Welcome to the MacNN Forums.

Metro · Dec 24, 2001, 08:09 AM

I was wondering how other peoples trackpad buttons looked on their iBooks. (especially dual USB ones). Mine is pretty much flush on the right side but is raised a little bit on the left side. The trackpad itself is flush everywhere but the button is not, at least on the left side.

If no one else has theirs like this, is this an issue for AppleCare? I had been used to my Lomabard, where it was perfect alignment.

I am not sure what the status is on the variation with the iBook.

rjenkinson · Dec 24, 2001, 09:25 AM

if your button is working fine, it's not really an issue for applecare. however, if your trackpad button stops responding (ie. if you are unable to click), then you should call applecare and have them replace the top housing of your machine since the trackpad is built-in to the top piece.

-r.

[ 12-24-2001: Message edited by: rjenkinson ]

Metro · Dec 24, 2001, 09:41 AM

I didn't know it was built into the whole top casing! The trackpad button works, but I was curious as to whether this was a production line problem, as my other powerbooks seemed to be really lined up nicely.

niji · Dec 24, 2001, 10:35 AM

hi,
my trackpad is exactly the same way as yrs (somewhat raised above the molding, but only on the left side).
it is not a problem with how i use the pad and the it does not appear to be so raised as to be noticed by anyone but me).
i dont find it a problem.
but, apple quality assurance is VERY sloppy. first generation anything has so many problems, on apple's products.
early adopters need to get accostomed to sometimes very poor fitting together of components for them to be satisfied.
it is not a problem unique to apple, however. sony, and other companies that try to push the envelope often have components that dont fit well with each other. the mark of a true consumer products company is that they make improvements on the fly, which is what apple does do.

frankly, i am more pissed with myself that i havent been able to learn how to drag with just the mousepad yet...

ThisGuy · Dec 24, 2001, 03:12 PM

my button is flush on the right and raised on the left. pisses me off.

seanyepez · Dec 24, 2001, 04:14 PM

They're merely manufacturing issues. I'm sure, in time, they will get around to fixing the small issues with the iBook, as with any other company and any other product.

Unfortunately, Apple's warranty only covers defects that would affect the usability of the system. They won't repair the machine for purely aesthetic troubles.

vmarks · Dec 25, 2001, 12:00 AM

Originally posted by niji:
...
early adopters need to get accostomed to sometimes very poor fitting together of components for them to be satisfied.

Why blame the customer? It sounds like Quanta and AlphaTop (who assemble laptops for Apple, Sony, and others) need to get better QA Engineers.

You'd think Apple and others would have Apple Engineers watching over the Quanta and AlphaTop assembly and QA people, to ensure that the first products don't have the teething problems that you think customers need to accept. I would think it would be less costly to have Apple QA people watching over than it was to take back PowerbookG4 models for battery and DVD-ROM problems.

It's not the customer's fault that the product isn't perfect? Why should the customer accept less than perfect goods?

ThisGuy · Dec 25, 2001, 12:53 AM

Originally posted by vmarks:


Why blame the customer? It sounds like Quanta and AlphaTop (who assemble laptops for Apple, Sony, and others) need to get better QA Engineers.

You'd think Apple and others would have Apple Engineers watching over the Quanta and AlphaTop assembly and QA people, to ensure that the first products don't have the teething problems that you think customers need to accept. I would think it would be less costly to have Apple QA people watching over than it was to take back PowerbookG4 models for battery and DVD-ROM problems.

It's not the customer's fault that the product isn't perfect? Why should the customer accept less than perfect goods?

Preach on brother!

Nebrie · Dec 25, 2001, 03:59 AM

yeah, it seems all the early trackpads were like that. Shortly after the 600 ibooks came out, I had to get my trackpad replaced after it broke, and the replacement trackpad was perfectly even.

Metro · Dec 25, 2001, 07:39 AM

My problem is that it is only a 4 week old iBook 600 DVD. So it isn't one of the first models. Am I one of the few with a new iBook with this problem?

rjenkinson · Dec 25, 2001, 09:54 AM

unless your trackpad button is malfunctioning, you don't actually have a problem. feel better?

-r.

Sean2068 · Dec 25, 2001, 06:16 PM

I had the very same problem with my new iBook 600. After a couple of weeks of annoyance i decided to take some action.

I brought out the swiss army knife and popped the trackpad button out slightly. Pushed it back in straight and level. PERFECT!!!!

OK OK it sounds like a horrible thing to do, but let me assure you it is well worth it for the peace of mind, and it isn't nearly as risky as it sounds.

Dec 25, 2001, 07:20 PM

I have an ibook 500 CD dual usb, late 2001 model with the 15 gig drive. And, yes, my 'book has several problems such as what you describe with the trackpad button. Yes, the left side is not flush. Also, my keyboard really flexes a lot when I type. The little screw in the middle (above the 6) does not really hold very well. The small piece of plastic actually came right off and I had to stick it back on .

kcmac · Dec 26, 2001, 01:12 AM

I ordered my 500 dual USB combo drive during the keynote. I would say mine was made on one of the first runs. No problems here. Sorry you have a few. I am still impressed with the icebook. Best value that Apple has on the market today.

Technicolor · Dec 26, 2001, 01:44 AM

I have the same problem with my 500mhz iBook. Drives me nuts.

ccsccs7 · Dec 26, 2001, 06:32 AM

What I notice with my track pad button is that the back end is raised slightly more than the front end.

Metro · Dec 26, 2001, 07:19 AM

Originally posted by rjenkinson:
unless your trackpad button is malfunctioning, you don't actually have a problem. feel better?

-r.

Well I am not terribly bumming out or anything about this. And your right it does work. I won't get into the case of the cursor being erratic with the trackpad.

I just wanted to get a consensus of others and find if my situation was a rare case. I happen to really like my iBook. After buying Mac's for 8 years though, I had become used to everything being close to perfect. For all I knew when I posted this, was that I thought it was possible that it was supposed to either be above the edge or below. I had only had a couple of minutes with an iBook at the store and never gave a thought about the trackpad.

I can tell you something that would make me feel more comfortable though. When my iBook arrived and I put a DVD into it, it asked if I wanted to use 'Region 1'. I put more than 1 DVD in with the same results. My only options were to cancel or accept this. I finally accepted.

Now the question which I have never gotten an answer to is...has anyone else had this happen? If so do I still have all 5 regions left or did it take one. I have never had this happen on 2 other's (G3 & G4 towers). If you can answer this I will feel better. Thanks..

rjenkinson · Dec 26, 2001, 07:45 AM

if you want to watch DVDs from different regions, you should modify the firmware in your DVD drive. worm in the apple has many region-free versions of firmware for you to download (unfortunately, the download section is offline until the first of next year). after you change the firmware in your drive, you will still see the "warning", but you can reset this after every movie you watch.

-r.

Metro · Dec 26, 2001, 07:59 AM

Thanks for the link. I well check them out in a few days.

What is strange about what I was describing, is that I did not try to play a different region DVD. These were DVD's I have played on my other Mac's (for years in the case of my B&W 400), without a window prompt asking me to accept a region. Any way to find out how many regions I have left? The DVD prefs file doesn't seem to have that information.

rjenkinson · Dec 26, 2001, 09:52 AM

the first time you insert a DVD, the machine will ask you to set the region of the drive. don't know why that wasn't the case with your other machines, but i've always found it to be true.

to check the number of switches you have left on your drive, you can use the region program found on the site in my previous post... or rather you will be able to once the download page is back up again.

-r.

[ 12-26-2001: Message edited by: rjenkinson ]

Metro · Dec 27, 2001, 06:19 AM

That is strange that you have had to choose a Region. I have set up numerous DVD Mac's and none of them (except the iBook) have ever asked that I set the region the first time I play a DVD. Now I imagine it would if it was not a North America region 1 DVD. So I will wait until the site gets back up and see where I stand.....