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12" PowerBook Wobble?
RedWingsSuck asks: "I recently purchased a 12" PowerBook from ADC. I absolutely love it, but I have noticed an interesting little issue. As it warms up, other users have said the case gets as hot as 120 degree F, it develops a wobble on a flat surface, like a table or something. As it gets warmer, the wobble gets worse. When I first noticed it, I thought I had lost a rubber peg from the bottom, but apparently my problem is not that simple. While on spring break, in San Diego, I went to the Apple Store there, and I was told that a few other people have had this problem, and that if I had purchased the PowerBook from there, they would have replaced it with a new one. Then I called Apple Care, and they told me that they were just informed of this problem. Has anybody else had this problem, if so, what did Apple say about it?"
Cool Pad.
If the heat is enough to warp the casing, I'd hate to think what it might be doing to some of the other components.
You need an adaptor.
They said that they hadn't heard of any problems with it (are all the feet there?) but if I wanted to bring it in, they'd be happy to have a technician look at it.
Really, though, it's a fairly minor annoyance, though it's probably the biggest "problem" I'd say the machine has. I've had it for about a month now.
Obliteracy: Words with explosions
I've had a similar issue. So have many, as the Apple forums indicate. Slowly the rubber feet have been coming off and recently the last one fell off so my powerbook is completely with the rubber feet. It's since stabalized, but now it slides around a little more easily. I called AppleCare and they will replace the rubber feet for a $6 charge when they have the rubber feet marked for the 12" powerbooks which will be soon. They mentioned that the rubber feet are exactly the same as the 15" model, and if you can get hold of those, either by a friend ordering through applecare or a 3rd party vendor, that should work. I've also read about people completely replacing the rubber feet with ones they bought at a hardware store.
Okay, this is a real long comment, but since you brought it up, here is my 12" Powerbook story.
I support an open-source network management product, and a friend of mine turned me onto OS X (which is one of the operating systems we run on). I was just about to buy his iBook when the new Powerbooks came out. I fell in love with their styling, and I "switched" big time (loaded Powerbook, iPod, Soundsticks, warranty, etc.)
It took a month to arrive, and everything about the packaging, the look of the machine, etc., was pure Apple. If I were to ever buy a new Mercedes, this is the feeling I would hope to have (only more so).
But the honeymoon didn't last long. While it worked great on my lap, when I put it on the desk it would wobble. Cold or hot (and it does get hot), there was an obvious wobble.
Then I noticed that whenever I pressed down with my right hand, there would be a "click". Closer examinination found that the "palm rest" on the right side of the mouse was actually bent. You could see it and definitely feel it when you ran your finger along the ridge between the mouse and the keyboard. If you close the unit, the little rubber pad on the left side of the screen met nicely with the rest of the laptop, but there was an obvious gap on the right side. Finally, if I put the spare battery in place of the original (which goes in on the right side) it seemed to require a lot more effort than it should to get it in.
Conclusion: Bent laptop.
Having purchased the warranty, I called Apple, and they told me that, yes, they knew about the wobble (they also told me it was worse on 17" Powerbooks) but that they didn't know what they were going to do about it yet. As far as the bent palm rest, they told me to take it to the Apple Store and have them send it in.
At the Apple Store I dealt with some rather nice people, but became very worried when one said "oh, they'll say this is abuse."
Abuse? I hadn't had the thing long, I normally take care of my laptops very well (I travel a whole lot, so they have to work) and I have taken even better care of this unit. Luckily, that never became an issue.
So I sent it off, and they kept it for over a month. I would call in weekly and hear things like they were waiting for parts (one time I heard the word "mainboard") but eventually it arrived back on my doorstep.
It was the same laptop I had sent out, with the same wobble issue, but someone had spent a lot of time getting everything to fit the best they could. The bend is gone, but you can still see that things don't quite fit well on the right side, the screen still has the gap, and if you look under the keys in front of the mouse, there is some sort of plastic film that is buckled - as if it doesn't quite fit.
But these things are too minor to do without my laptop for another month. I took a razor and trimmed one of the rubber feet down to fix the wobble, and I'll just live with the other problems.
The downside for Apple is that I will be hesitant to buy another product from them. For much less than the $3500 I shelled out, I could have gotten a small Linux laptop that would function to meet my needs. The reason I bought an Apple was for the "fit and finish" and quality I used to associate with them, and I am very disappointed. I still like my iPod, though.
My name is Tarus. I'm a consultant. And I'm a sucker.
that's why I stay away from v1.0 anything. The 12" is a new design(as is the 17"), the rev 2 & 3 machines should fix any issues.
They already now about this
Well to keep it short the reader basically explain how to BEND THE CASE so it no longer wobbles.
Also see this thread on Ars Technica that is about the 12" and its wobble issue.
I hope you die painfully and alone.
I don't own a PowerBook (only a G4 Cube), but from what you describe, it sounds like the different expansion rates of the materials that make up the case are great enough to cause the bends, much like how a bimetallic strip bends at different temperatures. If the laptop were out of warranty, I'd suggest that you loosened the screws that hold its case together, and turn the computer on. If the case stays straight that way after it has warmed up, tighten the case back up immediately, and you should be OK. If it still wobbles, you might have to loosen the PC board inside.
In Soviet Russia, Jesus asks: "What Would You Do?"
He talks about getting a 12" laptop, but then says he spent $3500 (which is roughly the price of the 17"). I'm not sure the timeline works, either(it's borderline). Price could be a simple mistake, but my B.S. detector is going off!
I've found that propping the left rear corner with a nickel works just about perfectly. Not under the rubber foot, just slid in until it presses against the side of the rubber foot.
I am surprised to find that this is actually a problem with the laptop, I had just assumed that it was my cheapo desk that was warped. Although I hadn't noticed this problem with my last laptop, it had much bigger, more flexible feet that I assumed had compensated for the sucky desk.
While we're on the topic of Powerbook annoyances, I am disappointed that they removed the battery backup capacitor from the 12" Powerbook. My friend has a 15" Powerbook, and he can put his computer to sleep, remove the battery, to put in a fully charged one, and the computer does not have to be shut off. They apparently removed this feature from the 12" Powerbook, what a shame. That was one of those tiny but oh-so-nice features that made me want to buy an Apple rather than a PC.
Random and weird software I've written.
I have a 15" TiBook, and I notice when it's very quiet in the room, that I can hear the video changes. For example, I hear a slight clicking noise when an ad on a webpage changes or I minimize a window. Has anyone else noticed this?
I'm sorry to be off-topic, but I haven't been able to find information about this elsewhere.
I've been coveting a Powerbook (pretty much every geek friend I've got has drank the Apple KoolAid) but just haven't been able to get past that impending feeling of buyer's remorse. All I really need is a decently fast Unix-ish laptop with 802.11b. And after hearing the friends with TiBooks complain about the finish coming off, heat, the case cracking, etc, I decided that I can handle using a slower x86 laptop. Having to make payments on a computer which has obvious defects is not something I'd take too well. I don't get a "cool" OS, but I've got two grand more cash in the bank than I'd otherwise have.
If I were you, I'd think very seriously about selling your Apple while you can still recover most your losses.
-B
Ash and Hickory, straight-grained and true, make excellent bludgeons, dandy for the cudgeling of vegetarians.
I work for a center that has one of the 12" Powerbooks and coming out of the box, the computer wobbled. After giving it a minor twist, it seemed to fix the problem, but it definately comes back after it heats up. Now when it cools down though, the wobble does go away, so it appears a little twist may solve the problem. Although the only reason I did that is because it isn't my computer and it is under warranty.
I've had my 12" PB for a little over a week now, and it hasn't exhibited this problem at all. The only problem I've had with it was the "B" keytop wouldn't stay attached to the keyboard. I brought it in to my local Apple store and they replaced a broken plastic bit underneath the keytop in about 30 seconds (and for free).
Which hard drive do you have? Its the hard drive that generates the heat folks complain about. I have the 60GB hard drive, and I've measured 110 degrees (F) at the worst. It doesn't really bother me since my hand tends to rest on the outside of my palm, where the case is much cooler, but I can understand it'd be bothersome for others.
120 Degrees Fahrenheit? I think I finally figured out how Natalie Portman got hot grits!!!
Yours in Christ,
Doctor Reginald Scooby
Slashdot Trolling Academy
I don't have the wobble, but a related problem: my battery isn't flush with the rest of the chassis. It was flush when I pulled it out of the box, but the after the first time I pulled the battery off, it never reseated properly afterwards. Two trips to Apple haven't resolved the problem, so I've learned to accept the millimeter edge around the battery.
That said, I still love this thing. It's my first Mac since the Classic II, and it's an amazing little box. It gets warm, but certainly never 120 degrees F. Also, Apple was amazing getting it back to me both times I sent it in. They not only got it back to me in less than 72 hours (that is, I gave it to Airborne on Monday at 3 pm and got it back Wednesday at 11 am), but fixed several things I didn't complain about (a scratched lcd housing which was my own fault and the latching mechanism which came from the factory withh a little play in it). I'd still spend the $1900 on it without a second thought.
Cthulhu loves you.
I'm pretty sure it's the rest of the universe that is warped. Just stick a towel under one corner. If you don't understand, then go shove a fish in your ear.
I've always wanted a powerbook (the first one I really lusted after was the 3400), and ever since they introduced the tiBooks (now aluminum books, I hear) I've wanted one even more. I like the design, I like the weight and thin profile, etc. I won't be getting one anytime soon though. I have heard lots of stories of the case chipping, wobbling, warping, etc. And those things get hot! I have known a few people with tiBooks before and I noticed that using it on your lap can get pretty toasty. Normally Apple makes really great quality hardware (albeit too slow, but that's another topic :-) but I'd be too scared to purchase a metal PowerBook for fear of some of the problems I've heard about.
Maybe they ought to switch back to some form of plastic (i.e. pre-tiBook)? I just couldn't spend almost 2k or more with the risk of winding up with a laptop that gets too hot and starts to warp its case.
sig
I'm not sure if they've made them for the non-15" PB's yet, but I _HIGHLY_ recommend grabbing yourself one of those aftermarket Ti Handles (as seen here).
My whole development team has 15" PB's and they "suffer" from heat issues (no wobbly stuff reported) but that has all but disappeared since using the handles. (It gets the laptop up off table allowing for a bit more cooling).
Now the fan only kicks in when doing a monster Fink compile for an hour or three.
$0.02 (CDN)
While we're all trading experiences, I'll share my thoughts on my TiBook 800Mhz.
Executive summary: I love it. It is the best machine I have ever owned.
Caveat: You need to add a few things to it for it to become truly great.
Heat was/is an issue with this laptop as with all powerbooks. Fortunately, the TiBook doesn't have the drop back screen so you can add a tote 'n tilt handle to give the undercarriage lots of room to breathe. Believe it or not, but this handle means that my system fan now only ever comes on if I play a 3D game or DVD. Otherwise, I run cool and silent. Say that about your 12" AlBook if you can!
Airport could be better. If this becomes an issue, you can get a PCMCIA wifi card to boost signal. No worries there anymore.
Other than that, I tweak this heck out of OS X using themes, CodeTek Virtual Desktop, Fruit Menu, ASM and other great haxies.
In all cases, I believe (as one tends to) that my additions ought to be part of the base system. But that's ok. At least I can add them. So far I haven't seen a viable, portable solution to the heat, wobble problems on 12" 'books and that's a shame b/c they look so cool, and I honestly believe the Apple Powerbook line is the very best laptop line on the market. Certainly the TiBook is.
My powerbook is only about a week old. (12").
I havent noticed any wobble when using it, but i also havent really encountered any "scorching" tempuratures yet. (ie, yes, it gets really hot, but i can still hold my hand on it)
I have noticed that the plastic lining around some of the edges doesnt quite meet the metal shell, but thats a small issue.
But as it stands, I havent seen or felt any real distortion in the case.
This
Just to help keep reports balanced, neither of the 12" PowerBooks I've owned have had the wobble problem. They get pretty hotsometimes (although resettin the PMU seems to help with that sometimes), but mine always sits flat.
Some moderator abuse going on here (parent).
... yet it has been marked as "overrated".
... but without any existing moderation it certainly wasn't "overrated".
No moderation done yet
Looks like someone doesn't want to face the penalty of metamoderation by using the other mods.
I'll agree, the parent may have been "flamebait" with the "whiney bitches" comment
Alas... mine has the same issue. Your story is exactly what I was afraid of. After waiting over a month for the PowerBook to arrive, when I first ordered it in February, I didn't feel like sending it straight back for another month of service, On mine, the aluminum is also bent beside the latch. This is how it arrived... it's bent even when it's cold.
However, I thought about it and figured that what with me throwing it in my backpack every day, dropping it on the floor, and generally knocking it around, a bit of a bend won't really make much of a difference. It just adds character.
My last PowerBook (a Pismo) made it in a backpack through Mexico, Cuba, Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and all the way back up to the US and Canada getting smashed around on chicken buses, pickup trucks, boats, and planes the whole way, but survived intact. If this one is as resistant, then I'm happy, bends and all.
Rather than send it in to Apple, you can sort of fix the wobbliness when needed... Just push it down on your knee and staighten it out. Worked ok for me. In general it's not that big of a problem though. Of course, do it at your own risk and all that...
About 2/3rds of the way down the page
I hope you die painfully and alone.
My friend has the exact same problem in reverse. His 12" TiBook wobbles like crazy when it's cold, but once it heats up, it gets level.
I guess there is something to be said for the plastic casing on my iBook. Totally unrelated, I heard that the iBook casing is bulletproof. Is that true?
Through all the Powerbook bashing, I had to chime in. I've had my 12" powerbook for about 2 weeks now and it is absolutely perfect. Sure, it wobbled a little in the beginning but that has since stopped. It is a very well designed machine, and I'd recommend it to anyone. If your the kind of person that would let a tiny wobble bother you a lot, I can't see how you would be satisfied with any computer.
No sig. Never.
That's just where the Reality Distortion Field(tm) meets Euclidian space. Think of it as a karmic wave front. :)
I originally posted this about a month ago, but nothing has really changed. I called Apple Care, and they said that they were still looking into it. Hopefully, something will happen soon. As far as the heating goes, my AiBook doesn't really get overly hot, I have just read reports of them getting up to 120 F. I love this little PB, even with the wobble, currently I just stuff my screen protector under it, but I don't think that I should have to. I have read the suggestions to "bend" it back into shape, but I'm not brave enough to try that.
The downside for Apple is that I will be hesitant to buy another product from them. For much less than the $3500 I shelled out, I could have gotten a small Linux laptop that would function to meet my needs.
Yup. Growing feeling among folks trying Apple's products...
May we never see th
Apple is an early adopter:
Cube - lots of complaints about "scratches" and manufacturing issues.
TiBook - manufacturing issues.
AiBook - manufacturing issues.
Consumer computer hardware mass-produced on a pretty quick turnaround to market might impact QC a little. The fact that they have a relatively low market share doesn't help matters.
But that is the Apple way. There are dozens of instances where Apple has looked at the market and said decided that they wanted something cool that wasn't out there. So they build some "new thing" (insert your favorite cool Apple thing here).
We all know what happens next:
1. "mainstream" computer media sniggers, predicts Apple's pending demise (I think Dvorak popped a prolapse when he found out the iMacs were floppy-less).
2. Wintel Intelligencia (oxymoron?) nod their heads in agreement.
3. 18 months later it's a BTO option on the Dell site.
4. Some asshat goes on about this "new thing" being the reason why Wintel is superior to the Macintosh (I actually heard someone say this about QuickTime in a company annual meeting)...
5. Approximately 6 months after that, it's supported in the latest Linux kernel. Sort of. FreeBSD support comes sometime later.
I was an early adopter on the TiBook as well. My rubber feet fell off. Apple put them back on. 3 dead pixels? LCDs have dead pixels on occasion. Sorry, but you won the bad pixel lottery. They happen.
I've had nothing but good service from Apple over the last 15+ years and 5-6 boxes I've purchased ( I've gone through at least 2X as many PeeCees - glad they're so much cheaper...).
Too much of your post sounds like a troll, but I figure I may be wrong and my blood sugar's a bit low, so I bit. HAving said that, I have a real problem believing that you have a warped case and they won't fix it/swap it out/ etc.
I've never had the kind of issues you've had with Apple Support. I *did* have a lemon DP G4 that went back about a half-dozen times: they replaced it and they took really good care of me on the trade up. When I got the feet replaced on my laptop, they took care of a bunch of other minor cosmetic stuff, one of which was replacing the lid on my Tibook. If you're going to buy a laptop from Apple, buy the extended warranty. It's always paid off for me. Whether or not I've had the extended warranty, I've never had the kinds of poor quality problems your talking about, nor have I seen them in the hundreds of Macs I've worked on or around.
It sounds like you'll be a lot happier on a Linux laptop.
- learn to swim.
I set up a yahoo group for i2 inch powerbooks a few days after I ordered mine in Feb. We have been talking about this issue off and on for months now. Some have taken theirs back and gotten new ones, one person had an apple store employee actually "bend" it back into shape, others talk about the battery being the issue. I am on the phone now trying to get a missing rubber foot replaced through Apple Care. I must say, like many others have, this is the only issue I have had. I love my PB12. The yahoo grou is here, please join if you own one.
12inchPowerBooks
-Jim
IANAL. I am -- knock on wood -- a happy iBook owner, and I make no claim either way about the veracity of these suits. I'm merely noting a point of similarity; draw your own conclusions:
http://news.com.com/2100-1040-983350.html
I think I heard somewhere that 120 degrees is the point where aluminum gets pliable, and after a while, picking it up after running it for a while can cause some slight bends. I haven't heard about the 17 incher having problems, but that is probably due to the huge amount of surface area on it. Summary:The 12in is so small and powerful, that this pushes the aluminum to the edge. If anyone has any metallurgy experience, please shed some light on this.
i just wanted to chime in and let people know that i love my 12" g4. i actually sold my 15" 1ghz powerbook on ebay because it was too noisy. i then picked up this little beauty and a samsung 17" lcd. couldn't be happier.
initially i was worried about the heat the palm rest was generating while it was recharging, but the 10.2.5 update took care of the excessive heat. and it now gets warm when plugged in and just slightly tepid while on battery. certainly tolerable.
i also had a problem with my airport card dropping reception. but i reseated the card and reset my basestation. one or the combo of both fixed my problems.
i keep looking for a wobble or warping or feet coming off or uneven track pads buttons or faulty displays or some other problems that i've read about. but nothing has shown up in two months of constant use.
i don't know if i'm the exception or that only people with bad exeriences post. the latter seems more likely. obviously people that are having problems are going to complain while those of us who are happy are just gonna keep using their machines.
the moral is, if you are considering a 12" powerbook but are discouraged by all the bad reports consider that some people (the majority?) are perfectly happy with their 12" g4s.
Here's my powerbook 12" story... It started on March 4th, and it STILL hasn't ended. I go to my University's (Queen's) computer store, interested in buying a 12" powerbook. They have one in stock, and reluctantly unpack it from the factory case so that I can look at it. Its tiny size, fit, and finish challenge and excite me, so I pull out my credit card, ready to buy! But on the way out, the saleswoman notices a scratch on the screen - a very large one. They try cleaning the screen (with a swiffer pad), but it doesn't come off. Not willing to pay full price for damaged goods (or willing to wait for this unit to be repaired), I reluctantly place an order for a different unit. Three weeks later to the day, I get a call saying the new unit is in! I hurry to the store and pick it up... I take it to work, and show it off to all the co-workers. I notice that it doesn't sit flat on tables, and wobbles noticeably... Then, I notice there's a scratch on the screen of this unit as well, near the right hand side, vertical down almost the entire length. Disgusted, I call the Campus Computer Store and tell them this. They "look into it", and ask me if there was a protective film on the screen of the unit when I unpacked it. There was not, just a piece of foam between the keyboard and the screen. The salesman said that there was a recall on such units, as this film is supposed to be placed on the unit during assembly so that the screen isn't scratched during assembly, and that if I return the unit, they'll happily order me another one. But not until I return it. And it'll take another 3 weeks. Apple is a reasonable company, and I hoped they could do better than 3 weeks. So I called them, and talked to their hardware support people. After about an hour of whining, they recommended that I take the computer to the local Authorized Service Provider for repair, rather than replacement of the unit. At the time, this was the best Apple was willing to offer. This did not sit well, as that would make the unit the equivalent of a factory reconditioned machine by the time I'd get to use it... If I had wanted a factory recon, I would have bought one and paid less for it. Anyway, I called the service provider to inquire, and they said that it would take 7 weeks at least for the parts to come in, as a supply chain for repair parts has not yet been established. They also pointed out that the screen is assembled with glue, not screws and snaps... So to replace the LCD panel, they'd have to pry it apart and re-glue it, resulting in something that would not be like the original unit at all in terms of fit and finish. I noticed this machine had other problems, too. It got very hot, and randomly locked up (not a kernel panic, a complete freeze). I wasn't able to run the quick-restore DVD, as it kept freezing during the restore process. The very next day I returned the unit, which did not even boot by this time, as the quick-restore was a failure and refused to work. The store was good enough to give me a full refund while waiting for the replacement. Three weeks later, the store called to inform me another unit was in. This would be the THIRD 12inch powerbook I'd come in contact with. I paid them, and excitedly took the unit home. Imagine my suprise when THREE WEEKS LATER, the THIRD unit had a severely scratched screen as well! Again, no film on the panel, just the foam spacer. The likelyhood of this machine and the one from three weeks previous being "next to each other" on the assembly line seemed very remote, so I called Apple again. At first, the hardware tech strongly recommend that I repair the unit. Out of general principals, this suggestion offended me. I explained the story to them again, calmly, claiming I didn't understand how this could have happened again (as I really didn't). I told them about the recall the saleman told me about, and stressed that this was the THIRD time this had happend to me. The woman transferred me to a customer relations specialist... The customer relations people are great! They have the power to get things
Fortunately, as the owner of a later revision 15" TiBook I only get case deformations upon re-entry into the earths atmosphere.
-- "Can't sleep, clowns will eat me!"
Yes, it wobbles, and it gets a little warm. But this is totally acceptable in my view. The wobbling is minimal, and a folded piece of paper (or my business card) underneath one of the rubber feet does the trick. And the heat, well, it doesn't hurt or anything, and the minimal fan noise (when it runs at all) is very positive.
One of the really nice things about the 12" is the sleep / battery combinations. It goes to sleep and wakes back up in about two seconds. So I never have to shut down, and it is always immediately avaliable. Combined with 3 hours+ battery life, light weight, small footprint, ultimate connectability, it is the most convenient piece of hardware I have ever bought. Maybe except for my bike.
I have a 12 month old TiBook and noticed yesterday that the rear casing under the screen, about where the sound mute key is has cracked. I cannot remember it dropping and I treat it like a 2 week old baby. I'm thinking about how it could have happened. It gets pretty hot too but I doubt if Titanium would crack so easily ! Are these iBooks as tough as they should be ?
Seize the day
Problem:
The PowerBook G4 12" can bend slightly under some conditions. Pick it up by a corner and carry it around that way to get a good feel for the issue; when you set it back down it will wobble on a line traced between the rubber feet on two of the diagonal corners.
Solution: (works every time for these machines)
Place the PowerBook on the surface where you'll be using it, and then open the PowerBook and push firmly down on the two diagonally opposing corners that wobble up or down. Now the wobble is gone. Repeat as needed, especially after the PowerBook is moved, or possibly after heating/cooling (I haven't personally been able to correlate this to temperature changes, but I'll believe other people have).
This issue does not even begin to concern me.
More disturbing is the tendency for some of the screws to unscrew themselves. I've already had two fall out of the screen -- Apple used to use a thread compound on some screws in their PowerBooks, but apparently did not due so on all the screws in the 12". I humbly suggest they consider doing so.
- Anonymous Coward
Yeah I know had a lot of problems with mine, but they were _all_ generic problems with the design. :/ Not everyone had all these problems, but then not everyone will use their laptop nearly as much I used mine.
e.g. The DVD drive ruining discs, weakness in the white plastic frame due to overstress, the keys coming of the keyboard when I typed, excessive heat, origional power supply litteraly coming apart, hard disk dying within 2 months (cheap Tosh braned HD, as opposed to IBM Travelstar, which I replaced it with myself), insane amounts of paint flaking, unsafe amounts of head distribution, battery charging issues, sleep (& wake from sleep) issues, etc.
I'm not bitter about them, they were to some extent unforseable problems that would be difficult to spot without real world usage and you expect a few problems with cutting edge 1st versions of complicated consumer products.
The annoying part for me is that despite addressing: the keyboard, dvd drive, hard disk manufacturer, power supply, paint, the the strain put on the plastic frame, the head dissipation, the sleep/wake from sleep issues the new modles _still_ have more problems that (AFAIC) is reasonably acceptable.
Interesting comments from a big Apple reseller here in London when I was talking to him about getting a new Apple laptops just a few weeks ago...
He said the 15" models still have loads of issues due the size/weight/design compromises and recommended against getting one. He said the 17" ones were much sturdier and seemed less prone to strain/breaking but that they had had a few problems already with it, but that the smaller 12" seemed to be best (which I agree with, it's clearly much more sturdy, more like an iBook).
The iBook design is not as nice asthetically IMO, but it's *much* tougher.
I've had my 12" powerbook for maybe a month now. I leave it on 24x7.
It is the CD-RW/CD version, with 640MB of RAM in it. I run distributed.net client on it so the CPU is working a lot. It does get warm, it just hasn't wobbled yet.
But I've only had it a month.
As a rock-in-roll Physicist once said, No matter where you go, there you are.
My 3 months of Apple Care is running out around the middle of May. Apple called me this morning and tried to sell me the 3 year Apple Care for $330, after a student discount. I am a college student, and I am about to graduate, but the computer science industry, especially here in Denver, is not very strong, and I am thinking about going on to get my Masters. Anyway, what are your guys' views on extended warrenty? I have 1 year parts and labor, but I don't neccessarily have an extra $300. I could have a fund raiser from my family, but I really don't like to do that for something that may or may not be worth it. Is Apple Care worth it?
I have been considering buying a 12 incher myself, and I've done extensive research on problems people have been having. Perhaps I can provide some insight on a few issues.
First of all, I suspect that your problem of having the PB randomly locking up may be fixable. Apparently from what I've read on the Apple forums, the PowerBook may frequently lock up if you have an Airport Extreme card that is not seated well. Vibrations can cause it to temporarily lose contact with the connector, causing the machine to crash. If you have an Airport Extreme card, you might find that reseating it (that is, taking it out and replacing it) could fix the problem.
Also, I think problems with the restore DVD are common. However, from what I've heard, there are ways to get it to work correctly including resetting the PMU and starting up in verbose mode. Check the apple forums for more info on this.
I hope this helps, and good luck with your next PowerBook! Supposedly, recently manufactured 12" PBs have had fewer problems, so it sounds like the odds are in your favor!
I bought a Pismo 2 years ago
I've had a 500 MHz iBook for about a year now. I beat the hell out of portable hardware, and the iBook laps it up with no visible damage. I've dropped it off tables three times so far, once while it was open and running - that time I bent the place where the hinge mounts to the screen. No crash, I was able to straighten it out without permanent damage, and it's still running.
The only time I've wanted a G4 book instead was when I tried to run Virtual PC on it - it was basically unuseable. For my major usages, web browsing and software development, it's just fine.
To a Lisp hacker, XML is S-expressions in drag.
... but they are really tough.
To a Lisp hacker, XML is S-expressions in drag.
I have a 12" PowerBook SuperDrive with 60 gig drive, Airport, and 640 RAM. These issues are pathetic. The wobble should be fixed but if it doesn't damage the machine it's fine, just annoying. Especially the battery alignment issue, just push it in harder don't be shy. Here are REAL issues.
DVD playback in fullscreen used to skip. 10.2.5 fixes this, kudos to Apple.
Worse issue: image shift. or "lines", whatever you want to call it. I have many screenshots to prove this. In Wolfenstein, iTunes, or any app that's graphically intensive especially when scrolling sideways, the image gets cut up. The top is a bit to the left of the middle section which is a bit left to the bottom. I couldn't explain this to Apple support they wouldn't believe me. Does anyone understand this?
This affects ALL 12"s. If you don't notice it you're not looking hard enough. I've seen it on lots. I also see it on the 15" 667 so I don't know whether it can be fixed. At first I thought it was a NCRAPIA 420 Go driver bug. I mean NVIDIA in a laptop Apple WTF. I digress. I don't know if it is just a performance problem or what but it is SERIOUSLY annoying as it crops up in everything from games and emulated games to some MPEG movies. I don't know why but it doesn't affect DVDs or 3ivxs. I am not crazy!!! This really happens I posted screenshots at AppleInsider!! I'm Aquatic there so if you're from there I'm sure you saw my thread there where I endlessly ranted about these "lines."
oh well, this is the best Mac I've ever seen.
I bought my PowerBook on 4/24/03 and I've noticed the same wobble, but only when its not completely on a flat surface (as is, a few inches of side facing the user is hanging off of the desk. This somehow facilitates a sideways wobble. But when I lay it flat on the desk, with no ends hanging off, it's stable.
Hopefully Apple fix whatever that problem is. I love the AlBook =)
Vonal Declosion
Aren't bikes and Laptops made with aluminum alloys though, I'm sure there's a lot of different ingredients in there along with the aluminum. Maybe the AlumBook is made with a 'wimpy' breed of alloys.
"Sometimes, I think Trent just needs a cup of hot chocolate and a blankie." -Tori Amos on Nine Inch Nails
There are bound to be some production, assembly, and distribution snafus with any new product. Someone on the assembly line didn't know he was supposed to stick the piece of plastic on the screen before shipping it out. I understand your need for a new laptop, but in this case you did not allow Apple's employees to do their jobs. As a Mac consultant, I would have told you to return the machine and get a replacement. And if the replacement was bad, to get another. But when you know it's brand new, and it's so cool that there are backorders running into the tens if not hundreds of thousands of units, you have to be patient. Yelling at Apple Customer Relations doesn't get the guys on the production line to read the memo that they're screwing up any faster.
If you had to have a Mac for your trip, I'd have told you to buy an iBook or PowerBook 15" for the trip, then dump it on eBay when you returned and pick up a new AlPB if you weren't satisfied with the Mac you had.
I have recently become the owner of a 15" TiPB 867. This machine is a fantastic machine -- I've loved it since the day I took it out of the box. This machine has a very special property: the design is mature, having been around several years, and has undergone many revisions. As a result, most of these little annoyances have been worked out already. The moral of the story? Avoid pilot or first revision/generation hardware.
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12" AiBook. DVD-R version, 640Meg Ram, using Airport Extreme. Had it since late February. Sometimes it wobbles, the solution is to either press on the battery a bit, or move the computer a couple of inches. Does it heat up? sometimes it does, but not so much as to blister my hand. My previous laptop was a Fujitsu Lifebook and it would get much hotter, although that was on the bottom.
Bottom line is that I love this computer. It's on nearly 24/7 (One more machine for Seti@Home after all!) and it's so stable it's incredible. I'd buy another in a heartbeat.
Next time leave Apple and buy a real computer....buy a Dell or Gateway...95 percent of the market is Non Apple...WHY? Its not becuasepeople who buy them are dumb or cheap..its because they work....I have had a Peforma, a G3, two Imacs and a G4..I love Apple...but now too I'm beginning to wonder!!!! We just had an Imac die after 5 years...highley unusual...now we are replacing it with a 2 Gig AMD P.C....40 Gig Hard drive..500 MB of Ram...a DVD player ..CD burner and CD player with windows XP for 600.00...go figure...steve