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Filing the corners off my MacBooks

kentwalters.com

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Re: Filing the corners off my MacBooks

#301

Post by grishka »

jasoneckert wrote: post #222

Thanks for this interesting post - I've been showing it to co-workers to get their reactions, which was incredibly entertaining for me! Co-worker 1: Interesting. I wonder if that voids the warranty. It's Apple you know. Co-worker 2: May Jobs have mercy on their soul... Co-worker 3: Not a bad idea. But not sure if that would cause problems with structural integrity of the laptop, like if you drop it or something. Co-w…

> The only downside I see is that you can no longer say "Hey, that's a sharp-looking laptop!"

When this line of MacBooks first came out in 2021 and I bought one (I desperately needed an upgrade), I was joking that it's top-notch hardware.

Re: Filing the corners off my MacBooks

#303

Post by buildsjets »

Tempest1981 wrote: post #298
jagged-chisel wrote: post #293

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They’re all actually aluminum, anodized to the color you choose. The silver one is the only one not anodized. Filing off the anodized layer is indeed bound to look awful.

What tools are needed to redo the anodized color? Is it doable at home?

How comfortable are you working with chromic acid and boric-sulfuric acid in your home?

Re: Filing the corners off my MacBooks

#304

Post by ranger207 »

sitharus wrote: post #250
normie3000 wrote: post #237

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> It's easy for me to feel the mains frequency while gently rubbing the top surface of the MacBook I haven't been a regular Mac user, but I've had maybe 3 work MacBooks since 2010 and I recall having this issue with all of them. Why haven't they fixed it?

They can’t, it’s caused by the capacitors required to suppress electromagnetic interference caused by the switch-mode power supply. These allow a very very tiny amount of current to leak through from the mains side, which is then capacitively coupled to the metal case (IIRC Apple do not connect the case to power negative) reducing it further, but it’s enough for humans to sense it. It can be avoided by using a ground…

Why do only Macbooks suffer from this problem? When I had a work-issued Macbook I charged it and my personal Framework off the same USB-C charger and I only every felt the leaking current from the Macbook

Re: Filing the corners off my MacBooks

#305

Post by jaggederest »

Tempest1981 wrote: post #298
jagged-chisel wrote: post #293

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They’re all actually aluminum, anodized to the color you choose. The silver one is the only one not anodized. Filing off the anodized layer is indeed bound to look awful.

What tools are needed to redo the anodized color? Is it doable at home?

To echo the sibling comment: approximately not, it's a strong acid bath which precludes operating electronics in it, and it's electrochemistry.

People do home anodizing all the time, but colored home anodizing on electronics is very rare.

The way to do it would be wrapping it in, say, a wet paper towel with your strong acid solution (but not sulfuric, because that would turn the paper into pure carbon foam) and running outside current from the laptop through the paper to a cathode, or vice versa.

Re: Filing the corners off my MacBooks

#307

Post by twalla »

jagged-chisel wrote: post #293
compounding_it wrote: post #275

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’d suggest if you are going to do this to your MacBooks to get the silver one. The silver one is actually aluminum and no one would notice.

They’re all actually aluminum, anodized to the color you choose. The silver one is the only one not anodized. Filing off the anodized layer is indeed bound to look awful.

Not to well actually your well actually but they’re all anodized to prevent corrosion and scratches (the oxide layer is harder than the underlying aluminum) - the silver one is just undyed.

Re: Filing the corners off my MacBooks

#308

Post by hommelix »

userbinator wrote: post #280

I first encountered this in-person on a Mac Mini many years ago, which to be fair is not meant to be touched all the time, but it was still slightly repulsive. It has a surprising weight and uncomfortable sensation like picking up a freshly-cut block of metal. Then I realised Apple did the same with their laptops which are meant to be touched. They do have rounded corners, but not on the axes where the roundedness is…

Older Thinkpad were made without the sharp edge. I love the edge on the X230 and I've been wondering why no designer has taken a look at these to make new laptop.

https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2F...

Re: Filing the corners off my MacBooks

#309

Post by hammock »

yreg wrote: post #142

The takeaway from this article should be to consider modifying your tools to your needs even in unconventional and controversial ways. I love it. The flame war on whether the original chassis design sucks or rocks is not that interesting.

The funny thing is Apple products are considered “finished products” No one would feel the same way if it was a home built computer.

The modding community is a shadow of its old self these days

Re: Filing the corners off my MacBooks

#310

Post by wraptile »

I used a macbook for almost 2 years and genuinely don't understand how people can tolerate these machines. My wrists would be cut up all the time to the point where I looked like I was self harming myself and the glary screen is entirely unsuable anywhere but a darkest basement. Not to mention the terrible keyboard. To this day I'm perplexed how macbooks have such high desirability by full time developers when they're almost unusable.
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