Yellow Discoloration

If you're "soaking" something in bleach, like your original post instructs me to do, I wouldn't assume I'd "soak" it in a q-tip. Soaking usually implies using something bigger than a q-tip, and then leaving it IN the bleach. "LoL!"

Based on my prior experience (see above) I'll predict the following:

Recall? Forget it. And rightfully so. Unless the discoloration causes people to have seizures, it will not affect the function of the machine.

More likely, for the short term, Apple will continue the current party line of "this is the first we've heard," "bring it to your local store," "you can send it in, but we won't guarantee anything," etc. If you have Apple Care and call the service line, be polite, and patient. The experience will vary widely depending on you, your attitude, and that of whomever you conect to. Some of the people (at least a couple of years ago) were very helpful and seemed genuinely concerned. Others clearly could have cared less... Some customers kept logs of whom they talked to at Apple, and when.

Eventually, Apple will likely agree that the problem is real, is not the customers' fault, and while cosmetic is also an unreasonable thing to have happen with normal use. At least, that is what they did w/ the TiBook. Don't expect the change in attitude to happen overnight. And if you don't have AppleCare and the computer is out of warranty, you are likely going to need to spring for replacement parts yourself. That being said, the process was as painless and professional as could be asked: they send you a box, you put your computer in and send it back (Apple paid postage) and you get your computer back in 7-10 days, sometimes less.

So, in answer to your question, if you don't have Apple Care, you need to figure out how much this discoloration issue would likely bother you. If not much, take your chances. If it will bug you, and you don't want to shell out the money to get it fixed, then I'd return the computer, and wait for the debugged Macbook version 2.0 (sound advice for most products, anyway).

As for some of the more zany suggestions on this forum, I have to laugh. Look, I love my Mac. It could turn bright orange and deep purple, and I'd still gladly use it before I'd touch a crappy Dell Windoze clunker. But dipping your computer in bleach? Repainting it after a month of use? Needing to buy a cover to protect your computer from your hand grease? Maybe you are washing your hands too much? That's my personnal fav; "From now on, make sure your hands aren't too clean before you compute." Seriously, this sounds like a design/manufacturing flaw, plain and simple, and any reasonable person would hold the manufacturer responsible for making it right.

To preface my post, my hands and wrists are immaculately clean. I do not wear makeup, nor do I eat Cheetos while using the computer.

Having said that, my MacBook started displaying pink/peach discoloration near the trackpad and sides within a week. I took it to an Apple Store where the resident head Genius maintained that he had not seen this problem, and that it was obviously my fault. He suggested I purchase some iKlear products, which I did.

At first, they seemed to do the trick. However, now no amount of scrubbing removes the pink discoloration on my MacBook.

I understand that cosmetic blemishes are, alas, inevitable with time. I also understand that we human critters vary in our acidic/sweat makeup. But one week? Sorry, folks, but that's an error on Apple's part.

Last week, I called Applecare to make sure my complaint was in the system. I called again today because the problem has obviously worsened, in spite of my best efforts to clean the computer. I was polite but persistant that I am a pretty clean fellow who does not use his MacBook except in a very "normal way."

I was transfered to a product specialist who requested that I email him some pics, which I did. He also made one thing very clear to me. No matter how many times people post on these boards (or view them), if you have a problem, you must call Apple directly to report. He was pretty blunt. If Apple gets a number of complaints, they very well might fix the problem for us; however, if it's just a few isolated users (or looks like it), then we're on our own.

Please, I know it's a hassle, but if you're experiencing discolorations of any kind, call Applecare immediately and make your voice heard. Apple is (generally) pretty good at taking care of mistakes that are obviously their fault (although the occasional class action lawsuit has to be filed to get them moving).

The MacBook is a great machine; it should look like it!

Macbook (1 gig RAM; 120 gig HD); 20" iMac Core Duo (1 gig RAM; 250 gig HD) Mac OS X (10.4.6)

Me too. 3 weeks in, area next to the trackpad is starting to show yellowy stains. Great. That's why the black one costs extra...

Right, same with me. I calibrated the battery on like Day 3.

I was going to buy a MacBook yesterday and I came here just to check out what people are talking about with reference the MB. Glad I did. All the problems listed add up to a seriously negative experience--I'm not buying until the whine, moo, discoloration, case separation, etc. are acknowledged and fixed.

Right now the MacBook is clearly not ready for prime time. I hope everyone with any of these problems calls Apple and register a complaint. Else Apple might just mosey along without any fixes.

The problem is more like a new born child of while couples is more-like yellow(of course.. ,or yellow couples's new born is more like while or black, etc). It's not just require a clear or clean solution. DNA of the palmset is definitely wrong for some revisions.

Why Apple still hides away from facing such "unfair" facts? No one like to buy a dirty-colour whilebook!!

Through not every whilebook owners suffer the same prob, it is not like occasional accidents, too. And, I bet for it will going to exceed 100,000 views for the thread in a few days, if apple still has nothing to say and no action to do with it.

Wow, this is crazy, I was think about getting a MacBook, but now I'm not too sure.

It is very nice to have such responses here!!

Maybe just calling AppleCare is not powerful enough for making Apple notice it. We can tell friends around us to notice it, and acknowledge it. Eventually they may hold their orders. Then, when enough people are stopping purchasing while macbooks, apple will start to care of the stains on whilebooks serioursly.

I am glad to have know about all these before I am able to cancel the order, especially, those voluntary pictures scare how bad the stains can be. It is just unacceptable, even there's somehow possiblilities within good luck and bad luck.

Maybe somewhere in these 17 pages of posts, somebody has already suggested this, but if not, here goes:

What if these stains originated in the factory, with factory workers whose dirty hands set off the chemical reaction that is manifesting itself two or three weeks later in discoloration?

Just a theory, but one that certainly allows for the "dirty hands" theory even when the owners of the machines insist they keep their hands squeaky-clean.

Please all users with affected MacBooks enter your MacBook into the following thread. Maybe pure numbers will raise Apple's attention a bit?

http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?threadID=522488&tstart=0

Cheers, Martin.

Maybe she can help to ask how AppleStore prevents those whilebook being yellow.

http://suicidegirls.com/news/geek/16706/

Or, maybe she can sit with her hands on a MacBook for the entire week and watch the amazing transformation from white to yellow in front of her eyes!

I've been following this thread for a few days. My white Macbook arrives tomorrow. Seeing that Shield Zone's Invisible Shield just came out for the Macbook model (amazingly one day after I emailed them asking when they would have the non-pro version), I just ordered the standard model (mouse and wrist guards). I'll stick it on from the Macbook from the start and see if it has any beneficial effects. If the discoloration is indeed caused by heat and light, it shouldn't help. But if it has to do with the oils in the hands, hopefully it should help.

I guess it kinda pays off to be an extra early adaptor in this case since people with early releases don't seem to have this discoloration problem. My serial is 4H619 and I've been using my MacBook for ~3.5 weeks and I don't have any problems with discoloration anywhere that I can notice. I carefully looked, but can't find any spots, yet. Maybe my usage is too light.

Macbook 1.83 GHz, 2x512MB OWC Brand Mac OS X (10.4.6) 3 XP machines