[RadarBob2]

Musings...

MacBook is made in communist China, not in Taiwan anymore. Mainland Chinese products in general have the deserved reputation of cheaply make junk. I think it's a combination of a company trying to cut corners on manufacture cost - not just labor cost! - and unskilled labor. A pathetic combination.

[masugu]

So Jobs and Kathie Lee Gifford have something in common ;-)

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by RadarBob2

Musings...

MacBook is made in communist China, not in Taiwan anymore. Mainland Chinese products in general have the deserved reputation of cheaply make junk. I think it's a combination of a company trying to cut corners on manufacture cost - not just labor cost! - and unskilled labor. A pathetic combination.

Not this garbage again...

[amazing]

something for this thread to ponder: how come no one else has found a flaking black MB? Nobody, but nobody, has reported anything remotely like the original "supposed" observation.

Am I wrong? There's been more than enough time for everyone to examine a heap of black MBs.

What's that say about the original poster?

[slugslugslug]

Ha! I knew Eug was a commie! Can we kick the Canadians off these boards now?

[Gamoe]

Originally Posted by Eug Wanker

Not this garbage again...

I'd actually rather not buy all that much stuff, including electronics and Macs, made in China. After all they are an oppressed people in a communist nation and they are exploited by a number of companies for low-wage pay.

That said, I can't see any practical way of avoiding it things being they way they are-- it's just so woven into our economic system at this point.

Anyway, I don't mean to turn this into a political discussion, but I don't think you should dismiss what RadarBob2 says as merely "garbage".

[Hi I'm Ben]

This whole story is crap. As the others said, it doesn't scratch. it's the same black finish and plastic as a T-42 laptop.

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by Gabriel Morales

I'd actually rather not buy all that much stuff, including electronics and Macs, made in China. After all they are an oppressed people in a communist nation and they are exploited by a number of companies for low-wage pay.

That said, I can't see any practical way of avoiding it things being they way they are-- it's just so woven into our economic system at this point.

Anyway, I don't mean to turn this into a political discussion, but I don't think you should dismiss what RadarBob2 says as merely "garbage".

His statement is basically political. From a pure technical point of view, the the vast majority of the time, the quality is no different if it's made in China or if it's made in Taiwan.

There were problems when the things were made in Taiwan too, but now that they're made in China (by the same Taiwanese companies BTW, with the same QA practices), suddenly all this political stuff gets brought up.

P.S. Your entire post is political as well. There is not even a single mention of the technical side.

[Socially Awkward Solo]

Originally Posted by slugslugslug

Ha! I knew Eug was a commie! Can we kick the Canadians off these boards now?

Actually Eug is both Chinese AND Canadian so Gabriel Morales isn't making many friends.

[analogika]

Originally Posted by Eug Wanker

The MacBook Black is flakey?

That actually looks like it's some of the layer that moulds are coated with to keep the extruded plastic parts from sticking to them.

Most likely, that upper case was the first of a run, and there was a little too much of the coating applied to the mould.

That should rub right off. The end.

[Gamoe]

Originally Posted by Eug Wanker

His statement is basically political. From a pure technical point of view, the the vast majority of the time, the quality is no different if it's made in China or if it's made in Taiwan.

...[snip]...

P.S. Your entire post is political as well. There is not even a single mention of the technical side.

I am not a politics-talk loving person. In fact, I prefer to avoid unnecessary political talk. However, first off, there does seem to be a difference in quality, generally-speaking, from China-made products to others made in Taiwan, for example. Maybe you're right, though, maybe those quality differences have lessened.

Is my post political? Yes, I suppose you could consider it so. But, if I said that I'd rather not see Apple pollute the air with poisonous chemicals (purely, a hypothetical example) they don't need to use then you could count that as political too, now couldn't you? Oh, and I see nothing wrong with making one post responding to your equally-technically devoid post.

Originally Posted by Socially Awkward Solo

Actually Eug is both Chinese AND Canadian so Gabriel Morales isn't making many friends.

I don't know exactly why that was directed at me, but I'll just let you know that I say what I mean and I mean what I say. I'd really rather tech (and all) companies not support a communist government, however there's little that we seem to be able to do about it, so for the purposes of this thread, the point is moot.

[G0Ducks]

Seriously... I look at that and I think, "Wow... that is like, RIGHT where someone might grap to open their macbook." Maybe that is a bit of grease build-up? Maybe the person ate some potato chips whilst marveling at the blackbook... Maybe, just maybe, there was some other grease-like material on their hands they didn't wash off all the way before they opened their machine for the first time...*no sickos alloud *

R

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by analogika

That actually looks like it's some of the layer that moulds are coated with to keep the extruded plastic parts from sticking to them.

Most likely, that upper case was the first of a run, and there was a little too much of the coating applied to the mould.

That should rub right off. The end.

Would it be that even though?

Anyways I'm quite surprised too that the black material wouldn't be all the way through. Considering it's plastic, why wouldn't there be? Does anything special have to be done for these matte finishes?

Originally Posted by Gabriel Morales

I don't know exactly why that was directed at me

To be honest, I'm not sure either.

Originally Posted by G0Ducks

Seriously... I look at that and I think, "Wow... that is like, RIGHT where someone might grap to open their macbook." Maybe that is a bit of grease build-up? Maybe the person ate some potato chips whilst marveling at the blackbook... Maybe, just maybe, there was some other grease-like material on their hands they didn't wash off all the way before they opened their machine for the first time...*no sickos alloud *

Well, the guy said it flaked off. Grease wouldn't do that.

[Gamoe]

Even if it turns out that the peeling is the rare exception, rather than the rule, I did notice a lot more visible oil and maybe wear marks on the black MacBook I saw at the store. Even if they were equal in price, I don't think I would go for the black MacBook because of this.

[HarriganC]

I agree the smudges and fingerprints are going to be noticable, but I am sure they will wipe right off. My ALBook gets nasty sweat on the palmrests, but they wipe right off with a wet paper towel. Does anyone even consider how many times you've seen disgusting dirt, sweat stains on ibook's palm rests/keyboards? They all have their inherent flaws, and I don't think either is better than the other except price.

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by HarriganC

Does anyone even consider how many times you've seen disgusting dirt, sweat stains on ibook's palm rests/keyboards?

Hmmm... I've never seen this, and I've owned two white iBooks. Three friends have them too.

[HarriganC]

I guess its a possibility that all the people that own ibooks at my school are dirty slobs (tons in campus), however, I don't know how anyone can logically say that a white notebook would be easier to maintain.

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by HarriganC

I guess its a possibility that all the people that own ibooks at my school are dirty slobs (tons in campus), however, I don't know how anyone can logically say that a white notebook would be easier to maintain.

Well, I (and I guess my friends too) tend to treat laptops fairly carefully, unlike some young students might.

Luckily matte black finishes like the BlacBook are not as susceptible to visible fingerprints as glossy black finishes like the iPod nano. The downside is that they're often harder to clean. I don't know for sure if that's the case here with the BlacBook though, cuz I don't have one.

However, the white MacBook has the best of both worlds. Fingerprints are hard to see on the white background, but since it's glossy (at least on the external surface), it's easy to clean when needed.

[amazing]

Again, tempest in a teapot.

Nobody, but nobody, has confirmed any problems with plastics or flaking or anything whatsoever with the black MB. There's been loads of time, and loads of people both examining black MBs and also receiving their own models, and yet not a single other example has been found.

This supposed problem doesn't exist. Maybe it never did exist, depending on whether anybody knows the original poster.

[Eug Wanker]

Originally Posted by amazing

Again, tempest in a teapot.

Nobody, but nobody, has confirmed any problems with plastics or flaking or anything whatsoever with the black MB. There's been loads of time, and loads of people both examining black MBs and also receiving their own models, and yet not a single other example has been found.

This supposed problem doesn't exist. Maybe it never did exist, depending on whether anybody knows the original poster.

Taking the picture (not just the description) at face value, it exists. It's probably just rare.

[iBook2]

Originally Posted by Eug Wanker

Taking the picture (not just the description) at face value, it exists. It's probably just rare.

agreed!

[Gamoe]

Originally Posted by HarriganC

I guess its a possibility that all the people that own ibooks at my school are dirty slobs (tons in campus), however, I don't know how anyone can logically say that a white notebook would be easier to maintain.

I have a G3 iBook, and I rarely notice any fingerprints or grease marks, at least certainly not as badly as on the black MacBook. I also had a black PowerBook 1400, and that was never a problem with it either. I guess the black finish is just worth it to some people. It does have its points. However, it's not worth it to me.

[PJJames]

Yo guys, just tried the sratch on my Black Macbook....nothing....a little mark...but nothing major. I'm wondering though...this thing gets pretty nasty with fingerprints....very very quick...does anyone think using Mr. Clean Magic Earaser would mess with the coating on the computer???

[24klogos]

its no rocket science new products will always come up with bugs, and computers are by no means an exception, in fact i would label this area of electronics the most problematic not only hardware wise but in general quality. This is due to the fast moving technology and the rush for companies to have their products out of the blueprint stage as soon as possible - before they age and come out as middle-level machines, something that Apple would never want, much less now that they're manufacturing hight end PC's - their clock is set to the rest of the Intel manufacturers and they have to deliver, not only a superior product but also an Apple product - pretty f* king hard if you ask anybody that manages a technology driven mega corporation.
So quality will drop and the intel chip will slowly but surely even out the brand into a slightly hi-end but no better than any other machine brand. Customers should be aware today more than ever that any brand product leaving its Cupertino woumb is going to have more bugs and a significantly lower quality than any other Apple product crafter before. This are the rules of the game and it would only get worse for us, high-end power users. Its quite a shame, no matter what critics say, the whole switch was just a terrible move. 8 thumbs down to intelMacs. Power Pc forever

[HarriganC]

Talk about a depressing outlook... I need a Xanax after that one.

[24klogos]

Originally Posted by HarriganC

Talk about a depressing outlook... I need a Xanax after that one.

I know, but its true. I would go straight to Prozac.

[Hi I'm Ben]

i was putting my macbook back together.. i had taken it apart for fun. Anywho, My screw driver slipped and rubbed down the side of the case. Little scrap, rubbed right away. The casing is solid.

[msuper69]

I find it interesting how the picture is so unclear. That could be anything.

[Kerrigan]

Originally Posted by 24klogos

This are the rules of the game and it would only get worse for us, high-end power users. Its quite a shame, no matter what critics say, the whole switch was just a terrible move.

[Hi I'm Ben]

Originally Posted by 24klogos

8 thumbs down to intelMacs. Power Pc forever

At least your horrible opinion will save you a boat load of money seeing as how you'll never have to buy another mac again.

[Yakov]

I'll start a rumors site, just for you, 24k.

It will have one headline:
"Triangular Powerbook G5s on Tuesday"

yes!!!!!!! they will be triangular!!!!!!

[Star-Fire]

Well was at an Apple store today, picked up the 1299 Macbook, and looked at the black one, first it was smuged like crazy, felt pretty nice but looked to PC for me, also tried to scratch with a fingernail, this is my take. Fells nice, but it seems to me if you tried hard enough you could scratch it, not sure what it would look like, but it would take a lot of force for sure.

[siflippant]

Mmmmm... this link kinda made me wonder...

http://flickr.com/photos/evilcoffee/149842661/

Especially the bit about the salesperson's comments (if true)

[Big Mac]

Originally Posted by Gabriel Morales

I'd actually rather not buy all that much stuff, including electronics and Macs, made in China. After all they are an oppressed people in a communist nation and they are exploited by a number of companies for low-wage pay.

That said, I can't see any practical way of avoiding it things being they way they are-- it's just so woven into our economic system at this point.

Anyway, I don't mean to turn this into a political discussion, but I don't think you should dismiss what RadarBob2 says as merely "garbage".

First of all, while a lot of Apple products are manufactured in China, some are not. I think my G5 was made in America, actually. Now if we were to boycott the goods manufactured by poor peoples in every totalitarian country, we'd be depriving the world of a lot of money. And China may still technically be a communist country with a lot of issues, but it has made remarkable strides in the last decades. I toured China months ago and was impressed by much of what I saw and learned. There's a middle class emerging there, and some of the suburbs of Shanghai look like upscale American suburbs.

[Gamoe]

Originally Posted by Big Mac

First of all, while a lot of Apple products are manufactured in China, some are not. I think my G5 was made in America, actually. Now if we were to boycott the goods manufactured by poor peoples in every totalitarian country, we'd be depriving the world of a lot of money. And China may still technically be a communist country with a lot of issues, but it has made remarkable strides in the last decades. I toured China months ago and was impressed by much of what I saw and learned. There's a middle class emerging there, and some of the suburbs of Shanghai look like upscale American suburbs.

I think the main reason China "is getting better" is because you really can't mix a capitalist economic system and a communist social system. Something's got to give, and communism is breaking, and going to totally break down at some point. But this isn't thanks to the Chinese leaders' great empathy or sense of justice, it's because they like the $$$$.

I've haven't been to China yet, so you have one up on me, but remember that there are people who have been incarcerated there, for years, just because they've dared to speak against government "ideals", and from what I've heard, most young Chinese don't even associate anything with Tienanmen square. So there is still a lot of immoral censorship and injustice going on there due to the communist system. To be fair, this is a complex issue. Nevertheless, I don't think we should be supporting governments like that.

Anyway, sorry for the political stuff, maybe we should continue this dialog elsewhere (if you wish to, to be honest I'm pretty much done with it).

[Hi I'm Ben]

Originally Posted by siflippant

Mmmmm... this link kinda made me wonder...

http://flickr.com/photos/evilcoffee/149842661/

Especially the bit about the salesperson's comments (if true)

looks like my thinkpad's top cover after i touch it. The sales person is an idiot. Buy a MacBook and learn, this is all BS.

[Kerrigan]

I get the feeling that this thread is the only place where a person has complained of flaking.

[]

Went by CompUSA today and they had a black MacBook (no Apple Store around here yet). Tried hard to scratch the case with my nail but it wouldn't happen. I think this has to be an isolated case...

[bballe336]

The consensus is that it's solid molded plastic, not painted black. Therefore, nothing to flake...

[bballe336]

By the way...went by the Apple Store again today in Towson, MD. They've had both models on display since Tuesday.....checked out the black after nearly a week of people messing with it, and the black was in great shape, no scratches...just a few fingerprints.

[TiDual]

Originally Posted by Gabriel Morales

...
I've haven't been to China yet, so you have one up on me, ...

Visit Shanghai, and you will see a city so modern and developing so quickly, it makes the "western world" look like it's stuck in the last millenium. I'm not saying this is entirely positive, but we need to be careful about the stereotypes we associate with China (I'm not accusing you of doing so, btw). Of course, many regions are exceptionally poor, and (as is increasingly so in the West) only a small proportion of people benefit from the wealth of the new capitalist economy.

but remember that there are people who have been incarcerated there, for years, just because they've dared to speak against government "ideals", and from what I've heard, most young Chinese don't even associate anything with Tienanmen square. So there is still a lot of immoral censorship and injustice going on there due to the communist system. To be fair, this is a complex issue. Nevertheless, I don't think we should be supporting governments like that.

... Well, by that line of reason, we also shouldn't support governments with facilities like Guantanamo, or that sponsor torture and incarceration in the prisons of allied countries (did the US news even cover that story, I wonder). I'm not trying to diminish the attrocites going on in China ... but I'm not sure the west can really be so "holier than thou"

Anyway, sorry for the political stuff, maybe we should continue this dialog elsewhere (if you wish to, to be honest I'm pretty much done with it).

Agreed (on both counts) ... this also isn't intended as having a go a you, rather just expanding on how complex the issues truly are.

[azt33]

So, the BB does *not* have flaking problems and the BB showed in the picture is an isolated issue? Phew, that is a relief

[icruise]

If it was flaking like that, we would definitely have heard about it, believe me. I think we should just agree to let this thread die.

[tycheung]

that's not flaking, that looks like my drool and...hey that's my fingerprint!

[24klogos]

Originally Posted by Yakov

I'll start a rumors site, just for you, 24k.

It will have one headline:
"Triangular Powerbook G5s on Tuesday"

yes!!!!!!! they will be triangular!!!!!!

hahaha, good one.

[msuper69]

I handled a black MacBook at the Easton Apple Store this afternoon. The black color is part of the plastic - it's not painted on so there is no way it will flake.

The only thing flakey is this thread.

[LagunaSol]

Originally Posted by PJJames

Yo guys, just tried the sratch on my Black Macbook....nothing....a little mark...but nothing major. I'm wondering though...this thing gets pretty nasty with fingerprints....very very quick...does anyone think using Mr. Clean Magic Earaser would mess with the coating on the computer???

Leave the Magic Eraser for the bathtub. Those things can do some serious damage to some surfaces. I certainly wouldn't touch a computer with one.

[Frans]

My beautiful black MacBook is standing on the table in front of me. There is no way that I can rub material from the cover, this is a bullshit story. Close the thread someone please...

[mgl]

Mr. Clean Magic Eraser works great on an iBook surface, so it shoud be fine on a white MacBook. I can't speak to the black one.

Mr. Clean was the only thing I could find that would take an ink stain on my iBook and which made a large scratch virtually invisible. I was doubtful that it would work but somebody here recommended it and I've been sold ever since.

[molala]

I also tried to scratch the finish on a black MacBook (Apple Centre in London) yesterday. It is solid so no need to worry there. Looks great too.