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Space Black Color Durability Issues
- Thread starter FrankySavvy
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Received my BTO M3 Pro 16” Space Black a couple of days ago. Performed a thorough examination with flashlight and found zero cosmetic imperfections.
If you love SB, go for it and if you get a defective one, exchange/return.
If you are going to be carrying it around a lot, I believe SB will be more prone to showing daily wears. But it’s such a beautiful color and actually helps me focus more (less distraction vs. shiny silver / black keyboard contrast)
Was your screen also perfect no small dents/scratches they look like dust particles if you oversee them, remember to use a pocketlight.
I find it odd looking at my Late 2008 Unibody the scratches all show up as dark grey which would have been perfect for hiding space black scratches. Space black scratches seem to show up white/light silver which would be perfect for hiding silver scratches! I wonder what the current gen sliver looks like scratched.
![1705947311534.jpeg]( "1705947311534.jpeg")
Was in the Apple Store today. Three different SB MBPs had scratches/blenishes on the backside & bottom. These showed up as aluminum color. Very obvious. Workers said it was simply because they see a lot of rough handling… I didn’t notice these issues on any other color (MBAs & MBP). Definitely seems like Apple has questionable level of durability in this new finish.
Like others have said, love that the SB swallows the light up and lets me focus on the screen. The silver looks like a beacon of light sitting next to it. I just wish space gray was an option for M3 Pro/Max.
I am buying a M3 MBP, but just not sure I want to take on the babying that will be necessary in the SB MBP.
Like others have said, love that the SB swallows the light up and lets me focus on the screen. The silver looks like a beacon of light sitting next to it. I just wish space gray was an option for M3 Pro/Max.
I am buying a M3 MBP, but just not sure I want to take on the babying that will be necessary in the SB MBP.
I will say that people are pretty hard on products on display in the Apple Store. Unfortunately, a lot of people tend to treat property other than their own - very poorly. The amount of traffic an Apple Store gets is pretty significant. This is not to say Space Black won't show more wear over time; it probably will, but if you take care of your property, it may be far less amplified than it is here.
I agree woth your sentiments. I likely will go with Space black for my purchase knowing that I will treat it well but it also will likely wear worse. I do think it is a worse finish relative to space gray in terms of potential for scratches to come through.
They get put on top of each other, bang up against each other, etc. and not just by customers. I'm surprised the don't look worse than they do.
You all have me looking at my 2012 Retina MBP to see how the finish has aged, with close up photos to really highlight the damage incurred over 12 years! Truthfully, 99% of the scratches are on the undercarriage, i guess from uneven surfaces? Not even sure what would have scratched the finish underneath but not touched the top at all other than the tables/desks I’ve used it on.
The top doesn’t even have a scratch on it — not that is noticeable to my eye or camera anyway. There is a tiny (pinpoint) nick on the top which looks like (somehow) something like a pin was pressed into the metal. That’s it. But what is noticeable is a kind of uneven fading to the finish which is applied over the entire surface of the top exterior. I guess that’s the anodization rubbing away over the course of 12 years.
But the truth is that I really would not notice in daily use.
Now with a black finish, yes, any scratches or (shudder) chips in the surface will obviously be more noticeable…but I think that will just give an older machine character. I look at it how you look at good leather as it ages: it acquires a patina, which is different in every case depending upon the individual piece of leather and where it is used, if it’s exposed to the elements at all, and whether it’s been in sunlight or not, and all multiplied by time!
I don’t expect hardware that I use on a daily basis for years to remain pristine. Sure, if that’s what you absolutely must have and see, that’s a preference.
My hope for the Space Black is that likewise it will acquire a patina as it ages and the anodization is minutely worn away over time and by pressure (in my case by the polishing of the surface with a soft cloth and water to keep it clean—even a soft cloth used repeatedly will wear away at the surface over years.
When I first started reading this thread I was really worried—because I really want my next laptop to be in the space black colorway. And thankfully, someone pointed out the lessened reflections on the screen—which is amazing. Now, I’m accepting that I can live with the machine as it ages, scratches or no. I plan to upgrade this year, just waiting for the next chip MacBook Pro update (M3 Pro)…
The top doesn’t even have a scratch on it — not that is noticeable to my eye or camera anyway. There is a tiny (pinpoint) nick on the top which looks like (somehow) something like a pin was pressed into the metal. That’s it. But what is noticeable is a kind of uneven fading to the finish which is applied over the entire surface of the top exterior. I guess that’s the anodization rubbing away over the course of 12 years.
But the truth is that I really would not notice in daily use.
Now with a black finish, yes, any scratches or (shudder) chips in the surface will obviously be more noticeable…but I think that will just give an older machine character. I look at it how you look at good leather as it ages: it acquires a patina, which is different in every case depending upon the individual piece of leather and where it is used, if it’s exposed to the elements at all, and whether it’s been in sunlight or not, and all multiplied by time!
I don’t expect hardware that I use on a daily basis for years to remain pristine. Sure, if that’s what you absolutely must have and see, that’s a preference.
My hope for the Space Black is that likewise it will acquire a patina as it ages and the anodization is minutely worn away over time and by pressure (in my case by the polishing of the surface with a soft cloth and water to keep it clean—even a soft cloth used repeatedly will wear away at the surface over years.
When I first started reading this thread I was really worried—because I really want my next laptop to be in the space black colorway. And thankfully, someone pointed out the lessened reflections on the screen—which is amazing. Now, I’m accepting that I can live with the machine as it ages, scratches or no. I plan to upgrade this year, just waiting for the next chip MacBook Pro update (M3 Pro)…
“And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?” - Luke 16:11
Can’t speak to these machines per se, but shiny black key caps have been a source of consternation in my eyes since Noah. One would think by now that a company of Apple’s alleged pedigree would have designed a key cap material that doesn’t make the keyboard look like it’s done a hundred thousand miles in one year 🙁
For sure although many folk think it's skin oils. It isn't. It's just the surface of the key cap being polished to a sheen. I've been waiting since forever for some kind of matte glass or ceramic coating to be developed but I guess no one cares enough to invest the time and effort into it. Shame.
Looking at the keyboard under a very bright flashlight I can see slight shiny areas on a few keys and the space bar. More concerning to me is that I bumped my coffee cup on the edge of the computer and have a microscopic scratch there now which probably wouldn't bother most people, but I can't unsee it. I have been using the computer since launch.
I have a SB 14” MBP and just noticed a tiny ding/chip on the lip of the lid about the size of the end of a ballpoint pen.
I don’t know how long it’s been there as I really only noticed it after I started using clamshell mode. It is annoying since I’m so careful with it but it’s not end of the world or anything.
I don’t know how long it’s been there as I really only noticed it after I started using clamshell mode. It is annoying since I’m so careful with it but it’s not end of the world or anything.
I think silver is gorgeous in the 14” but for some reason I don’t like it in the 16” as much. Space Black is a really cool color though!
Sorry but I highly disagree, the black on silver contrast of the keyboard and body is what makes the silver MBPs so beautiful imho. But I know this is an old thread and to each their own!
It’s not quite what it used to be. It used to be that every unit I got even from the refurb store was 100% flawless; the last few years, my luck has been about 50-50.
That said I’ve not had the kinds of issues with brand new units that people are having, especially with this Space Black color. If I get M3 I’m going with classic silver!
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I think you might have misunderstood what I meant. Most Mac keyboards from the last 15 years or so have black keys which stand out against the one piece aluminium shell. This looks amazing. The black on silver contrast is what I like so much! I agree!
What I don't like is on the new Pros how they painted part of the silver shell black, so we lost the contrast of black on silver. Does that make sense?
