[Ryan1524]

i noticed today a slight peel on my PB's latch button. there seems like there is this very fine, very thin layer or..whatever that can come off, and the surface under it is very mirrorred. i wonder if the latch actually comes shipped with the protection layer (if that's what it is), and nobody ever noticed it since it's very fine and very fitting. i mean, there are no signs that it can be peeled off by user. it's so fine and well finished already, i can't imagine that it's only a protective layer that slowly wears off.

does your PB have this?? or am i slowly damaging my Latch button surface??

[KidKit]

I have that on my Rev B too, I actually peeled the whole layer off with my fingernails you can also peel/rub off the dull layer on the screw that latches your battery too. I've found it this in several other electronic products... I've no idea what it is or does tho'

[Ryan1524]

i think i'll keep mine. at least the actual buttton surface will have some sort of protection until the whole things peels off by itself. if it IS as shiny as i think it is, i'm not gonna expose it to scratches this early in its life.

i also just noticed that some parts of my KB is shiner then the rest on certain angles. greasy hands beginning to take its toll - which is weird, cause my hands are not greasy, and i always wash my hands after i eat before using the PB.

oh the pains of trying to keep things brand new.

[tooki]

Yeah, I found the same thing on my latch and power buttons. It seems like some kind of lacquer or something.

tooki

[bastula]

Yep - I have the same thing on my Rev A. 15 inch AlBook. I came across it one day and wondered what it was. A few days later, a little more had peeled off, so I just decided to heck with it and scratched the rest off. It looked weird if I just left it as is - so what could I do? *shrugs*

[KidKit]

IMO, the metal is just as susceptible to scratches as the 'lacquer' layer, if anything, I thought it looks neater and more consistent to have a scratched metal surface than flaky bits of whatever it is covering the metal surface.

As for the plastic parts, it could look shinier because of grease or discolouration due to oils from your skin. Although another explanation is the inevitable thing that happens with aging plastic parts. All that rubbing and friction from contact with your fingers simply wear out the matt surface and make the plastic smooth, giving it a shinier appearance. You'll see this most on the spacebar keys of old keyboards, there are usually 2 spots where touch typists often rest their thumbs. The touchpad of old notebooks also get a shiny patch in the middle too, corresponding to the most heavily trafficked area.

[cszar2001]

Yep - mine`s coming off too.
I don`t think it`s some sort of protective layer.

[TheIceMan]

Same here. I thought it might have been something I did or because of ocean-front living.

[SplijinX]

I've noticed quite a few "metallic-looking" plastic parts have this plastic cover over them and pretty sure its something they put on over it for protection at some point in the manufacturing process to prevent it from getting scratched.

It's probably like the clear sticky that's over small LCDs you pull off before you use. Guess they just want it to look shiney when it arrives.

[bcaslis]

Yes, I've seen that on every AL model so far. As the previous poster has said it's just manufacturing protection. It's meant to be taken off. If you look closely at any PowerBook in an Apple Store you will see these have been taken off.