Will Laser Etching Your MacBook Void The Warranty?

[raingalls]

I've seen a very popular trend in aluminum MacBook and MacBook Pro owners having the back of their screen laser etched with numerous designs. Kevin Rose had the Digg Logo etched onto his and Pownce Programmer Leah Culver actually sold square inch ads on the back of her MacBook Pro's Screen and had them laser etched on. So with many MacBook uber geeks and celebrity Mac users such as Kevin and Leah, it would seem to those who can afford to have laser etching done, there's no worry of voiding the warranty.

However, the geniuses in the Saddle Creek Apple Store say there's nothing that says you can't... but there's nothing that says you can.

Will laser etching the back of a new MacBook with some logo or artwork void my warranty?

Thanks In Advance,
R. Alan Ingalls

 

[walkum13]

I wouldn't think so. But, if you have screen issues and Apple says its b/c of the engraving then you're SOL. Personally, I'd rather have my MB anodized rather than etched. Just my 2 cents.

 

[raingalls]

There is a web site that does anodizing or at least I believe that's the process ColorWare uses to color change the 2nd Gen MacBook and MacBook Pro's. It's Colorware - Computers .

However, I know for a fact that ColorWare (and all other color changing companies and do-it-yourself color change modifications) DO VOID YOUR WARRANTY. ColorWare is the most popular color change company because they actually take over the responsibility of warranty work on you MacBook or whatever product you buy from them or have color changed.

I would love to have a new MacBook color changed to a jet black or metallic black, but if you look at the site, the trackpad is not painted, which leaves it sticking out like a sore thumb on any color other than a grey. And spending several hundred dollars to paint your MacBook the color it comes in would be a little silly. lol.

That's why I've decided to customize mine via laser etching. There's nothing in the Warranty Fine Print that comes right out and say you can't do it, but as the Apple Store employee pointed out, there's nothing that says you can, either.

He suggested I call Apple Care, but warned me that because I don't currently own a Mac, I would probably be charged for the call.

 

[raingalls]

Can someone with a Mac, give Apple Care a call and ask them if having a 2nd Gen MacBook or MacBook Pro laser etched would void the warranty?

 

[Aptmunich]

Can someone with a Mac, give Apple Care a call and ask them if having a 2nd Gen MacBook or MacBook Pro laser etched would void the warranty?

Why don't you just call them?

 

[Santino]

Why don't you just call them?

He suggested I call Apple Care, but warned me that because I don't currently own a Mac, I would probably be charged for the call.

.....

 

[Aptmunich]

.....

Ah, missed that.

Applecare only charges for technical support cases. This is a pre-sales question = free.

 

[raingalls]

Ah. Pre-sales question, huh? I'll have to give them a call. I'll post what I find out. Thanks for the info, guys.

 

[B&O]

Yeah please post back here. I am interested. I may have my name put on my palm rest in kanji.

 

[00bolt]

i own a shop and have 2 laser engravers. I engrave on laptops, ipods, cell phones, etc all the time. Its perfectly safe. But not sure if it will void warranty or not. I have a black macbook and havent even tried mine. Because Im not sure how it would turn out since it has the rubbery coating.

 

[jimd144]

Apple offers free laser engraving at the Apple Store for ipods.

 

[raingalls]

Im not sure how it would turn out since it has the rubbery coating.

Kevin Rose (Former TechTV start, Creator of Revision3, Digg.com, thebroken, etc. etc.) had the Digg.com logo laser etched on his black MacBook and it turned out really cool. A lot of people have the Black MacBook and Aluminum MacBook and MacBook Pro's laser etched. I haven't seen any white one's done though. Probably just because it wouldn't show up that well on white. Hmm?

Apple does offer engraving for iPods (and iPhones, I believe) through the Apple Store, but does not offer custom vector art etching for MacBooks or anything else for that matter. They won't even engrave your name on a MacBook. But because they offer the services they do on the iPod, many people believe it voids your warranty to have it done any where else, much less have the back of your monitor panel custom etched.

I still haven't call AppleCare yet. I'm really busy working on a film project and spending all my free time playing Mortal Kombat vs. DC Universe on PS3 (lol). It's a rental so I have to get all my playing time in before I have to take it back. I'll give them a call sometime this weekend, though.

I'll be ready to post when I call them so I'll be sure to let you guys know what I find.

 

[Noxian]

The one thing I would be concerned with is if something went wrong with the LCD after the fact and Apple had to replace it they would have to separate the outside cover from the LCD panel and then place it on the new one, since the replace LCD panels are a all in one piece normally. So they may charge you extra for the labour. I would say go down to your local Apple store and ask.

 

[raingalls]

Called AppleCare. Customer Service Representative asked me to hold while she asked someone because she didn't know. About 5 seconds later came back on the line and exclaimed it would indeed void the warranty. How reliable was her source, though (which I'm assuming was another random Customer Service Representative in the next cubical over).

Still the question remains: Will laser etching a MacBook's case (anywhere) void the warranty? And if it is true that it will, what have all the thousands of people who have done it do when they need hardware technical support performed?

 

[raingalls]

...the geniuses in the Saddle Creek Apple Store say there's nothing that says you can't... but there's nothing that says you can.

I already asked a sales rep and genius @ the Saddle Creek Apple Store (Memphis, TN) and I got the response above which I included in the post I started this thread with.

So far, Apple has not given me a reliable answer. I have my doubt that the Customer Service Representative I talked to when calling Apple Care actually asked someone who knew what they were talking about. I had to explain to her what laser engraving and laser etching were! lol.

Anybody got Steve Jobs iPhone Number? I bet he could give me a direct reliable answer! lol.