[damiensmunki]

Sorry... I've been doing searches on here for some time now, and I just have a few questions for which I would like explicit answers. I'm planning on purchasing a PowerBook in a week or so, and I don't want to spend this much money without exhausting all of my resources to reassure myself that I'm making the correct decision.

I'm torn between all three flavors: PB12, PB15, and PB17 all with superdrive. The heat issues are major deal breakers for me. Does any model stay significantly cooler than the others?

The temp estimates of 120-140 F seem outrageous to me. I currently have a Sony Vaio notebook with a Pentium 3 processor, and it doesn't seem to get this hot. It stays warm on the bottom, but it's not very distracting. The top stays cool. I know that the Vaio is made of plastic and the PB is made of aluminum and that this should cause some differences, but again, 120-140 sounds mighty toasty. Perhaps my perceptions of temperatures are a little off? Maybe I'm imagining these temps to be hotter than they actually are. Is 120-140 a normal temp range for a notebook computer?

It seems that most issues occur when the computer is plugged into a charger. Will removing the battery when connected to the charger alleviate any of the heat issues? Are any of the heat issues associated with the battery, or do they revolve around the hard drive and processor?

Lastly, I can deal with some heat on the bottom of the machine, but if the palm rests or the keyboard get hot to the touch, I'll seriously have to re-think my purchase plans (maybe a G5 desktop system). Do any of the models remain cool on top?

Okay, now...please go easy on me, regarding all the other posts on heat issues. I've searched and read many of them, however, they mostly discuss devices to alleviate the heat issues, in which none of my interests lie (I'm purchasing a portable machine and don't want to lug around a platform for it), and temp fluctuations and the programs that cause them (iChat!). So, please forgive me for my addition to the never-ending heat threads. I'm just kind of panicking, since I'm getting down to the line and preparing to drop a lot of money on this machine. Thanks very much for any help! It will be much appreciated.

[rag on a muffin]

the 17 inch is the coolest. more surface area to dissipate the heat.

the 12 inch dubbed the "firebook" is the hottest.

the 15 inch is the well rounded one

the 12 inches palm rests do not get hot, but warm, and that is the worst.

of course the outside never gets anywhere near 120 unless there are major problems. my 12 inch is right one the border of "ouch i cant keep my hand on the bottom consistently.

[ooninay]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by damiensmunki:
[B]Sorry... I've been doing searches on here for some time now, and I just have a few questions for which I would like explicit answers. I'm planning on purchasing a PowerBook in a week or so, and I don't want to spend this much money without exhausting all of my resources to reassure myself that I'm making the correct decision.

I've got a new PowerBook 17" (1.5 GHz), and the bottom gets warm (but not hot), and the entire palm rest area stays cool. The only part that gets very warm is the thin bar of metal immediately above the function keys. These can get almost uncomfortably hot to the touch after extended use using things that tax the processor. However, one doesn't touch that area at all during normal use so it's not an issue for me. By way of comparison, my Dell Inspiron laptop gets uncomfortably warm on the bottom under even light-duty use and the fan comes on a lot. The PowerBook is much more comfortable on my lap than my Dell.

[cszar2001]

Originally posted by damiensmunki:
The temp estimates of 120-140 F seem outrageous to me. I currently have a Sony Vaio notebook with a Pentium 3 processor, and it doesn't seem to get this hot. It stays warm on the bottom, but it's not very distracting. The top stays cool. I know that the Vaio is made of plastic and the PB is made of aluminum and that this should cause some differences, but again, 120-140 sounds mighty toasty. Perhaps my perceptions of temperatures are a little off? Maybe I'm imagining these temps to be hotter than they actually are. Is 120-140 a normal temp range for a notebook computer?

You have to keep in mind that these temperatures are measured at the CPU.
Doesn`t mean that the outside get`s that hot.
Keep the area that lies under the battery clear-it`s the hottest part and needs the most airflow.

[dodo_nutter]

The processor temperature of your P3 will be about the same but because its plastic you wouldn't feel it because of the insulation it gives. The PB as you say conduct heat way better and so get a bit toasty. But it loses heat much quicker. if you blow on the bottom when its hot for a bit (ie a lungful) the Aluminum is cool to the touch but very quickly gets hotter again. The metal case is a very good way of keeping the processor cool.

I have a 1.5 15" and the bottom gets really hot (can still hold it but its uncomfortable) if its been on a bed or other such surface. If its just on my lap it gets warm but no where near uncomfortable.

As ooninay said the tiny bar just above the function keys gets the hottest but you never touch that part. My processor has never gone above 63C and the fan kicks in at 61.8C and usually (unless te inlet/outlets are blocked) drops back down to 59C before it spins down again then the processor gets to 61.8C again the fan comes on etc etc. This only happens when you push the CPU/GPU in my case when i play games.

Basically if you cut through my waffle the 15" is not to hot unless you push the processor to the extremes for long periods then it gets quite warm. Te 12" gets VERY warm in comparison and the 17" is quite cool. personally i think the 15" is the best of both worlds (portability vs. temperature)

(Btw is the fan on your P3 on a lot or is you vaio silent as the PB is?)

[EDIT]: added something i forgot + fixed a typo

[Frumpy]

Wow. Today I'm experiencing the hottest day yet for my new 12" PB. I'm currently at 152.2 F. Of course, I have 8 programs open, AND i'm encoding a DVD during the burn procedure in iDVD. So if you're planning on running your PB at 90% CPU power most of the time, you might have a problem with this on your lap. I'm amazed at how hot this thing gets when you're doing big time work with it. Oh, 152.6, for an update. BUT, if i'm ever doing major work like encoding I'm not usually putting this thing on my lap anyways. I couldn't live without this thing anyway. Love it to death. BUY ONE!!!