The Space Black looks great! Every time I use it though I am extremely careful, my OCD would kill me if I ever chipped or scratched the laptop. I have up until January 8th to swap out for silver...
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Space Black Color Durability Issues
- Thread starter FrankySavvy
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In that case you probably should swap it out because I have a Midnight MBA and I completely regret buying it. I should have stuck with silver like I did with my M1 MBA.
Good comparison pics. IMO Silver looks a lot cleaner and professional whereas the Space black looks like a Lenovo or PC laptop. Just my opinion. I speak from owning a Midnight MBA lol
Arguably, in the first of those pictures, the black one looks retro!
The silver is a nicer colour, but damn the keyboard looks fugly with the black surround. Just such a cheap look compared with the classic one-piece of aluminium style.
I am glad there is a “black” option personally. Working on purchasing one in the future, perhaps around the time an M4 update occurs, if not sooner. As an owner of the Midnight M2 Air, with absolutely no regrets personally, I hope darker options remain the norm, and not a product cycle trend. The wear on the ports is contained within them on my Air, and are not noticeable from a normal distance. I have to look very closely inside them, and the rest of the body has held up beautifully. A daily wipe down is all I have needed to do, and my machine has to work hard and sees a lot of daily use and movement. Love the Space Black after seeing it in person, as much as I have loved the Midnight. Hopefully Apple adds Starlight to the Pro, or perhaps another colour as well, to give people more choices to suit their needs and desires.
Exactly, the contrast between the black and natural aluminum will be more noticeable than that between silver and aluminum.
I‘ve owned several Silver MBPs over the years (have Space Gray now), and I can attest that those same types of corner scratches are also visible on the Silver machines. But I would agree the darker anodizing makes them stand out more.
I've owned a dozen 'classic' silver MacBooks over the years, and it will probably always be my first consideration. I have a Space Gray 14" MBP for work, and it seems to have held up fine for 1.5 years.
I think trying something new is always worthwhile, after all you'll never know if it's your favorite if you never try it!
So, I ordered a new 16" M3 Pro in Space Black. I've only had it a few days but it seems fine. Fingerprints are minimal, and it is more interesting to look at vs. the standard silver 16" model that it replaced.
I think trying something new is always worthwhile, after all you'll never know if it's your favorite if you never try it!
So, I ordered a new 16" M3 Pro in Space Black. I've only had it a few days but it seems fine. Fingerprints are minimal, and it is more interesting to look at vs. the standard silver 16" model that it replaced.
Do you have evidence you aren’t human? Do you have any evidence of any immortal biological being? You have tons of evidence humans are all mortal. I don’t need time to tell me your argument is flawed. I DO need time to observe how long a new finish lasts on a newly designed computer is going to look good. But the odds are black anodized Al will show scratches sooner than silver Al, so people silly enough to care should go silver.
I love the Space Black color, but the thing I like best is that there is no distraction when looking at the screen. My SB purchased at launch has no marks on it to date.
Testing out the silver currently. It feels classic yet modern, very clean. It gives the optical illusion that it is larger than the Space Black which I would say is a negative but just a nitpick. The silver does feel like a classic Mac.
Pros and Cons of both:
Silver
+ Classic Mac Aesthetic
+ Clean Look
+ Better Durability Overall
- Appears Larger than Space Black
- Silver is more distracting below the screen
Space Black
+ Modern Aesthetic
+ Stealth Subdued Look
+ Appears smaller in size than Silver
- Worse Durability over time
- Space Black looks more like other PC's
Pros and Cons of both:
Silver
+ Classic Mac Aesthetic
+ Clean Look
+ Better Durability Overall
- Appears Larger than Space Black
- Silver is more distracting below the screen
Space Black
+ Modern Aesthetic
+ Stealth Subdued Look
+ Appears smaller in size than Silver
- Worse Durability over time
- Space Black looks more like other PC's
I knew someone that worked on a facility that on demand anodised / chromatised / gilded / silvered etc all kinds of metal in all kinds of colours (well, really more treated the surface with specifically coloured metals). However, you must take into account that this usually involves (metal) chemicals that can be quite harmful to the environment.
A more durable layer may be possible, but might not fit into Apple's 'green' plans. Also, it can be quite expensive, depending on the colour or treatment.
Makes sense. If it was possible then cost/risk to human life had to be factors. It's usually the first reason 😅
Why do you think SB will be less durable? It may show wear more do to the color contrast with aluminum, but that doesn't mean it is less durable.
My launch-day space black MBP still looks as good as new - no chips around the ports or marks etc. I don't see how the colour is any less durable than any other finish, but like Space Grey, if you dent/chip it, its probably going to be more obvious than on a silver example.
The edges will eventually show wear when the black comes off. Plus the scratches and dings will expose the base metal, as you alluded to. No such colour loss can occur to a colour that matches the metal underneath. It's not like anyone is saying the device's internals will be more resilient to drops or anything... so unless you're defining durable in those terms, your comment is confusing. 🧐
Except durability is about the resistance to abrasions, not contrasts in color. A silver finish, even if it matches the base color, can exhibit the same durability and the exposed non anodized material corrode just as if the anodized color was space black or gray,as it is no longer protected.
People completely underestimate how much less reflection there is on the space black screen. Apple created a very solid matte finish that pairs very well with the keyboard to merge seamlessly with presenting the screen so that you can focus on content with the least reflection I've ever seen on a macbook. People might say PCs did this or that, or that there was the old black macbook etc, but no one has a screen this amazing with this kind of build quality. The space black makes the macbook shine in ways that are frankly unprecedented. For lots of people this might not matter, but I personally love it.
I will rephrase durability with more visibility of wear. Space Black will show more imperfections vs the silver. Space Black blends nice with the keyboard, some like the contrast of the silver. Space Black also has the optical illusion of looking smaller vs silver. However silver looks classic...lol
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One of these YouTubers should take a screwdriver and put a 3 inch scratch on the lids of these laptops. That would be a video I would watch.
Just an FYI. I spoke to an Apple Store employee today and they actually now have a return code for customers returning Space Black MacBook Pros because of out of box defects.
Those who have a Space Black, known locations of these defects are:
• Edge around the trackpad
• Edge around the keyboard well
• Along the edge of the bottom plate
• Around the rear lid hinges
• Scuffs anywhere on the body
Pictures of issues attached. Silver aluminum showing under the space black anodizing process, along cut or chiseled edges.
Apple will return and exchange, but I have now seen this on a lot of Space Black machines in store and my own personal units.
Those who have a Space Black, known locations of these defects are:
• Edge around the trackpad
• Edge around the keyboard well
• Along the edge of the bottom plate
• Around the rear lid hinges
• Scuffs anywhere on the body
Pictures of issues attached. Silver aluminum showing under the space black anodizing process, along cut or chiseled edges.
Apple will return and exchange, but I have now seen this on a lot of Space Black machines in store and my own personal units.
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These is an Apple Support Community thread ongoing about this as well:
discussions.apple.com
New MacBook Pro, 16", M3 Max, Space Black… - Apple Community
I have the 16-inch space black MacBook Pro and my machine is perfect. I examined it in detail to make sure it was clean. Again, I don't have OCD and am not too critical of the aesthetics even if it is minor to the "normal" eye. What I am enjoying is the performance, battery life, and beautiful screen. As with all my laptops, I will have the normal wear and tear which does not bother me as much as the performance and functionality of the machine.
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