[waffffffle]

OOPS! Wrong forum. Mods, please move this to the PowerBook forum for me (since I can't delete the thread). Sorry!


I just got a 15" Aluminum PowerBook today. My previous Apple notebooks were a Pismo, iBook 500 and clamshell iBook. I am used to just throwing my PowerBook and iBook into my backpack and not worrying about it (although with the newer iBook it looks VERY scratched).

How do you all treat your AlBooks? How does it look afterwards? I'm considering getting a sleve that I could put it in while inside my backpack. What do you all think?

This PowerBook is certainly the nicest portable that I have ever owned (to say nothing of the fact that it is my first G4-based machine and I am loving the speed) so I wouldn't be too thrilled if I got it scratched up.

[laserjock]

Scratches are a question of 'hardness'. Aluminum is pretty soft, but the case is annodized (silver annodize to make it just look like the aluminum. But you can annoize in any color...) Annodizing is a process that chemically changes the top ~50microns of the surface of the Aluminum, and makes it considerably harder.

Still, annodized alluminum in not as hard as steel (therefore steel can scratch it) and certainly not in the ranks of stones (think: diamond, sandpaper, sandblasting, etc.) and could certainly be easily scratched by things like that.

Annodizing is also a good molecular seal, and therefore is somewhat more resistant to staining - be it a pen, or dirt and oil from your hands, books, etc. I had a revA 12" that I recently sold (to upgrade to the 15"), and it was pretty gross looking. To my pleasant surprise, when I cleaned it off (mild natural citrus cleaner) it looked as good as new.

However, since the hard annoizing layer is so thin compared to the shell thickness, the Aluminum softness wil prevail as far as being DENTED. (just ask that guy who ran his over with his car!!) SO, if it's going to be jossled around in a backpack with smaller things (e.g. calculator, phone) you may want to consider a sleeve.

All that said, I love my 15 and baby it to death. I use a case with a padded section that fits it like a glove. (made by "Incase")

Hope that helps.

[veganpower88]

It is pretty resestant. I have accidently hit with the corners of usb cables and it hasn't scratched. However, leaving chicago int. airport, airport security took the items I place in one bin and threw them on top of my AL powerbook in the bin behind it. The items consisted of a belt with a very large belt buckle, and that did scratch it, The scratch is only about a mill. and i was more concerned with a dent which didn't accure. So my powerbook withstood a metal belt buckle being basically thrown on top of it with minnimal damage. Note to everyone, be careful at airport security. They aren't nice with your equipment.

[ingeniero]

Originally posted by veganpower88:
It is pretty resestant. I have accidently hit with the corners of usb cables and it hasn't scratched. However, leaving chicago int. airport, airport security took the items I place in one bin and threw them on top of my AL powerbook in the bin behind it. The items consisted of a belt with a very large belt buckle, and that did scratch it, The scratch is only about a mill. and i was more concerned with a dent which didn't accure. So my powerbook withstood a metal belt buckle being basically thrown on top of it with minnimal damage. Note to everyone, be careful at airport security. They aren't nice with your equipment.

Bastards!!! lol...

[Angus_D]

You should have complained. They're not allowed to do that.

[pb_soon]

Originally posted by laserjock:
Scratches are a question of 'hardness'. Aluminum is pretty soft, but the case is annodized (silver annodize to make it just look like the aluminum. But you can annoize in any color...) Annodizing is a process that chemically changes the top ~50microns of the surface of the Aluminum, and makes it considerably harder.

Still, annodized alluminum in not as hard as steel (therefore steel can scratch it) and certainly not in the ranks of stones (think: diamond, sandpaper, sandblasting, etc.) and could certainly be easily scratched by things like that.

Annodizing is also a good molecular seal, and therefore is somewhat more resistant to staining - be it a pen, or dirt and oil from your hands, books, etc. I had a revA 12" that I recently sold (to upgrade to the 15"), and it was pretty gross looking. To my pleasant surprise, when I cleaned it off (mild natural citrus cleaner) it looked as good as new.

However, since the hard annoizing layer is so thin compared to the shell thickness, the Aluminum softness wil prevail as far as being DENTED. (just ask that guy who ran his over with his car!!) SO, if it's going to be jossled around in a backpack with smaller things (e.g. calculator, phone) you may want to consider a sleeve.

All that said, I love my 15 and baby it to death. I use a case with a padded section that fits it like a glove. (made by "Incase")

Hope that helps.

wow ... thanks for the indepth explanation, I know a whole lot more about "annodise" surfaces now

As my PB is still in its first week, so I baby it quite a bit. I still use the keyboard/screen protective sheet that came within the packaging (I thought I remember reading some post about the keys scratching on the screen) and I use a sleeve when it goes in my backpack.
Furthermore when I use a laptop bag instead of backpack, I actually place it into a cloth bag (which happens to fit perfectly) to avoid anything (e.g. power supply) from directing touching the surface of the PB. It is a bit of a hassle unpacking my PB, so I wonder how long before I toss the keyboard protective sheet and cloth bag

[Graymalkin]

I've got a Rev.A 12" and I haven't had any scratching problems yet. When I first got it I babied it like everyone else. Now I'm pretty gung-ho with it in my bag. Like laserjock said the annodized case of the AlBooks will keep most softer materials from seriously scratching them. I've had USB, Firewire, VGA, and a multitude of other cables get tossed on top of the closed lid without a problem.

One thing I did to help prevent premature scratchification was get a bag designed to carry a laptop. My old day pack I carried my Lombard in wasn't really designed to carry laptops around. I picked up a Kensington messenger bag at the Apple Store for $40 and consider it a pretty good investment. The bag had a padded compartment the Powerbook slides in to and I believe will fit up to a 15" Powerbook. I got the bag because it had lining on the bottom of the compartment as well as the walls. Most of the bags at the AS had padded walls but not padded bottoms.

The bag is really sturdy and I don't worry about it falling apart and spilling my Powerbook on the pavement. I did feel like my old day pack was going to do that sometimes. I definitely reccomend the bag, it's cheap and has really nice features. It doesn't look too shabby with the pseudoleather lining and embroidered Apple logo on the flap either.

[iHanhauser]

I had my 17" powerbook in myrtle beach for the summer and having 4 other roommates come home from work, covered in sand, wasnt good for the powerbook.

Along the edges there is little dots where the sand took the paint away. Simillar to the little marks arount the edges of cell phones. Paint is missing.

Sucks ... But I dont care.

iHanhauser

[xylon]

My PB has it's fair share of scratches and dings. These things are obviously less impervious to scratches than old Lombards and Pismos, but they're decently tough. I've forgotten to take my watch off, and the buckle usually beats the crap out of most things it touches (like my iPod screen) but the PB seemed to take it in stride.

I did manage to ding the lid, but that was because of my own stupidity, if it weren't for my booq bag, I may have cracked my LCD. Sheesh.

The only thing I can warn you about is corrosion! Wipe down your PowerBook often and thoroughly. The sweat from your hands will eventually react with the aluminum (or so I've been told) and actually pit your PowerBook. I've been tracking my corrosion and I think I'm going ot have to place another call to AppleCare... Sigh.

[spatterson]

Originally posted by waffffffle:
I'm considering getting a sleve that I could put it in while inside my backpack. What do you all think?

WaterField designs (http://www.sfbags.com ) makes really nice sleeves for PowerBooks. If you get the 15" AlBook then ask for a size 11. The sleeve has a high grade neoprene inside layer and the outside is wrapped in a ballistic shell. Very nice... It�s enough to stop a belt buckle scratch at the airport! I've posted pictures of the Cargo Spot which comes with the sleeve on my website if you�re interested (http://www.scottpatterson.com/images/waterfield/)

[flyhigher]

Yes they're more scratch-resistant than TiBooks, but can still be dented.

This is a great hard-shell case:

http://www.spysupply007.com/computer.../VGA9383A.html

It fits the 17" PB perfectly, with just the right amount of padding.

The picture on there isn't very good, you can find a better picture at vanguardusa.com.

[Rixstep]

I honestly don't know - I just got one myself, and am very careful with it, but it's supposed to be made out of the same material - anodised aluminium - as the power button, and that at any rate is supposed to be impervious.

Just treat it well.