[jeepandmacfan]

I am considering buying a 17" Powerbook, but I am concerned about the slim piece of plastic that is the top edge of the CD slot. Considering how much time my heavy hand will spend resting on this surface, I can't see how it will not fatigue, and crack and perhaps hinder the operation of the CD drive. The 15" PB has a considerably larger top edge, that I have more faith in. Has anyone out there ever had an issue with the CD slot design/performance on a 17" model?

[David Hagan]

Rest assured, of all of the things to worry about, this is not one of them. It's not going to cave in, unless your hand weighs like 400 lbs.

[jeepandmacfan]

I am glad everyone just dismisses this, because it must mean it is a non-issue. To me the design looked VERY WEAK. I currently have a 14" iBook and the plastic bezel around the screen has cracks (near the screws that come in from the sides) and I don't handle the iBook by the screen. I do however pick up my iBook by grabing the bottom with my right hand, which would put my thumb directly over the unsupported cd slot. I played with one at the Apple store, and I was easily distorting the opening with just normal typing and handling. Considering the fatigue cracks that showed up on my iBook, I could only imagine what would happen to the powerbook. I like where the CD slot is on a iBook much better than the Powerbooks.

[TailsToo]

The entire lip around the top edge of all the new Powerbooks is plastic. I wouldn't worry about it too much - if they were an issue, I think that we would have heard about them over the past couple of years. (however dropping the unit might cause a crack rather than a dent. Not sure which is worse.