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You are here: MacNN Forums > Hardware - Troubleshooting and Discussion > Mac Notebooks > 17" MBP loose hinge

17" MBP loose hinge
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tintub
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Location: Melbourne, AU (from Bristol UK)
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Dec 11, 2006, 05:21 AM
 
Just got one of the newest MBP 17", and noticed that if I have the screen opened fully and tilt it so that the screen is maybe 10/20 degrees off the vertical, it falls closed (almost). Is this normal? I have googled it and it seems to be a common issue, I'm just not sure *how* common. It's a paid-for-by-work laptop so am not too bothered by it but if it is unusual and should be replaced or can be fixed it would be worth knowing.

TIA
     
ewiser
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Dec 11, 2006, 06:19 AM
 
Yes the screen will close if you tilt it. My 17" MBP does the same thing.
Others have noted the same thing. I don't have the problem anymore as I have learned how to handle it. Noticed the problem when I switched from a 12" powerbook to the 17" MBP.
     
tintub  (op)
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Dec 11, 2006, 06:32 AM
 
thanks... that's pretty crappy, especially combined with the limited opening of all the mac notebooks...

another question, when you work with it on your lap, balanced in such a way that the screen is at an ok angle, do you find that the edges of the MBP hurt your wrists after a bit? I'm finding that Also having to take off my watch when I use it like that for fear of scratching it up.

I'm thinking maybe I should have gone for the 15", but it's too late now This machine is fine on the table, but as a laptop it's not that well designed IMO (and yes, I know it's a "notebook" and not a "laptop").
     
Black_Rain
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Dec 11, 2006, 10:39 PM
 
well sorry to hear your problem...

but to comment on the last post... I have a 15" and whenever i wear my watch, i feel like i'm going to scratch the edges of the mbp... i just attributed this to my size...i'm a 6'5'' guy and have hands proportionate to my size... but also if i'm using my mac on a table-top... i find that after awhile... it does hurt the lower side of my wrists from the repetative motion of typing...

its no big deal, but it almost seems like apple should have moved the keboard up a light bit closer to the trackpad... I guess that would affect aesthetics closely, and maybe its not completely ergonomically correct...

whatever...not too much of a problem...
     
ewiser
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Dec 12, 2006, 07:58 AM
 
Never notice any problem typing. With the size of the screen it is a lot of weight on the hinges.
     
SierraDragon
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Dec 12, 2006, 04:47 PM
 
Originally Posted by tintub View Post
Just got one of the newest MBP 17", and noticed that if I have the screen opened fully and tilt it so that the screen is maybe 10/20 degrees off the vertical, it falls closed (almost). Is this normal? I have googled it and it seems to be a common issue, I'm just not sure *how* common. It's a paid-for-by-work laptop so am not too bothered by it but if it is unusual and should be replaced or can be fixed it would be worth knowing.

TIA
AFAIK that is just the way it is; I got used to it quickly. The engineering cost of having a large heavy *spectacular* screen. You are correct, it is not the same as a 15" screen: it neither looks nor handles like one. Folks who prefer 15" should just buy 15".

-Allen Wicks
     
vamp07
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Jan 16, 2007, 08:19 AM
 
I bought a 17" at CompUSA yesterday and ended up returning it. Had to talk to the manager because they did not want to give me a refund. Very annoying and will make me think twice about buying at CompUSA in the future. The bottom line for me is that I use my laptop allot while propped up on my knees either in bed or sitting on a chair. This laptop is useless in that setup. The screen just falls over. Most laptops including the 17" Vaio I am using to type this don't have this problem. I would stick to a 15" unless you plan on always using your laptop on a flat surface.
     
SierraDragon
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Jan 16, 2007, 01:28 PM
 
Originally Posted by vamp07 View Post
...The bottom line for me is that I use my laptop allot while propped up on my knees either in bed or sitting on a chair. This laptop is useless in that setup. The screen just falls over. Most laptops including the 17" Vaio I am using to type this don't have this problem. I would stick to a 15" unless you plan on always using your laptop on a flat surface.
Perhaps the 17" you tested was unusually loose. I use mine in my lap in all the positions a reclining chair can go into, no problem. I did need to learn to readjust the screen when changing positions, however; no big deal. Apparently it makes sense to verify that a 17" laptop's screen is relatively stiff when buying one.

-Allen Wicks
     
Javizun
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Jan 16, 2007, 08:17 PM
 
Does the 17" lcd on a macbook pro suffer from grain on the screen like its little sister the 15"?

I am on the market for a 17" I sold my 15" only to find out i will be traveling alot for the company i work for so now back to the notebook community it is.
A.I.R (ART IS RESISTANCE)
     
   
 
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