Midnight Color Problems or Working Out Well For You?

[PGB1]

Hi All!
While in a store looking at the MacBook Air, I saw a display with the Midnight color. It looked like a color that I may like to choose.

I've read online about people having terrible problems with scratches, scuffing and fingerprints. But, I've also read that Apple solved the problems. The one in the store didn't have noticeable scuffs or fingerprints, but I don't know if it was on display for minutes, days or months. Mine will get moved around some, but not used at work outdoors like my MacBook Pro was used. (That silver color's top case is worn in places near the trackpad, but it's nearly 17 years old.)

Since the internet can be a rather unreliable place to find information, I am writing to ask if any of you have any Midnight colored Apple products and how the finish has held up for you. Also, does the color really have a blue hue? (In the store, it looked flat black, perhaps due to lighting.)

I apologize for a rather unimportant question, but buying a new computer is something I do "once every never", so I want to get it right.

Thanks For Sharing Your Experiences!
Paul

 

[Raz0rEdge]

My wife picked up as Midnight MBA recently and was told the same thing about scratches and fingerprints. The fingerprints are definitely more visible here than the silver or space grey versions.

As far as scratches goes, she hasn't gotten to that yet. But as it's a painted surface, it will absolutely show the color underneath. But I don't imagine this is an issue with Midnight but all the other colors as well.

I can't imagine something so unique about Midnight that makes this issue worse.

I also picked up a MBA yesterday and decided to go with silver mainly to differentiate mine from my wife's midnight and my daughter's starlight.

If you are worried about either of these you can grab a case/cover for the MBA. You can go with a clear one if you want to see the color or something else if you just want to protect it.

 

[PGB1]

Thanks Ashwin for helping me decide upon a color!

Your reply makes good sense that the underlying color will show when the device is scratched. Aluminum under dark paint will certainly be more prominent than aluminum showing under silver paint.

I suppose, should I choose Midnight, that the fingerprints will remind me to clean the computer more often.

My hesitation about putting an in-use case on the unit is because there is no fan cooling on the MacBook Air. The unknown is if the computer will cool enough with a cover, or does the computer require the aluminum to be open to air in order to act like a heat sink. At minimum, a padded case for travel sounds like a very good idea.

The MacBook Air seems like an excellent combination of power, size and price. It'll surely fit my needs. So far, the only thing I wish that the Air had is (are?) additional ports, which I'd probably only want for desktop use (Time Machine drive, SD card reader, external monitor, ethernet to router). I'd imagine that a hub or dock can solve that handily.

Thank You Again for explaining about scratches and fingerprints. I appreciate your guidance.
Paul

 

[Raz0rEdge]

Thanks Ashwin for helping me decide upon a color!

Your reply makes good sense that the underlying color will show when the device is scratched. Aluminum under dark paint will certainly be more prominent than aluminum showing under silver paint.

I suppose, should I choose Midnight, that the fingerprints will remind me to clean the computer more often.

My hesitation about putting an in-use case on the unit is because there is no fan cooling on the MacBook Air. The unknown is if the computer will cool enough with a cover, or does the computer require the aluminum to be open to air in order to act like a heat sink. At minimum, a padded case for travel sounds like a very good idea.

The Apple Silicon based Macs are absolute power houses and unless you're absolutely beating on it, the fan will not come on since it stays so cool. I've beaten the crap out of my Mac Studio with an M1 Max and the fan has never come on.

I replaced my work Intel MBP with a M2 Pro MBP and under the same uses (lots of documents, music and Zoom) the Intel based MBP would usually spike up in heat and have the fans roar into life. The M2 Pro MBP has yet to do it once in the last 3 months of ownership.

My MBA is also M2 based and is used for general browsing and light development and the same story, no fans, no heat.

So long story short, the covers is NOT going to affect anything and also, the covers usually have slits/grooves if the Mac has vents as well.

The MacBook Air seems like an excellent combination of power, size and price. It'll surely fit my needs. So far, the only thing I wish that the Air had is (are?) additional ports, which I'd probably only want for desktop use (Time Machine drive, SD card reader, external monitor, ethernet to router). I'd imagine that a hub or dock can solve that handily.

Yup, hubs/docks are your answer. The beauty is that most of them have a single connection to the MBA but suddenly give you multiple USB ports, HDMI, Ethernet and other ports.

Thank You Again for explaining about scratches and fingerprints. I appreciate your guidance.
Paul

 

[PGB1]

So long story short, the covers is NOT going to affect anything and also, the covers usually have slits/grooves if the Mac has vents as well.



Yup, hubs/docks are your answer. The beauty is that most of them have a single connection to the MBA but suddenly give you multiple USB ports, HDMI, Ethernet and other ports.

I was under the impression, from reading articles about the unit, that the case's aluminum body mass provided cooling since there are no fans. But, in real life, the unit cools by natural convection through the vent slots? Did I get it correct?

Thanks for confirming that hubs and docks are a good answer to port shortage. The Air will work out well for my intended uses.

Paul

 

[Raz0rEdge]

I was under the impression, from reading articles about the unit, that the case's aluminum body mass provided cooling since there are no fans. But, in real life, the unit cools by natural convection through the vent slots? Did I get it correct?

This might be true since the Intel based Macs under heavy load were impossible to keep on your lap as they entire underside would get VERY hot. They also have fans that vent in the hinge area between the bottom and top panels.

I have to imagine that the MBAs also have fans in them, but not having heard them at all, I don't even know. The MBP definitely has them.

Thanks for confirming that hubs and docks are a good answer to port shortage. The Air will work out well for my intended uses.

Paul

 

[PGB1]

I have to imagine that the MBAs also have fans in them, but not having heard them at all, I don't even know. The MBP definitely has them.

I first learned of M2 MacBook Air being fanless from Apple's web site. They put a positive attribute to it by pointing out that it's silent.

Some web sites and reviews complain that, since the M2 Air is fanless, performance suffers when it gets hot and "throttles down". With the tasks for which I will use it, I doubt that even an extreme slow down would be noticed.

I also saw a couple of reviews complaining that it got too hot to rest your wrists on. But- Just a couple. You guys would know better because you guys own them and use them in real life.

Perhaps Apple designed the computer with self-protective features to shut it off if temperatures get too high inside. When one of the fans in my MacBook Pro stopped working, the computer would shut itself down about as soon as the top case got too warm to be comfortable. Apple was thoughtful enough that the shutdown was orderly and all open work was automatically saved.


Thinking that the aluminum computer case dissipated heat, my concern was trapping heat with an aftermarket case that stays on in use. But you mentioned slits and grooves in the covers, so that fear is no longer valid.

Below is a screen shot, the last sentence of which mentions the fanless design. It's from Apple's on-line web sales presentation for the M-2 MacBook Air.

Paul