Macmodding
From Mod Mania
Task One: Consumer Communities 1
Fiona Lieu s3201220
The modification of objects come about when people feel the need to change something they own, to suit their own needs. In my investigation, I found a few groups that modify Apple products. I decided to focus on those who modify Apple’s signature laptop, the Mac book. Through researching the websites, in which people modify their Apple products and post their stories, I found that these people interact with each other and give each other tips and critique their new creations. The website, www.applemacbook.com/, lists modification stories of those who have thought up new ways that their Mac books can be.
On this website, modifications vary from simple aesthetic changes to software and hardware modifications which change some of the functions that the Mac book originally does.
One modification that re-occurs throughout the website is changing the keys on the keyboard to create patterns and change the aesthetic of the laptop. One example is where a person has taken off all of the keys from a black and a white Mac book and swapped them around to make either inverse keyboards, or patterns on the keyboard.
The main reason behind this modification was that the user couldn’t decide between the black and the white Mac book, so they created a hybrid between the two.
Comments are left on the pages of the up loaders, which consist of praise and feedback on the new creation. Some post their opinions which act as constructive criticism, and those who leave the comments also answer each other’s questions, which makes the comments section become much like a forum type setting. Some of those who comment also promote and try to sell parts that are used in the mod so that others can modify their Mac books the same way the original poster has.
Another interesting mod that I found on this website was one where a person has changed their actual screen from gloss to matte. This person has gone out and found a screen the same dimensions that are of the Mac book and changed them around. He/she has declared that this was a hard mod to do and that not anyone can do it, as there is wiring involved and such.
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Those who comment on this modification generally have either one view or another in which they either agree or disagree with this mod. Those who agree find the modification amazing but would probably never do it for themselves. Those who disagree generally don’t have the same view as the person who posted the story and favor the glossy screen over the matte.
One interesting modification I found was one where a person has put in a thumbprint reader, which therefore voided his warrantee. Many of those who have visited this page and left comments criticize the modification and find it pointless or reckless. There are a select few that like the idea, but would never do it themselves, as the subject matter does not come cheap.
On this website, there is a Q & A section in which people can contact the creators of the website and ask a question which would be answered and posted on the page. Some of these questions relate to modifications of the Mac book and others merely ask for help with the use of the Mac book.
A modification, which is most commonly found, is the modification of the Apple logo on the cover/screen of the laptop. Many people change the function of it, the colour of it and the overall aesthetic of it. These modifications are mainly made to personalize their laptops for individuality.
There was a modification, which entailed the changing of the colour of the Apple logo. In this example the procedure is simple, where transparent paper is inserted into the cover, which makes the logo glow the colour that you wish.
Many of the viewers like this modification because of its simplicity, but one downside is that that instructions were not put on the page until after the suggestion of a viewer. There is one viewer in particular which seems to be of higher status than the other viewers who claims to be a Mac book professional. He states:
hey guys, it is a very bad idea to put colour transparency paper behind the casing as it could melt or even catch fire from the inside of the Mac book from the overheating.
Unfortunately we do not warranty items destroyed in this way
yours sincerely. . . . . Kurt Robinson Posted by macbook pro-fessional on March 03, 2008
Responding to this post, people disagree with him and go on with the modification. Another viewer has suggested his or her own way of changing the Apple logo, by merely painting it.
There is an obvious hierarchy within this website, with the creators being the highest as they are the ones who created the website and are answering and questions their viewers have. The contributors to the modifications pages are probably next in line as they are like teachers to those who view the pages. The viewers are like their students, where they can sometimes take the information given on the modification pages and do the modifications themselves at home.
Another website in which Apple users go to converse about modifications of Apple products is www.macmod.com. On this website, they also focus on the modification on the Mac book. What makes it different to the first website though is that it also focuses on other things such as i-phones and non-apple related things.
These websites both promote modifications to objects, which in this case are mostly Apple’s Mac book. Through the ability for viewers to comment and ask questions, these websites and pages have become, much so, like forums in which they interact with one another and comment on the subject (modification). They then critique the modification and discuss with one another ideas in which the modification can be improved.
