Black Macbook Pro

Ever since watching the first episode of Touch where Kiefer Sutherland was using a black macbook pro, I've wanted one. Something about the matte black finish and the glowing Apple makes me feel like a ninja at the keyboard. And I really really want to get one.

Most people don't know that the original macbook was offered in either white or black. This was back in 2006 though and unfortunately Apple discontinued the black case options when the unibody aluminium MacBook was introduced. Essentially, if you want a new generation machine and it has to be black then you have two options - either a skin or a custom computer. That is, of course, unless you want to do it yourself.

Several companies make skins for macbooks. One of the most popular is speckproducts. The great advantage of using a skin for your laptop is that it adds a layer of protection to your machine as well as transforming the look. The skins can be fairly sturdy with a satin-like finish and usually snap to fit your macbook. It's important to buy the skin for the correct version of your macbook so that you get an exact fit. Often, you can get matte finishes and even see through finishes when you get a skin. The hard case shells are a reasonably cheap solution to colorizing your macbook - usually about fifty dollars. They are also completely removable, so if you don't actually like the look of them, hey presto, just whip them off. Usually they come in two pieces - one for the screen and one for the keyboard. The biggest drawback is the skins don't actually cover everything so you still have some silver aluminium showing on around the keyboard. Some people like this look and some people just hate it. You can, of course, get keyboard covers, but these tend to cover the whole keyboard, keys and all and they never look quite integrated enough for my liking.

If you want nothing but the best, then going through a company like colorware is probably your best option. Of course, you need deep pockets for these guys because they aren't cheap. The great thing about getting a fully customised macbook from colorware is that you can, if you want, make different parts of your macbook different colors. Want a purple hood and black base - no problem! They will even colorize your trackpad. Getting a matte black macbook pro from these guys will make the entire laptop black - you won't have the slightly added bulk of the skins either. Buying your mac through colorware means that the warranty is through them as well. Apple, obviously doesn't take kindly to aftermarket customizations.

You can, if you have time and the right material on your hands, do it yourself. Airbrushing your own machine is timeconsuming and you have to be pretty confident you can take apart and put together all parts that you want to airbrush. Now with the normal macbook pros, you can still take them apart and remove the electronics so you can get the case airbrushed, but if you damage anything in the process, it won't be covered by warranty anymore, so be warned. You also need to take care to seal the paint properly or it will be liable to rub off where you have a large amount of wear and tear like the palm rests. If you can't do the airbrushing yourself, you could try getting it done by someone who specializes in airbrushing cars. For a different kind of customization, you can laser etch your macbook pro, but of course that doesn't change the color of your macbook to black.