How much will this repair be?
January 11, 2013 6:21 PM   Subscribe

I have a 13-inch, early 2011 Macbook Pro (unibody) that fell out of my backpack and onto a sidewalk. It was in a neoprene sleeve, which helped, but the aluminum screen cover (the part with the white Apple logo on it) is rather dented. The laptop works fine, and there are no cracks on the screen at all. However, I am interested in getting this part replaced, and I have some questions about cost.

I called my closest Apple Store and asked them for a rough idea how much this would cost, and they wouldn't even guess, instead insisting that come in person and get the estimate there. However, this store is a 160 mile round trip, and I'd like to somehow get an idea how much I am looking at cost-wise before I drive that far.

Does anyone have any idea how much Apple would charge for this repair? I know about other Macbook Pro repair sites (like myservice.com), but I am just curious what Apple charges, so I have a basis for comparison.

Thanks, as always, for any insight you can offer.
posted by 4ster to Computers & Internet (7 answers total)
 
I dropped my (employer-supplied) macbook pro on some concrete steps in the winter of 2010/2011. It still worked, so I kept using it, until they let me trade it in for a new one last month. Never gave me any trouble.

I would say, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
posted by mr vino at 6:46 PM on January 11, 2013


Seconding mr vino. It's not worth repairing a cosmetic defect on a two year old laptop.

If you did want to fix it you need a $600 part. As far as I can tell you can't just buy the aluminum part; you have to buy the entire screen assembly.
posted by gregr at 6:56 PM on January 11, 2013 [1 favorite]


I've been an Apple tech in a past life. The display assembly is a finished part & can't be easily disassembled. To repair your seemingly cosmetic damage would require a new LCD and would be approaching a whole new computer kind of money.

Personally, I like MacBooks that have been beaten up.
posted by Packed Lunch at 9:10 PM on January 11, 2013


Join the club -- I had almost exactly the same thing happen to my 2011 Macbook. Typing this on a slightly dog-eared screen right now.

Fixing it means replacing the entire screen assembly, which is a) expensive if you have Apple do it, or b) expensive and also very complicated if you DIY.
posted by neckro23 at 9:40 PM on January 11, 2013


It is possible to get the display backshell (the aluminum part with the Apple logo) replaced separately, but Apple won't do it, and you might have some trouble finding anybody who will. The assembly is glued together, and replacing that part involves using a heat gun to soften the glue, then very carefully removing the glass and taking it the rest of the way apart.

If you're very interested in having a cosmetically perfect machine, you might see if you have a Mac shop around you that will do that sort of work. Failing that, you could try calling Mission Repair to see if they could do it for you. Of course, you might find that people's labor costs would be as much as a new display assembly itself.
posted by aaronbeekay at 6:23 AM on January 12, 2013


BACKUP EVERYTHING NOW BACKUP EVERYTHING NOW BACKUP EVERYTHING NOW!!!
it may be working 'fine right now', but there is like a 90% chance you have totally f**ked your hard drive and, in revenge, it is merely lying in wait for your complacency before committing suicide. (do NOT learn from my example :/)
posted by sexyrobot at 9:53 AM on January 12, 2013


Best answer: Put a sticker on it. Save your money for your next laptop.
posted by Wild_Eep at 3:41 PM on January 12, 2013


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