MacBook Fit and Finish
Wednesday, August 16, 2006
Why do I give myself the impression that as an Apple FanBoy I am sooooo fussy about the fit and finish of my Apple products that it spoils the enjoyment of them.
A year or so ago, a friend of mine pointed out that a PC user buys an iPod, takes it out of the box, charges it, uses it, chucks it in his/her pocket and gets many hours of enjoyment out of said product, whereas a Mac user buys the iPod, then keeps it hidden away, wrapped in cotton wool until the armour plated case arrives, then spends hours polishing and covering it in plastic, without even realising that it was bought to actually listen to some music (or watch a video).
Now, my point in this post is that I have gone through quite a few MacBooks, all returned for some sort of cosmetic damage. Marks on the case, screen, running hot, etc etc. My latest MacBook was unboxed, with the enjoyment of opening replaced with a tension you could cut with a knife. I knew, just knew there would be something wrong. Low and behold there was a blank mark on the lid, which I polished off and it is almost gone. Opened up and there is a grease mark on the trackpad, again almost, but not 100% removed.
Onto the screen, wow, bright, crisp, no dead pixels, but what do I find, a piece of plastic in the corner of the screen. I am too scared to take a scalpel to it, so there it will stay... for now. Closing the lid reveals yet another problem, it shuts slightly wonky, not enough for a NORMAL person to notice, but about 1mm out and it bugs the hell out of me. I was looking around the back to see if there we any adjustment screws and yes, you guessed it, another problem, the vents have one hole blocked by plastic shaving that has not been milled out correctly.
So what do I do? I can still enjoy the MacBook, I am posting this article using it right now, so do I overlook these small problems and get on with using it, or do I send it back yet again. My point is that I shouldn't let these small things spoil my enjoyment, but why should I spend my time trying to troubleshoot the problems that Apple quality control should have sorted out before sending the unit out to a customer.
Rant over... on a more positive note, the plastic on the trackpad of this week 29 MacBook is different. A lot smoother and a big improvement on the previous ones. I have asked Apple if they have changed the material used and will report back as soon as I have an answer.
3 Comments:
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At 3:43 pm,
Jerry Maneker said...
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I'm thinking of buying a laptop. I have a mini and I love it, so I'd like to get a Mac Book. The problem is that there seems to be many problems with it as seen in the forum. I know that the forum is only for problems, but the problems seem to be consistent: hinge, automatic shutdowns, etc. In all honesty, would I be better off buying a Dell or getting a Mac Book and hope that the problems mentioned on the forum are a miniscule amount of the problems faced by Mac Book users?
So, basically, I'm asking if you were in the market for a laptop, which one would you get? I was even thinking of getting the I Book G4, as at least the bugs seem to have been worked out of it. Thanks, Jerry. -
At 4:44 pm,
DavoMrMac said...
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Hi Jerry, Nice to welcome you as a visitor. I am a big Apple fan, but have had 3 MBPros and 6 MacBooks, all with problems.
Don't get me wrong, the MacBook is great, even with the problems I am thinking of keeping it.
My advice to you is, if you definitely want a Mac, don't get an iBook, you need to futureproof your purchase, so the MacBook is the way to go.
Apple's service is second-to-none, so they always (try) and sort the problem (if any) out.
If you do not need an Apple and are open to suggestions, the only thing I have found comparable is the Lenovo 3000 V100, Lenovo 3000 N100, or Lenovo Z61m (for a bit of luxury). That said it won't run OSX, so if this is your choice of operating system you have no choice. -
At 10:48 pm,
Jerry Maneker said...
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Thanks very much. I think I'll stick with the Mac and when I get a laptop, get a Mac Book. I used windows forever, until about 3 months ago when I got my Mac Mini and I never plan to go back. But reading about its many problems, I am skitish about the Mac Book, but I think I'll take my chances, rather than go back to Windows. Best wishes, Jerry.
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Dave
Dave has been in the graphic design industry for 14 years. Long time reviewer of technology related products, he is Owner/Editor of Geekanoids.
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