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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Notebooks > Macbook Pro is Hot... Too hot! :(

Macbook Pro is Hot... Too hot! :( (Page 2)
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thefunkymunky
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Mar 27, 2006, 05:10 AM
 
Originally Posted by ben.mcguire
Thats such a lame excuse, if you pay that much money for a laptop surely you shouldn't have to use a book to stop it burning your legs
Well. I've never used my notebook on my lap, so it dont bother me.
MacBook Pro - 15.4-inch/2.16GHz Intel Core Duo/2GB RAM/100GB S-ATA 5400RPM HDD/ATI X1600 256MB/SuperDrive. PSN ID: kraized
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PoisonTooth
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Mar 27, 2006, 03:24 PM
 
Originally Posted by dialo
I've never been able to have my titanium on my lap for any stretch of time because it gets too hot. I've always used a hardcover book that the same size as the laptop, but there are also good prodcuts you can buy. You should not put it on a pillow since that will likely cause it to overheat. It should be on a flat surface regardless of whether it's on a desk or something on your lap.

In other words, the fact that a laptop would be too hot for your lap is something you should expect.
Absolutely NOT. These are laptops, not just luggable machines. If I have to sit in an airport with this on my lap, I want to use it, not search for a flat surface on which I can use it.

The idea that $2K - $3K doesn't buy you a notebook (laptop) that can be used in your lap is downright ludicrous.

I know you folks want to defend your purchase, but you just come off as subjective fanboys, not realistic consumers of high-end technology.

My ThinkPad T60p gets NOWHERE NEAR as hot as a MBP despite the same internals. NOWHERE NEAR.

Apple absolutely needs to address the heat issue.
     
schmoe
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Mar 27, 2006, 04:55 PM
 
Originally Posted by PoisonTooth
I know you folks want to defend your purchase, but you just come off as subjective fanboys, not realistic consumers of high-end technology
Well said. The heat problems have nothing to do with the MBP's "thinness", the T60 is also 1" thick. They also have nothing to do with the "power" of the MBP. New PC laptops such as the T60 have identical (or better) specs and run much cooler because they have better cooling systems. The same goes for battery life. Finally, having to carry a laptop stand in addition to the machine and power adapter is ridiculous.
     
MRTrauffer
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Mar 27, 2006, 09:56 PM
 
I had the opportunity this weekend to try out a MBP at a local store. For comparison, I've owned an iBook G4 and currently own a Powerbook G4 (see sig). I use my PB religiously, and after using the MBP for just a few minutes, I did notice that the keyboard area was much warmer than my Powerbook ever gets. The only apps that were running were ichat and safari. Sure the MBP is thinner, but whether or not it's used as a "Lap"top, I didn't particularly care for the heated keyboard.
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hakstooy
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Mar 27, 2006, 10:25 PM
 
I have not found the MBP to be anywhere near unusable on my lap with pants on. Shorts could be a problem, but, at least for me, that was already a problem with the G4 PowerBooks. It's the aluminum.

I would say that yes the MBP is warmer than the G4, but not significantly so.
     
shawmanus
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Mar 27, 2006, 11:58 PM
 
I just read the review of Thinkpad T60 with same core duo T2500 and it runs cool. I guess Apple designed macbook pro to dissapate heat this way. Maybe 17" model will be cooler. Apple should also consider using low voltage core duo for ultra thin models.
     
Jean-Loup
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Mar 28, 2006, 12:02 AM
 
Originally Posted by hakstooy
I have not found the MBP to be anywhere near unusable on my lap with pants on. Shorts could be a problem, but, at least for me, that was already a problem with the G4 PowerBooks. It's the aluminum.

I would say that yes the MBP is warmer than the G4, but not significantly so.
Heck I haven't found it to be too hot on my bare lap. Yes it does get quite warm, but come on, not enough to actually hurt you as some have implied. I really haven't been bothered by the heat in the least. I wish this thread was a poll...I can't be the only one to find this to be a non-issue...or can I?
     
iobuffa
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Mar 28, 2006, 12:13 AM
 
I've found that the ambient temperature in the room can make a world of difference. In my experience, when I run my air conditioner (I live in Florida), the MacBook Pro's heat is acceptable. However, when it gets a little warm in my office, less heat is dissapated and the MBP gets volcano'ish. This is sort of common sense but could explain why some are experiencing higher heat than others.
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amazing
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Mar 28, 2006, 12:27 AM
 
Originally Posted by iobuffa
I've found that the ambient temperature in the room can make a world of difference. In my experience, when I run my air conditioner (I live in Florida), the MacBook Pro's heat is acceptable. However, when it gets a little warm in my office, less heat is dissapated and the MBP gets volcano'ish. This is sort of common sense but could explain why some are experiencing higher heat than others.
I second this observation: My 1.33 12" is doing OK right now, but when the summer temps roll in, the fan noise and heat went way up last year. That's when I knew I needed a lap protector and when all the comments about heat in the 12" came fast and furious.

If the MBP is marginally hot-to-very-hot now, then the MBP is really going to feel the heat this summer.
     
MacFairy
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Mar 28, 2006, 10:34 AM
 
I've has my MBP nearly 2 weeks now and have not found the MBP to be anywhere near unusable on my lap. It gets slightly hot but not anymore than any other laptop that I have owned
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inkhead
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Mar 28, 2006, 10:40 AM
 
I'm just curious when someone says it's too hot... Do they mean it's too hot for a computer less than an inch think with dual 2ghz processors, pci-x video, and 2gb of ram? It's awefully cool when you consider what's under the hood. You'll probably be happier when some of the smaller lighter 13" models come out with slower chips.
     
rickrobin
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Mar 28, 2006, 12:54 PM
 
I have an iBook G4. Came with a 40 gig drive and ran nice and cool. Then the drive failed, and I replaced it with a Seagate 100 gig drive - and now the iBook gets hot as a pistol. Hard drives get very hot, especially large capacity ones. Until/unless that changes, what can be done? A faster, noisier fan, I suppose.
     
PoisonTooth
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Mar 28, 2006, 02:02 PM
 
Originally Posted by inkhead
I'm just curious when someone says it's too hot... Do they mean it's too hot for a computer less than an inch think with dual 2ghz processors, pci-x video, and 2gb of ram? It's awefully cool when you consider what's under the hood. You'll probably be happier when some of the smaller lighter 13" models come out with slower chips.
No, that's not what I mean. I have a T60p with the same dual processors at 2.16 GHz, FireGL V5200 GPU, 7200 RPM SATAII drive, and a CD/DVD RW/DL multiburner and it runs very, very cool. No issue with heat whatsoever.

Apple has a thermal issue on its hands, and it needs to be corrected. In rev B, I virtually guarantee the MBP will be thicker and have the necessary heatpipes/thermal plumbing in place. It will be a cooler machine.
     
Jigga523
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Mar 28, 2006, 02:11 PM
 
Originally Posted by mrmister
"The very name "laptop" suggests that it can be used comfortably on one's lap. Apple and every other manufacturer know that people use notebooks this way and expect that they stay reasonably cool."

This is exactly why everyone has switched to calling them "notebook computers"--which yes, is unspeakably lame, and yes, we should expect more.
The Macbook user guide and the Apple website call it a "Notebook", and never refer to the computer as a Laptop.

Additionally, the Macbook isn't hotter than the Powerbook and yet its 3 to 4 times faster.. I will take faster over cooler any day.
     
jasonsRX7
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Mar 28, 2006, 03:02 PM
 
Originally Posted by PoisonTooth
No, that's not what I mean. I have a T60p with the same dual processors at 2.16 GHz, FireGL V5200 GPU, 7200 RPM SATAII drive, and a CD/DVD RW/DL multiburner and it runs very, very cool. No issue with heat whatsoever.
I'm still waiting on my T60 to ship, but heat is one of the reasons I picked it over a MacBook. I have a Powerbook now and it gets too hot to use on my lap, and was disappointed to hear that the heat problem got worse with the MacBook.

Having owned four Thinkpads prior to the Powerbook, heat was not something I had ever had a problem with.
     
hakstooy
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Mar 28, 2006, 08:10 PM
 
Originally Posted by PoisonTooth
Apple has a thermal issue on its hands, and it needs to be corrected. In rev B, I virtually guarantee the MBP will be thicker and have the necessary heatpipes/thermal plumbing in place. It will be a cooler machine.
Wow, that is one unreliable guarantee. There is nothing wrong with the MBP, it is on par with the past PowerBooks with regard to heat. As for it being hotter than your T60, uh its 40% thinner with a metal case, of course it feels warmer.
     
PoisonTooth
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Mar 28, 2006, 08:51 PM
 
Originally Posted by hakstooy
Wow, that is one unreliable guarantee. There is nothing wrong with the MBP, it is on par with the past PowerBooks with regard to heat. As for it being hotter than your T60, uh its 40% thinner with a metal case, of course it feels warmer.
Something being "wrong" with the MBP is subjective, it appears.

Me, I don't drop nearly $3K on a machine to have it be unreasonably hot. And yes, it is unreasonably hot. There were two heat related threads on this very forum yesterday regarding heat, and there are other heat-centric discussion on SA, Ars, and the Apple support forums. Clearly I'm not the only one who thinks this is a significant flaw.

If you are willing to tolerate it, more power to you. I guess you've found your machine.

As for the T60p being thicker -- yes, it is. It's because it has an all-metal rollcage on the inside to provide excellent structural rigidity, a shock-mounted hard drive (and not just rubber washers like the MBP), a liquid drainage system in case a fluid gets spilled on the machine, and an overbuilt titanium/magnesium LCD cover to keep the display intact no matter what.

So yes, it's not quite as thin as the MBP, but it's very portable. I wish Apple would sacrifice a little form for such function. I really do.

BTW, I have a 12" PowerBook, and I know how hot that thing gets under load. The MBP gets MUCH hotter, and if you can't bring yourself to admit that, then you're not being honest with yourself -- which is fine, really, because you have to live with the machine, not me, and the very idea of not being able to use it on my lap (as others have suggested) is downright ludicrous.
     
PoisonTooth
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Mar 28, 2006, 09:27 PM
 
Originally Posted by ranjeetsodhi
The Macbook user guide and the Apple website call it a "Notebook", and never refer to the computer as a Laptop.

Additionally, the Macbook isn't hotter than the Powerbook and yet its 3 to 4 times faster.. I will take faster over cooler any day.
You're actually going to be pendantic with respect to Apple's marketing materials with regard to YOUR OWN thoughts about the MBP's heat? I'm sorry, but there are potential buyers reading this forum, I do NOT recommend they follow your line of thinking. Instead, go to an Apple store, where the MBPs have been running all day, and judge for yourself. Touch the area above the keyboard, and directly underneath.

Secondly, the MacBook isn't 3-4 times faster, and that's been proven by many sources, MacWorld magazine among them. Again, if you want to take Apple's marketing as fact, then I suppose they are 3x-4x faster.

Lastly, I have a PowerBook, and the MBP most CERTAINLY DOES get hotter than it does. By a considerable stretch.
     
hakstooy
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Mar 29, 2006, 12:27 AM
 
I've had an 867 TiBook, 1.25 & 1.5 15" AlBooks, and a 1.33 12", and to me the MBP is not appreciably warmer. Warmer, yes, but not to the degree that it changes how I use it.

And thanks for breaking down the merits of the T60, but they have nothing to do with the fact that by being thicker it runs cooler and by having a plastic casing it doesn't conduct the heat into its exterior.

Maybe the MBP isn't for you, but unless your skin is very sensitive, you are certainly overreacting with insistence this is some huge usability problem. Yeah it can get hot, and yeah I'd like it to run cooler, but it has never run so hot as to force me to take it off my lap.

But look, Apple has made and is going to make their Pro notebook line as thin and quiet as possible, this simply means that they are going to be hot. Period. This is Apple's design priority, and they are not going to change it. If this is such a huge problem for you then get a MacBook when they are released.

Also, I monitored the underside temp today at work with an IR thermometer and it never got above 110 F, which is not that hot. (As a point of reference, my LCD screen was 94 and it doesn't even remotely feel hot)
     
Abbas
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Mar 29, 2006, 01:03 AM
 
I finally got my MBP. Now I've used lots of notebooks in the past- Compaq, Winbook, Toshiba, IBM, Dell, Acer and Sony (which I sold to get this). Even had a 12" ibook in between.

I must say that the MBP has the best feel and construction quality. It's even better than my IBM and Sony. However, it does get VERY hot. When I read about people complaining about heat issues, I figured it probably get pretty warm as some of my notebooks have in the past. But this baby get HOT.

-a
     
Steve's Sanity
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Mar 29, 2006, 02:26 AM
 
Macbooks getting too hot? Looks like the fiery depths of the underworld have reclaimed their Frankenstein Mac/PC book.

Seriously though, it's bound to happen, especially with the first generation of any technology. That's why it's usually best to wait...
( Last edited by Steve's Sanity; Mar 29, 2006 at 05:20 AM. )
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zombie67
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Mar 29, 2006, 04:00 PM
 
I got mine MBP two days ago. This baby is HOT, very HOT. You might be able to fry a egg. I am little worry about using it in summay. Does anyone think it will cause problem if the room tempure is too high in summay?
     
zombie67
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Mar 29, 2006, 04:02 PM
 
****, i mean summer!!
     
Jean-Loup
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Mar 29, 2006, 04:07 PM
 
Kinda hard to give you an answer on that question. As far as parts go, I'm not particularly worried. Now, as far as your personnal comfort...only you can answer that. Personnally, as I have stated, I feel no disomfort using the MBP on my bare lap...so I have no worries (although I would prefer it to be cooler). For me this is not a problem. For others, as you have read here it seems to make the machine totally unusable. So you'll have to decide for yourself.
     
ksloan2
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Mar 29, 2006, 05:33 PM
 
I am also worried about using this one during a hot summer day (especially outside... which perhaps it isn't build for, but heck, I've enjoyed laptops in the past outside). I didn't purchase any extended warranty either, so I will probably stick to using this one indoors, unfortunately. Better safe than sorry.

Still, to me, the temperature on the bottom and above the F keys is borderline scalding which I find to be quite outrageous actually ("heatsink" aluminium case or not). I imagine very sweaty hands and an uncomfortable summer ahead.
     
flypenfly
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Mar 29, 2006, 06:34 PM
 
It gets REALLY hot in the metal strip right above the function buttons on the keyboard. The underside of that area is also unreasonably warm.

It's definitely way hotter than my G4 1.33 but since it's always on a desk or on iCurve... it's ok. I usually put a binder on my lap anyway if i use on lap since I don't trust it sending electronic radiation to my balls with any laptop.
     
M75
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Mar 30, 2006, 12:07 AM
 
I'll admit that my MBP gets really warm, not hot just really warm. Especially while charging. But until a recall gets around we're stuck with "Oventops"..... not if you guys can show me a T60 running OSX (w/ Reliable Drivers).
     
mintcake
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Mar 30, 2006, 12:24 AM
 
So far it seems hot but no hotter than my 12" powerbook used to get.
     
Jean-Loup
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Mar 30, 2006, 12:31 AM
 
Originally Posted by eobet
I am also worried about using this one during a hot summer day (especially outside... which perhaps it isn't build for, but heck, I've enjoyed laptops in the past outside). I didn't purchase any extended warranty either, so I will probably stick to using this one indoors, unfortunately. Better safe than sorry.

Still, to me, the temperature on the bottom and above the F keys is borderline scalding which I find to be quite outrageous actually ("heatsink" aluminium case or not). I imagine very sweaty hands and an uncomfortable summer ahead.
You've got one full year to get your applecare. So it's not too late. That's one thing I do with every laptop...just too many risks compared to a desktop.
     
KTM525
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Mar 30, 2006, 02:03 AM
 
I thought I`d give my oppinion on the MBP.
I just got my 2GHz 80 GB Hard Drive 1 GB Ram. Although I used mac in school for 2 years, I never owned one.

My first impression of the MBP is that I love it...so far I do however have the whining noise that is not that loud really but because I have sensitive ears it did start to enoy me. However I did find a solution to this besides running PhotoBooth. I found a program called QuietMBP or something like that. Where you have a setting that you adjust untill the noise goes away. Works perfectly so that does not bother me anymore.

As to the heat however it did start to worry me. I don`t care what people say here but it does get VERY warm. However this is on the top at the back by the monitor. It`s so hot that you could literally fry an egg. The keyboard and the arm rest is not that bad at all. The bottom however I think that it is too hot for your lap.

Now again I never had a mac laptop so I wouldn`t know how it compares to the PowerBook. I do trust though people from what I read that it won`t be an issue in the future since the aluminium acts like a heat disposer. And also I figured apple must know what they are doing since there are practically no air wents for the heat anywhere on the MBP.

My first laptop is a sony vaio PCG-K35 3.06 GHz 1GB Ram. It is packed with air wents. with 2 huge ones on the bottom, one on each side and 3 at the back. It is not even close to the MBP when it come to heat. I feel like the sony is ice cold compared to the MBP.

But then again I never really use the laptop on my lap, but I do plan on getting a notebook cooler so that once in a while I could use it on my lap. I think that would be the best option for people who thing that it`s too hot for your lap and I deffinatelly don`t think that the heat issue is worth to give up a great machine like the MBP. I`m a heavy computer user especially with the power hungry apps like photshop, illustrator, corel and such. I must say besides photoshop everything runs perfectly with great speed even on Rosetta. So can`t imagine what it will do once the Universal apps come out.
     
Abbas
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Mar 30, 2006, 02:12 AM
 
Is there any application that can allow us to control the tempearature at which the fans kick in? I wont mind setting that tempearture setting down by a few degrees and tolerate the fan noise

-a
     
Big Mac
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Mar 30, 2006, 04:50 AM
 
Originally Posted by Abbas
Is there any application that can allow us to control the tempearature at which the fans kick in? I wont mind setting that tempearture setting down by a few degrees and tolerate the fan noise

-a
Apple does not give owners that much control over their hardware.

"The natural progress of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground." TJ
     
pete
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Mar 30, 2006, 08:39 AM
 
Originally Posted by hakstooy
Wow, that is one unreliable guarantee. There is nothing wrong with the MBP, it is on par with the past PowerBooks with regard to heat. As for it being hotter than your T60, uh its 40% thinner with a metal case, of course it feels warmer.

The macbook is 1 inch thick and the T60 is 1.2 inches. They weigh the same. I'd take the structural durability, 3 year warranty and cool running case any day if it meant adding a fraction of an inch to the case. Clearly, Apple has it's priorities mixed up. we need better laptops and if that means that we can't make them quite as thin, then so be it. We're already doing pretty well, at just over an inch thick - as long as they don't weigh more, why is the thinness so important?
     
Zeeb
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Mar 30, 2006, 08:56 AM
 
Originally Posted by pete
The macbook is 1 inch thick and the T60 is 1.2 inches. They weigh the same. I'd take the structural durability, 3 year warranty and cool running case any day if it meant adding a fraction of an inch to the case. Clearly, Apple has it's priorities mixed up. we need better laptops and if that means that we can't make them quite as thin, then so be it. We're already doing pretty well, at just over an inch thick - as long as they don't weigh more, why is the thinness so important?
I agree, this obsession with having a laptop that is fractionally thinner is crazy. Apple has laptop anorexia. Who can say that .2 inches makes a huge difference in how they use the computer? In addition to the heat issue, apple also had to downgrade the optical drive to get it thinner--and they also made the case wider. I would say an overheated laptop with a downgraded drive DOES make a difference in how you would use the computer.
     
photoeditor
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Mar 30, 2006, 08:57 AM
 
Originally Posted by hakstooy
I've had an 867 TiBook, 1.25 & 1.5 15" AlBooks, and a 1.33 12", and to me the MBP is not appreciably warmer. Warmer, yes, but not to the degree that it changes how I use it.

And thanks for breaking down the merits of the T60, but they have nothing to do with the fact that by being thicker it runs cooler and by having a plastic casing it doesn't conduct the heat into its exterior.
The T60 has a magnesium-alloy base and a titanium lid. That base should conduct heat just about as well as that of the MacBook. Check the review in PC Mag including their website for more details.
     
Jigga523
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Mar 30, 2006, 10:17 AM
 
Originally Posted by PoisonTooth
You're actually going to be pendantic with respect to Apple's marketing materials with regard to YOUR OWN thoughts about the MBP's heat? I'm sorry, but there are potential buyers reading this forum, I do NOT recommend they follow your line of thinking. Instead, go to an Apple store, where the MBPs have been running all day, and judge for yourself. Touch the area above the keyboard, and directly underneath.

Secondly, the MacBook isn't 3-4 times faster, and that's been proven by many sources, MacWorld magazine among them. Again, if you want to take Apple's marketing as fact, then I suppose they are 3x-4x faster.

Lastly, I have a PowerBook, and the MBP most CERTAINLY DOES get hotter than it does. By a considerable stretch.
Apologies if my comment came across as "Apple Marketing". I recently switched from Windows to the Mac and hence can only compare the Macbook to other "Laptops" that I have owned, including a Dell Inspiron and an IBM.

My personal Macbook does get warm after an hour of use, and hot on the left side next to the screen, but its still way cooler than my Dell Inspiron... the IBM certainly has the leg up on the heat issue, since it’s the coolest (thermal) "Laptop" I own.

Again - almost all computer companies don't refer to their portable computers as laptops due to the heat issues; and more often than not, you will notice these computers as being sold as "Notebooks".

SUMMARY: The heat doesn't bother me, unless I am wearing shorts and have the notebook on my lap for over 2 hours. In those cases, I usually use a thin plastic tray as a buffer between my bare thigh and the base of the notebook.
     
amazing
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Mar 30, 2006, 11:22 AM
 
On the PC side of things, there are umpteen million laptop models to choose from. Some of them are broilers, some of them are well-designed road warriors, some of them are vastly over-weight junk. Point being that you have a whole gamut to choose from--and if you want a 17 pound high-end gaming laptop, you can find it...

On the Mac side of things, there's only Apple making powerbooks and ibooks. They do the research to sell the highest number of these models to specifically targetted market segments that they can identify as good niches for their products. You can't fault them for that--and in the past it's worked. Apple's produced well-designed models that have everybody drooling.

But now that you can dual boot MBPs and that you can put MacOS onto PCs (albeit not supported by Apple, ie hacked) that market model isn't going to work much longer. The little disadvantages like a slow and crippled burner, not so great battery life and too much heat, those are all going to "stand out" a whole bunch more.

Apple isn't on its own little island any more, there's much more connection to the mainland.
     
onlykaria
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Mar 30, 2006, 12:42 PM
 
the more time spent with this mbp the more i feel i does need to address this... its gotten to the point where i am afraid the mbp will cause damage to the surfaces it touches (books, wood, so on) that is excessive.
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Macbook Pro: 17in, 2.16Ghz, 120GB HD, 1.5 GB ram.
iBook G4: 1.07Ghz, 60GB HD, 756mb ram (on sale for parts)
     
Abbas
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Mar 30, 2006, 05:32 PM
 
Something weird- now that I've basically set all the apps and moved all the data, I actually find the MBP NOT getting as hot as it did the first couple of days. It still does get hot if its charging and I'm using it...but at night in my bed, it's not too bad anymore!
     
zombie67
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Mar 30, 2006, 07:32 PM
 
are you sure one of the core didn't die...
     
Voch
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Mar 30, 2006, 07:44 PM
 
Originally Posted by Abbas
Something weird- now that I've basically set all the apps and moved all the data, I actually find the MBP NOT getting as hot as it did the first couple of days. It still does get hot if its charging and I'm using it...but at night in my bed, it's not too bad anymore!
Maybe Spotlight completed indexing the drive?
     
cgijon
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Mar 30, 2006, 08:33 PM
 
Cry me a river, some people are just never happy.
     
G0Ducks
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Mar 30, 2006, 10:16 PM
 
This is exactly what I think has been happening. Could some more people report in about their spotlight indexing? Check your processes and see how much CPU spotlight is using... this is a nice clue.

BTW, I called apple and they said that the heat "issue" was an expected / normal thing AND that the "whine" issue had been remedied.

We shall see...

R


Originally Posted by Voch
Maybe Spotlight completed indexing the drive?
     
webb3201
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Mar 30, 2006, 10:31 PM
 
As has been noted many times, this is an aluminum case that is designed to work as a heat sink. The heat is drawn out of the machine to the external surfaces by deisign. Apple has called them portables or notebooks for years, stating in much of the literature that you should not use this in your lap. This is not a design flaw, or a problem they need to fix, just the manner in which you get to have a metal notebook that is an inch thin and does not sound like a jet airplance.

By a 10$ tray table at Walmart and you are set.
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PoisonTooth
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Mar 30, 2006, 10:46 PM
 
Please show me where Apple says you should not use a $2K - $3K notebook in your lap -- a notebook that competes with others that you CAN use in your lap.

I assume you have a link, right?
     
inkhead
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Mar 30, 2006, 11:41 PM
 
That's all fine and well that you can use your thinkpad T60p in your lap. But for me I personally don't care. I have a macbook pro and a this thinkpad as well. Using a notebook computer in your lap is *hitting ergonomics, and the macbook pro SPANKS my thinkpad all over the place.. Probably at least 3 times as fast. And we're not even talking about video performance.

Sure thinkpads are nice for super portable.. maybe someday Apple will again produce something along the lines of a duo. But I dont' expect power of a macbook pro, with the heat and weight of a thinkpad...
     
hakstooy
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Mar 31, 2006, 08:25 AM
 
Originally Posted by pete
The macbook is 1 inch thick and the T60 is 1.2 inches. They weigh the same. I'd take the structural durability, 3 year warranty and cool running case any day if it meant adding a fraction of an inch to the case. Clearly, Apple has it's priorities mixed up. we need better laptops and if that means that we can't make them quite as thin, then so be it. We're already doing pretty well, at just over an inch thick - as long as they don't weigh more, why is the thinness so important?
Sigh. I didn't make any claims over which design priorities were superior, all I stated was that of course the MBP is going to run hotter given that its case is metal and its 40% thinner. (And the T60 is 1.4 inches thick, it is only 1.2 inches thick at the front because it narrows there) To me, there is a significant difference between 1.4 and 1 inch.

photoeditor: That magnesium frame is inside the plastic case. It doesn't touch your skin. And, uh, if the back of your display is touching you when you have your laptop in your lap, you are using it oddly. Not to mention the display doesn't get that hot.

Look, the Thinkpad is made to be business-like and utilitarian, the MBP is supposed to be sexy. As for that being a mistake, well, I think Apple sells quite a few PowerBooks and MBPs.
     
webb3201
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Mar 31, 2006, 09:25 AM
 
Originally Posted by PoisonTooth
Please show me where Apple says you should not use a $2K - $3K notebook in your lap -- a notebook that competes with others that you CAN use in your lap.

I assume you have a link, right?


Yes I do mister smarty pants. This is from my most recent Macbook user manual. Its long so look for page 107, where is says "Do not leave the bottom of your MacBook Pro in contact with your lap or any surface of your body for extended periods. Prolonged contact with your body could cause
discomfort and potentially a burn. "

This was also in my Titanium and my first Al machine. They quit calling then laptops for more than marketing reasons.

http://manuals.info.apple.com/en/Mac...sers_Guide.pdf
( Last edited by webb3201; Mar 31, 2006 at 10:00 AM. )
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webb3201
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Mar 31, 2006, 09:52 AM
 
And I meant the "Mr Smarty Pants" comment in fun, not in the jerky tone it came off in writing.
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Phil333
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Mar 31, 2006, 10:48 AM
 
First of all, I hope all you men know that by using any laptop on your lap, you are harming your sperm because the heat warms up the area too much and they need to live in a regulated temperature. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6677040/

Second, it is best to use some type of stand when using any laptop to keep air circulating.
     
 
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