Disappointed by the Macbook Pro: my experience [Archive]

student_trap

Apr 3, 2006, 09:26 AM

Ok so I know that you guys are going to flare up over this, but hear me out:

I’ll start with the background. Nearly a year ago I switched from an old 550mhz Gateway PC running win 98 to a G4 Powerbook 1.5 Ghz running 10.3.7. I was ecstatic, and loved every element of my mac. If anyone ever asked me what ‘puter to buy, I would give a single reply: Macintosh.

In January this year though, things altered a little, the MBP came out, and like most others, I just wanted one. I had been looking at the magsafe powerconnector, the built in isight, and had been blinded by apple marketing. This is of course, until last weekend.

A Couple of weeks ago I switched my girlfriend from an old Toshiba laptop to a MBP. Rightly, she was over the moon, and my eyes turned a little green.

The first time I got to use the machine was over the weekend, and I have to say, it was a BIG disappointment.

Starting with the initial impact; when closed, the screen and the main part of the MBP were not directly parallel, but the screen seemed to rise up on one side. Next, the keyboard seemed to be a little more raised on one side than the other. Also, it ran so hot while idle, that it made my 12in powerbook feel cool - no easy feat! Becoming a little more picky, I didn’t like the reflective “Macbook Pro” sign under the display, compared to my powerbook’s matt “powerbook” sign, it seemed a little tacky. Finally, for all the macgsafe’s functionality (which was seriously impressive), it seemed a little dull due to the small status indicator light, not nearly as cool as the circular ring of light on the G4 power cables.

Now don’t get me wrong, this machine is awesome. The screen is something to behold - so crisp and bright, the isight is marvellous (much better now its built in) and it is faster (although for day to day tasks, its not that different). Also, none of the problems described above have any real impact on the machine technically, and indeed, this is a superior machine. The problem is, it just doesn’t feel as though it lives up to the hype.

The point is, I feel, that before the weekend I was looking to upgrading my powerbook, simply because of the hype and my marketing fuelled desire to own one, whereas now I’ve seen it in reality, I see it as a laptop void of its previous charm, and indeed, for a £1800 ‘puter (my girlfriend bought the high-end model), I expected more in terms of its build quality (uneven display/keyboard etc).

To conclude, I am very excited of what may come over the next year or two thanks to the switch to intel. And the current MBP’s are super machines technically. However given the choice at the moment, I’d take my final revision PPC powerbook any day, its slower, granted, but it just feels more solid. The MBP just doesn’t seem like the ‘step-up’ I assumed it would be, I’m sure in time it will be something to behold, but at the moment, I’d only upgrade if I was seriously out of date (like my girlfriend used to be).

Thankyou for reading, please add your comments,

Student_trap

P.S. I’m not sure how relevant this is, but I was chatting to a couple of Genius’ at the apple store on Saturday for about half an hour (for some reason they weren’t as busy as usual), and they said that they on the whole felt similarly, and that they will continue to use G4 powerbooks behind the Genius bar for a while yet.

brikeh

Apr 3, 2006, 09:33 AM

I too had the chance to play around with a MBP at my local Apple store and it didnt blow me away, the screen was georgeous tho! I noticed the whinning noise(annoying!!) but it didnt seem hot or anything like that.

the Helix

Apr 3, 2006, 11:17 AM

Me too.

Back in late January, I so wanted to buy the MacBook Pro to replace my trusty ol' TiBook 1Ghz. But after I calmed down from the marketing perspective and all of the enthusiasm that I felt from reading so many reviews about the MB Pro, but after actually using the machine (my older brother purchased the 2 Ghz model), and believe me it is a sweet notebook! - anyway, after using it, I still opted for the Hi-Res last revision PowerBook.

Realistically, for the actual work that I have to do now, the PB is more useful for me now. Oh, but I wish that it would run as fast as a MB Pro! But no matter how much I want the MB Pro and tried my best to convince myself to buy it, I realized that I just cannot reliably run all the apps that I need on it. And the ones that do run, sooner or later usually had some anomaly in its functioning.

I will surely purchase a MB Pro in about 2 or 3 years, but for the moment, I am attached to my new Hi-Res PowerBook DL.

portent

Apr 3, 2006, 11:33 AM

I'd like to thank all of the MacBook buyers for having the courage to buy first-revision Apple hardware. Without your intrepidity and dedication, the bugs would never get worked out. :)

Still though...Apple had fit-and-finish issues with the first aluminum notebooks back in 2003. You'd think they'd have figured out how to build an aluminum shell without gaps by now.

bogiesan

Apr 3, 2006, 11:49 AM

to take a contrary POV, see this thread at creativecow.net Apple Motion forum. The author, Mr Wiggins, develops filters and effects for Final Cut and Motion:

http://forums.creativecow.net/cgi-bin/new_read_post.cgi?forumid=8&postid=887896

> In the red corner, A G5 Dual 2G with 4G of RAM installed, A Radeon X800XT, OS 10.4.5 and the UNIVERSAL installed PPC version of FCS.
In the blue corner a MacBookPro 2Ghz Intel Dual Core with 2G of RAM, OS 10.4.5 and the UNIVERSAL installed Intel version of FCS
I used two Motion templates from my template page as tests:- http://www.peterwiggins.com/motiondownload.htm
Each downloaded of my website and run for the first time on BOTH machines.
Now for the science and I hope you are siting down.
Filmstrip template
G5 plays at minimum 17/18 FPS RAM preview took 15 seconds
MBP plays at minimum 23 FPS RAM preview took 14 seconds

Motion Wars template 300frames
G5 plays at minimum 2, max 4 FPS RAM preview took 1 minute 26 seconds
MBP plays at minimum 3, max 8 FPS RAM preview took 54 seconds!!!!

I thought the Radeon was meant to be a beefy card!!!!!
<

david boise ID

lamina

Apr 3, 2006, 12:36 PM

I agree. I am not impressed at all with the MBP. Of course the built-in iSight is awesome, and the processor is fast (in benchmarks anyway), there wasn't anything about it that totally blew me away. The screen is nice, but I don't notice much of a brightness screen between the MBP and my 17" PB.

There is a lot of hype and marketing around this machine. I see the wonder and magic in customers' eyes as they behold the MBP, but I really believe that it is over-hyped.

cfd954

Apr 3, 2006, 01:33 PM

I used to be a big windows user up until 2003, since then I have jumped back and forth between mac and pc quite a few times but it always seems that I end up back with a mac. With that in mind in the beginning of January of 2006 I made the switch from a very poorly built dell computer back to Mac where I intend to stay. I went to my local apple store and got the latest revision 15" Powerbook G4 after I decided that it had enough enhancements over the 12" powerbook that I had loved before to warrant the extra cash. I had that unit for a week when they introduced the MacBook Pro and I was overjoyed by the screen, front row and much faster processor and I quickly returned my powerbook and bought the MacBook Pro. I have now had my MacBook for a month and a half. The first one that I got had the screen and processor whine, so I returned it at a local store and got one that thankfully only had a processor whine. To make a long story short I have decided though that it is time to move on from the macbook, while it may have some advantages over the older powerbooks it does not exibit the stability that I have always loved about apple products. The MacBook Pro is a great laptop however it needs some time to have alot of quality control issues worked out so I am switiching to a 12" Powerbook and awaiting the arrival of the 12" or 13.3" MacBook Pro where hopefully the kinks have been worked out and apple again lives up to my high expectations.

Koodauw

Apr 3, 2006, 01:51 PM

Would you like some cheese?

The MPB is not perfect. It has some minor imperfections, so what. I think you should be complaining about how you fell for the marketing hype instead of the imperfections.

dmw007

Apr 3, 2006, 02:23 PM

Would you like some cheese?

Depends on the type of whine...er, I mean wine. ;) :D

Seriously though, you raise some interesting points in your post student_trap.

That said, its getting harder and harder for me to not want to buy a new intel Mac portable (preferably a new intel based iBook/MacBook when they get released. :) ).

mmmcheese

Apr 3, 2006, 03:18 PM

Would you like some cheese?
...

mmm...cheese...

thegreatluke

Apr 3, 2006, 03:25 PM

While I agree that the heat output of the MBP is an issue, the others seem like nitpicking. Sorry.

We could also be annoyed by how the screen isn't big enough and how the processor isn't 8 GHz :P

bah-bah'd

Apr 3, 2006, 03:30 PM

I'm not buying a freaking macbook till they come with iProjector standard that can handle a 12"-100" throw at switchable 16:10, 16:9, 5:4 and 4:5 aspect ratios. and I want to beable to multi monitor with it so the main display can be the desktop and I can project movies on the wall while I work.

The Senator

Apr 3, 2006, 04:41 PM

chris y.

Apr 3, 2006, 04:53 PM

I have to say I wasnt disappointed at all by the MBP when I got a chance to toy with it at the apple store. The issues regarding the buzzing and the flickering display I noticed on the display model were enough to postpone my purchase, but there was definitely a lot to like about the new laptop (amazing display, great speed, nice keyboard feel, and sleeker appearance).

I was actually shocked that it looked and felt much sleeker than my 1.25ghz PB even though the spec difference didnt seem that drastic. Overall I think its a great step up from the Powerbook because it offers improvements in almost every area.

T-Stex

Apr 3, 2006, 05:12 PM

Overall I think its a great step up from the Powerbook because it offers improvements in almost every area.

I'd agree that it's definitely a step up. I'd have to agree with the OP here, in saying that it isn't a machine that blows me away. Maybe I just had my hopes up after all the hype, and everyone going crazy here, I'm not sure.

I had a MacBook Pro on order, and cancelled it and went with a 12" PowerBook, at a savings of over $1000. After having the PowerBook for a little over two months now, and playing around with the MBP for a little bit, I have to say that I'm not dissapointed in my choice. Don't get me wrong, the MBP is a great machine, but I'm glad I didn't get caught up in the hype (maybe I'll save that for the next revision, or the MacBook).

jadekitty24

Apr 3, 2006, 08:50 PM

Holy crap guys give the kid a break! He didn't come here flaming did he? He stated his opinion, which around here takes big balls. Lighten up! I hear more whining coming from you guys than I do the OP.

dylans

Apr 3, 2006, 09:29 PM

mine has the "one corner up on the lid" issue too. i just came from a Thinkpad... and this is my first Apple... and man, i was spoiled with the Thinkpad construction. it would nice if Apple could beef up the lid to computer connection.

otherwise, this computer is frickin' sweet, and it's the best laptop i've ever owned :)

Peligro

Apr 4, 2006, 02:22 AM

silence

Apr 4, 2006, 02:57 AM

Peligro I couldn't be more with ya..

So many users are just whining and moping about the most little, nitpicky issues. OK.. so you're laptop has a whirring noise.. have you ever actually owned a computer that doesn't??

We really should all focus on the good things bout the product, not sit and sulk about irrelevant points that have nothing to do with workflow.

Yes, i have a spankin new MBP (Rev D), and have experienced NO issues whatsoever. It is generations ahead of my last machine, and it outperforms a lot even with Rosetta. It even outperforms my girlfriends' dual PowerMac G5 - and mines a LAPTOP! Cant wait to see what its capable of once apps are universal.

Also, if you bought a RevA, how could u not expect glitches? I couldn't be happier with mine. Looks and performance wise - pure sex....

dornoforpyros

Apr 4, 2006, 03:01 AM

damn some people are never gonna let apple forget that they never got a g5 powerbook :rolleyes:

brikeh

Apr 4, 2006, 03:20 AM

lamina

Apr 4, 2006, 04:51 AM

MacBook Pro

this is the best computer ever made period. nothing is ever perfect, there is not a single computer better then this one. It rips threw any UB app. It will also fry your eggs for you in the morning.(all you mbp owners know what I'm talking about) Lets see the pb do that. You can cry and whine all you want but this computer is the winner. It may not be perfect, but CHICKS seriously love this thing.

Dood are you serious? You take pride in the fact that your computer gets hot enough to cook breakfast? We arent crying and whining, we'll leave the whining up to the MacBooks. Also, I don't know about other users experiences, but when I bust out my 17" PB, I turn quite a few heads.

Roba

Apr 4, 2006, 05:05 AM

I am glad that i didn't read these forums before i got my MBP because it would have just made me super paranoid about my Mac. I am sure that the majority of people who have bought one are very happy with their purchases.

My Mac is great and i love my MBP.
I don't have any problems with mine and i am so glad that i bought mine when i did.
This is the best machine that i have ever seen and used and it is really a joy for me to use. This is my first time of ever buying a Mac and i am sure that it will not be my last time after this positive experience.

generik

Apr 4, 2006, 05:21 AM

Dood are you serious? You take pride in the fact that your computer gets hot enough to cook breakfast? We arent crying and whining, we'll leave the whining up to the MacBooks. Also, I don't know about other users experiences, but when I bust out my 17" PB, I turn quite a few heads.

Do you want a good computer or a head turner?

If you need to turn heads so desperately I suggest some cosmetic surgery down there *cough cough*

Not only will it turn heads WHERE IT MATTERS, it is functionally useful too! :D

Peligro

Apr 10, 2006, 08:23 PM

Your happy thats fine, good for you but some people are having REAL issues. Outdated machines? Wow...
If I had plunked down 2k on something that gives me a headache and doesnt look right when closed or whatever I wouldnt be in denial I´d be pissed. Enjoy your frying pan.

I understand that people are having problems. But people still have problems with the powerbooks and Ipods of all generations. What I was trying to say is that alot of these issues are blown way out of the water. The tilt angle and the magsafe, The heat are all PERFECT examples of this. My MB is far from a frying pan. Yes it gets warm. But I don't think it gets any warmer then the last gen of powerbooks. Let's face it, everyone thinks the powerbook line has ended it really hasn't! MBP are the latest rev of the powerbooks! I would like to get past all these "complaining" posts one day and start having fun...

sjshaw

Apr 10, 2006, 08:38 PM

First revisions are always a pain. I'm still thisclose to buying one, though.

Kaiser Phoenix

Apr 10, 2006, 08:42 PM

I just wanna say I am so glad that I didn't listen to any of the crying, complaining and nit picking that goes on any boards or reviews dealing with the MBP.

I am very happy with my MBP. Ive read people complaining about screen tilt, magsafe, and various noises. All where blown WAY out of proportion or to be put simply just an opinion.

My advice after this whole expierience to all you is to never buy anything. Just stick with your old outdated machines for the rest of your life.

Spend that money on food to stuff your dumb whining cry holes instead.:D

laters.

I agree with you to the extent that YES, the complaining is way overblown. However I also have to add in that if you buy a product, costing well over 2000-3000US, you would at least expect it to:

1) Not "whine" and im pretty sure not ALL computers do that, heck my desktop is near silent with the AMD. Some people wanna record using their MBPs and they dont want unwanted back ground sounds!
2) Expect it to at least build it properly if it doesnt function properly (not ALL the MBPs but the ones with screen and whine issue). I know the lid thing is very minor and not everyone has it. But the lid not closing properly is pretty annoying, it doesnt feel as solid and this has been happening since many of the previous PBs and I would have expected them to sort it out by now.

Thats what I think anyway, I mean it is a PRO machine right?

slyydrr

Apr 10, 2006, 08:56 PM

Do you want a good computer or a head turner?

If you need to turn heads so desperately I suggest some cosmetic surgery down there *cough cough*

Not only will it turn heads WHERE IT MATTERS, it is functionally useful too! :D
I hate quoting people to point something out, but I have to in this case. If by some chance I misinterpreted you, then I apologize in advance, but anyway here goes...

You say this as if the MBP isn't a good computer... Yeah it has a few "flaws" that some of the users are experiencing, yet doesn't every machine? I'd like to just say that I don't have the whine, my MBP hasn't caught on fire yet, my keyboard is perfectly aligned, and the lid on my MBP closes to perfection. It's quick, gets the job done, and I bought it KNOWING that the Universal versions of some applications weren't out yet, and wouldn't be for a little time to come yet. That doesn't change the fact that it's still a great computer and is functionally useful to boot.

All in all, I love my new laptop, and don't regret purchasing it one bit. I also haven't looked back and thought "Aww shucks, I shoulda gotten the PowerBook."

Anyway, just thought I'd throw in my $.02!

Music_Producer

Apr 10, 2006, 09:29 PM

I agree with you to the extent that YES, the complaining is way overblown. However I also have to add in that if you buy a product, costing well over 2000-3000US, you would at least expect it to:

1) Not "whine" and im pretty sure not ALL computers do that, heck my desktop is near silent with the AMD. Some people wanna record using their MBPs and they dont want unwanted back ground sounds!

Hey buddy, a computer like this, DOES cost well over $2000. There's no other way it can be made for cheaper..well yeah, just take away the isight, bluetooth, superdrive, etc etc. The 'whine' that everyone complains about is a software related issue, which I am sure will be taken care of soon.

Furthermore, I don't think you can compare the macbook's whine to your desktop.. DESKTOP? I have an AMD laptop.. and when the fans start, hell it sounds BAD. So you should compare a laptop to a laptop.. not to a desktop.

We do recordings with our mbps.. but we don't use the mbp as a microphone :eek: We connect firewire interfaces.. which then have condenser mics, etc.. blah blah blah.. and the noise really isn't an issue at all. you can't hear it, atleast I can't. I don't have an MBP yet, but my colleagues do.. and they don't hear the whine either.

I think its also that these complaints are due to the fact that everyone gets more sensitive to the smallest of issues, especially when they have paid a lot of money for it. People, this is a pro machine, so if you're not using it professionally.. its bound to hurt when you spend so much. and yes, you will then notice every whine, the sound of a cd ejecting, surface aberrations..etc.

Having said that, all the mbps i've seen as of now are perfect. Can't wait to get one myself :D

dollystereo

Apr 10, 2006, 10:15 PM

I love my whining MBP, and Im doing everything so fast now!
Is far better than my PB17", its faster, lighter, better display, better GPU, faste as hell! (faster than my dual core G5), isight, 14 sec startup, and whining noise.
What else do you want?
its lamost perfect

Vagcmyevad

Apr 10, 2006, 10:24 PM

My brother just got a MacBook Pro, and it's excellent :). Except it has 3 annoying issues that are pushing us to return it for a new one...

1) Airport randomly disconnects. We've tried all software/firmware updates, but nothing helps this. Only happens when running off battery.
2) CPU whine (though this can be fixed with some utilities that turn on the iSight apparently).
3) Very, very hot! I used to own a 15" AluBook, and it never came close to being this hot (yes, I do realize the MBP is much more powerful; no, I don't think the heat is in an acceptable range)...

Here's to hoping Apple fixes these issues in our MacBook Pro! I've heard newer ones have some of these fixed... :)

Kaiser Phoenix

Apr 10, 2006, 10:59 PM

Hey buddy, a computer like this, DOES cost well over $2000. There's no other way it can be made for cheaper..well yeah, just take away the isight, bluetooth, superdrive, etc etc. The 'whine' that everyone complains about is a software related issue, which I am sure will be taken care of soon.

Furthermore, I don't think you can compare the macbook's whine to your desktop.. DESKTOP? I have an AMD laptop.. and when the fans start, hell it sounds BAD. So you should compare a laptop to a laptop.. not to a desktop.

We do recordings with our mbps.. but we don't use the mbp as a microphone :eek: We connect firewire interfaces.. which then have condenser mics, etc.. blah blah blah.. and the noise really isn't an issue at all. you can't hear it, atleast I can't. I don't have an MBP yet, but my colleagues do.. and they don't hear the whine either.

I think its also that these complaints are due to the fact that everyone gets more sensitive to the smallest of issues, especially when they have paid a lot of money for it. People, this is a pro machine, so if you're not using it professionally.. its bound to hurt when you spend so much. and yes, you will then notice every whine, the sound of a cd ejecting, surface aberrations..etc.

Having said that, all the mbps i've seen as of now are perfect. Can't wait to get one myself :D

Yeah I agree with you, though I just used my AMD Desktop as an example to further illustrate my point that my AMD Desktop which is actually near SILENT with the fans on and it is a Dual-core with 3 fans, is much more silent than an MBP. Thats it really.

I agree yeah, you will usually use FW devises etc to record but say you were recording a solo guitar with a microphone connected to an audio interface and ur MBP was mking all these sounds. It MAY not get recorded but it will sure annoy the hell out of some people!

Music_Producer

Apr 11, 2006, 12:17 AM

Yeah I agree with you, though I just used my AMD Desktop as an example to further illustrate my point that my AMD Desktop which is actually near SILENT with the fans on and it is a Dual-core with 3 fans, is much more silent than an MBP. Thats it really.

I agree yeah, you will usually use FW devises etc to record but say you were recording a solo guitar with a microphone connected to an audio interface and ur MBP was mking all these sounds. It MAY not get recorded but it will sure annoy the hell out of some people!

Well AMD beats Intel anyday.. so.. I still wish Apple had picked AMD instead of Intel. Everything just opens so much faster on an AMD than an intel computer. Its also a lot silent than an Intel proc..

True about the solo guitar thing.. for e.g. if you're in the bedroom with an MBP, a FW interface, a mic ..and..er..a guitar.. you will hear some background hiss. (or the 'whine' that mbps have) In my experience though, its usually the hiss induced by the microphone.. the singer's breathing (even if he's just recording guitar and keeping his mouth shut!), some random car driving by, etc. etc.

One solution, is to keep the computer a little far away.. but you would need a footswitch to control playback/record on the computer.

What I don't get is, that the 'whine' goes away when people launch photobooth? Or any app using isight.. and once you close the app.. the whine doesn't return.. so why is it such a big issue?

I mean, if I had that problem, I'm pretty sure I could live with it as it takes 2 seconds to launch photobooth and turn it off. Or does that whine remain all the time?:confused:

slyydrr

Apr 11, 2006, 08:36 AM

Well AMD beats Intel anyday.. so.. I still wish Apple had picked AMD instead of Intel. Everything just opens so much faster on an AMD than an intel computer...
This is kind of an ambiguous, and false claim. It's so hard to compare the two processors and have it stay true for more than a week. Depending on what you're doing, one machine will definitely be faster than the other. If you're planning on doing a lot of encoding, you're going to be better getting a high end Intel, whereas the AMD CPUs tend to be better for gaming. I know that Tom's Hardware is a rather biased site, and because of that I don't go there for any of their personal "reviews", which are more opinions than anything else, but their benchmarks are valid. Go there and look @ the benchmark scores and you'll see that depending on what you're doing, both Intel and AMD can both be the "top processor."

Like I said, I hate pointing out things like this by quoting other people, but I don't want people to be mislead either. Sure a top end Intel rig might cost a little more than a top end AMD rig, but if you're talking about sheer performance, the two are going to be neck and neck for the most part, each CPU winning in it's own grouping of categories.

m-dogg

Apr 11, 2006, 09:17 AM

mmm...cheese...

You've been waiting for a setup like that, haven't you!?! :D

asencif

Apr 11, 2006, 09:20 PM

Just wanted to post my experience when trying out a MBP earlier today at a local Apple Reseller. Just to point out that the model on the floor was 08, so probably anyone with 13 and above is better. Well let me say that the heat on this laptop was way higher than normal. Those that are saying they can live with it or just as much as my old PB, well I don't think is too acurate. There were a bunch of PB on the floor as well running the same apps and it wasn't even close on the amount of heat. For a portable anyone should be able to touch it above the F Keys...etc. I have read those saying just don't touch it there. That to me sounds unacceptable. I can imagine how it will burn me if I placed on my lap.

Good Points: The speed of the MBP was very fast as reported and a pleasure to use for the more demanding apps, but for me the heat problem along with its price is not worth it at the moment. I didn't hear any whine noise, but I was in a very loud place. The slimmer look is better, however not an overall necessity for me especially if this is what makes one feel the heat more.

Kaiser Phoenix

Apr 11, 2006, 09:25 PM

student_trap

Apr 18, 2006, 10:00 AM

hey guys its been great reading all of the posts. just a little update to say that two more little problems that have become apparent with my girlfriends MBP:

1. the display flickers when on its lowest brightness setting

2. when the machine gets hot, it makes a 'whoop' sound a few times, which goes when the machine cools again (this is not the whine that people are talking about)

Just for the record, she waves the computer around to cool it when it starts whooping, and doesn't put the screen at the lowest brightness setting, and this is acceptable to her...she is happy with it.

But is it? £1800 ($3200) for a machine that needs to be waved around to stop it whooping?

[edit] she is also having airport problems since upgrading to 10.4.6

whooleytoo

Apr 18, 2006, 10:25 AM

2. when the machine gets hot, it makes a 'whoop' sound a few times, which goes when the machine cools again (this is not the whine that people are talking about)

Just for the record, she waves the computer around to cool it when it starts whooping, and doesn't put the screen at the lowest brightness setting, and this is acceptable to her...she is happy with it.

But is it? £1800 ($3200) for a machine that needs to be waved around to stop it whooping?

Weird.

I have to say, I've been blissfully happy with my MBP. I haven't had the whining problem, and certainly not this whooping problem! (Do you have a recording of this?) Once, after several hours of gaming, the fans did kick in on full power which was louder than I expected, but it certainly wasn't a whoop. More of a "brrrrrr" actually..;)

A laptop fast enough to play the quality games (Doom 3, Half Life 2, Far Cry) with most of the options cranked up. Never been happier!

Whistleway

Apr 18, 2006, 10:45 AM

I agree with the post above. I also went to an apple store and looked at the MBPs and they are HOT. I actually burned my finger almost! Im not kidding, they are way hotter than the powebooks and that bothers me!

any freaking laptop that is so hot just defeats the purpose of being a laptop. And I complain about ibook heat and folks tell me it is the coolest around ;). I wonder how you survive reportedly that much heat.

whooleytoo

Apr 18, 2006, 10:59 AM

any freaking laptop that is so hot just defeats the purpose of being a laptop. And I complain about ibook heat and folks tell me it is the coolest around ;). I wonder how you survive reportedly that much heat.

It doesn't bother me much (as long as the internals aren't being in any way damaged by the heat). Then again, I use my MBP mostly as a 'portable desktop', and this being Ireland, I rarely wear shorts!

Codemonkey

Apr 18, 2006, 11:32 AM

Hey,

I received my bare bones MBP about a month ago - and I have to say, I'm sill really impressed. Maybe you all are upgrading from PowerBook 17" or something, but my previous computer was an Snow iMac G3-600 - I needed this upgrade.

The MBP is warm - but not unbearable... I do use it on my lap often, and I can't stand excessive heat (makes me feel physically sick).

The MBP *used* to suffer from dropped AirPort. Since upgrading to 10.4.6, I can say that it's only dropped once, and I think it was due to the cordless phone being in use too.

The MBP MagSafe power adapter needs replacing - taking it in to the depot this Thursday. Problem: the springloaded pins aren't springloaded anymore, causing the MBP to not charge properly.

Oh, and it's faster than my dual Xenon at work. Honestly, this is the fastest computer I've worked on, ever. I'm a Web Designer/ Multimedia Developer by trade, and this is undisputably a complete desktop replacement for me.

Other likable features:
- The sound rocks... great tones
- The screen is very bright - almost too bright - most times I can't run it at highest brightness setting
- The laptop itself is very light... almost 2.3 lbs lighter than our Dell Inspiron 7000's makes a big difference if you're a road warrior
- Rosetta is amazing. Other than some up-front load times, I can't tell that anything is being ran through an emulator. Very cool technology

student_trap

Apr 19, 2006, 04:14 AM

Maybe you all are upgrading from PowerBook 17" or something, but my previous computer was an Snow iMac G3-600 - I needed this upgrade

this is one of my key points...if your upgrading from an old machine, like my girlfriend did, then this will be amazing, but from my powerbook, its not the step up that i genuinely expected it to be. And also, there is the point that a machine that cost so much should not have the issues that the mbp does, and so, i am only going to upgrade after apple has got to grips with this intel change.

interlaced

Apr 20, 2006, 11:25 AM

eVolcre

Apr 20, 2006, 11:31 AM

The heat on mine has become unbearable. I can stand heat. Usually. But on my MBP, I can't even use the keyboard or trackpad because the entire top part of the computer is burning up. ...And this is only after about a half an hour of use.

Hi Marissaaa, (that's a lot of 'a' btw :eek: )

What model is it? It sounds like it's way way hotter than it should be.

Now, mine is going back, but for a different reason. I have a '14' model and the heat is not noticeable at all.

After about 3 hours of use, on my lap, the bottom does get hot but I can live with it. I put it on a pillow. :)

The top, however, is barely even warm. The area between the F keys and the screen is hot to the touch, but not so hot that I have to jerk my hand away. The area above the speakers is warm.

Keyboard and trackpad are actually COOL. Not even warm. And the where you rest your palm is the same .. no heat whatsoever.

I know some people are going to jump on you and say that heat is acceptable blah blah blah but from your description, and my comparison, it definitely sounds like yours is way hotter than mine. The way I see it, if it's THAT hot and others aren't, it's an ossue that needs to be fixed.

If they were ALL hot, I would buy into the 'normal heat' crap that the support reps and other *experts* on this board spout. But, if yours is hot and mine isn't , then there is somehting wrong with yours.

My specs are listed in the sig. It is the most powerful one they have so technically, mine should be really hot right?

eV

sam10685

Apr 20, 2006, 12:43 PM

to me, it seemed to crash more than my G4 powerbook.

bimboles

Apr 20, 2006, 01:27 PM

Studen_trap have you tried Windows on your Girlfriend's MBP?

I had to take my MBP back because I found that when I installed Boot Camp Windows, the screen flicker got a lot worse. Apple gave me a new one and this has had no screen flicker at all in XP or OS X.

It still has the Whine though so I will take it back again this weekend and keep going until I get a good one. I can do this because the Apple Store is not too far for me.

student_trap

Apr 20, 2006, 01:45 PM

Studen_trap have you tried Windows on your Girlfriend's MBP?

I had to take my MBP back because I found that when I installed Boot Camp Windows, the screen flicker got a lot worse

Really? thats strange, could it be a graphics card thing then? I haven't tried bootcamp on my girlfriends mbp yet, i tried last weekend, but she said:

"i just paid £2000 to get out of windows"

either way, it was good of them to replace it

bimboles

Apr 21, 2006, 09:11 AM

Really? thats strange, could it be a graphics card thing then? I haven't tried bootcamp on my girlfriends mbp yet, i tried last weekend, but she said:

"i just paid £2000 to get out of windows"

either way, it was good of them to replace it

Surely she wants XP so she can play HL2 :-)

interlaced

Apr 21, 2006, 05:08 PM

Hi Marissaaa, (that's a lot of 'a' btw :eek: )

What model is it? It sounds like it's way way hotter than it should be.

Now, mine is going back, but for a different reason. I have a '14' model and the heat is not noticeable at all.

After about 3 hours of use, on my lap, the bottom does get hot but I can live with it. I put it on a pillow. :)

The top, however, is barely even warm. The area between the F keys and the screen is hot to the touch, but not so hot that I have to jerk my hand away. The area above the speakers is warm.

Keyboard and trackpad are actually COOL. Not even warm. And the where you rest your palm is the same .. no heat whatsoever.

I know some people are going to jump on you and say that heat is acceptable blah blah blah but from your description, and my comparison, it definitely sounds like yours is way hotter than mine. The way I see it, if it's THAT hot and others aren't, it's an ossue that needs to be fixed.

If they were ALL hot, I would buy into the 'normal heat' crap that the support reps and other *experts* on this board spout. But, if yours is hot and mine isn't , then there is somehting wrong with yours.

My specs are listed in the sig. It is the most powerful one they have so technically, mine should be really hot right?

eV

I called Apple yesterday to complain about the heat because I really do not think it is normal. I guess the keyboard isn't that hot, but what it is is the entire area around the keyboard (speakers, BOTH sides of the trackpad, trackpad itself) as well as the underside. It gets much hotter than the range stated on the site. I spoke to a product specialist who said that he couldn't really judge the heat over the phone so suggested I take it to an Apple Store. WELL, I sat at the genius bar for over an hour (three geniuses LEFT immediately and never came back even though there were still plenty of people on the queue) but my MBP never got as hot as it does at home. WTF!? It is considerably cooler in the store than my house but seriously, what the heck. It got close to closing time (9pm) and the only "genius" just started helping the guy who signed up for a 7:30 appt. Anyway, I noticed that my MBP wasn't getting as hot and didn't feel like getting mocked by the already grumpy "geniuses" so I left. Not really sure what else I'll do now.

But honestly, it gets HOT.

I've actually gone back to using my 12" PB because that's way cooler.

calebjohnston

Apr 21, 2006, 05:11 PM

Keep your house/room a few degrees cooler. It makes a huge difference in computer temp.

blueflame

Apr 21, 2006, 05:20 PM

here here
andreas
Holy crap guys give the kid a break! He didn't come here flaming did he? He stated his opinion, which around here takes big balls. Lighten up! I hear more whining coming from you guys than I do the OP.

xPismo

Apr 21, 2006, 05:22 PM

Keep your house/room a few degrees cooler. It makes a huge difference in computer temp.

heh, and you MBP should make up the difference? Heck, Apple should tout it as a bonus.

Camping? Cook some breakfast! Cold? Get a MBP and throw out that inefficient home heater! Snowed in? Thaw out the walkway while you watch a movie!

..sorry. :p

Honestly. As a rev A. with a whole new type of processor/mb/assembly I think the MBP is hard to beat. That said. I wont be selling my Powerbook any time soon. . .

Music_Producer

Apr 21, 2006, 05:48 PM

I called Apple yesterday to complain about the heat because I really do not think it is normal. I guess the keyboard isn't that hot, but what it is is the entire area around the keyboard (speakers, BOTH sides of the trackpad, trackpad itself) as well as the underside. It gets much hotter than the range stated on the site. I spoke to a product specialist who said that he couldn't really judge the heat over the phone so suggested I take it to an Apple Store. WELL, I sat at the genius bar for over an hour (three geniuses LEFT immediately and never came back even though there were still plenty of people on the queue) but my MBP never got as hot as it does at home. WTF!? It is considerably cooler in the store than my house but seriously, what the heck. It got close to closing time (9pm) and the only "genius" just started helping the guy who signed up for a 7:30 appt. Anyway, I noticed that my MBP wasn't getting as hot and didn't feel like getting mocked by the already grumpy "geniuses" so I left. Not really sure what else I'll do now.

But honestly, it gets HOT.

I've actually gone back to using my 12" PB because that's way cooler.

Marissa.. uh.. its a laptop. Its a Core Duo. Its got way more power than your 12" PB. And its a 15". Duh.. obviously your 12" PB is way cooler. My 12" PB is also way cooler than my MBP.

Does this mean that I go to the apple store and complain about the mbp's heat? No.. because some parts of a laptop are bound to get hot. Like you say.. the parts near the speaker, etc.. get really hot. I have an iSkin on the keyboard.. and I can't feel the heat. The keyboard doesn't get hot anyway.

I don't put my PB on my lap all the time.. nor the MBP. If it gets too uncomfortable.. bloody hell, put it on another surface then! I hate all the idiots who rant about how their legs/balls got burned, etc.. wtf?!! :eek: They actually like to wait for *so* long to see how bad the heat gets??

EVERY laptop gets hot.. not just the MBP. Like you say, the mbp didn't get hot at the apple store? Maybe your room isn't cool enough. I remember when I first purchased a PC (in 1989) I was *warned* to keep the air conditioning in my room ..switched on everytime i used the computer. And that was a desktop!

Amazing how people just seem to take for granted that computer systems.. so powerful as the MBP (in such a small form factor) do tend to generate heat.

That would be like me taking back my Toyota to the factory and telling them that the underside gets bloody hot after driving it for a 100 miles.

I understand the ranting about the whine issues.. but I think people complaining about heat just need to stop being sissies.

interlaced

Apr 21, 2006, 06:08 PM

Marissa.. uh.. its a laptop. Its a Core Duo. Its got way more power than your 12" PB. And its a 15". Duh.. obviously your 12" PB is way cooler. My 12" PB is also way cooler than my MBP.

Does this mean that I go to the apple store and complain about the mbp's heat? No.. because some parts of a laptop are bound to get hot. Like you say.. the parts near the speaker, etc.. get really hot. I have an iSkin on the keyboard.. and I can't feel the heat. The keyboard doesn't get hot anyway.

I don't put my PB on my lap all the time.. nor the MBP. If it gets too uncomfortable.. bloody hell, put it on another surface then! I hate all the idiots who rant about how their legs/balls got burned, etc.. wtf?!! :eek: They actually like to wait for *so* long to see how bad the heat gets??

EVERY laptop gets hot.. not just the MBP. Like you say, the mbp didn't get hot at the apple store? Maybe your room isn't cool enough. I remember when I first purchased a PC (in 1989) I was *warned* to keep the air conditioning in my room ..switched on everytime i used the computer. And that was a desktop!

Amazing how people just seem to take for granted that computer systems.. so powerful as the MBP (in such a small form factor) do tend to generate heat.

That would be like me taking back my Toyota to the factory and telling them that the underside gets bloody hot after driving it for a 100 miles.

I understand the ranting about the whine issues.. but I think people complaining about heat just need to stop being sissies.

Thanks for your opinion, Music_Producer. I'm not here to argue with you so I will not waste my time with a long reply. But I'm also not here to be called a sissy.

Whistleway

Apr 21, 2006, 06:28 PM

Thanks for your opinion, Music_Producer. I'm not here to argue with you so I will not waste my time with a long reply. But I'm also not here to be called a sissy.

If you are not happy with it, do whatever you can to get it fixed or exchanged. Good luck with it. ;)

asencif

Apr 21, 2006, 06:43 PM

Marissa.. uh.. its a laptop. Its a Core Duo. Its got way more power than your 12" PB. And its a 15". Duh.. obviously your 12" PB is way cooler. My 12" PB is also way cooler than my MBP.

Does this mean that I go to the apple store and complain about the mbp's heat? No.. because some parts of a laptop are bound to get hot. Like you say.. the parts near the speaker, etc.. get really hot. I have an iSkin on the keyboard.. and I can't feel the heat. The keyboard doesn't get hot anyway.

I don't put my PB on my lap all the time.. nor the MBP. If it gets too uncomfortable.. bloody hell, put it on another surface then! I hate all the idiots who rant about how their legs/balls got burned, etc.. wtf?!! :eek: They actually like to wait for *so* long to see how bad the heat gets??

EVERY laptop gets hot.. not just the MBP. Like you say, the mbp didn't get hot at the apple store? Maybe your room isn't cool enough. I remember when I first purchased a PC (in 1989) I was *warned* to keep the air conditioning in my room ..switched on everytime i used the computer. And that was a desktop!

Amazing how people just seem to take for granted that computer systems.. so powerful as the MBP (in such a small form factor) do tend to generate heat.

That would be like me taking back my Toyota to the factory and telling them that the underside gets bloody hot after driving it for a 100 miles.

I understand the ranting about the whine issues.. but I think people complaining about heat just need to stop being sissies.

Relax. No one is here attacking or saying the MBP is the worse machine ever built. On the other hand it is hotter than the past powerbooks and in comparison to those then some people feel it's not acceptable. I also feel it is too hot and a laptop should be grabbed from wherever. Why not? It's a $2000-$3000 machine. Apple has been fixing these issues, although very quietly, but they have which means there are known problems. Why else are they on Rev E already.

calebjohnston

Apr 21, 2006, 06:55 PM

I like when people say OMG MY MBP TOTALLY GETS SO HOT ON THE MIDDLE BACK LEFT CORNER BETWEEN THE SEAMS, THIS IS BS!

It works and is fully functional. Enjoy. Shutup. (:

eVolcre

Apr 21, 2006, 07:47 PM

Marissa.. uh.. its a laptop. Its a Core Duo. Its got way more power than your 12" PB. And its a 15". Duh.. obviously your 12" PB is way cooler. My 12" PB is also way cooler than my MBP.

Does this mean that I go to the apple store and complain about the mbp's heat? No.. because some parts of a laptop are bound to get hot. Like you say.. the parts near the speaker, etc.. get really hot. I have an iSkin on the keyboard.. and I can't feel the heat. The keyboard doesn't get hot anyway.

I don't put my PB on my lap all the time.. nor the MBP. If it gets too uncomfortable.. bloody hell, put it on another surface then! I hate all the idiots who rant about how their legs/balls got burned, etc.. wtf?!! :eek: They actually like to wait for *so* long to see how bad the heat gets??

EVERY laptop gets hot.. not just the MBP. Like you say, the mbp didn't get hot at the apple store? Maybe your room isn't cool enough. I remember when I first purchased a PC (in 1989) I was *warned* to keep the air conditioning in my room ..switched on everytime i used the computer. And that was a desktop!

Amazing how people just seem to take for granted that computer systems.. so powerful as the MBP (in such a small form factor) do tend to generate heat.

That would be like me taking back my Toyota to the factory and telling them that the underside gets bloody hot after driving it for a 100 miles.

I understand the ranting about the whine issues.. but I think people complaining about heat just need to stop being sissies.

OK, so how do you explain the dramatic difference between my machine and hers? I know heat is subjective but the way I described it is EXACLYT how it is. I'm assuming mine is 'normal' IF yes, then I agree with you that a laptop is supposed to be hot especially one this powerful. What she is describing does NOT sound normal. Why don't you give her the benefit of the doubt . especially when you compare her heat emissions and mine?

eV