2nd-Degree Burns from PowerBook!

ColoJohnBoy · Sep 11, 2005

I've had my 15" PowerBook for just over six months now, but a few problems have been cropping up, most noatbly with heat. The area around the power jack has warped, making it difficult to charge the computer. Yesterday, though, my PowerBook got so hot as to give me a second degree burn! I was sitting on the couch, with the laptop on my lap; the corner by the power jack started getting a bit too warm, so I took it off. That spot was a bit hot for the rest of the day, but I thought nothing of it. This morning, though, when I woke up, a huge blister had appeared!

I know this should NOT be happening. Has anybody else had a similar experience, or know of a way to solve the heat issue? The only place I use the PowerBook other than a desk or table is on my lap, a place I thought it would have enough ventilation. If it weren't for me need for portability, I'd trade for an iMac G5, but alas, that won't work.

katie ta achoo · Sep 11, 2005

ColoJohnBoy said:
I've had my 15" PowerBook for just over six months now, but a few problems have been cropping up, most noatbly with heat. The area around the power jack has warped, making it difficult to charge the computer. Yesterday, though, my PowerBook got so hot as to give me a second degree burn! I was sitting on the couch, with the laptop on my lap; the corner by the power jack started getting a bit too warm, so I took it off. That spot was a bit hot for the rest of the day, but I thought nothing of it. This morning, though, when I woke up, a huge blister had appeared!

I know this should NOT be happening. Has anybody else had a similar experience, or know of a way to solve the heat issue? The only place I use the PowerBook other than a desk or table is on my lap, a place I thought it would have enough ventilation. If it weren't for me need for portability, I'd trade for an iMac G5, but alas, that won't work.

The burns I have on my thighs from my powerbook are just battle scars.

Usually, they go away within 20 minutes, but a blister!? WTF?

Go ask Apple!

maybe you could also get a little pedestal for it?
xpad seems to advertise on MR all the time. It looks pretty cool.

Sun Baked · Sep 11, 2005

I thought we noted this is a problem with current laptops in the "man burned his genitals with his laptop thread."

Something about prolonged exposure to a heat source.

ColoJohnBoy · Sep 11, 2005

Ow. Genitals? Ow. No, mine was only on my leg for about five minutes. I know I'm not sensitive to burns or heat or anything: I used to work as a cook and burnt myself all the time, never this badly though. Perhaps if at Expo Paris Apple releases new PowerBooks based on a lower-power processor I can trade across for that. Because ow.

SummerBreeze · Sep 11, 2005

Contrary to popular belief, laptops aren't really meant for your lap. Your body produces a lot of heat, and putting something potentially hot against your already hot skin isn't the best idea. The best thing to do would be to use your powerbook only on a desk, or buy a lap-mat for it.

ColoJohnBoy · Sep 11, 2005

I usually don't use it on my lap, but even so, I shouldn't have to buy a third-party product to prevent injury from the use of another product. I loved my PowerBook, but I sincerely hope Apple addresses this in the next revision. Until then, I'll see what I can do about a lap-mat.

dmw007 · Sep 11, 2005

ColoJohnBoy said:
I usually don't use it on my lap, but even so, I shouldn't have to buy a third-party product to prevent injury from the use of another product. I loved my PowerBook, but I sincerely hope Apple addresses this in the next revision. Until then, I'll see what I can do about a lap-mat.

I agree, If you spend all that cash on a brand-new laptop you should be able to use it on your lap (without getting burns

). Hopefully, the switch to Pentium M chips takes care of this sort of problem.

California · Sep 11, 2005

You need to contact Apple about this. They asked me this question the first day I got my first powerbook when I was worried that it would singe my burl wood dining table from the 1930's with its heat. Medical liability on their part here, I'd say. Call 'em.

katie ta achoo · Sep 11, 2005

well, I've managed to avoid a lot of burns, I've only gotten my battle scars once or twice (I was in shorts)

I lay down, prop my upper body up to about a 45 degree angle, move my feet so that they're under my knees and rest the powerbook's hinge-edge on my thighs, and latch button on my ombligo.
like this:
(feet side) /\_/()<-- pillow

(BEHOLD MY ASCII!!)
It allows air to circulate around the bottom, and I'm not blocking any ports.

I figure it's all good.

dmw007 · Sep 11, 2005

California said:
You need to contact Apple about this. They asked me this question the first day I got my first powerbook when I was worried that it would singe my burl wood dining table from the 1930's with its heat. Medical liability on their part here, I'd say. Call 'em.

Ya, I would call Apple over this one. It does not seem that your PowerBook should get that hot.

powerbook911 · Sep 11, 2005

It does sound wrong. Mine never really seems very hot to me. Just warm.

xparaparafreakx · Sep 12, 2005

Well I have not been burned yet since I set it to use reduced processing power when I use the battery. However you used it with the cord and it should of been set to highest processing power creating a lot of heat. On the topic of burns, which is hotter to use on the lap, a TiBook 1Ghz or AlBook 1.5Ghz? I used both and the TiBook is hotter.

dcv · Sep 12, 2005

Well the PowerBooks do get rather hot, but hot enough to blister your skin?

I'd take it back to Apple and get it checked out if i were you!

As for keeping it cool - don't use it directly on your lap. Buy an iLap or similar product - there is also the iBreeze or Targus Coolpad which may help but personally i really recommend the iLap. It's very comfortable to use, matches the aluminium design, has a nice cushion at the front which is great for wrist support and stops your palms sticking to the front of the PB. It works really well to keep both your lap and the PB cool.

buryyourbrideau · Sep 12, 2005

no notebook is meant to lay directly against something. i have a 14in ibook and a ilap and the ilap does not even do that great of a job.

Sun Baked · Sep 12, 2005

Looking at the hot water chart, and since aluminum is a darn good conductor of heat.

It's probably somewhere around 120°F, at the charging port.

Hot enough to burn you in 5-10 minutes.

Call Apple and tell them you got burned by the machine and the area around the port warped.

---

And before people say 120°F is too hot, remember that's a hot summer day here.

zudo · Sep 12, 2005

Guys, this sounds crazy! There's no way it should be getting hot enough to warp the case

You should definitley talk to apple about this I use my 15" pbook on my lap plugged in all the time and while it does get hot it's nothing like that. Plus it only gets hot around the harddisk and in the middle, I don't think there are any components that should be getting so hot up near the power in. Sounds like a fault for sure.

KingSleaze · Sep 12, 2005

It's a NOTEBOOK not a LAPTOP

Read the documentation that comes with it. It is not recommended for use on a lap (or a pillow protected lap). Hard surface only.

Repeat as needed to remember......

Koodauw · Sep 12, 2005

dmw007 said:
I agree, If you spend all that cash on a brand-new laptop you should be able to use it on your lap (without getting burns ). Hopefully, the switch to Pentium M chips takes care of this sort of problem.

I've used plenty of Pentium-m / centrino notebooks than run much hotter than my 12'' PB does. So I doubt this will help that much.

dmw007 · Sep 12, 2005

Koodauw said:
I've used plenty of Pentium-m / centrino notebooks than run much hotter than my 12'' PB does. So I doubt this will help that much.

Really? All of the Pentium M equipped laptops that I have seen/used seem to stay pretty cool. For example, my pastor uses a Dell Inspiron 9200 very heavily (ie- DVD creation/editing) and he says that it just about always is cool to the touch.

mwpeters8182 · Sep 12, 2005

That's why it's somewhat ridiculous to make a laptop, (fine, "notebook") out of metal. First of all, metal conducts heat, making the PB hotter than any other notebook I've used. Second of all, it doesn't take much at all to dent the PB, which is unfortunate, especially for people who need to take them everywhere, there's always going to be small bumps along the way. I take mine on the bus every day - it swerved, I turned, my backpack hit one of the poles on the bus, and now i'm left with a wonderful little dent. The computer still works, albeit with a warped keyboard, so that's good at least.

As for the heat issue, mine gets hot, but not hot enough to burn me. And the aluminum DOES look quite nice.

MWP

wdlove · Sep 12, 2005

Sorry about that ColoJohnBoy. You should always have something between the PowerBook and your skin, preferably something that will allow air flow.

Be sure to keep the area of the burn clean. Try to allow it to be open to the air as much as possible when home. When you have clothes on cover ti with a dry sterile dressing. Keep an eye on ti for an infection.

JasonElise1983 · Sep 12, 2005

You should buy this
http://www.raindesigninc.com/ilap.html

By the way, were you naked when using your laptop. I've used them with pants on and it gets warm, but to burn you, i would think you wouldn't have pants on....just my thought.

ColoJohnBoy · Sep 12, 2005

wdlove said:
Sorry about that ColoJohnBoy. You should always have something between the PowerBook and your skin, preferably something that will allow air flow.

Be sure to keep the area of the burn clean. Try to allow it to be open to the air as much as possible when home. When you have clothes on cover ti with a dry sterile dressing. Keep an eye on ti for an infection.

Thanks for the advice. I forgot to warn my nephews before visting them; the five-year-old decided to head-butt me and popped the blisters (ew.) Taking care of them, so I should be fine.

I know laptops (We really should stick to calling them portables) aren't to be used on laps, but I'd never had a problem with either of my TiBooks nor my 12" PowerBook, the latter being notorious for heat issues. Strangely enough, though the 12" warped MUCH worse than my current PBook, it never ran nearly as hot.

I've reset the PMU, hoping some glitch just made the processor freak out, but just to be careful I'll be taking little Albert Camus to the Apple Store a bit later.

Maybe I'll guilt them into a free nano

javiercr · Sep 12, 2005

Koodauw said:
I've used plenty of Pentium-m / centrino notebooks than run much hotter than my 12'' PB does. So I doubt this will help that much.

I have to say that my PB 12" 1.33 gets much hotter than my work Dell D600 Pentium M 1.6 (or 1.8?)

javiercr · Sep 12, 2005

mwpeters8182 said:
That's why it's somewhat ridiculous to make a laptop, (fine, "notebook") out of metal. First of all, metal conducts heat, making the PB hotter than any other notebook I've used. Second of all, it doesn't take much at all to dent the PB, which is unfortunate, especially for people who need to take them everywhere, there's always going to be small bumps along the way. I take mine on the bus every day - it swerved, I turned, my backpack hit one of the poles on the bus, and now i'm left with a wonderful little dent. The computer still works, albeit with a warped keyboard, so that's good at least.

As for the heat issue, mine gets hot, but not hot enough to burn me. And the aluminum DOES look quite nice.

MWP

Carbon Fiber for the next gen dual P-M PBs

2nd-Degree Burns from PowerBook!

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