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Apple Replacing Yellowed MacBook Palmrests

Andrew Nagy writes "I noticed recently (as did many other MacBook owners) that the palmrests and general surface of my white MacBook was beginning to yellow. I don't really find it a big deal, but thought I'd check out what Apple was doing about it. They now have a page in their support section dedicated to this issue, but since it just tells you to contact Apple support, I did. I took mine in to the nearest store, and after attempting (and failing) to clean the surface he told me they could order a new surface and replace it in the store... all covered for free under the warranty."

18 of 51 comments (clear)

  1. That's mighty white of them by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    (It's a joke.)

  2. Re:That is why white sucks by TCM · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Black/gray cant turn any other color...
    Believe me, it can.
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  3. To all the geeks out there... by sensei85 · · Score: 5, Funny

    ...Thank you! It's people like you who jump on new technology and bitch about all the things that are wrong with it that make everyone else's lives easier. When I finally break the bank for a MacBook, I won't have to worry about any of this stuff :)

  4. Re:That is why white sucks by CiaoYunz · · Score: 5, Interesting

    We have a G4 iBook in heavy use. It doesn't show any yellow stains on the palmrests. So I guess it's not a problem with white surfaces in general.

  5. Hey, this is America by $RANDOMLUSER · · Score: 3, Funny

    We fix what shows.

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    No folly is more costly than the folly of intolerant idealism. - Winston Churchill
  6. Nope. White Rules. by astrosmash · · Score: 4, Informative

    My two year old iBook is as white as the day I bought it. Any marks can be easily cleaned.

    The problem with the original MacBooks is a specific manufacturing defect. It's not dirt and it can't be cleaned. That's why they're replacing it on warranty.

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  7. Re:That is why white sucks by Junks+Jerzey · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Good to hear it is covered, but that is exactly the reason you do not want a white surface if there is gonna be a lot of contact with it.

    And yet this is only a problem with the new MacBooks, not the tens of millions of white iBooks sold over the last 5+ years.

  8. Battery Recall by Ford+Prefect · · Score: 4, Informative

    ... More importantly, they're doing a battery recall for many MacBook Pros.

    Mine is one that's affected. Apparently, a new one will arrive in the post in a few days, and I need to send the old one back to them. There's not meant to be any safety issues, but still...

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  9. Apple, the retro trendsetter, is switching... by PFI_Optix · · Score: 3, Funny

    Somewhere in California, even though the location is irrelevant--Apple's attempt at evoking nostalgia for Hypercolor T-shirts has backfired. The color-changing palmrests, like the shirts that preceded them, have begun to "stick" in their yellow color instead of reverting to white as intended.

    When contacted for comment, an Apple spokesman said "Hi, I'm a Macintosh. I understand that sometimes people just aren't willing to sacrifice for fashion, so we're going to go ahead and switch those palmrests. But it's okay; I'm still better than a PC because I do all these things that PCs do and I don't do all the things PCs...haven't done since Windows ME was dropped like a bad habit.

    A poorly-dressed spokesman for the PC inudstry responded with "Hi, I'm a PC. Yeah I don't look as trendy as Mr. Mac over there, but then I don't change colors when your palms get all sweaty. But do me a favor and keep them off of me anyway, okay? That's just gross."

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  10. Re:That is why white sucks by Oopsz · · Score: 2, Interesting

    True that.

    I had a sony vaio with dark blue palmrests. After about eight months, they started turning grey/black.

  11. Re:That is why white sucks by Bastian · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Black/gray cant turn any other color


    I have a four-year-old TiBook that says you're wrong.

    That said, the level of discoloration is minor enough to not be immediately obvious, could probably be scrubbed off if I cared enough about it (I assume it's just collected oil and dirt), and certainly is not the ugly yellow that shows up on the MacBooks.
  12. I wonder by krell · · Score: 5, Funny

    I've got a pretty nasty old toilet-seat I'd like to have replaced. I suppose I could send it to Apple and say it is one of those clamshell Macbooks and ask for a replacement.

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    Where were you when the voynix came?
  13. Re:Is Apple getting better? by gEvil+(beta) · · Score: 4, Funny

    There were cracks around the Apple logo, and one of the feet hovered just above the surface.

    Too bad it wasn't all of the feet that hovered. You probably coulda sold your floating iBook for a mint...

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    This guy's the limit!
  14. Re:No, this is why Apple sucks by Reaperducer · · Score: 3, Insightful

    You can get onsite warranty support with an Apple laptop -- just buy it from a store that offers it as an option. I got it for my wife's iBook when we bought it at Micro Center. Just because it has "Apple" on the box doesn't mean you can't get an on-site warranty for it.

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    -- I'm old enough to have lived through six different meanings of the word "hacker."
  15. Re:That is why white sucks by penguinstorm · · Score: 4, Funny

    It seems to depend on the amount and chemical composition of sweat. It used to happen to iBooks.

    If yours isn't discolouring it could be because you're not sweating as much: try typing faster.

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    Skot Nelson music is my saviour / i was maimed by rock and roll
  16. More Macbook Surfacing Problems by schwatoo · · Score: 2, Informative

    There seems to be a new problem with the white Macbooks reacting to the sweat in their owner's skin: See: http://discussions.apple.com/message.jspa?messageI D=2819568 and (self link) http://toxicsoftware.com/blog/macbook-tarnishing/. I have some photos on Flickr showing the damage. So far I've only found one other case like this - but i imagine there will be more. Whatever material Apple is/was using on the Macbooks they really need to test it better.

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    1. Re:More Macbook Surfacing Problems by squidguy · · Score: 2, Insightful

      There seems to be a new problem with the white Macbooks reacting to the sweat in their owner's skin:

      Either that, or surfing too much pr0n.

  17. Re:No, this is why Apple sucks by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Interesting
    Someone at Apple was too stupid to pick the right plastic.


    Actually someone at Apple did pick the right plastic but they got a bad batch from their vendor... Apple was able to narrow the issue down to a back of white MacBooks with specific serial numbers.

    Apple has a long history of telling their customers to fuck off when something wrong is discovered in their hardware.


    Simply not true...