While yesterday’s reports of a black MacBook Air left many mouths watering, the device could remain all but a dream for the foreseeable future, after one anonymous Apple employee has confirmed that the company has tried, but failed, to create a black model of its ultraportable notebook.
Testing on a black powder-coated MacBook Air has already been carried out, but after finding the treatment absorbed body oils like a freshly-polished iPad display, the results left Apple CEO Steve Jobs unhappy with the device.
In an email to MacRumors, an unnamed Apple employee writes:
The rumors that the next iteration of the MBA’s will have an optional black finish is grounded in truth.
We tried to powder coat the Air’s (and Pro’s for that matter) in black as a test run. There are more than a few floating around campus.
The coating looks good and holds up well, but it also soaks up body oils, making the palm rest look pretty gross. Ultimately that is the reason that the top brass (Jobs) killed the idea… it was just too easy to make the computer look like crap.
At some point we may offer a black coating, but it won’t be powder coat, and it won’t be anytime soon.
While the source doesn’t have an existing track record for reputable leaks, after chatting with him, MacRumors believes that “his story checks out.”
While this will be a blow to those who got their hopes up for an upcoming black MacBook Air yesterday, it’s reassuring to hear that Apple is still working on the device… we may just be waiting a while for its release.
