Nature Sketcher

About two days ago, my face expressed one emotion: horror.

My laptop slipped through my laptop sleeve and right onto the ground.

Fortunately, it was a carpet floor. My MacBook was saved! Still, to my horror, part of the keyboard bulged out. The laptop still works, but I can’t let it kept bulging. And thus, tonight, I took apart my MacBook in order to check out the problem areas. Fortunately, I had already took it apart before to install a new SuperDrive, so I didn’t freak at all this time. In fact, I actually recorded the process this time around.

It sounds really scary to take apart the MacBook, but it’s actually really easy. I even cleaned out some of the dust inside (which is a lot, since I have it for four years already) You just have to make sure you keep track of the screws you took out.

Here is my prep tools:

First, I have the instruction guide from ifix.com printed out and clipped into order. I printed one out the last time I took apart my Mac and replaced the SuperDrive inside. In case anyone’s wondering, ifixit.com is a well-known web site dedicated to Mac tools DIY. Not only do they have guides for Macbook, they have it for Ipod and basically all the Mac inventions. They also sells the parts, so you can purchase Mac parts that you wanted to replace. The screwdriver and plastic spudger shown here are both brought from ifixit. They are both very well quality – I love the screwdriver they have. The driver have a fixed part at the end of its handle that the user can hold onto, so the body of the screwdriver can spin very rapidly but the hand holding the handle end would be fixed and stable. It’s a bit hard to describe, but its very nicely-made.

Now, the tip here is to have the guide printed out and a multi-box storage kit set aside. The kit I use (the rainbow color box) was brought from Japantown for around a buck. It is suppose to be used for keeping track of medicine. I usually use it for necklaces so they don’t tangle, but I have a few rows left just for Mac.

Now, here is my MacBook, open to the world to see:

Very dusty. I should clean the screen as well right after this – you can see the keyboard mark! Yuck!

Not very good lighting too, since I am doing this at night. My room isn’t the best space for professional photos, so here’s some more details:

Ah, now I see the problem.

This is the non-bulged side:

And this is the bulged side:

So its bended. Hmm…

I tried to push it back – even hit my screwdriver on the bulged part (it’s not connected to anything – just a metal part, so I know its safe. Don’t tried this at home.)

Didn’t work. Nada.

*Sigh* Well, the keyboard was actually breaking apart already. The side was chipping off (Macbook keyboard is made of plastic, and particularly weak at the edge. The edge is known to chipped off even under careful use.) Actually, I wasn’t sure if it had really bended back when I dropped it – my Macbook was acting really weird that day and refused to go into sleep mode.

I wonder if I should just get a new keyboard…

P.S. on 4/20/10: Right after EGB (Emerging Green Builder) club meeting, someone dropped his Macbook Pro solidly onto the concrete ground.

Ouch.

Everyone was looking at the MacBook, wondering what will happen. Someone, to my amusement, said that it should be fine since its a MacBook. But then, I also added my comment about how I also dropped my mac, so he should be fine (Although my case was a bit different – I dropped it on a carpet floor. I also hold it right when it dropped so only the edge of the Macbook hit the ground, instead of letting it drop face flat down like the the club member did – I seem to have a pretty good reflex when it comes to drop things…)

His  laptop turned on fine though. I was just mumbling about how annoying the Adobe-Tiger upgrade was a few days ago (since I can’t upgrade to Snow Leopard without upgrading the $300 Adobe program), now I am in love with my Mac again!