i think we all can agree that the pb17 is a fantastic machine. but nothing is perfect. so for those who have received their pb17, have you experienced any problems, hardware or software-wise? any defective parts, program crashes, and such?
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PB 17 problems
- Thread starter Swordsman
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Nothing really. It is an excellent machine.
I did notice that the screen is not completey free from touching the keyboard and that I did get a scratch somehow on the top of the case despite my being very careful.
But the problems that seemly plague the 12" PB are not apparent with this machine. I don't know if the long delay was to iron out the machine's wrinkles, but if it was, I am glad they took the time.
I did notice that the screen is not completey free from touching the keyboard and that I did get a scratch somehow on the top of the case despite my being very careful.
But the problems that seemly plague the 12" PB are not apparent with this machine. I don't know if the long delay was to iron out the machine's wrinkles, but if it was, I am glad they took the time.
Over Achiever
macrumors 68000
So far i have nothing really to complain about, and what i do have to whine about, are minor things.
Ok, when the powerbook is closed, sometimes it can leave a mark on the bottom half of the computer...it's hard to explain. It seems the edge around the LCD when closed contacts the bottom...sorry i'm not good at explaining. But it is washable...actually a few rubs with your finger will get rid of it.
The backlit keyboard is hard to read in the dark for the top letters, because of the angle, the etches in the fn keys aren't that great, and the light from the LCD washes out the effect of the backlight.
Heat? no problems. Loud fan? nope. Keyboard feel? it feels great. Build quality? luxurious and sturdy.
The mere lack of glaring problems is definately the only major problem with this rev A computer.
Ok, when the powerbook is closed, sometimes it can leave a mark on the bottom half of the computer...it's hard to explain. It seems the edge around the LCD when closed contacts the bottom...sorry i'm not good at explaining. But it is washable...actually a few rubs with your finger will get rid of it.
The backlit keyboard is hard to read in the dark for the top letters, because of the angle, the etches in the fn keys aren't that great, and the light from the LCD washes out the effect of the backlight.
Heat? no problems. Loud fan? nope. Keyboard feel? it feels great. Build quality? luxurious and sturdy.
The mere lack of glaring problems is definately the only major problem with this rev A computer.
well, i've had a couple of program crashes: safari and acrobat 5. is this anything i should worry about? oh also, i can't seem to get my epson 880i to work. any suggestions?
other than these, the machine has been great. 😀
other than these, the machine has been great. 😀
Gelfin
macrumors 68020
I got my PB17 just yesterday, but I've been pushing it pretty hard, and haven't seen any problems worthy of being called "problems."
The biggest thing I've noticed is that when I'm in a dark room with a TV on, when the TV goes from a darker image to a brighter one, it's enough to make the PB screen change brightness slightly, and there's a fraction of a second delay for the PB to detect the change in ambient light and react, so occasionally I become aware of the screen brightness changing when ideally it ought to be so subtle I never notice it. If that really bugs you, of course, you can turn off the automagic brightness and adjust it yourself. It doesn't bug me quite that much.
I've used pretty much every system except for Firewire 800 and DVD burning (and the latter I haven't tested only because it takes so dang long to convert an MPEG-2 file from my ReplayTV into a DV stream for iDVD).
The trackpad is wide. If you have small hands, you're going to brush it while typing. Fortunately there is a checkbox in the Mouse PrefPanel that disables the trackpad while you're typing.
Fan noise is GREATLY reduced. I played some Quake III earlier and I'm not sure the fan even came on.
AirPort reception is at least as good as the 15" TiBook was. Signal dropoff is much less dramatic as I stray from the base station.
All in all I have run into nothing to make me question my decision to get a PB17. It's a beautiful piece of hardware. My coworkers were coming into my cubicle and drooling all day today.
The biggest thing I've noticed is that when I'm in a dark room with a TV on, when the TV goes from a darker image to a brighter one, it's enough to make the PB screen change brightness slightly, and there's a fraction of a second delay for the PB to detect the change in ambient light and react, so occasionally I become aware of the screen brightness changing when ideally it ought to be so subtle I never notice it. If that really bugs you, of course, you can turn off the automagic brightness and adjust it yourself. It doesn't bug me quite that much.
I've used pretty much every system except for Firewire 800 and DVD burning (and the latter I haven't tested only because it takes so dang long to convert an MPEG-2 file from my ReplayTV into a DV stream for iDVD).
The trackpad is wide. If you have small hands, you're going to brush it while typing. Fortunately there is a checkbox in the Mouse PrefPanel that disables the trackpad while you're typing.
Fan noise is GREATLY reduced. I played some Quake III earlier and I'm not sure the fan even came on.
AirPort reception is at least as good as the 15" TiBook was. Signal dropoff is much less dramatic as I stray from the base station.
All in all I have run into nothing to make me question my decision to get a PB17. It's a beautiful piece of hardware. My coworkers were coming into my cubicle and drooling all day today.
Have any of you noticed the sharp edge right before the keyboard? I noticed it on our demo and I was wondering if it bothered anyone who now owns it?
Edge doesn't bother me. My 17" doesn't like Fujifilm blank CD disks; it just won't eject them. I have to push up on the bottom corner under the DVD drive before the 17" coughs them up. All other brands seem to work fine. The lighted keyboard to me is really not that necessary; I hardly notice it because I always have the LCD lighted at full blast, having switched off its auto variable sensitivity to light in System Prefs. The light from the keyboard in most instances is more than enough to keep the keyboard readable.
I have concerns that the nVidia chip is not all that powerful compared with the Ghz Ti, but I guess we will all have to wait until Barefeats or some other folks come up with a reliable test.
I have concerns that the nVidia chip is not all that powerful compared with the Ghz Ti, but I guess we will all have to wait until Barefeats or some other folks come up with a reliable test.
I was wondering if I was imagining that! I've noticed that it is "very" easy to set off the dimmer. Since that is all software, I hope Apple rewrites that part to react less quickly.
It can be pretty bad depending on how you carry it around. If it gets squeezed relatively hard, thanI do get 2 lines down either side below the speaker grilles. I've had to put some tape over the area until I can get some clear plastic 'feet' to stop it happening.
You can just rub of the mark, but as it's metal on metal, over time it's going to mark it permanently.