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Leon van Schie · Jun 1, 2002, 06:08 PM

Since the new iBook uses the IBM 750FX that's only 3 watts, i.e. is more energy efficient than it's predecessors, how is battery life on them and how warm does it get after using it for a while?

I exchanged my iBook 500 for an TiBook 550 a while ago, and since I have it on my lap more than half the time, heat becomes a problem. "Excessive heat exposure will cause impotence" could be a nice warning label on the TiBook's. Anyhow... the iBook 500 becomes pretty warm after a while also, hence these questions. I'm trading my TiBook in for an iBook again. Love the form factor and design way better than the TiBook.

jetta_gt · Jun 1, 2002, 06:36 PM

I think the battery life has improved a fair amount.... I tested it last night, I was able to watch all the of the movie "North by Northwest" which is 136minutes long. This was achieved without dimming the screen at all, however, I did select the processer power reduction setting in the energy saver panel, this did not effect DVD playback at all....

jetta_gt

ddukes · Jun 2, 2002, 01:15 AM

I can testify too about the new iBook 700s. I just got mine after trading up on Thursday. I have to say that using my iBook for about 2 hours heat is not an issue as it has been with both previous iBooks (500 & 600). With the two previous iBooks my lap got sooooo HOT after a while I couldn't stand it.

Now I've had it on my bare lap and it is totally bearable. Although, I didn't know it could cause impotence. <img border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" title="" src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" />

Leon van Schie · Jun 2, 2002, 04:11 AM

The knowledge regarding the impotence thing is not out of personal experience though but out of medical interest...

Back to the heat... a cool LAP-top (lap being the key word here), one that does not burn your balls to a crisp, that's the best news ever!!!

What about battery usage when performing normal tasks.. The 750FX is more power efficient (3 watts compared to 16, I believe). Do charges last longer? I would love to see a true 6 hour use on my (yet to arrive) new iBook 14"/700/Combo??

[ 06-02-2002, 04:27 AM: Message edited by: Leon van Schie ]

ddukes · Jun 3, 2002, 02:34 AM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by Leon van Schie:
The knowledge regarding the impotence thing is not out of personal experience though but out of medical interest...

Back to the heat... a cool LAP-top (lap being the key word here), one that does not burn your balls to a crisp, that's the best news ever!!!

What about battery usage when performing normal tasks.. The 750FX is more power efficient (3 watts compared to 16, I believe). Do charges last longer? I would love to see a true 6 hour use on my (yet to arrive) new iBook 14"/700/Combo??<hr /></blockquote>It is MUCH cooler in my experience. Almost unbelievable difference from the 500 and 600 model I had.

Let's see. Two hours of e-mail, web, surf takes my battery life down to 75%. Can't remember if this is improved or not.

Leon van Schie · Jun 3, 2002, 04:06 AM

Wow, that's a real improvement!

This would mean 8 hour use in total, can't imagine Apple would not mention anything about that... What have you done, dim the screen and selected lower CPU speed? You must be using OS9///

ddukes · Jun 3, 2002, 07:25 PM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by Leon van Schie:
Wow, that's a real improvement!

This would mean 8 hour use in total, can't imagine Apple would not mention anything about that... What have you done, dim the screen and selected lower CPU speed? You must be using OS9///<hr /></blockquote>Nope, I'm using 100% OS X. The screen is dimmed much because I use my iBook with my KVM switch. Actually, I have my screen dimmed to 0% most of the day at work until I want to detach it and move around.

I think also using it with 10.2 DP helps because there are more power saving options than with 10.1.

meducus · Jun 3, 2002, 11:01 PM

I have the new ibook 700 (12.1). The battery life is very good but NO WAY are you getting 8 hours.

I have been using it for about a week now (almost exclusivley in OS X...some classic apps). You will get about 3 hours under fairly heavy use......up to about 5 hours if very consertative.

On average I get about 4 hours using a variety of apps.

Also heat is not a problem at all (only gets warm...never hot).

seanyepez · Jun 4, 2002, 12:03 AM

Lately, Apple's doing quite well with cooling their portables. The original Titanium PowerBook G4 was so hot, you could fry an egg while running SETI@Home.

I found myself spraying compressed air cans (upside down for the freezing effect) on the bottom of my 500-megahertz G4 TiBook to keep it cool. My 800-megahertz machine barely uses its fans during normal operation. While Quaking or playing Return to Castle Wolfenstein, however, a moderately loud fan will come on to keep it cool.

ddukes · Jun 4, 2002, 09:49 AM

You know what. After further use of my new iBook 700 I notice that it does have a CPU fan. The kind of faint noise of a fan is easy to hear if you listen directly over the area where the CPU is.

blakespot · Jun 4, 2002, 03:27 PM

Do you guys notice that on the left side of the iBook 700, the keyboard bows up very slightly--more bounce there. I removed the keyboard to place an AirPort card in there and noticed that the perforated (hole-y) metal shield that sits over the AirPort connecto and extends to the left side of the unit has a bit of a "bump" to it, where something is poking the metal shield up slightly, making it not perfectly flush. Pressing on the bump reveals it to feel solid--I assume this is how they are all put together. I just wanted to see if anyone else noticed this.

Thanks.

blakespot

ddukes · Jun 6, 2002, 08:04 AM

<blockquote>quote:<hr />Originally posted by blakespot:
Do you guys notice that on the left side of the iBook 700, the keyboard bows up very slightly--more bounce there. I removed the keyboard to place an AirPort card in there and noticed that the perforated (hole-y) metal shield that sits over the AirPort connecto and extends to the left side of the unit has a bit of a "bump" to it, where something is poking the metal shield up slightly, making it not perfectly flush. Pressing on the bump reveals it to feel solid--I assume this is how they are all put together. I just wanted to see if anyone else noticed this.

Thanks.

blakespot<hr /></blockquote>WoW. You right.