[kertong]

Shoot. I bought a rev. A 12" 867mhz powerbook a month ago..

It was perfect then.. but now I am noticing the wobble, and the aluminum right next to the latch-release button has popped out about 1mm, and you can push it in with your thumb. But it pops right out.

I've done a search and it seems most people are getting the wobble after having their LCDs replaced - however, mine is still on its original LCD.. (no white spot, whew!) I've seen that sometimes, the battery compartment isn't sitting flush.. but sadly, this is the corner that wobbles, so the battery side's rubber foot is too high off the desk, when the battery is sitting flush.

So I know I'm not the only one with this problem.. what does everyone do about it?

Has anyone taken it into the apple store and had it covered? I don't have applecare, but I do have the 1 year manufacturer's warranty..

bleh.

[kobetsang]

I just had the same problem. No wobble for 2 months.
Yesterday - massive wobble that won't go away.
Anyone have a fix?

[orsadude2]

Hey is this on the 12 inch?

My girlfriend just mentioned her 12 PB wobbles due to the battery not seating flush! We went to the Apple Store in Clarendon, VA and got rude treatment. Actually my girlfriend did, I was wandering around drooling. Anyway, she's a writer, so when she lays her machine flat and types, the wobbling bugs the heck out of her. We just wanted to know could it be fixed. The customer rep was like...it looks like a battery problem. So my girlfriend says, can you install another battery to see? The guy acted like she asked for his first born. Once the second battery didn't fix the issue, he acted like he didn't want to be bothered. So he says, well you had 10 days to bring it back....like he assumed we wanted a new machine. We just wanted the damn thing fixed, after 2G's and less than 45 days we expected to get some help. We just left but I was fuming...It was better I calmed down then open a can of whup ass in the Apple store, especially since there was a class on I-chat going and camera's every where.

Any suggestions? Is this a common problem? Didn't purchase apple care but it's only been 45 days.....

[spiderbyte]

Originally posted by kertong:
Shoot. I bought a rev. A 12" 867mhz powerbook a month ago..

It was perfect then.. but now I am noticing the wobble...
So I know I'm not the only one with this problem.. what does everyone do about it?

The problem is the result of temperature related differential expansion and contraction of the aluminum case. It's especially apparent on the 12 inch models because of the relatively small footprint combined with the very low profile "feet". All it takes is for the case to expand just a bit and you then have a wobble.

Here are some options:

1) Send it back to Apple under warranty and try to get a new machine out of them. This is not a very good option, as a high proportion of machines will eventually develop the same problem and you will be right back to where you started. You may also get a machine that ends up having more wrong with it that a little wobble.

2) Try to bend it. This is too imprecise and you may just end up making the problem worse... or breaking something.

3) Shave feet down with a razor blade. Unacceptable as you further decrease the distance between the bottom of the feet and the bottom of your case.

4) Add thicker feet. This is a decent option. You can purchase material which is rubber like, several mm in thickness, and has adhesive applied to one side of it. This material is available in hardware stores. Cut 4 pieces of this material for new, enlarged feet (1 cm x 2 cm is a good size) and then stick them on the bottom and solve your wobble problem. It looks a little ugly on there, but who looks at the bottom of the computer?

Make sure that the testing surface is absolutely flat. A piece of glass (coffee table?) is a nice flat testing surface.

//// \\\\ spiderbyte

[kobetsang]

I found the end that wasn't balancing. Placed that end off the table and gently put pressure w/ my forarm while holding down the other side.

No more rocking!

[uv23]

My 12" Rev B was perfect until I had the display replaced, then it wobbled. I brought it back to the shop I bought it from and within a few minutes it was perfect again. He just had to retorque/rebalance some screws. It had nothing to do with heat.

[Ivar]

I have the exact same rev. a problems as you kertong. The aluminium popout bothers the hell out of me. What to do?

I bought my machine in Aug 03

Ivar

[kertong]

Originally posted by Ivar:
I have the exact same rev. a problems as you kertong. The aluminium popout bothers the hell out of me. What to do?

Agreed - the "popout" (cool term btw) bugs the hell out of me. The wobbling, I bent out with my forearm like previously suggested (thanks for the tip!).

The popout seems to be from the expansion of the aluminum siding. The screws hold it in place on the sides of the powerbook, but no screws hold it firm on the bottom/front edge. Hence, the aluminum expands, but the screws holding it tight don't let it budge.. so it bulges out where it can - at the bottom/front edge.

I wonder if loosening the screws on the sides would help alleviate the problem - but I don't want a loose, creaky feeling laptop. I want the powerbook to feel like one solid slab of metal - which it did when I first bought it.. but not anymore.

[Orion27]

I'd call BS on Apple. No ****ing way would I accept a warped Powerbook.

[GeneShifter]

My wife and I went into 2 Apple stores here in the Dallas area. At both stores, we were treated like dirt. The sales people were very rude, especially at the Knox street store in Dallas. All I wanted was to buy some replacement rubber feet for my 12". When I asked to buy some, they laughed and said that "we do not just give out our feet. You have to bring the machine in." I'll never buy from Apple directly nor set foot into another Apple store ever ever again. I am just shocked at their behavior.