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MacBooks Now In 24 Different Colors

colorwarepc.com — Those guys at ColorWare PC have updated their product line now to allow you to have a MacBook that stands out from the rest of the crowd. For a premium price of course. Why doesnt Apple get in on this market and offer more stock color choices like they did in the original iMac days?

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  • burke, on 10/12/2007, -5/+26Wow. The average markup is over $700, unless my calculations are way off. (not sure how they could be.)
    • jeromeerome, on 10/12/2007, -3/+12Yeh all their colored computers are expensive. Check out the huge prices on the iMacs and MacBook Pros. I found out about this company a few years ago when they started offering colored iPods. Those are much more affordable than the computers.
    • DwightSchrute, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6No kidding. The price is a bit absurd. A paint job for a large car only costs $600-$800.

      *****.
    • SilentPurity, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5And I thought the official black Macbook was to expensive...
    • TheBrandman, on 10/12/2007, -5/+6Spray can + Masking tape =$700
    • Powerbookkill, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3Try the fact that your paying for them to by if fully form Apple (their not an authorized reseller) the labor on disassemble, reassembly, labor on prepping and painting, the paint products and clear coat products and shipping plus they have to make a profit off on it them selves. that's what makes it so high.
  • NSResponder, on 10/12/2007, -7/+10Is this outfit an authorized reseller?

    Caveat emptor.

    -jcr
  • obeezy, on 10/12/2007, -4/+13I guess I can see someone paying a few extra bucks to get a colored iPod Nano. But if You are considering to color lets say a Macbook, you might as well head over to the Apple store and purchase a Macbook Pro.
  • nicklinus, on 10/12/2007, -1/+17damn now that is what I call mark up!
  • OriginalGamer, on 10/12/2007, -11/+3The iPods and Mac minis aren't to bad of a deal, but the markups on the notebooks are huge. Then again it can't be easy to paint a MacBook.
    • popfrogs, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5Yeah, it's really hard to disassemble something and paint it. I can see how that adds $700 to the price.

      /sarcasm
  • kjm16, on 10/12/2007, -7/+4Does anyone know why it costs so much to paint it?
    • FuzzyCat, on 10/12/2007, -1/+11
      I suspect it's not just the cost of painting, probably to help in keeping it fairly exclusive. If you what a different coloured Mac, then you don't want everyone else to have one too...

      It's a statement "I have money to burn"...

      I pitty the foo who thinks this is in any way wfm.

    • Boondoggle, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4Probably has something to do with the total disassembly and reassembly
    • nerd05, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1A professional quality paint job is very expensive and I've read reviews on this company and they do an amazing job with these computers and iPods. Plus there aren't any other companies I know of that do this type of work to Macs, so they can afford to have a nice premium.
    • cmjrees, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0It voids the Apple warranty too... so they then have to have their own warranty available for everything that could be affected by them taking it apart, painting etc. They absorb the cost in that higher price.
  • digitaldeath, on 10/12/2007, -18/+3Most of the colours look horrible, hence no digg.
  • dkm201, on 10/12/2007, -12/+28I want to get a white Macbook painted with yellow-brownish stains where my hands go. Oh wait that comes free
    • Hungryhaney, on 10/12/2007, -6/+10I want mine in a shade of 'jealousy'. What color would that be again?

      kekekeke
  • avatarpalin, on 10/12/2007, -11/+3I would rather just get it done myself.... like chrome... hmmmm Pimp my Macbook..
  • Garf13ld, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3They may not even be a proper reseller. They might just buy the computers at cost from the Apple Store at the same cost you or I would buy them, paint them and then sell them for profit. Problem is, that makes them artificially expensive.
    • Powerbookkill, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yes, they do buy the product from Apple, and resell it at profit, but keep in mind that profit comes after what it costs to pay for the labor of disassembly and reassembly, the people who do the paint job, and the paint and clear coating. Also, since taking the product appart voids teh apple warantee Colorware provides a 1 year of their own for all new products.
  • Gills, on 10/12/2007, -10/+1i want the glossy black
  • mt066, on 10/12/2007, -5/+5I think if I saw someone with one of these I would know that they are an idiot because they paid $700 for the color. So that would take away from the "cool" factor.
    • Powerbookkill, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1The people who buy these HAVE MONEY! their not idiots they just like the new and shinny and can spend the money on something like this. How many people had the iPods when they first came out. THE RICH. not the middle economy class people. they were too expensive.
    • Pocky, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2You clearly aren't the target market for this. I suppose you also think folks who buy high-end automobiles, or expensive furniture are stupid as well? Ascetics might not mean much to you, but for some of us, spending a little more for a product that looks more pleasing has value. It isn't about showing off. It is about surrounding one's self with unique and/or beautiful things.

      Think of this as the antithesis of those god awful computer cases most people buy when they are building their own computer (you know, the ones with the clear side panels, and the neon lights). I spent weeks trying to find a decent case that didn't look so juvenile when I was building my latest computer (it is very hard to get a sleek looking custom case). Being a computing enthusiast does not necessary mean you have no class.
    • cmjrees, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0Sorry, but I have to agree. I can see both of your POVs though...
  • seanbateman, on 10/12/2007, -9/+0I thought people were using nail polish remover to remove "color" from their MBs....Seems to me as if people like them plain and w/ little character ; )
  • Kelmon, on 10/12/2007, -4/+2I so wish that I had the money for this. I occasionally check out the prices on the premium PC laptops, to see what they are packing in terms of features and price relative to the Mac laptops, and have been consistently impressed by Voodoo PC with their colors. I'd really like to get my next Mac laptop in some of the custom colors but, as has been noted, they are a tad expensive relative to an Apple-supplied base model. Still, if I had the cash to burn then I'd definitely be interested.
  • fine, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1Well, that is a nice extension to Apple's product line. Due to the pricing compared with Apple's own collection of simply two colors, ColorWare is doing something quite exclusive for people who think the price is appropriate. Simply some kind of luxury which could a lot of people envious if they like the color (shouldn't be pink, though). We all know that since the introduction of the first iPods, aren't we? :-)
  • zimm, on 10/12/2007, -4/+8ooo... colors! thatll make it go faster!
    • bloodylip, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6Just imagine how fast they'll go once they start painting flames, racing stripes and checkered flags on them!
    • zimm, on 10/12/2007, -4/+3and chrome. dont forget the chrome.

      chrome makes everything go faster!
    • daggerhart, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Dell already does this w/ XPS (flames).... they're just missing the slogan, " Fast as Dell ! " ... then they'd be set.

      Its weird how some people think the 1950s hot-rod styles are applicable to computers.
    • Disease, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Don't forget! Yellow = Performance
  • briguyd, on 10/12/2007, -8/+6Apple doesn't do this anymore because people think their products are gimmics and toys and nobody takes them seriously. With standard color choices (white and black), they look more professional and can at least attract that part of the market, if nothing else.
    • almostmanda, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3This is dead on, and also part of the reason Apple doesn't ship the computers with as many games as before. Apple's not as interested in attracting the young, hip crowd as much as universities, businesses, government, etc--these are the big dollar customers. Shedding the "hip toy for college kids" image is the only way Apple's gonna be taken seriously--by both customers and software developers.
    • wardboro, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2That makes sense, but I think the recent Apple TV ads seem to indicate that they still want to give customers the impression they are the hip choice of independant thinking people. But I agree, the old iBooks looked like a Speak and Spell. That wouldn't make me think of them as being very "professional."
  • thirteen, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3You could buy your own laptop and send it in. The cost for painting is 450. Yes it's expensive, but after having one of my ipod painted it's a cool way to have a one-of-a-kind laptop.
    • jer2eydevil88, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2This is actually a neat way to customize a set of company laptops for the exec's by branding them with the corporate logo and making them think they have something special. If you keep your laptop for the better part of a decade and you want it to look fantastic regardless of its speed then this is a great way to go about doing so.
  • ahhell, on 10/12/2007, -4/+8Yo do they come with Spinnaz??
  • CasaDeQueso, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1They should have to pay you to make your computer purple.
  • billybob476, on 10/12/2007, -6/+7Step 1: Buy MacBook
    Step 2: Paint it a different colour
    Step 3: ...
    Step 4: Profit!
  • cbeach, on 10/12/2007, -16/+3Reported as "inaccurate" as the title doesn't indicate that these are just custom re-modellings of Apple laptops
  • SnubFighter, on 10/12/2007, -9/+1I'd assume the high markup when you buy from them is because they choose to pick up the 1 year service plan from apple.
  • bagochris, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1Well i paid the extra 150 bucs for My for my "Blackbook" screw 400...... But some people do have money to blow?!
    • Powerbookkill, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1...don't forget that the color service is not JUST for MacBooks, it is also for MacBook Pro's, Dell, and for iPods.
    • ana10g, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@Powerbookkill

      Are you selling these or something?
  • forumreader, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1After seeing the discoloration on certain white Macbooks and the $450-700 cost of a new color here, I'm starting to feel pretty good about paying the $150 "style premium" on my black Macbook from Apple.
  • revkarol, on 10/12/2007, -2/+5"It's like, 'How much more black could it be? And the answer is none; none more black'"
    -- Spinal Tap
  • DeathSun, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5I love that they still include white and black as color options.


    You know. Just incase you're sitting around going "I really want a white Macbook...but if there was only a way to pay $700 more for it without adding any value to the device."


    Perhaps I'm just being to mean though...maybe there is a purpose to paying extra for a color it already comes in by default. It could just be that Colorware has a contract with the government to aid them into finding out whom the absolute dumbest people are in our society so that they can prevent them from ever reproducing and thus benefiting all mankind.
    • tswean, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Actually, If it weren't so expensive I'd be nice to get the black color on a cheaper macbook (i.e. 1.83 GHz).
      Also, I don't like the matte finish on the black ones, especially now with a glossy screen. I'd be nice to have a glossy black to compliment the screen. It would look more like a black iPod.
    • cmjrees, on 10/10/2007, -0/+0That was fantastic! I nearly sprayed my coffee over my venerable 1st gen Macbook (white)!
  • kevine, on 10/12/2007, -2/+3"Why doesn't Apple?"

    Because it's an inventory, distribution, and support nightmare. I could see Apple maybe having a standard color and 1 premium color at any given time, but those iMac days were problematic.
  • CorporateFelon, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2As others have said, the mark up on the painting is astronomical.

    I'm willing to put good money on it that they are just using spray paint from Krylon.

    http://www.krylon.com/main/product_template.cfm?levelid=5&sub_levelid=10&productid=1751&content=product_details

    With some time and patience you can probably get the same results. I would recommend practicing on some left over plastic components so you can see what the coverage will be.
  • dumbnutz, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4Well the painting is not just applying 5 coats of some paint on top of the Macbook.They have to strip the existing paint job or have to make it adorable to accept a new coating and be effective over the course of time.
    So there probably is a 5 step process before it is painted, and they have to reassemble the Macbook after finishing the paint job.
    Why does Apple not offer multiple colors? Someone asked. Well the costs associated with inventory management of that may not be profitable for Apple and hence they don't offer it anymore. Also Apple is now trying to be more mainstream and so they have to find ways to cut costs to compete with the likes of a Dell.
    I wonder if there are similarities between Sony's refusal to license it's technologies at a reasonable price and Apple's un-willingness to license it's technologies. Maybe it works best for them.
    • CorporateFelon, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2What exsisting paint job?

      I agree that there is probably a long prep process, but I doubt that stripping any paint is involved. The hardest and most tedious part is probably breaking the machine down and taping off all the parts that dont need the color. And the link that I posted in my above comment is for paint that bonds to plastics. Its not just putting a layer of paint over the plastics, the paint seeps into the plastics. Almost like a sponge soaking up water, the paint is in the plastic, not just a coating.
    • forumreader, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1IIRC, the black Macbook is black paint over aluminum. The white one is plastic, though.
    • vtwin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1forumreader:

      No, you don't recall correctly... All MacBooks (not pro) are in plastic.

      If the black MB was in aluminum, people would have been less outraged about the premium price over the white model.

      The black model case is black plastic with some protective matte coating.

  • phytonix, on 10/12/2007, -7/+2well, it looks fun, but it is expensive and the color is ugly.
  • Purposeless, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1I wonder if their 'proprietary' paint process is toxic to humans--seeing as, according to them, no one else is using it. It's easy to mask such a thing if there are no eyes on it.
    • Powerbookkill, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0??? There is nothing special about the paint, it is the clear coating method that is unique to colorware.
  • obezyana, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I like http://www.macstyles.com better. It can't be *that* difficult to repaint a computer in one solid colour, and I could get all the stuff I need for it at work (for less than $100, too). Macstyles.com, on the other hand, adds not only colour but an image, and is much cheaper (IIRC, only about $20). I think you can even get the wristpad decal monogrammed - unfortunately the site's down for a few days, so I can't check to be entirely sure.
    • Powerbookkill, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1You have to be kidding! all it is is a decal. Who would honestly want a decal for the front of thier computer when you can have the whole thing painted. not me that's for sure.
    • obezyana, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Eh, all I'm saying is I think an image is cooler than a plain paint job, and $20 is a better price than $700 - especially seeing as I could do such a paint job myself for under $100 anyway, I suppose the labour may be worth $600 but I personally don't want to pay for it. If you prefer the paint job that's your personal opinion, but even if you do the paint job yourself you'll probably pay at least $50 more than the decal.

      Yeah the paint job is cool, and if I had the choice of either a paint job or a decal, free of charge, I'd probably take the paint job. Maybe make a stencil and buy a pint of paint later on to add an image. But if I'm eventually going to put on an image anyway, and I have to pay for it myself - I'll take the $20 decal for now.
  • ElectroBot, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1Nobody here realizes that not only do you have to tape off the parts that aren't going to be painted, you also have to paint the KEYS (and repaint the original letter/symbols on them in a very durable ink).

    Yes $700 is excessive, but they have take the whole laptop apart, paint the case, paint the keys, paint on the letters/symbols and reassemble it all, plus make a profit.
  • Powerbookkill, on 10/12/2007, -3/+0How many desiners do you see that sell at an average persons price. try none. that's what Colorware is about. they are reaching the Fasion industry.
  • bdogg, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1For all of you that are price conscious; if you want a premium product you are going to pay a premium price. I have ordered numerous products from this company and the results are outstanding. Keep in mind the process. They physically taket the product apart, sand it down and apply the custom colors. Also they warranty the product just like Apple. So hence the mark up. It is worth every dime!!
  • Yashar, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2I like how I submitted this over 50 days ago.
    http://digg.com/apple/Macbook_Pro_now_available_on_colorware_pc_
  • jsp317, on 10/12/2007, -6/+1who cares
  • DiggieSmalls, on 10/12/2007, -4/+1You doll up a hooker, she's still a hooker. They're still Macs.
    • okto, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"You doll up a hooker, she's still a hooker. They're still Macs."
      Hey, 1996 called. They want their incisive commentary on the computer industry back.

      The price is pretty high, but stop and think about the effort. Have any of you ever painted a laptop (or any other computer)? IT IS A PAIN IN THE ASS. Disassembly is pretty easy, but on a f.ex. MacBook Pro, you have to get all the plastic trim parts off, which is finicky and can be tricky if you don't want to break them. Then you have to sand the whole surface, which takes a while. Then you have to mask as needed. Then, first primer coat, which will take you an hour or two. Then let the primer coat cure for a couple days, sand, re-prime, cure, sand, color coat, cure, sand, color, cure, sand, clearcoat, cure, sand, clearcoat again, cure, sand, buff.
      All told your compy will probably be out of commission for a week if you're efficient, and you will be so sick of sanding that the thought of a vacation to the beach will make you angry.

      $450 is a bit steep, but for a professional paint job, done in a clean environment with an LPHV spray gun, and sealed with UV/scratch resistant wet coat, it's not outrageous.
    • DiggieSmalls, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Were you mad at the hooker comment? Sorry I'll rewrite it to better suit NEW Macs.

      "Doll up an OVERPRICED hooker, she's still a hooker." I ditched my Mac that I had for 3 year...that I'm still paying for! Painted, sanded, colored with crayons, dipped in oil, lit on fire, smashed with a bat, left to cure, then clear coated, it's still an overpriced, not upgradable, ***** on a stick Mac.
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