DCosta Posted May 22, 2006 Share Posted May 22, 2006 I purchase a 2.16 MPB about two months ago and I was happy with it --untill I tried to use it on my lap. I did what most other MBP users did, I called Apple and told them about the heat, and they gave me the usual speach. I have been able to find plenty of information about the heat, whine, moo, and screen flicker, but I havn't yet found any posts or articles anywhere about case construction. The top of the casing --where the keyboard is, not the top-top --is lifting up slightly in the left corner closest to the front. The gray strip of plastic is staying put, though it is warped a bit, and the metal top plate is coming up. Has anyone else noticed this? I think it may be due to the heat, maybe warping the casing, but I dont know. Thanks everyone. ...sorry about the typo in the topic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swad Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 What model do you have - 15" or 17"? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouch Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 If the macbook overheats it's certainly plausable this could cause the casing to warp - especially if you have been applying pressure to it on an uneven surface - i.e resting your arms on the front of the case while it sits on your lap. The macbook is designed to dissipate heat through the case and is not intended for use on your lap (hence the reason apple calls it a portable not a laptop) Normal temperatures with the latest SMC controller update seem to be around 40C at idle/low use and up to 65C on heavy use (when on a flat surface - its conceivable running it on your lap could increase these figures significantly) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandmanfvrga Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 Not bashing you, but that is stupid. Apple makes it to where you should use it in your lap? Pathetic. That is the main draw on them. Sit in the living room, on the bed, etc. and have it in your lap. Apple need to step up. I was thinking of getting a Macbook later this year, maybe not.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swad Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 Yeah, I agree - it should be able to be used on your lap. It seems like a cop-out for Apple to tell everyone who has heat issues, "don't put it on your lap." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgrimes80 Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 It's fun being the guinea pigs... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouch Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 I agree to some extent but what you have to remember is that apple can't rewrite the laws of physics (no not even the great turtlenecked messiah himself) - the fact is if you design a very thin laptop with a hot processor and encase it in aluminium then it will get very hot. I don't think it's right to just insist that they stop this from happening. To do so would mean either making the laptop thicker or making it out of a non conductive material and then people would complain about that. The fact is with current technology you have to make a trade off between form and function and Apple for the most part favours form over function (mind you they rarely scrimp on the function!) Having said that there are some clear quality control issues with power management and thermal paste application which are a reflection of the way the macbook seemed to have been hurried out the door. Basically install the speedit kernel extension and watch your temps. On a desk idling for most of the afternoon my macbook pro is currently reading 46 degrees C and i would expect it to increase by a few degrees if i ran it on my lap. Have you installed the SMC firmware update, and speedit - what sort of temps are you getting? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swad Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 Having said that there are some clear quality control issues with power management and thermal paste application which are a reflection of the way the macbook seemed to have been hurried out the door. Basically install the speedit kernel extension and watch your temps. I totally agree with everything above. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jgrimes80 Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 Quality control issues in the eyes of the consumers... hardly in functionality. BUT, still I think we have some pretty high expectation from Apple in general... mind you, these could be manufacturing kinks rather than design flaws. (idk) like Mr. Potato Head said, these aren't your typical laptops... sleak, fast, stable, but it's hot and "whines." I think people need to understand that you don't buy a truck if you want 35 mpg. I trust Apple will do whatever is necessary to accomodate it's consumer demand in the next release of MB/MBP's. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
amdprophet Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 I find it really dissapointing that Apple didn't put the time in to learn about applying thermal paste properly. I would have thought they would be smarter than putting a huge blob of thermal paste on the cores. I honestly think a 14 year old techie kid would even know that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigboss Posted May 23, 2006 Share Posted May 23, 2006 Yeah, I agree - it should be able to be used on your lap. It seems like a cop-out for Apple to tell everyone who has heat issues, "don't put it on your lap." Not much you can do about it unless you make it a bit thicker and stick in a nice fan so you dont use the chassis as part of the heat dissipation system. What does Apple expect when sell a 1 inch thick laptop (the thinnest in the industry) with one of the most powerful desktop processors and bundle it with an aluminum case (an excellent heat dissipator...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCosta Posted May 24, 2006 Author Share Posted May 24, 2006 I've got a 15 incher. I have got the SMC update in, and I'm not running it on my lap. Since I have had it, I've probobly used it about 4 times on my lap. Right now I'm at a desk and it's still running at 64C --not charging and running only Firefox and Thunderbird. As for the discussion on Apple letting us down for portables -I agree, these laptop, ahem, portable computers ought to have been planned out a bit better for heat. Meh, I may just exchange it. Oh yeah, I took part in the end the whine day, and Apple told me to f-off, in kinder words. They wouldn't admit the whine was a problem, or even occouring, and they brushed off all of the other issues. ...also, how do I get rid of the Microsoft Bob under my name? Thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigboss Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 ...also, how do I get rid of the Microsoft Bob under my name? Thanks. Post more Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
INFNITE Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 personally, i've had no problem with the heat. yeah, it gets a little warm, but only when AC is plugged in. When it is running on battery, it doesn't heat up all that much. i've used the MBP on my lap, and have had no problems with it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DCosta Posted May 24, 2006 Author Share Posted May 24, 2006 I would'nt mind the heat so much, but the temp while charging is concerning: as high as 87C. If the highest it ever got was 64C, I wound'nt mind it. I plan on going to the Apple store today after classes. Thanks everyone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ouch Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 As for the discussion on Apple letting us down for portables -I agree, these laptop, ahem, portable computers ought to have been planned out a bit better for heat. Meh, I may just exchange it. Which would you have sacrificed, construction material, size (and therefore weight) or a lower power and hence cooler cpu/gpu? Remember there is no such material as unobtainium Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swad Posted May 24, 2006 Share Posted May 24, 2006 I'm not really sure if we know at this point what a MBP is supposed to feel like. All of the people who have taken theirs apart have found thermal paste problems, so I don't really think the current amount of heat is "the lowest possible amount given chassis, material, etc." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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