How do I repair worn paint on my PowerBook?

February 4, 2005 8:57 PM

My PowerBook is shocking my delicate forearms. The light silver paint on front edge of the laptop is majorly wearing off. What's a quick and inexpensive way to fix it? [+]

I read here (#5, Fixing a PowerBook at the Seams) that packing tape will work. Do you have any other suggestions? Would clear nail polish do the job?

posted by ArsncHeart to computers & internet (9 answers total)

This and the clear packing tape will help restore some of its beauty.
posted by AlexReynolds at 9:32 PM on February 4, 2005

This was also happening to me with my Powerbook (I have an old 800mhz titanium model). I didn't try TiPaint, mostly because it's dismal customer service is a frequent topic of discussion on the Apple Discussion forum (additional thread on paint corroding here.) I ended up buying an iCurve and setting up my Powerbook like a desktop. So far, it's worked pretty well - no more gray paint flecks rubbing off my keyboard, my 'book stays nice and cool, and I don't have as much neck strain anymore. Of course, I did have to cough up the $$ for the iCurve, mouse & keyboard, but so far it's been worth it.
posted by invisible ink at 9:53 PM on February 4, 2005

My bad, I just reread your post and noticed you said "inexpensive." D'oh! Sorry.
posted by invisible ink at 10:01 PM on February 4, 2005

I'll note that I once accidently dropped my 800 MHz PB and cracked the lip above the optical drive slot. The top case replacement cost was $350 (that's just the top half of the bottom of the Powerbook, which fits around the keyboard, not including the bottom half, which I hammered out). Just to give you an upper bound on cost of an at-any-cost fix.
posted by AlexReynolds at 10:15 PM on February 4, 2005

Can you clarify your statement about "shocking" your forearms? Did you mean this literally?
posted by odinsdream at 11:15 PM on February 4, 2005

I posted a question to AskMe about getting shocks from my equipment, and got some helpful answers. It turned out to be bad wiring on the ground plugs in my apartment, but I had to get an electrician in to figure that out and fix it.
posted by fuzz at 3:40 AM on February 5, 2005

odinsdream: Yes, probably literally. I have had this happen to me before, but only in Germany. Whether it has something to do with my PowerBook or external hard drive not being grounded properly due to being plugged into a different electrical system, I don't know, but that's my suspicion. I have not had this problem in the U.S. or Canada. It might have just been bad grounding in my apartment in Germany, but considering that there's no third pin on the power supply's plug, I don't know.
posted by oaf at 3:12 PM on February 5, 2005

oaf, my powerbook has a grounded plug (three pins), yours does not?
posted by odinsdream at 3:32 PM on February 5, 2005

Re: corrosive paint issues, I have the same problem with my Powerbook G4 12" (Aluminum). The paint on the handrest area in front of the keyboard is corroded where my hands usually rest while typing. I haven't come across any issues like this with Aluminum Powerbooks, only TiBooks. Ideas?
posted by thirdparty at 9:20 PM on February 5, 2005