Unibody MacBook, aluminum surface finish?

[DewGuy]

From looking at pictures of the new unibody MacBooks it appears that the aluminum case has some kind of surface finish (texture). When I was at Best Buy a couple of weeks ago they didn't have any of the new MacBooks on display so I couldn't see for myself. Is the aluminum case textured? Is it like the housing on the LaCie D2 drives? Just curious. Thanks.

[N-OS X-tasy!]

Think brushed aluminum. Not really textured, though.

[will2000]

You mean the one without firewire?

[BigGuynRusty]

Hard Anodized.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=Hard+Anodized&spell=1

BGnR

[Black Landlord]

And FYI the place where the firewire port should be has basically the same texture as the rest of the firewire-less housing.

[RAMd®d]

You mean the one without firewire?

Is the unibody the one without FW? If so, then yes, I think that's what he means.

The finish is nothing like the LaCie D2 boxes, which have a somewhat cast, slightly rough finish to them.

It's more like the PowerBooks, fairly smooth, but not brushed.

[DewGuy]

will2000 wrote:
You mean the one without firewire?

Well technically, the aluminum MacBook Pro uses the same unibody design and has a firewire 800 port, but yes, I mean the new aluminum MacBooks that are without firewire 400.

[DewGuy]

BigGuynRusty wrote:
Hard Anodized.
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=Hard+Anodized&spell=1

BGnR

Okay, I looked at the first site listed on that Google search, but I'm not really sure that answers the question.

[DewGuy]

RAMd®d wrote:
You mean the one without firewire?

Is the unibody the one without FW? If so, then yes, I think that's what he means.

The finish is nothing like the LaCie D2 boxes, which have a somewhat cast, slightly rough finish to them.

It's more like the PowerBooks, fairly smooth, but not brushed.

Yes, the aluminum unibody MacBooks are without firewire, although the aluminum unibody MacBook Pros are of the same design and do have firewire 800.

Okay so it's not as "rough" as the LaCie D2. That's a relief becuase I couldn't really image a notebook computer having that rough a texture.

Believe it or not I've never seen a PowerBook and although Best Buy had the previous gen MacBook Pros with the aluminum case, I didn't look at them since they're outside my price range. I guess that since this is a sensory thing, I really need to experience it myself.

[BigGuynRusty]

DewGuy wrote:
From looking at pictures of the new unibody MacBooks it appears that the aluminum case has some kind of surface finish (texture). When I was at Best Buy a couple of weeks ago they didn't have any of the new MacBooks on display so I couldn't see for myself. Is the aluminum case textured? Is it like the housing on the LaCie D2 drives? Just curious. Thanks.

No, they are not textured, just hard anodized and machined.
The LaCie case is powder coated with a texture much like older office furniture.
Back in the day it was called Fine Pebble Finish.
The Hard Anodizing does impart a smooth but not polished surface.

BGnR