Is the bezel cracking purely cosmetic?

Thompson125 wrote:

I understand you didn't have enough info to answer my question. That is why I ellaborated. I was making clear my question and it seems you took it as an attack. Although this is the internet, that wasn't my intention and I apologize if you felt defensive.

No problem, I think we both jumped the gun a bit. I'm still surprised that Apple told you to take a hike, I've never been given any grief on it and it's not like I have any special privileges within their support network... at least not anymore.

The display clamshell component and the barrel/hinge assembly is more important from a structural integrity standpoint. Based on what model of MacBook Pro it is there's an AirPort antenna cable that runs behind the LCD panel and there's audio/speaker wires that run down by where the text MacBook Pro reads as well as the Bluetooth cabling. The two screws in conjunction with some "pressure points" is what keeps the bezel inside the clamshell mounting.

Out of curiosity, did Apple ever give you an OOW (out of warranty) quote on fixing the bezel?

I'm confused by the general statements here.

What bezel cracking are you referring to on the MacBook Pro? In the palm rest area? What blind eye has Apple turned to you? Have you contacted them? Have you phoned them or sent them photos? Have you taken your machine into be looked at? Or are you just absorbing the feedback of other users and soliciting them as your own?

Thompson125 wrote:

sorry about the typo. it is the bezel around my SCREEN. If you have a pro, you probably know the issue I'm talking about.

There are 3,748 MacBook Pros (pre-unibody) actively in my support matrix and there are 19 that have had a cracked, or otherwise malformed bezel issue reported since July 1, 2010. I'd hardy consider that to be "countless" and even then my sample size is a microscopic fraction of the number of units sold.

Interestingly enough, of the 19 report issues, 17 were fixed/resolved by Apple and 11 of them were done outside of any warranty support. The other 6 were covered by APP and the other 2 were deemed accidental damage.

Thompson125 wrote:

Your post did nothing to answer my question. My question was simply if the damage was purely cosmetic, or if I should be worried about it damaging other components of the computer, like the screen or the camera.

I didn't answer your question because the initial question was nowhere near as thorough as the response. It's impossible to determine with absolute certainty if your particular issue is purely cosmetic. Case in point...

If the unit was exposed to a dusty environment, you'd run the risk of getting dust/debris into what would be an otherwise sealed area. What if sand were to get into the cracked area, work it's way into the LCD panel area can cause display problems? Second example, in a humid or damp environment, or if the machine was to experience a dramatic shift in environmental temperature (hot to cold or cold to hot) what if moisture were to accumulate inside the exposed area now caused by the bezel cracking? A sealed bezel would prevent this a cracked bezel has to potential to allow that moisture into an area where it could corrode wiring or other "behind the scenes" components that may cause long term usage issues.

It's impossible to say with absolute certainty, again why I did not initially response with an "answer." There's not right or wrong, because you're dealing with uncertainties caused by environment and usage.