There are two annoying problems present in my three week old 12-inch PowerBook G4 1GHz:
1. The battery doesn't sit completely flush in the case. It protrudes about the thickness of a dime at the front-left, just under the screen latch.
2. The fans (or one fan) produces a slight flutter/buzzing noise when running at the lowest speed. It's not noticeable at all in a noisy environment, but it's very annoying in a quiet environment. This flutter/buzzing noise actually goes away when the fans ramp up to the next highest speed or higher. I find it much less annoying when they are spinning faster.
The fan noise is more of a flutter than a buzz. Imagine the fan blades slightly rubbing against a cable or other obstruction and you'll get the picture. The problem is somewhat subjective, but it's there! However, if you aren't in an extremely quiet environment, you won't hear it. Does Apple have any "quiet rooms" in their repair facility? ;-)
Are these issues common? I've read about the battery issue, but it seems like it's been a while.
Will I have any problems getting Apple to fix these problems? The battery seems like a no-brainer, but what about the fan? Like I mentioned, if it's diagnosed in a noisy facility, they won't notice a thing.
I'm a lifelong PC user trying a Mac for the first time. I must say that overall, my three week long experience has been great. Besides these minor issues, the notebook itself is phenomenal! The design and engineering of the PowerBook G4 is superb, and OS X has been a joy to use and learn.
Thanks!