try to help you if you are friendly and courteous to them (I speak from experience here, I used to be one of those technicians).

I don't think that there is any structural problems with the iBooks, their plastics or anything. The best example I have of this came from an iBook that a customer backed over with her car. She leaned it up against the tire to get in, forgot about it, then backed over it. When she felt the bump, she knew what happened and brought it right in to us. The computer, other than a cracked LCD, was in perfect shape. No plastic damage, nothing. So its probably just a seam in the molding that is separating too easily.

[scaught]

Originally posted by aellath:
i have the care of about 30-40 schools in my job, and i don't know how many PowerBooks and iBooks. It is extremely rare for me to have to replace a housing for damage, unless something extraordinary has happened to the unit. (see below!) The most common repair is reseating the keycaps or replacing the bloody keyboards because the cap or the scissors under it was lost (and even then, only if i don't have a spare hanging around!). Otherwise, given what students do to these things, they hold up magnificently.

Speaking of extraordinary abuse, the link below shows a recent repair i had.

http://home.earthlink.net/~argentgre...azingbook.html

i was so amazed at it i had to take photos, and the photos don't do the reality justice. The only other unit i've had like this was a PowerBook Duo that had been run over by accident. That one worked wonderfully afterwards, too, except for the treadmarks delineated by dead pixels on the display.

One more thing: Apple has *never* covered plastics except as part of a Repair Extension Program. (read: housing parts) That's because there's no way to definitively ascertain whether the problem was caused by a defect in manufacture, normal use, or abuse. This causes problems for honest consumers, but there you go.

wow. people with a disregard for nice things really get me peeved. i guess accidents happen, but cripes.

oh. i just gave my ibook 700 a hug.