Apple puts screen opening under the microscope

The Apple website claims that a well-designed indentation, known as a thumbscoop, ‘makes the difference between a bad experience and a good one’.

“If the scoop is too deep, you put too much pressure on the display to open it. If it’s too shallow, you struggle to open the display,” said Apple.

Machined changes to the thumbscoop are said to be just one example of the benefits of a new machining process implemented by the company (and correctly identified by The Inquirer a week ago).

Apple has made a number of other changes, including a welcome button-less trackpad that also incorporates the popular ‘multi-touch features’ from the iPod Touch and iPhone like swipe, pinch and rotate.

The company is also touting the new MacBooks as ‘green’ because a number of toxins such as arsenic and mercury have been removed from the manufacturing process.

Moves to reduce such substances from electronics manufacturing are usually attributed to the European Union’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) legislation, although Apple hints that its new process goes beyond these requirements.

“Many computer manufacturers have only pledged to eliminate polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs) from their enclosures and circuit boards,” the company said.

“Apple is removing not only PVC and BFRs, but all forms of bromine and chlorine throughout the entire MacBook.”

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