Notebook cleanup and protection

#1 MW Forums

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Posted 14 May 2007 - 09:30 AM

Laptops are subject to far more abuse than desktop Macs. Dirt, dust, and scratches keep them from looking new for long. But that doesn’t mean you’re stuck with smudges, stains, and scrapes. Here’s how to make your Mac laptop look good again—and how to then keep it that way. more

#2 greg30307

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Posted 18 May 2007 - 02:56 PM

Nice article. Something I wish you had covered, though: how to clean the palmrest areas on a white MacBook. These are getting discolored from the oil and grime on my palms. I'm afraid it may become permanent if I don't clean these areas soon, yet I don't want to damage the MacBook. What do you suggest?

#3 Dan Frakes

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Posted 18 May 2007 - 03:19 PM

Quote:

I wanted to cover that, as well, but the truth is I couldn't find a good (and safe) solution. The most-commonly-recommended approach I've seen is Mr. Clean's Magic Eraser -- something even Apple Stores use to remove minor blemishes from some white Apple products. Unfortunately, I tried that on our own white MacBook's palmrests and it didn't work.
(Also note that there's a known problem with some white MacBook palmrests; as noted in the article, Finally, if youve got a white MacBook thats looking grungy, it might be more than a hygiene issue. Apple has identified a problem that results in significant discoloration of the palmrest area on a small number of early white MacBooks. You can contact AppleCare about a replacement for that section of your MacBooks shell.)

#4 greg30307

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Posted 24 May 2007 - 09:50 PM

Dan,
Thank you. (Sorry it took me so long to reply.) Really discouraging to learn that even Mac experts cannot find a way to clean the white MacBooks. Seems like Apple is more focused on looks (temporary, in this case) than practicality. I love my MacBook otherwise. And as much as I would like to say the discoloration is the kind that can get me a new palmrest, I think its just plain old grime.
Greg

#5 dougoftheabaci

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Posted 29 May 2007 - 04:57 PM

I just wanted to post a response to something I read in the article. You recommended Conceal from WeLoveMacs.com saying it could be used to conceal large scratches.
Anyone who is considering this product I would recommend to stay well clear of it. I used it on my old Aluminium PowerBook and it did NOT match at all. In fact it was very noticeable and I ended up having to remove as much as I can to make the scratch less obvious.
I just wanted to make sure no one made the mistake I did. If you use this product do not expect wonders. To be honest you can get the exact same paint from most model and hobby shops.

#6 Nik

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Posted 29 May 2007 - 09:47 PM

A very informative article indeed. I also wanted to add - for the other folks who own MBs or MBP's- that I use the invisishield from shieldzone (www.shieldzone.com). It is truly a revolutionary product- albeit expensive, and it takes some patience to install. However, I have had it on for 2 1/2 months, and it truly lives up to it's name! In fact, I also had the battery replaced (on the recent battery replacement by Apple) and the film came off really easily and I then re-applied it to my new battery. I also have a collegue who recently bought a MBP, and she too installed it and is quite happy with it. More details are of course available on shieldzone's website.
Hope this helps those of you who are still looking around for a solution.

#7 Slinky82

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Posted 29 May 2007 - 11:31 PM

I never quite got the "special cleaning agent" for cleaning laptop screens. The only thing I ever use on my PowerBook's screen is a slightly damp kleenex tissue. I suppose it's not keeping it truly clean, but it works well enough for me.

#8 Dan Frakes

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Posted 06 June 2007 - 11:04 PM

Quote:

Thanks for the tip, Nik. We've reviewed the InvisibleShield for iPod and liked it a lot, but I haven't yet seen the laptop versions.

#9 reynoj13

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Posted 16 June 2008 - 04:49 PM

I've seen someone use a thin, spongelike cloth to protect the laptop screen from being dented or scratched by the keyboard when the laptop is closed. That possibility never occurred to me and seems like a design flaw in the laptop. Do you really need something like that, or is it just one more product to accumulate?

#10 Dan Frakes

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Posted 16 June 2008 - 09:31 PM

This was an issue with older Mac laptops; for example, the Titanium PowerBooks. The keys could end up leaving permanent marks on the screen. However, it hasn't been a widespread issue on any recent models.

#11 Skytouch

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Posted 17 October 2008 - 01:23 AM

After seeing the newest 20" iMac last year, I immediately bought a lightly used white, matte Intel iMac instead. The new glossy screen was unacceptable for my application, but the bigger issue was reduced monitor performance (viewing angle) on the newer model.
I would consider a new Macbook Pro if an antiglare film solves the glare problem. Maybe Apple could demo a few machines in their store with film on them for comparison.

#12 pleasenogloss

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Posted 26 October 2008 - 10:15 PM

the most recent MacBook Pro refresh has glass all the way to the edge of the screen. Will anti-glare film stay fixed to this? Does it really reduce the glare?