I informed the customer service manager that I easily found several other instances of MacBook Pro finish pitting by spending a few minutes on Google and he told me that he’s never seen or heard of this before.

At this point, I really don’t know what to do. While the finish rubbing off isn’t the end of the world, it’s going to hurt me when the time comes to upgrade my notebook and I want to resell this one. I was really hoping that Apple would help me out and replace the top…

Do you have a similar problem with your MBP finish? If so, please leave a comment with a link to photos. Perhaps if we all speak up, Apple will address this issue.

If I did have the top replaced, I would definitely opt for some protection the next time around.

MacBook Pro Finish Update: I was told that the finish pitting on my MBP is purely cosmetic, and therefore AppleCare will not cover it under warranty. In my opinion, a $2,500 notebook shouldn’t be shedding it’s finish after only 1 year of service and I’m going to press the issue with AppleCare phone support. I’ll post an update when I have one.

I’ve never done this before, but from the look of things it shouldn’t be too difficult…

After doing a little research, I was able to find other similar stories out there such as the one mentioned over at AppleDefects.

Due to the fact that this is technically a cosmetic issue, I’m not sure whether or not AppleCare will replace the palm rest or not. I’m going to see if I can have it replaced sometime this week, I’ll be sure to report back on the outcome. So far, AppleCare has been amazing so we’ll see how they handle this…

By the way, my MBP just turned 1 year old and I never wear a watch, jewelry, or anything else for that matter that might harm the finish.

Over the past few months, I noticed that my MacBook Pro was giving me less than an hour of battery life so I decided to give AppleCare a call. 2 days later I had a brand new MacBook Pro battery waiting for me on my doorstep.

Here’s how it went down.

Before replacing the battery, Apple gets the battery output reading from you and determines if it is in need of replacement. If it does, Apple takes your credit card info (the card is not charged as long as you return your old battery to them) and sends out a new one via DHL (it arrived in 2 days).

Once you receive the new battery, don’t shred the box. Open the box carefully, remove the new battery, and replace it with the old. Tape up the box and then call DHL to arrange for a next day pickup.

Although I’m excited to upgrade and check out the improvements Apple has made to OS X in this latest release, I’m going to be patient…

Unfortunately no matter what I seemed to do, there was always a loss of quality after I imported the clip into iMovie. Thanks to the guys at iShowU, I found a hack that seems to work great.

Instead of importing the video directly into iMovie, open up the project folder and drop the video file into the “Media” folder. Then, simply open the iMovie project and drag the clip from the trash into iMovie when it prompts you. No loss of quality whatsoever!

Also, I stumbled onto a very cool QuickTime Embed WordPress plugin that makes posting video to your blog a snap…

I opted for the AppleCare protection plan last year when I bought my MacBook Pro and it’s so much more than just an extended warranty.

Included with Applecare is the ability to call a live customer support rep (on a toll-free number) and get an instant answer to just about any question in the world related to your Mac.

As I mentioned the other day, I picked up a copy of iShowU and have been toying around with that and iMovie. I ran into a problem with iMovie this morning, so I picked up the phone and got an answer in 2 minutes from a helpful AppleCare support rep.

If you’re buying a new Mac computer, I highly recommend paying the extra couple hundred dollars and going with the AppleCare extended warranty and support program.

Pros: The screen is drop dead gorgeous and the display is much brighter than the previous generation. Video, although small, is very clear and quite impressive. Cover flow rocks.

Cons: I’m not a fan of the chrome backing as it scratches easily and shows fingerprints. Also, I wish that the scroll wheel on the new iPod Nano was a little more “substantial”.

Overall, I like the newest version better than the previous model. It’s not perfect and there are definitely a few things that I would change if I had it my way, but overall it’s a step up.

Well, I decided to try a Magic Eraser (by Mr. Clean). I have to admit, it worked like a charm and my MBP looks as good as it did the day I first booted her up.

Here’s the best way to go about it:

1. Lightly dampen one end of the Magic Eraser.
2. Be sure to wring out any excess water.
3. Lightly run the Magic Eraser over the keyboard and any other part of your MacBook Pro that needs cleaning. Take care not to press too hard, which will release any left over excess moisture in the Magic Eraser and possibly damage your notebook.

From the research and reviews I’ve read, Snap Pro X and iShowU seem to be the best software programs for creating screenshot videos on a Mac. After quite a bit of reading I decided on iShowU and at $20, it’s a bargain.

I’ll be sure to post an iShowU review after making a few videos with it…

As I approach my one year anniversary as a “switcher”, I will admit that this has been the most enjoyable computing year of my life. My MacBook Pro has been a trooper and has never failed me yet. Software programs install and uninstall exactly how they should and anytime I have to use a PC, it actually frightens me.

So having said that, I would expect the Leopard upgrade to go as smoothly as everything else has for me. But I want to get some opinions first… what do you think. Wait, or upgrade right away?

1. Toggle the hold switch on and off
2. Press and then hold the Menu and Select buttons at the same time until the Apple logo appears

If this doesn’t work and you still need to find out how to reset your iPod Nano, try plugging your iPod Nano into the wall outlet or your computer.

There is a pretty comprehensive iPod Nano how to section on their site with answers to questions, tips, and advice. Here’s the link:

iPod Nano How to Info

This thing is really cool, I do have my doubts though about how well it will hold up. We’ll see…

I’ve also converted a friend over who has been a lifetime Windows user. He was asking me some questions about my new MBP one day and the next thing I know, he runs out the very next day and picks up a new iMac. It’s funny how contagious Macintosh Apple computers are.

I’ve heard that people have been having problems with right click and the scroll ball but so far, everything is working perfect.

tags: mighty mouse, wireless mouse, mac, macintosh

I had a chance to check out Microsoft’s new Windows Vista and I’m floored at how bad they ripped off OS X. It’s so bad that I’m actually embarrassed for Microsoft.

What about a little innovation here guys? Instead of copying and pasting stuff, why not make a feature better? If you’re going to release borrowed features, at least incorporate a little creativity and add some of your own ideas to improve upon things. Sheesh… no shame.

Here are a few videos that are good for a laugh…

=> The Real Windows Vista

=> David Pogue’s Review of Windows Vista

tags: os x, osx, windows vista, windows, mac

Working with .htaccess files is a pain. Not only does Mac OS X hide all dot files, they also never make it to the server when FTP’ing.

The first FTP client I downloaded for my Mac was CyberDuck. It’s free and does a decent job, however .htaccess files never make it to the server when uploading. After some advice from a veteran Mac user, I picked up a copy of Transmit and it solved my problem. FTP’ing dot files with Transmit isn’t a problem and works great.

There is another solution… but it sucks. You can enable hidden file viewing by downloading a program called TinkerTool, however it really clutters the clean Mac experience with a bunch of extra files.

There has to be a way to show .htaccess files by default while hiding other dot files.

tags: mac osx, mac, os x, dot files, htaccess

• AuctionGenie
• AuctionSieve
• Baywatch
• BidNobble
• CALC

I’ll report back with feedback once I’ve had a chance to try them all.

tags: ebay, macintosh, online auctions