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WOPR · Jan 19, 2005, 03:46 PM

I'm curious, it looks smooth and slippery so how come the PowerBook (I have a 12") doesn't just slide off it?

Any help appreciated!

badtz · Jan 19, 2005, 04:06 PM

There's thin transparent rubber pieces on the plastic that the powerbook/iBook sits on .....

This prevents it from sliding around

Here's the big question :

Does having your powerbook/iBook at a SLIGHT downward angle affect the performance/longevity of the Hard Drive?

Phiber · Jan 19, 2005, 04:23 PM

Originally posted by badtz:

Here's the big question :

Does having your powerbook/iBook at a SLIGHT downward angle affect the performance/longevity of the Hard Drive?

You're kidding right? How should that affect a laptop hard-drive? If that would really affect the hard drive I am not touching an Apple. That's the dumbest thing I think I have ever heard.

WOPR · Jan 19, 2005, 04:51 PM

Originally posted by badtz:
There's thin transparent rubber pieces on the plastic that the powerbook/iBook sits on .....

This prevents it from sliding around

Here's the big question :

Does having your powerbook/iBook at a SLIGHT downward angle affect the performance/longevity of the Hard Drive?

Aha thanks for the info. As for the hard drive, I think I'll risk it

Phiber · Jan 19, 2005, 05:22 PM

I can only assume you are kidding.. Did someone actually ask that question? Haha! Oh wow.

misc · Jan 19, 2005, 05:48 PM

Originally posted by badtz:
There's thin transparent rubber pieces on the plastic that the powerbook/iBook sits on .....

This prevents it from sliding around

Here's the big question :

Does having your powerbook/iBook at a SLIGHT downward angle affect the performance/longevity of the Hard Drive?

Philber man, calm down.

Think of the hard drive as a CD in a portable CD player, when you tilt the CD player the CD tilts also, thus causing no harm. A hard drive is several of these disks. When the computer is tilted the disks are titled also, a la the CD player.

badtz · Jan 19, 2005, 11:00 PM

of course the HD can still read/write .... but over the long term, wouldn't the angle cause the read/write head to wear out faster [because it's not horizontal/vertical]?

AssassyN · Jan 20, 2005, 05:50 AM

I see what you're saying, but it's doubtful. These things are made to be lugged around and used at any angle (think tilted on your lap...) and just having it tilted wouldn't ruin the drive in any noticeable timeframe.

Randman · Jan 20, 2005, 06:04 AM

You can run a PowerBook at any angle (an iBook too). I've known a handful of people who run it in closed mode and on its side to save space. No problems whatsoever.
Just look at the iMac. The CD slot is on the side and it works fine as well.
The iCurves do hug the bottom of the laptops quite well. Nevertheless, at night, I turn the iCurve around in case there's ever a temblor or something happens (maybe my dog running into the den and bumping a desk leg) and it jostles the desk. That way the PB is even less likely to slip as it's facing upward.
But I've had an iBook and a PB17 and had never had any slippage from the iCurve.

WOPR · Jan 20, 2005, 06:10 AM

Thanks for the info guys. I just wish I could find one cheap - �30 seems a lot for a bit of perspex, albeit a very pretty bit.

Wiskedjak · Jan 20, 2005, 07:11 AM

Originally posted by badtz:
of course the HD can still read/write .... but over the long term, wouldn't the angle cause the read/write head to wear out faster [because it's not horizontal/vertical]?

The iPod also has a hard drive in it

Dr.Michael · Jan 20, 2005, 10:17 AM

Originally posted by badtz:

Here's the big question :
Does having your powerbook/iBook at a SLIGHT downward angle affect the performance/longevity of the Hard Drive?

No problem. As long as the powerbook is not moved any position is ok.
But it is a problem if you move your powerbook with the hd spinning. As long as you turn it in the horizontal plane its still ok. But if you turn it in the vertical plane the bearings of the hd are stressed.

Look into your basic physics lecture under torque and angular momentum.

WOPR · Jan 20, 2005, 10:19 AM

Don't you love it when your thread veers off topic!

Dr.Michael · Jan 20, 2005, 10:25 AM

Originally posted by WOPR:
Don't you love it when your thread veers off topic!

Yes, true.
The iCurve comes with two bumpers. You can glue them to the end of the arms where the powerbook rests. Then it cannot fall or slide.

sniffer · Jan 21, 2005, 05:15 PM

My PB 12" slipped off the damn thing all the time (thought it never got the chance to fall all the way off) so I stopped using it. An iBook I owned worked flawlessly with it OTOH. Otherwise it looks good on your desk and you can store the keyboard underneath it to save some space.

Just my two mini money.

Lancer409 · Jan 22, 2005, 11:40 PM

i showed a pic of a powerbook on an icurve to a physics professor ... i think the whole class agrees.

Gravity

is there anything gravity cant do?

i'd be upset if the pbook floated off it's stand .. i mean, how would you open a powerbook if it's clamped?

Scooterboy · Jan 23, 2005, 03:13 AM

My 17" PowerBook sits on an iCurve almost all the time, and it never slips or falls off of the stand. The iCurve is simple and it works. It brings the screen up to eye level on the desk, and the center speaker of my 5.1 system can sit on the desk just behind and under the PowerBook. The PowerBook runs cooler on the iCurve than when it's on a table or desk.

Reccomended. If you buy an iCurve, make sure that it isn't warped. I've heard that some of them are warped and unstable.