[Ti] Al-book scratch

[Dr. Trevor J. Hutley]

At 10:35 +0100 26/4/04, Colin Buttimer wrote:
>  > So although I cannot give you a definitive answer, not being a
>>  metallurgist, I have the feeling that "live with it" is probably the
>>  path forward.....    :-(
>
>Thanks Trevor for your helpful and informative response. I was sat with my
>AlBook at a rather lengthy meeting on Friday to which a couple of other
>attendees had brought their PC laptops. Though considerably less attractive,
>their plastic cases are certainly more rugged than our lovely, but delicate
>aluminium/ titanium. I still think fondly of the final release of the G3
>Pismo Powerbook in this regard.

Colin - yes, I know that the G3 Pismo was a very rugged design.  (As 
a polymer guy, I can say) there is nothing as durable as a correctly 
selected plastic, for the weight.  Of course, designing a powerbook 
also requires other performance factors (such as heat conductivity, 
stiffness, surface appearance), so the choice of material is not a 
trivial task.

Your description of your meeting made me think of this analogy: it is 
like drinking a 1960 Burgundy from a fine glass or from a styrofoam 
cup.  Of course the glass is more delicate, but can you imagine what 
it must be like using a styrofoam cup ?

I also make this comparison to myself at meetings.  I sometimes 
verbalise it, and refer to the other laptops as a block of concrete 
or as a paving slab with a Dell badge on it.  The Apple design is 
really streets ahead of the game.  Although Sony seem to catch up 
pretty quickly.

Your post made me look carefully at my Al book.  On the end of the 
powerbook with the hinge, I have a small nick that shows the 
'silvery' metal underneath, but other wise, mine is pretty clean.  It 
is in and out of my briefcase all the time, travels with me 
everywhere, and I treat it just like a thick magazine, in terms of 
how I put it in and take it out of my briefcase.  I have no 
protective sleeve or anything.
So I feel it is quite robust.  On my Ti, the paint was just starting 
to wear off in a few places (just regular abrasion).  The anodized 
oxide coating is much more durable than regular paint, so I do not 
expect to see this on my Al-book.

bye for now,  Trevor