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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Notebooks > Is your MacBook NOT cracked?

Is your MacBook NOT cracked?
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SmithWrite
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Jan 20, 2008, 05:03 PM
 
If your MacBook is NOT cracked, would love to hear from you.

I'v seen the polls, and read plenty of posts and articles about the cracks, but am still unclear as to their prevalence. Do all MacBooks eventually crack? Or is it a small percentage?

Hope to buy one, yet remain hesitant because of this issue.

Thanks!
     
Cold Warrior
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Jan 20, 2008, 05:14 PM
 
not cracked. Purchased new May 2006.
     
JustinHorne
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Jan 20, 2008, 05:32 PM
 
Not cracked, bought in June/July of 2007
     
SmithWrite  (op)
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Jan 20, 2008, 05:55 PM
 
Spoke recently to a friend whose MacBook has no cracks; she describes it as being "a cream puff" because it never leaves the apartment. Do those of you without cracked cases refrain from traveling with your MacBooks?

Thanks for the feedback.
     
Cold Warrior
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Jan 20, 2008, 05:59 PM
 
It travels all over, including internationally, and gets moved around quite a bit at home -- from room to room, desk to bed, etc.
     
MacosNerd
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Jan 20, 2008, 06:13 PM
 
Mine wasn't cracked, I owned it for about it a year and half before selling it.
     
analogika
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Jan 20, 2008, 06:56 PM
 
I rock mine pretty hard, even dropped it once. Always in the bag. On gigs, recording jobs, anywhere.

No cracks. BlackBook, Nov. 2006.

BTW: a TROUBLESHOOTING forum is probably the *least* likely place to find accurate impressions and statistics on trouble-FREE operation.

People who have no issues tend to be too busy USING their machines to bother hanging around here.

Unlike us, who either have broken machines or no lives.
     
mdc
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Jan 20, 2008, 06:56 PM
 
Bought in early November 2007 and carry it around every day. No cracks.
     
SmithWrite  (op)
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Jan 20, 2008, 07:34 PM
 
Encouraging feedback. (Especially from a trouble-shooting forum.)

Sorry to heap a question onto a question, but are your non-cracked MacBooks white or black? Are they equally non-problematic?
     
Cold Warrior
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Jan 20, 2008, 07:39 PM
 
white

Are you collecting info for some class action lawsuit?
     
macbookfreak
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Jan 20, 2008, 08:49 PM
 
White MacBook purchased 10 months ago. Average use - no trekking, bungie-jumping or extreme sports - and no cracks.

Yes! Yes! I admit it! I'm a MacBook Freak!
     
abbaZaba
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Jan 20, 2008, 08:54 PM
 
mine cracked in half. was a bummer.
     
Cadaver
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Jan 20, 2008, 10:59 PM
 
No cracks. Mid 2006.
     
JustinHorne
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Jan 20, 2008, 11:13 PM
 
Originally Posted by SmithWrite View Post
Spoke recently to a friend whose MacBook has no cracks; she describes it as being "a cream puff" because it never leaves the apartment. Do those of you without cracked cases refrain from traveling with your MacBooks?

Thanks for the feedback.
Nope, pretty much if I leave the house, it comes with me. I'm not excessively hard on it, but it's a tool, like my camera, and I treat it like one. By that, I mean I don't throw it around, but I don't do the whole, "Uh ooh.. let's CAREFULLY set it down onto it's padded cloth first..." thing either.

Edit: It's black.
     
Railroader
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Jan 20, 2008, 11:13 PM
 
Originally Posted by SmithWrite View Post
Spoke recently to a friend whose MacBook has no cracks; she describes it as being "a cream puff" because it never leaves the apartment. Do those of you without cracked cases refrain from traveling with your MacBooks?

Thanks for the feedback.
Not cracked. June 2006 model.

I travel quite a bit and it is used more away from home than when I am at home. It's probably open and closed a dozen times a day and packed and traveled with 2-3 times a week.
     
ghporter
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Jan 20, 2008, 11:15 PM
 
Gathering online reports of damaged hardware is not an effective way to gage the prevalence of the damage. People don't post "hey, I've had my MacBook for 19 months and it's not cracked yet!" They post "hey, my MacBook cracked! WTF!!!" See the difference? To get a really good sense of the prevalence you'd need to poll EVERYONE who got a MacBook...

Glenn -----OTR/L, MOT, Tx
     
SmithWrite  (op)
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Jan 20, 2008, 11:25 PM
 
Ha! No, not a lawsuit. Just trying to convince myself that it's safe to buy a MacBook.
     
larrinski
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Jan 21, 2008, 12:16 AM
 
Mine had small hairline cracks on the base near the trackpad. Apple replaced the base under warranty.
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Cadaver
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Jan 21, 2008, 01:56 AM
 
Originally Posted by SmithWrite View Post
Ha! No, not a lawsuit. Just trying to convince myself that it's safe to buy a MacBook.
AppleCare is your friend.
     
davidflas
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Jan 21, 2008, 07:42 AM
 
White Mac Book, I take it with me to school every day and to work, no cracks. Purchased in early Nov. 2007.
2.7Ghz 15" Mid 2012 MBP 16GB RAM 7.2k 750GB HD anti-glare display|64GB iPad4 ATT LTE|
     
Simon
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Jan 21, 2008, 07:57 AM
 
Black MB bought in May 2006 right when they first came out. It gets used about 10h per day, it's carried around daily, and flies about once every other week. It's in a neoprene sleeve, nothing else.

When you shut the lid, do it carefully. Don't bang the lid onto the case. Treat it that way and you'll be fine.
     
edoras
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Jan 21, 2008, 10:03 AM
 
I *cracked* when I saw the new Macbook Air....
     
msuper69
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Jan 21, 2008, 10:36 AM
 
First gen. BB.

No cracks but the ;: key popped off because my wild cat Toby "the Terror" keeps sleeping on the keyboard.
     
badidea
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Jan 21, 2008, 11:40 AM
 
Just for the contrast - my mother's MacBook has a large crack and she doesn't know why!
***
     
NightEyes
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Jan 21, 2008, 12:41 PM
 
not cracked here, lol. blackbook 1.2 years young.
mb air, imac, iphone, touch, shuffle
     
yaroldb
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Jan 21, 2008, 02:26 PM
 
No cracks, Whitebook June 2006. I travels everyday. I even dropped it once.
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-White Macbook 2.0GhzCD 2GB Ram, 120GB HD
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Sijmen
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Jan 21, 2008, 02:48 PM
 
My sisters isn't cracked, but it is bent due to lack of appreciation and love for that wonderful machine.
Apple Powerbook 17" 1,67 GHz, 2 gig RAM, 100 gig HDD, ATI Mobility Radeon 9700 128MB, Superdrive 8X
     
Eug
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Jan 21, 2008, 02:58 PM
 
I bought mine when it first came out in May 2006 and it has no cracks. However, the case was replaced a few months later because of the case staining issue (due to an incorrect plastic used in the first model).

So, I'm MacBook-crack free, but it's only been a year and a bit.

OTOH, my G3 iBook got a small hairline crack in the screen bezel after a year.
     
analogika
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Jan 21, 2008, 03:24 PM
 
The only part affected by the discoloration defect was the top-case (the surface with the trackpad and keyboard.
     
Eug
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Jan 21, 2008, 05:00 PM
 
Originally Posted by analogika View Post
The only part affected by the discoloration defect was the top-case (the surface with the trackpad and keyboard.
You are correct to point that out. ie. The rest of my MacBook's case is still the original from May 2006. Only that handrest part was replaced.
     
Simon
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Jan 22, 2008, 06:04 AM
 
Originally Posted by analogika View Post
The only part affected by the discoloration defect was the top-case (the surface with the trackpad and keyboard.
Which incidentally also happens to be the area where most people experience cracks.


Note that the crack is exactly where the screen bezel rests on the top case.
     
cleary_jp
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Jan 22, 2008, 06:16 AM
 
Buy pants that fit, or wear a belt.....There you go, no cracks, problem solved!
     
.:ren:.
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Jan 22, 2008, 06:16 AM
 
i've had my macbook since October of 2006, no cracks.
( Last edited by .:ren:.; Jan 22, 2008 at 06:16 AM. Reason: grammar)
     
mavherzog
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Jan 22, 2008, 10:31 AM
 
I have (well, it was passed down to my wife last year) a 1st gen Macbook (1.83Ghz CD) that I carried all around Iraq for a year. It is in great shape with no cracking whatsoever.
     
acoustix
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Jan 22, 2008, 12:14 PM
 
Late '06 whitebook.
No cracks, but a line where one might be if it wasn't such a creampuff. I keep it on a riser with a sheet of paper over the keyboard against dust.
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Andrew88088
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Jan 22, 2008, 12:48 PM
 
Got my white MacBook in July of '07... no cracks
     
nickw311
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Jan 22, 2008, 05:23 PM
 
not cracked. got it in like July of 2006 and it has endured very heavy usage.
27" iMac C2D
     
drnkn_stylz
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Jan 22, 2008, 05:59 PM
 
I've had my Macbook for just under 2 years and it is not cracked at all.
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EmericanPatriot
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Jan 23, 2008, 03:07 AM
 
The right hand rest on the white macbooks are notorious for cracking, if your Macbook is covered by Applecare or under the first year warranty then apple will replace the top case even if there's just a slight hairline crack. Black Macbooks don't seem to be hampered by this problem.
     
hatim
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Jan 23, 2008, 03:55 AM
 
May 2006: 2 cracks.
     
Andhee
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Jan 23, 2008, 11:55 AM
 
August 07 with no cracks
     
Guy Kuo
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Jan 23, 2008, 01:16 PM
 
No cracks. March 07 Black MacBook. Travels constantly through the day as I move from location to location. It simply gets carried without a case every day, everywhere. Still looks like new.
     
Kyros
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Jan 23, 2008, 04:21 PM
 
My brother owns a black macbook from july or august 2007 or so, he's not exactly careful with his stuff and lives in a college dorm, but has not experienced any cracks up to a few days ago at least.
g4/1.5 GHz 12 inch powerbook / 1.25 RAM / 80 gig / Superdrive / 10.5.6
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chrisutley
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Jan 26, 2008, 04:26 AM
 
I have the same exact crack, except mine isn't cracked all the way off yet. I'm going to try to apply some super glue since this hunk of junk is out of warranty.

Clearly a defect in the materials and/or design.

Originally Posted by Simon View Post
Which incidentally also happens to be the area where most people experience cracks.


Note that the crack is exactly where the screen bezel rests on the top case.
MacBook and iMac Core 2 Duo 24"
     
CaribouDave
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Jan 26, 2008, 06:36 AM
 
My two sons got thier MacBooks (white) July 2007 and no cracks, and working great!
     
AllanCook
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Jan 26, 2008, 11:08 AM
 
I have a black MacBook which I bought shortly after they were introduced. I have no idea what you're talking about. And I regularly haul it around in my motorcycle side cases.
     
garybau
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Jan 26, 2008, 11:39 PM
 
close the case ...
c-a-r-e-f-u-l-l-y

you just need slam it once, then damage done, the cracks and flake off bit will happen over the next couple of weeks/months

under warranty a no questions asked replacement

so could be interpreted as a 'design imprecision' ( sounds like a flaw to me..)
out of warranty?
you are on your own

the work around is to place a piece of felt on top of the keyboard
this has a two fold effect
1. preventing the 'snap' when the screen spacer hits the case
2. preventing the keys from touching the screen-which places rub marks within a couple of months

all screens on notebooks have rub marks due to the keys pressing against the screen in transit
usually in a bag the spacer is not strong enough to prevent the screen from flexing inwards

17" are the worst affected
13" less so...but the key marks are vertical rubs evenly spaced in the middle of the screen

not restricted to mac

lenovo are worst affected, DELL, VAIO etc...
relatively a minor issue for apple c.f with PCs..

but annoying if your glossy MB has rub marks
..there is no fix!!

only prevention...
     
Simon
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Jan 27, 2008, 04:38 AM
 
IMHO that last report is far too gloomy. I have never had rub marks on the screen of my MB or MBPs. And I don't use felt or any other kind of screen protection. And yes, I do put my portable Macs in bags where they get squeezed by books, etc. I clean my screens about once a month. There are absolutely no keyboard marks to be seen. I did see some on my old PB Ti though.
     
Toyin
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Jan 27, 2008, 05:58 PM
 
Wife's Macbook. Definitely had some rough treatment. Not cracked, ordered the week it came out.

Wouldn't this have been easier as a poll?
-Toyin
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D2G
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Jan 28, 2008, 10:08 AM
 
Originally Posted by Simon View Post
Which incidentally also happens to be the area where most people experience cracks.


Note that the crack is exactly where the screen bezel rests on the top case.
This same problem happened to my friend's Macbook. The plastic separated at the exact same area on both the left and right sides. Not sure what causes this problem, I only noticed that when I pushed on the top-case it seemed to buckle in that area so presumably bad design, weak point in the plastic and/or inferior materials. We purchased a new top-case assembly off eBay, easy install and the problem was fixed.
15" Powerbook G4 | 1.67 GHz | 2GB RAM | 10.5.1
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