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CadetStimpy · Mar 21, 2006, 05:00 PM

Hey guys...

I picked up a Macbook Pro last week, and was thrilled to finally get my hands on one at the local dealer. I took it home and was quite impressed with the overall performance, look, and feel of the unit.

But sadly, that's where the fun ended. All because of heat.

My wife was the first to use it for an extended period over the weekend, and we discovered that the machine literally got too hot to handle. She was wearing jeans and had to put a pillow in her lap to hold it, because it was too hot to touch for more than a few seconds on the bottom. Now, I realize that heat is something to be expected from a fast processor, especially in a thin metal enclosure. But I've got an HP Tablet with a comparable processor that even thinner than the Macbook - and it doesn't get anywhere near this hot.

Knowing that excessive heat usually means shorter life with gear like this, I reluctantly took it back this morning and got my money back. I loved the unit, but simply felt that it was a problem waiting to happen a few months down the road.

I've browsed the threads and seen quite a few folks grousing about this. Anyone else find their Macbook a little 'too hot to handle?'

NightEyes · Mar 21, 2006, 05:03 PM

My MBP gets warm to be sure, but I've not found it too hot to use on my lap, which I do on a regular basis.

mintcake · Mar 21, 2006, 05:33 PM

Note that the aluminium enclosure acts as a heat sink, which is (a) why it gets so hot and (b) why you should not rest the computer on a pillow or something which will hinder circulation of air. What I've always done is put a hardcover book between my powerbook and my lap so that air continues to circulate underneath. That worked fine with my 12" pb, not sure how that will work with the 15" MBP.

rhodesy · Mar 21, 2006, 05:44 PM

I've had my mbp for about a week now and I have noticed that it does indeed get very hot.

I wear jeans most of the time and I have never found it too hot to be on my lap (and im a hardcore computer geek so its on my lap most of the night)

It gets particularly hot underneath only on the left hand side (when looking at the laptop normally as if its on your lap) then on the left speaker and the bar above the keyboard.

Just a thought, you could cross your legs and have it balancing on your right leg.

I had a Dell XPS Gen 2 before and I always had heat rash on my lefs so this is nothing in comparison!

jamil5454 · Mar 21, 2006, 05:47 PM

I recently went to the Apple Store and fiddled with a MacBook Pro.

After about 15 minutes of PhotoBooth and Safari, I found the MacBook to pretty cool on the top, but the bottom rear of the machine was definitely very warm. I don't think it'd be too hot to use on my lap, but it would certainly get uncomfortable after an hour or so.

Of course, I have an iBook G4 now which barely even gets warm under heavy usage so my perceptions may be slightly biased.

pete · Mar 21, 2006, 05:48 PM

I hate to have to agree. A few weeks ago I went to the Apple store to look at them and didn't feel too impressed coming from the next-to-last generation powerbook. since then i've been following these forums and become increasingly tempted to sell mine and get a new 1.83 macbook - mainly for the wonderful display and for the speed of course. However, I went again today to the Apple Store in Soho and checked it out....

what can i say? It is far too warm on top and far to hot underneath. Underneath is less of a problem, but the whole thing is very warm and without a doubt quite a bit warmer than my powerbook ever gets. the 17" powerbook next to it, by comparison, was cool and comfortable. I understand that these are very powerful machines, but apple needs to figure out how to address the heat!

the other thing that I noticed again was the display angle. I kept wanting to tilt it back further. In fact, if you're standing the only way to get a perfect viewing angle is to tilt the whole laptop backward or squat down. Again, I compared it with the powerbook 17" and there is significant difference. I know that Apple will eventually come to its senses with this and increase the angle. it doesn't make sense to have such a great display and handicap it bye making it hard to get a perfect angle.

Anyway, I really wanted to go ahead (as Peter KG knows....), but I still can't

dialo · Mar 21, 2006, 05:49 PM

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.

jhonizzle · Mar 21, 2006, 05:55 PM

i love the heat! now people probably think i must be stupid, but i love the fact that it is somewhat hot, i don't think it's burning hot by any means. But being able to warm up my lap or my hands is great. i look at it as an added feature!

Zeeb · Mar 21, 2006, 06:19 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.

I respectfully disagree with your last statement. 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. If its too hot to use in this fashion then it needs to be redesigned. Plenty of people have laptops that are cool enough to use on a lap during use. The MBP is the exception, not the rule. It's not a major problem in my view, but something that I hope is corrected in the next version.

pete · Mar 21, 2006, 06:24 PM

For those of us who type and write a lot, having a toasty warm keyboard is not nice at all. Who wants to have sweaty palms while working? I would have gone ahead with my order today if it hadn't been for the heat...hope they address it somehow in the next revision.

mrmister · Mar 21, 2006, 07:22 PM

"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.

hakstooy · Mar 21, 2006, 07:25 PM

I have never noticed heat when typing. Normal use does not get hot (at least on top) so typing does not give you sweaty palms.

The only time my MBP gets really hot is under intensive disk and CPU activity.

vamp07 · Mar 22, 2006, 08:13 AM

I'm installing windows in the Q pc emulator and will be cooking breakfast on my laptop in a few minutes. Seriously I have a vio dual core which is metal on the bottom and plastic on the top. No fan noise and really no heat points either. I wonder if the mac uses really underpowered fans and relies on the case for heat disipation. The heat thing is a little too much if you ask me.

NYCFarmboy · Mar 22, 2006, 10:49 AM

the heat issue is why I'll probably get a plastic ibook when they come out with intel chips, to avoid the aluminum enclosure which I just don't like. I just hope apple does something interesting and comes out with black ibooks rather than the old fashioned white.

dialo · Mar 22, 2006, 01:30 PM

Originally Posted by Zeeb

Plenty of people have laptops that are cool enough to use on a lap during use.

So go buy one.

The MBP is the exception, not the rule.

Not if you are talking about apple pro laptops for at least the last half decade.

pete · Mar 22, 2006, 01:40 PM

Originally Posted by dialo

So go buy one.

Not if you are talking about apple pro laptops for at least the last half decade.

This is missing the point: regardless if we see this as a problem or not, I think most people would agree that it is more pleasant using a coold computer than one that is very warm on top and burns your legs on your lap. Not to mention when you have been using it for a while and want to grab it but but the bottom almost burns your fingers.

If PC manufacturers can get their machines to run cooler, why can't Apple? Which is more important: to shred a fraction of an inch off the case of the Macbook, or leave it as it was and get a slightly cooler computer? Have slightly more fan activity, or a hotter laptop? These are some of the choices Apple makes, but I think they are spending too much time on form over function and ergonomics. I'm positive that with all the creative minds at Apple, there must be a way to get these things to run cooler withoout sacrificing everything else....

I remember my first Powerbook G3 wallstree 250ghz 13". It was so hot around the trackpad and underneath that I thought it was going to burn up. This was in 1998!

dialo · Mar 22, 2006, 02:24 PM

Originally Posted by pete

This is missing the point: regardless if we see this as a problem or not, I think most people would agree that it is more pleasant using a coold computer than one that is very warm on top and burns your legs on your lap.

I got the point. I just don't agree that all "laptops" should be designed to be used directly on someone's legs.

If this is a dealbreaker for someone unwilling to use a ilap, hardcover book or other clever solution, they can buy an ibook.

Of course, it would be nicer if they didn't get so hot, but they do get hot and have done so for a long time, so no one should bank on the expectation that it will change any time soon.

I remember my first Powerbook G3 wallstree 250ghz 13". It was so hot around the trackpad and underneath that I thought it was going to burn up. This was in 1998!

So at least 8 years, then.

buddy1065 · 04:13 PM

It should be obvious all Macbooks are not perfect and some may operate with a heat range hotter, sometimes intolerably, because of fine tolerances not met with the heat sink or some other reason. I would wait till my laptop is sizzling and take it directly (without shutting it off) to an Apple store and let a genious handle it. If it is returned from repair 3 times in the same condition they should replace your laptop with a new one for free. Be sure they make a record of it's exterior condition before they send it in; if it comes back damaged they can claim it was that way before they got it. No way would I keep a lemon waffle iron for a laptop, unless I wanted waffles every morning with whipped cream and strawberries. Don't be a whoose, stand up for your rights even if you have to make an Apple genious sit the laptop on his bare lap for 5 minutes. (make him strip to his drawers) If he doesn't give in after grimmacing thru the pain, at least you can leave with the belief that he will probably never be able to have children, unless of course security hauls you off first.

jamil5454 · Mar 22, 2006, 05:59 PM

Originally Posted by jhonizzle

i love the heat! now people probably think i must be stupid, but i love the fact that it is somewhat hot, i don't think it's burning hot by any means. But being able to warm up my lap or my hands is great. i look at it as an added feature!

You tend to have a different view of hot when you live in Texas. It only froze twice this winter here in Austin

onlykaria · Mar 22, 2006, 06:32 PM

yes mine does get VERY hot. too hot to handle.... but then again so did my ibook g4... but i found that it does get hotter than the ibook did.

i got the icurve and have to say that when it is elevated on the icurve it does not get anywhere near as hot as it does on my lap.

onlykaria · Mar 22, 2006, 06:41 PM

Originally Posted by Zeeb

I respectfully disagree with your last statement. 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. If its too hot to use in this fashion then it needs to be redesigned. Plenty of people have laptops that are cool enough to use on a lap during use. The MBP is the exception, not the rule. It's not a major problem in my view, but something that I hope is corrected in the next version.

i agree that that i what people do, but i have to say that i had a tashiba satelite pro from 1995 and there is no way in hell that that laptop was intended for use on the lap... it weighed so much that you never had on your laptop long enough to know if it was too hot. i dont think that any laptop is intended for use MOSTLY on laps. i think its intended so that you can put on your lap if you have no other choice.. from what i can recall just of the top of my head adverts reflect this. that is for laptop ads , i rarely see laptops on a persons laptop... sounds silly, but thats just what i have seen....

hldan · Mar 22, 2006, 09:26 PM

Originally Posted by CadetStimpy

Hey guys...

I picked up a Macbook Pro last week, and was thrilled to finally get my hands on one at the local dealer. I took it home and was quite impressed with the overall performance, look, and feel of the unit.

But sadly, that's where the fun ended. All because of heat.

My wife was the first to use it for an extended period over the weekend, and we discovered that the machine literally got too hot to handle. She was wearing jeans and had to put a pillow in her lap to hold it, because it was too hot to touch for more than a few seconds on the bottom. Now, I realize that heat is something to be expected from a fast processor, especially in a thin metal enclosure. But I've got an HP Tablet with a comparable processor that even thinner than the Macbook - and it doesn't get anywhere near this hot.

Knowing that excessive heat usually means shorter life with gear like this, I reluctantly took it back this morning and got my money back. I loved the unit, but simply felt that it was a problem waiting to happen a few months down the road.

I've browsed the threads and seen quite a few folks grousing about this. Anyone else find their Macbook a little 'too hot to handle?'

I don't have the Macbook however I do have the 17" PowerBook G4 and it does have it's very hot moments. I can't believe the heat was such an issue for you that you got a refund. Was the computer bought soley to be used on your lap only? I barely use my notebook on my lap, it mostly sits upon a table.
The components are not going to wear over time from the heat. I have had mine for 3 years now and haven't had a single problem due to excessive heat. Apple knows the computer gets hot but the metal is a heatsink so don't get the wrong idea that your components are frying.
A tablet PC is not something to compare and I have used many plastic PC notebooks that get hotter than the Apple notebooks.

pete · Mar 22, 2006, 10:39 PM

Originally Posted by hldan

I don't have the Macbook however I do have the 17" PowerBook G4 and it does have it's very hot moments. I can't believe the heat was such an issue for you that you got a refund. Was the computer bought soley to be used on your lap only? I barely use my notebook on my lap, it mostly sits upon a table.
The components are not going to wear over time from the heat. I have had mine for 3 years now and haven't had a single problem due to excessive heat. Apple knows the computer gets hot but the metal is a heatsink so don't get the wrong idea that your components are frying.
A tablet PC is not something to compare and I have used many plastic PC notebooks that get hotter than the Apple notebooks.

I think the main difference between the powerbooks and the macbook pro is that the MBPs get very warm on top too - on the keyboard, palmrests they are very warm and up in the left corner they are hot (not that it matters up there). they're also burning hot undeneath. The powerbooks in my experience seldom heat up like that on top, even when they get hot underneath.

About frying components. It doesn't happen on PCs with plastic cases and it won't happen on alu macs either. So why doesn't Apple go with a material that doesn't heat up the way alum. does? It's just a question of stylish looks, nothing else...

Personally, I'd prefer a composite case like some of the thinkpads have- they're very durable and don't get as hot.

dialo · Mar 23, 2006, 01:18 AM

I'm very curious to hear from owners of both powerbooks and macbook pros about the difference in heat.

n8236 · Mar 23, 2006, 03:40 AM

I had an old Gateway PIII 500mhz and it's just as hot if not hotter, so i'm not complaining.

Ppl have to realize if they demand power, power comes at a price. And one of those prices are heat.

pete · Mar 23, 2006, 07:15 AM

Well, that's the whole things: well designed PC laptops today are running cooler than Apple's Macbooks. They should at least be as good, shouldn't they?

JKT · Mar 23, 2006, 08:29 AM

Originally Posted by pete

I think the main difference between the powerbooks and the macbook pro is that the MBPs get very warm on top too - on the keyboard, palmrests they are very warm and up in the left corner they are hot (not that it matters up there). they're also burning hot undeneath. The powerbooks in my experience seldom heat up like that on top, even when they get hot underneath.<snip>

In my experience, when taxing the CPU to any degree, my PowerBook gets very hot underneath where the RAM cover is. It gets very hot when charging in the top left corner by the power socket, (otherwise it is just warm in that location when plugged in). It certainly gets warm on the palm rests - the left hand one more so due to the battery. So I would guess that your experience of PowerBooks is not universal. Unless the MBP is radically hotter when used under the same conditions, everything I have read about them so far sounds identical to my PowerBook.

FWIW, if I am maxing my CPU for prolonged periods of time, it gets extremely hot on the RAM cover which makes it uncomfortable to use on my lap without e.g. a newspaper or something below it.

With respect to the plastic PCs - I assume that they must have to run their fans far more frequently to lose heat and sorry, if that is the price (noisier machine) of using a plastic case, I for one don't want it.

Barefoot Matt · Mar 23, 2006, 08:54 AM

Is there any sort of software hack available to adjust the cut-off temperature for the fans (i.e. make them kick in sooner to keep the machine from getting so hot)? If so, will that void the warranty?

cambro · Mar 23, 2006, 10:21 AM

The whole "hot", "warm", "cool" thing is ridiculously subjective but...

My 1.83 MBP falls into what I would call "warm."

It is not hot..not hotter than my old Ghz Ti, that's for sure. I can comfortably sit with the MBP on my lap for hours. I can hold the computer with my palms on the bottom after it has been on for hours with no discomfort.

Now, I haven't tried sticking it on my bare ass or anything, but heat on my MBP is a non-issue.

Now that buzz on the other hand...!

CorpITGuy · Mar 23, 2006, 10:42 AM

Are the MBPs as hot as the original 1ghz Aluminum PB G4?

Mine got so hot it would burn my wife's lap. She had to use a pillow (thus making it even worse).

G0Ducks · Mar 23, 2006, 11:47 AM

You see... Go to a PC processor and you start thinking like a PC user... "Oh... 'that'... well, THAT my friend is a feature!" Microsoft has been doing this for years... Let's NOT let apple get away with it too...

R

Originally Posted by jhonizzle

i love the heat! now people probably think i must be stupid, but i love the fact that it is somewhat hot, i don't think it's burning hot by any means. But being able to warm up my lap or my hands is great. i look at it as an added feature!

mss1337 · Mar 23, 2006, 06:19 PM

i agree. the macbook pro gets far too hot to use on the bottom to put on your lap. I really want to get an mbp, as it is an amazingly fast computer at a good value. But, i wanna see if they are going to do anything to keep the bottom a little cooler.

Poogy · Mar 23, 2006, 06:34 PM

Laptops have been pretty hot since about 1996, when I burned my legs with a P75 Dell laptop. I don't expect that to change--at least, certainly not until they stop using hard drives with moving parts. :-)

pete · Mar 23, 2006, 07:23 PM

Originally Posted by Poogy

Laptops have been pretty hot since about 1996, when I burned my legs with a P75 Dell laptop. I don't expect that to change--at least, certainly not until they stop using hard drives with moving parts. :-)

This is not always the case, as several people (including myself) have noted with the Thinkpads (T40, T43, T60, for example) which never heat up the way the powerbooks and Macbook pros do. So it IS possible to design a notebook that is both powerful AND runs cool, but Apple has not managed to do it. Since I'm an idiot with these things, I'd love to hear what it is with the thinkpads that allow them to run as 'cool' as they do. It can't just be the use of plastic for the case material, can it?

schmoe · Mar 23, 2006, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by pete

'd love to hear what it is with the thinkpads that allow them to run as 'cool' as they do. It can't just be the use of plastic for the case material, can it?

Take a look at the big heatsink and pipes with fan behind the grills on the left hand side of your T series :-) Plus the fan runs continuously and louder than the MBP.

pete · Mar 23, 2006, 08:10 PM

I used the T40 for several months last summer when the weather was hot and the fan was almost inaudible. Because I often work in quiet environments, I'm very sensitive to noise so I would have noticed if it had been noisy. The heatsink on the picture looks grrrreat! Why can't Apple put one of those in its notebooks?

thefunkymunky · Mar 24, 2006, 07:52 AM

Apple and a lot of other manufacturers market their portable computers as notebooks not laptops. They never suggest you can use them on your lap for an extended time. Having a powerful computer in such a small encloser is bound to generate heat. You can go the cooler Thinkpad route and carry a brick around or go the Apple route and put up with a bit of heat.

Zeeb · Mar 24, 2006, 11:16 AM

Originally Posted by thefunkymunky

Apple and a lot of other manufacturers market their portable computers as notebooks not laptops. They never suggest you can use them on your lap for an extended time. Having a powerful computer in such a small encloser is bound to generate heat. You can go the cooler Thinkpad route and carry a brick around or go the Apple route and put up with a bit of heat.

Its bound to generate some heat I agree. A warm laptop/notebook is just fine but a hot one is mildly uncomfortable. It's really not a great big deal to me, but sometimes there just isn't a surface to put your computer on besides your lap. These computers are designed to be portable--not to just sit on desks all the time. A cooler running machine would enhance a portable experience. At any rate, this issue wouldn't prevent me from buying one if I needed to replace.

bighill · Mar 24, 2006, 11:24 AM

not really saying anything new here, I saw/played with the macbook for the first time yesterday at tekserve in nyc and the first thing I thought was: wow, is this sucker HOT. second thought was how fast it was. I want one.

Jean-Loup · Mar 24, 2006, 12:06 PM

I've had mine (2.0GHz) on my bare lap and have not been inconvienienced in the least. Sure, it's slightly hot to touch....but not scolding hot by any strech on the imagination. And that's comming from a person that doesn't like heat....lol. BTW, I had about 5 apps running plus a movie and iTunes. I have trouble beleiving that the heat is THAT much of an issue.

Would I like the MBP to be cold? Sure, it's always better to have something running cold. But I haven't seen that in a laptop for years be it PC or Mac. I have a Compaq lappy sitting right next to my MBP and I really would not trade my MBP for that AMD64 lappy for all the money in the world.

WOPR · Mar 24, 2006, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by pete

The heatsink on the picture looks grrrreat! Why can't Apple put one of those in its notebooks?

My 12" AluBook had something very similar when I stripped it down to parts...

ben.mcguire · Mar 24, 2006, 12:45 PM

Originally Posted by thefunkymunky

Apple and a lot of other manufacturers market their portable computers as notebooks not laptops. They never suggest you can use them on your lap for an extended time. Having a powerful computer in such a small encloser is bound to generate heat. You can go the cooler Thinkpad route and carry a brick around or go the Apple route and put up with a bit of heat.

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

zac4mac · Mar 24, 2006, 01:03 PM

I have yet to hear the fans on my MBP. When I first got it, it ran really hot, so I have a slab of aluminum at work and an aluminum clipboard I put it on at home. It doesn't seem to run that hot now, though. I have it running BOINC, so both processors are maxed when it's on(not in transit).

I'll take it off the clipboard, it's sitting on a drawer now, measuring temp after waiting for 15 minutes.

Left palmrest 97F, hotspot on back, just above RAM nacelle 105.9F - 106.3F. By the left corner of the RAM bay,111.5F. Under HDD, 105.7F, under superdrive91.5F. Ambient temp - 72.4F, J-type thermocouple, Barnant Tri-Sense digital thermometer.

PoisonTooth · Mar 24, 2006, 08:02 PM

I was going to purchase either a MBP or T60p, and I went with the T60p, mainly because of heat issues. That thing gets way, way, way too hot for a pro notebook, and I've checked several MBPs running for extended durations to make sure the first one I checked wasn't a lemon.

The T60p, on the other hand, can do heavy lifting and barely get warm. Say whatever you want about the stark black design, but the machine is built like a tank and is meant for heavy-duty daily use. IMHO, it's the best Windows laptop in the world, bar none.

Anyway, my .02 on MBP heat. I promise you Apple will try to address this in the next gen.

Danoldo · Mar 24, 2006, 11:40 PM

It makes me cringe to see the whines coming about heat, which is mainly a factor when under extreme long use or heavy processor demand. The MBP fluctuates from slightly warm to hot to warm to hot, etc....

I don't know what you people expect out of Apple. Do you want the best looks? Cause I know on many PC forums that they all envy the looks of the MBP/Powerbook x 10 over what they recieve.
Do you like how thin it is? Laptop consumers have expressed how they love the extremely thin sleek look. Finally, Intel developed a processor that was small enough to be able to accomodate such a nice thin smooth case. The case was then designed for the heat disappation. It is supposed to get hot. If you can afford a $3,000 dollar laptop but MUST have it sit on your lap instead of a $20-$50 dollar stand, which in my opinion is even more comfortable, then obviously you're too picky to have the luxury of the latest greatest technological advancement in computers. Sorry, I guess you will just have to wait until the next latest greatest computer comes out and accomodates all you people who must have a laptop to sit on your lap without getting hot.

I dont know about you all, but I feel lucky to be apart of such an awesome thing and to be fortunate enough to use it to where I think the heat issue is easily dealt with. Have fun waiting.

PoisonTooth · Mar 25, 2006, 01:23 AM

Originally Posted by Danoldo

It makes me cringe to see the whines coming about heat, which is mainly a factor when under extreme long use or heavy processor demand. The MBP fluctuates from slightly warm to hot to warm to hot, etc....

I don't know what you people expect out of Apple. Do you want the best looks? Cause I know on many PC forums that they all envy the looks of the MBP/Powerbook x 10 over what they recieve.
Do you like how thin it is? Laptop consumers have expressed how they love the extremely thin sleek look. Finally, Intel developed a processor that was small enough to be able to accomodate such a nice thin smooth case. The case was then designed for the heat disappation. It is supposed to get hot. If you can afford a $3,000 dollar laptop but MUST have it sit on your lap instead of a $20-$50 dollar stand, which in my opinion is even more comfortable, then obviously you're too picky to have the luxury of the latest greatest technological advancement in computers. Sorry, I guess you will just have to wait until the next latest greatest computer comes out and accomodates all you people who must have a laptop to sit on your lap without getting hot.

I dont know about you all, but I feel lucky to be apart of such an awesome thing and to be fortunate enough to use it to where I think the heat issue is easily dealt with. Have fun waiting.

Who's waiting? I'm sitting here with my T60p and loving it. It's been running for 5.5 hours straight and isn't even warm to the touch. Even my 12" Rev B PowerBook isn't anywhere near this cool.

I'm sorry, but if I'm going to drop $3K on a notebook, I expect SOME form, even if it comes at the expense of function. A laptop that gets as hot as the MBP does isn't suitable for many people, myself included. If you read a lot of the user comments on the MBP, you'll find the heat issue isn't just isolated to people like me...it's a widespread complaint.

So here I have this laptop that competes against the MBP in every single regard, yet it runs incredibly quiet and never gets hot. It has the same components, including a higher-res screen and workstation-class graphics card. It's a portable pro machine in every single regard.

That's what I was looking for. Since this is my primary machine, I could not afford to get a MBP that would be uncomfortably hot whenever I use it away from a desk, which is about 40% of the time.

I'm a huge Apple fan, but I know when to call a spade a spade. The MBP is an awesome laptop, but it lacks dramatically in certain dimensions.

amazing · Mar 25, 2006, 03:30 AM

here's the lap protection that everyone needs ('course it's sized for a 12" and needs to be a little bit wider for the MBP, but you get the idea). It's an acrylic EZ-Lap, with a front lip to keep the optical discs from ejecting inadvertently, and good air flow under the notebook:

http://www.cyberguys.com/templates/s...search=&child=

just wish I knew someone who had one so I could try it out.

John123 · Mar 25, 2006, 04:54 AM

A lot of it also stems on what you're doing with the laptop. When I first got my MBP, I would have described it as "quite warm, and hot to the touch in places." Over the last week, I've been doing some work that consistently keeps both cores at or near 100% (i.e., pure CPU work). It gets positively scalding to use on my lap, even with pants. I pride myself on being a type-A, too-tough-for-pain guy, but it's even too much for me sometimes.

So, the point of my post is that the subjective impressions of heat may have something to do with the particular user, but they also have a lot to do with what the laptop's being used for as well.

skyman · Mar 25, 2006, 04:29 PM

My 1.83GHz MBP is considerably warmer than my 1GHz Ti PB. However, I did watch a DVD in bed last night and was not bothered by the heat.

Very warm yes, hot...not.

No loud fans like the Ti. I guess that's the trade off.

What I can't stand is the annoying whine!

Danoldo · Mar 27, 2006, 12:05 AM

Originally Posted by PoisonTooth

Who's waiting? I'm sitting here with my T60p and loving it. It's been running for 5.5 hours straight and isn't even warm to the touch. Even my 12" Rev B PowerBook isn't anywhere near this cool.

I'm sorry, but if I'm going to drop $3K on a notebook, I expect SOME form, even if it comes at the expense of function. A laptop that gets as hot as the MBP does isn't suitable for many people, myself included. If you read a lot of the user comments on the MBP, you'll find the heat issue isn't just isolated to people like me...it's a widespread complaint.

So here I have this laptop that competes against the MBP in every single regard, yet it runs incredibly quiet and never gets hot. It has the same components, including a higher-res screen and workstation-class graphics card. It's a portable pro machine in every single regard.

That's what I was looking for. Since this is my primary machine, I could not afford to get a MBP that would be uncomfortably hot whenever I use it away from a desk, which is about 40% of the time.

I'm a huge Apple fan, but I know when to call a spade a spade. The MBP is an awesome laptop, but it lacks dramatically in certain dimensions.

Don't know. As long as I have clothing on, jeans or khaki's, etc......yes, it does get warm, but I dont find it intolerable(and I live in Arizona, where my house is anywhere but cool). If it does get to the point where I am getting a little uncomfortable while it gets real hot.....I put it on the table in front of me.