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I bought a MacBook Pro, and it came with this thing:

enter image description here

I don't know how to use it or where should I stick it, that is why I need to ask about it in any Apple forum. Unfortunately, I don't even know the name of it. What is this called?

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    It's a sticker. You stick it anywhere you like. It's a "fan" item and not required for your new computer in any way. Use it like you did with other stickers when you were a child. (See, SE saves you a post in another forum... ^_^)
    – Stephie
    May 19, 2015 at 11:03
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    Others have wondered what to do with them before: discussions.apple.com/thread/3010175 forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=1691978
    – Stephie
    May 19, 2015 at 11:09
  • @Stephie, "throw them in the garbage".... priceless.
    – Mazura
    May 19, 2015 at 12:39
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    iCult subscription indicator aka, an apple logo.
    – hownowbrowncow
    May 19, 2015 at 13:51

5 Answers 5

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As FumbleFingers said in a comment:

Some people might call it a decal (2. A decorative sticker) Amazon sells them as decal stickers.

My immediate thought (even before seeing the image) was "decal".

"Sticker" is a great word and it is perfectly accurate but "decal" (Google Image search) has the added meaning (in my head, at least) of being a simple image, often a logo.

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    I thought decals were ones without adhesive on the back? That people buy to stick to walls etc.?
    – starsplusplus
    May 19, 2015 at 15:24
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    @starsplusplus : Or the ones that must be soaked in water to loosen from the paper backings. I agree with your comment.
    – Stephie
    May 19, 2015 at 15:35
  • The Amazon link you posted has the product under the "Skin Stickers" category, it's just the people selling the "decal" that named it that
    – MCMastery
    Mar 20, 2017 at 2:37
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I think they are stickers:

  • One that sticks, as an adhesive label or patch. (AHD)

Apple stickers

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    Some people might call it a decal (2. A decorative sticker) Amazon sell them as decal stickers.
    – FumbleFingers
    May 19, 2015 at 11:56
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    I'm with @FumbleFingers I call them decals, which have the added meaning (in my head, anyway) of being related to a company's logo.
    – Catija ♦
    May 19, 2015 at 13:28
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    I think Americans use decal these days to refer to higher-quality, more permanent appliqués, regardless of whether they are attached with decalcomania or with adhesives. Stickers are for schoolchildren (except bumper stickers), or obnoxious marketing campaigns that plaster telephone poles and fence posts with them, whereas decals are for your model airplane or bigger toys.
    – choster
    May 19, 2015 at 18:16
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    For me decal specifically implies "without adhesive" so there is far from a consensus among "Americans"
    – Darren Ringer
    May 19, 2015 at 22:37
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    "Decal" is a term for a specific technology, namely creating a waterproof image on waterproof paper that, after immersion in water, can be slid off onto some other, usually flat, surface to which it will adhere quite like something painted directly onto the surface. There is no additional adhesive involved, which there is with a thicker, less-fragile "sticker".
    – MMacD
    Dec 28, 2016 at 11:53
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To be even more precise, that's a decal sheet since it contains more than one decal (or sticker).

It's Apple's invitation to you to express your love and fealty to their brand. In the wild, I have often seen those decals on vehicles, file cabinets, and coffee mugs.

However, one is also free to put them into the trash or recycling in accord with local laws and capabilities.

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  • +1 for mentioning that you can toss the evil Apple's stickers. -- sent from my iPhone
    – anon
    May 20, 2015 at 11:29
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    Seen them as a disguise on a Toshiba computer :-)
    – gnasher729
    May 20, 2015 at 17:52
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It's just a sticker. I don't think it has an official name.

I use one of these stickers to identify which external hard drive is used to backup my macbook.

Or you could stick them on your Subaru.

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  • This is really a comment, not an answer. With a bit more rep, you will be able to post comments.
    – Nathan Tuggy
    May 20, 2015 at 15:26
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    In the mean time, continue with what you are doing. Make comments in answers. @DCShannon you did a nice job of making this into a nice answer.
    – Ast Pace
    May 25, 2015 at 20:10
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Originally adhesive decal was used for those that had pre-applied glue but sticker has become a synonym even though it is more closely associated with pressure sensitive glues (rather than water or heat activated glues).

As mentioned in an answer this is a sheet as it contains more than one decal.

Decal implies some form of decoration or information and can be affixed in a multitude of ways, and this comes from the French word decalcomania. -

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