Comments on David Alison's Blog: The case of the cracked MacBook case

I had the same crack and got the topcase replaced ...

2010-07-28T21:55:44.962-04:00

I had the same crack and got the topcase replaced free of charge at Springboard Media here in Philly just this week. Looks like new! Hard to tell if it looks any different but it seems to feel a little more matte.

I went to an apple store with my 13" white macbook...

2010-07-05T03:57:43.362-04:00

I went to an apple store with my 13" white macbook and showed the Genius Bar guy "Michael" the cracks on the bevel and top case. Michael drew up the paperwork; I initialed and the parts were onsite so I got back my laptop same day! No questions asked at no cost. I bought it in 2008 (no receipt in person) and had it repaired in 2010 after living with the cracks for over a year. Thanks Michael for not giving me a hard time about the damages on my laptop!

The day I noticed my little crack along the bottom...

2010-05-16T23:14:09.566-04:00

The day I noticed my little crack along the bottom close to the track pad - I called apple immediately. I told her and she said it was covered by apple because it was on their end. Tomorrow I am calling apple to get an appt. Tonight I removed my plastic cover case, and noticed cracks by the hinges on the bottom. I'll be damned if they say no to fixing it - and I'm not going unless the parts are in stock. They aren't keeping it over night - nor will I allow them to replace or wipe my HD.

The day I noticed my little crack along the bottom...

2010-05-16T23:13:59.172-04:00

They just refused to fix my today. I never knew ab...

2010-04-10T22:02:07.309-04:00

They just refused to fix my today. I never knew about the recall until recently. that piece of shit cracked before my 1st year of ownership. I am thinking about filing a lawsuit against apple. Anyone else Up for that?

I am surprised why any of us should settle down fo...

2010-03-21T19:30:48.683-04:00

I am surprised why any of us should settle down for a repair, when it's a design defect and even after knowing that, apple continues to stock the shelf with defective product. Yes! the same crappy thing is still sold in apple stores with defective casing and those ignorant people like me are get caught it believing Apple makes great products, but in fact it isn't. It seems, everyone here is fine with paying $1000 and live with cheap plastic, that is sure to crack again. I bought mine last fall and it has cracked twice so far. And, now i am seeing that this has been happening for almost 3 years now and apple doesn't give damn about it. Is anyone with me?

Okay, mine cracked in the same spot too and I take...

2010-02-02T14:30:35.039-05:00

Okay, mine cracked in the same spot too and I take good care of my macbook. Thanks for pointing out that it's a product defect! What a relief!!!

Had the same problem, took it to the apple store a...

2010-01-10T12:05:54.960-05:00

Had the same problem, took it to the apple store and they replaced the top case. The guy said it is a manufacturing refect.

i am having the same problem, i already contacted ...

2009-12-11T01:42:53.234-05:00

i am having the same problem, i already contacted the supplier where i purchased my mac. i just hope that they will cover this since this is still under warranty. seeing it in that state is such a heartache. I live here in the philippines so i really hope this will be settled the soonest possible time and less expense on my part.

SAME PROBLEM! Talking to mac this afternoon about...

2009-12-04T12:33:33.149-05:00

SAME PROBLEM! Talking to mac this afternoon about it - don't think it should be a problem, though. I found this just recently....

http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2009/04/apple-tweaks-warranty-policy-on-macbook-cracks.ars

My husband brought me my macbook 4months ago and t...

2009-10-16T16:08:07.230-04:00

My husband brought me my macbook 4months ago and today i am gutted to see the case is cracked where lid meets base... looks like its a trip to my store on monday. not a happy bunny

I just got a MacBook today on eBay, it is used. I ...

2009-10-08T17:36:24.215-04:00

I just got a MacBook today on eBay, it is used. I noticed it cracked by the palm rest, I called Apple support just now, and the very nice lady gave me a CASE ID number, and it is getting replaced free of charge!!! AND THERE IS NO WARRENTY, IT EXPIRED. :) I love Apple, but do the same.

Another case of palm-rest crack out of nowhere. On...

2009-09-30T08:48:53.473-04:00

Another case of palm-rest crack out of nowhere. One thing I want to mention, however, is that having a beautiful (otherwise) protective case such as the one recommended by an Anon above (http://www.amazon.com/Macally-Protection-Shell-Macbook-BookShellB/dp/B000RNBVWG) WILL NOT PREVENT such crack from appearing. I bought this case at the same time as I bought the laptop (Jan 2009) and have never taken it off, yet I still ended up with the problem. I was shocked not only because I am generally extremely careful with my MacBook, but because the previous two non-Mac laptops I have owned lasted me an unbelievable 5 and 4 years respectively and while I had some software and HD issues, it never even occurred to me to worry about the box itself.

As others said - it's the feeling of disappointment that our beloved Apple is far from perfect after all...

I hope they replace the box quickly at the Apple store where I am going on Saturday (my computer and warranty were purchased abroad - fingers crossed).

wat the heck!!! mine got a crack in EXACTLY the sa...

2009-09-14T03:42:21.848-04:00

wat the heck!!! mine got a crack in EXACTLY the same spot!!!

My MB slowly developed a crack in the front left e...

2009-08-15T03:33:42.712-04:00

My MB slowly developed a crack in the front left edge and a sliver started flaking off. Did my research on the web, called my local Apple Store, they said to make an appointment. In the meantime, I checked closely for other cracks and the area around the camera on the screen bezel had also developed hairline cracks.

At the Genius Bar, they inspected it and said they'll replace the bezel and top case. No fuss, no fight. Parts were in stock and I got my MB back the next day with a new screen bezel and top case which included a new keyboard and track pad.

My MB (Aug.'06) turned 3 years old the day I brought it in and was long out of warranty.

I think that's not true for macbooks, certainly no...

2009-08-03T13:24:07.688-04:00

I think that's not true for macbooks, certainly not my late 2006 model. Upper case, keyboard AND trackpad are all one unit. Powerbooks and iBooks had separate keyboards of varying quality for different models... some "unibody" macbooks uppercases have backlit keyboards, and all unibody macbooks can be fitted with these.

@Anon: That's too bad. I believe the top case is s...

2009-07-14T22:36:54.990-04:00

@Anon: That's too bad. I believe the top case is separate from the keyboard though; if you're dropping letters that's likely a keyboard problem and unrelated to the case cracking. It may explain why they want to charge you for the repair. Good luck!

I just called my local store. She told me I was o...

2009-07-14T19:37:30.925-04:00

I just called my local store. She told me I was out of warranty and it would cost approx. $200 US for a replacement top case/keyboard - R/S palm rest went from cracked to now missing a 2 inch piece. This in itself does not bother me much, but I'm starting to drop my "P's" a new key board would be nice.

@Anon: Check with your local Apple store if you ha...

2009-06-21T08:17:25.586-04:00

@Anon: Check with your local Apple store if you have access. It has been widely reported that Apple will repair it for no charge. If you find out otherwise please drop a note here. Good luck!

I'm really disappointed too. I've had my MacBook f...

2009-06-21T08:13:17.370-04:00

I'm really disappointed too. I've had my MacBook for 8 months now. I bought it used, previous owner had it for 10 months. He was very careful with it, so it was in a really good condition when I bought it. It cracked 2 days ago on the right wrist rest side. The piece is still hanging there. Does anyone know how much it cost in UK to get it fixed? Thanks in advance.

@Self: Glad to hear you were able to get it repair...

2009-06-04T13:14:21.186-04:00

@Self: Glad to hear you were able to get it repaired. The MacBook pictured above was repaired and it has not had a problem since. It is now my youngest daughter's primary machine and again get's a fair amount of abuse (at least compared to MY treatment of it), yet the repaired top case show's no sign of wear or problem.

just to say that your good work has reached as far...

2009-06-04T12:06:51.900-04:00

just to say that your good work has reached as far as india! my macbook cracked in the exact same place as the one in your pic... i was making do with insulation tape and such because i thought i'd never be able to prove that it was not my fault... after seeing this page i approached the apple service center nearby... they graciously acknowledged the problem and gladly replaced the the case... took a couple of hours...

thanks much!

Add me to the list of palm rest crack victims. My ...

2009-03-30T22:44:00.000-04:00

Add me to the list of palm rest crack victims. My 10 month old white Macbook cracked on the left palm rest. The piece is hanging lose. They are still selling this product. They need a real solution. Disappointed.

I went to the Apple store the other day for someth...

2009-03-25T00:10:00.000-04:00

I went to the Apple store the other day for something unrelated, and the genius at the bar noticed my cracked case and mentioned that Apple will replace it and the keyboard for free, even if I'm out of warranty. Maybe they started doing this because of the high incidence of the problem? Anyway, I would ask them directly before buying a new topcase somewhere else.

Add me to the list. I bought a 13" white macbook ...

2009-02-21T08:22:00.000-05:00

Add me to the list. I bought a 13" white macbook in Dec 06'. And after 2 years of use, I noticed hairline cracks on both sides of the trackpad 2 months ago. Today, a 2" piece broke off the right side. I also have a 4" crack on the left border of the screen (which I didn't notice anyone one else mentioning). In addition, I have 3 cracks under the computer next to the vent as well. After hearing so many good comments about Macbooks, I'm disappointed Apple would continue to produce a product with a casing known to be flawed. I'm living in Thailand. I guess I'll find out soon what kind of hassle I'm in for about trying to get it fixed here. I have the extended warranty. Hopefully, they will be a aware of the "case" problem. If not, I'm stuck. Trying to argue, in most cases, is futile.

Richard