The unsolved Macbook Melted Key Mystery

11102009089Late last night I looked down at my unibody Macbook’s keyboard and, shock-horror, the zero key had melted! There was no obvious color degradation – in other words, no sign of external burning as if something scorchingly hot had been dropped on it (I don’t smoke anyway) – but either way, the key had definitely melted. But how?

See also: My new Macbook and me (first impressions)

At this moment, I still have no idea. What I do know is that no other keys have been affected, but I’m guessing that the rubberized keys on the latest Apple Macbooks don’t need much heat to cave in, literally (see pic above). This, naturally, brings into question Apple’s build quality.

Or does it?

Let me know your own theory to explain the Macbook Melted Key Mystery by leaving a comment.

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last100 is edited by Steve O'Hear. Aside from founding last100, Steve is co-founder and CEO of Beepl and a freelance journalist who has written for numerous publications, including TechCrunch, The Guardian, ZDNet, ReadWriteWeb and Macworld, and also wrote and directed the Silicon Valley documentary, In Search of the Valley. See his full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.

2 Responses to “The unsolved Macbook Melted Key Mystery”

  1. Nick says:

    Did you use or handle insect repellent recently? The most common repellent ingredient, DEET, is well-known for dissolving some plastics. You should also consider any other household chemicals you may have handled recently.

  2. Steve O'Hear says:

    Good theory, but I haven't, no. I have a few theories of my own but I'm holding back in case it turns out to be a fault with the Mac itself (a component overheating from beneath).

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