White 2008 MacBook!

[BlastoiseBlue]

Hey all! A friend of mine bought me an '08 MacBook off of Craigslist last week, and it's supposed to get here sometime between this thursday and next monday. While I do feel a bit odd, this being my first Intel Mac, I'm also grateful for the present, and happy that I'll finally have a laptop capable of opening YouTube without requiring I open a third party program.

So I had a few questions I figured you guys might be able to answer....

First and foremost, how difficult is it to install the rainbow logo mod on the back of the laptop? Will I need to look for a sticker made just for my model of MacBook, or will the type they sell for the modern ones work too? Also, where's the best place to get one?

Secondly, being a longtime Windows user, I've grown pretty attatched to a few Windows only games. How difficult would it be to dual boot XP Pro?

Last question, can you guys tell me some of the strong and weak points of the computer, and if possible, how to work around them? I heard the palmrest breaks easily, and I plan to be extra careful with it, if I don't buy a case for it anyways to keep this from happening.

Thanks in advance! :3

 

[uniserver]

what is this " friend " going to expect in return

The 2008 macbook is a pretty solid machine. I think you are going to like it very much.

 

[markyb86]

First and foremost, how difficult is it to install the rainbow logo mod on the back of the laptop? Will I need to look for a sticker made just for my model of MacBook, or will the type they sell for the modern ones work too? Also, where's the best place to get one?

http://www.ebay.com/itm/150783366355?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

very easy lol

How difficult would it be to dual boot XP Pro?

Easy also. Install it with boot camp in the control panel.

I heard the palmrest breaks easily,

Yeah they are cheap plastic and crack and chip around the edges. You can cover it up with a silicone cover, but it feels rubbery. I don't want to point you in the wrong direction (I have the same computer) but I epoxied my top case to my bottom case, sanded and painted it to get rid of the cracks. It will eventually need to be redone but it worked and looks decent.

 

[Cosmo]

Boot camp:

http://www.askdavetaylor.com/how_do_i_install_windows_xp_on_my_mac_using_boot_camp_1.html

 

[BlastoiseBlue]

@Uniserver: Well, I offered to pay him back, but he told me to forget about it since I'm saving up to move in with my boyfriend in California. He told me $500 isn't a lot to him.

@Mark: Oh, awesome! Also, can I maybe get a pic or two of what that looks like? Does it still close like it did before the epoxying?

@Cosmo: Thanks! I'll check that out. :3

 

[uniserver]

If you have enough ram installed, I would suggest just virtualizing XP, It's not really that demanding and works well, I Use parallels every day here at work. using a core2 celeron& 4gb ram.

 

[markyb86]

here is before

and here is after.

you can see it needs to be redone but you can also see how much it improved.

as far as closing goes it is just as good as before. I put the epoxy on very thin (thats probably why its already cracking again.) but the top case is just weak so putting your wrists on it to type makes it bow out which causes the original plastic to crack.

 

[BlastoiseBlue]

@Uniserver: Well, my plans for XP were to run Need For Speed: High Stakes and Underground as well as Lego Island and the first three Elder Scrolls games, as well as using MSPaint for some game design projects. I'm not sure that'd go to well on some of the more memory sapping games like Underground, and is Parallels free?

@Mark: I rather like the smoother look of your epoxied Mac, and also the green keyboard! Where'd that come from? I may look into this. :3

 

[markyb86]

I got the keyboard skin from ebay as well.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/170614662625?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

They have quite a few colors and styles and also sell the hard plastic outside casing (I'm probably going to get one of those soon too.)

If you order from that guy make sure to send them a note of where your function keys are? I have two other skins with the wrong glyphs. (IE. the volume buttons on F2-F4 but my actual buttons are on the right side of the keyboard (F12-14?)

 

[BlastoiseBlue]

Oh wow, so much to choose from... If I ever have the money I'm thinking I might order a blue rubber case and a matching sleeve and keyboard for it. Just have to locate the items in the store first...

 

[mcdermd]

how difficult is it to install the rainbow logo mod on the back of the laptop?

My wife found one for her Aluminum MacBook that just stuck on the outside. No disassembly required. It looks great and hasn't peeled at all in three years. I think she found it on etsy.

I heard the palmrest breaks easily

If it is cracked at all, go to your closest Apple store right away and ask if they will replace it. They have a quality program in place to replace chipped or cracked top cases and LCD bezels for up to five years from manufacture for free.

 

[BlastoiseBlue]

Oh wow, really? Huh... I'll have to see about that if it is cracked. Sadly the closest Apple store is in Atlanta though, and that's about an hour's drive in horrible traffic and I doubt anyone in my family would drive me. (My car doesn't work right now.)

 

[TheMacGuy]

You can try taking it to an Apple Authorized Service Provider, but if you have any problems after the repair, the Apple Store stands behind their repairs for 90 days. Can't says the same for AASPs. Apparently what was happening was the 2 stand off posts above the display were hitting the plastic very hard when you closed the laptop, causing cracking. The program replaces the top case (keyboard, trackpad, power button, palm rests, etc) and the display bezel of free.

 

[iMac600]

You can try taking it to an Apple Authorized Service Provider, but if you have any problems after the repair, the Apple Store stands behind their repairs for 90 days. Can't says the same for AASPs. Apparently what was happening was the 2 stand off posts above the display were hitting the plastic very hard when you closed the laptop, causing cracking. The program replaces the top case (keyboard, trackpad, power button, palm rests, etc) and the display bezel of free.

Apple places a 90 day service warranty on all parts, including ones supplied to AASPs. Why does everyone assume all AASPs are these dodgy, horrible con artists? I'm trying my best here. Seriously though, find a reputable AASP and you should be fine.

Also, I can confirm that the issue is mostly where the plastic posts/strips above the LCD contact the Top Case when closed. Sometimes the Top Case can crack for other reasons (I have seen ones with cracks along each side rather than at the front) but it's almost always where those posts make contact.

 

[BlastoiseBlue]

Well, I looked it up and the closest AASP is in Marietta, which is still a good drive away but a lot more likely a place for my grandpa or aunt to drive me. Ironically, that's the town where I got every single Mac I've ever owned besides the Classic and the MacBook. Huh.

If I take it up there how long usually is the wait to have it fixed and returned?

EDIT: Also, the store is called PeachMac, anyone here have any experiences with them?

 

[mcdermd]

When I got the top case replaced on my MacBook at the Apple Store, I was in and out in under 30 minutes.

 

[TheMacGuy]

A local AASP took 4 days to get the warranty parts and install them. It just really depends.

I was in and out in under 30 minutes.

That's because the Apple Stores normally have quite a few on hand. Both MacBooks I've taken in to the Apple Store were done in less then an hour. I was barely even able to leave the mall parking lot!

Apple places a 90 day service warranty on all parts, including ones supplied to AASPs. Why does everyone assume all AASPs are these dodgy, horrible con artists? I'm trying my best here. Seriously though, find a reputable AASP and you should be fine.

Well its good to know Apple stands behind their parts and AASPs.

[Not rant]Honestly, I just back a MacBook 2008 that went in for a top case replacement and screw replacements (I paid for all the missing screws). The AASP forgot to put in 2 screws, which would have been find if they were free. Plus, they misaligned some ribbon cables that are now blocking the RAM slot and put in some of the screws in the wrong places. I hope the Apple Store can fix it.[/Not rant]

 

[BlastoiseBlue]

Just posting this here rather than somewhere else to keep from overflowing with topics I started, lol. So my boyfriend bought a new Asus laptop and he's sending me his original MacBook Pro! Still would prefer a white or black polycarbonate MacBook, but I'm grateful regardless. :3

As for the white one, it still hasn't arrived in the mail, but I haven't been eagerly waiting by the mailbox either like I had been that first week. :c

 

[kem554991]

Not sure if you are already aware of this, but unless you want to spend $85 on a new MagSafe like I just did, you should be careful about putting strain (i.e. bending, pulling, etc.) on the adapter.