Is the warping of a laptop casing common?

[asherman13]

I have a 1.83Ghz MacBook Pro with all the updates and stuff, and the other day I noticed that the part of the aluminum casing covering is becoming separated from the rest of the computer (this is happening in the upper-left corner of the left speaker grille, right above where the MagSafe connector is)

If you look at it from the side, the grey plastic trim is lifted up a few millimeters from the aluminum siding. I'm able to push it down with my thumb, but it won't stay in place. When moving my finger along the speaker grille where the disfiguration is, I can feel (and see, if I look from a sideways angle) that the grill has a rounded bump that is almost right above the MagSafe connector area.

Could this be caused by excess heat due to leaving it plugged in or not allowing it to vent properly, or what? I know it's not due to droppage because I always stick my laptop in my vertical bag with the MagSafe connector facing up (I don't know why; I just like it that way).

I'm also asking if it's common because friends of mine with PowerBook G4's and MacBook Pro's are also experiencing some degree of warping of their cases (the G4's warpage is actually around their AC connector; the casing seems to have collapsed inward a bit, even though it works).

If this is some defect and Apple covers it in my warranty (I didn't get AppleCare, but I've only had the MBP for 9 months so I'm alright on that score for the moment), will they be able to repair it? I'm studying abroad in a country (Israel) that doesn't have an Apple Store (physical or online), so do you think Apple, if I told them all of this, would extend my warranty to repair this particular problem until I am back in the US?

Thanks so much!

 

[NJuul]

I'm just looking at my own mbp 1.83, roughly same age as yours, and I see a very slight warping above the magsafe. Nothing I'd complain about though.
But a good guess is that what you are experiencing is due to excess heat. These babies run pretty hot. I doubt that they'll extent your warranty unless they make a general extended warranty to all early mbp's. You can say that it's really not their problem that you are studying abroad. You can always try and ask though. Never hurts.
However, I'd recommend you to buy AppleCare. There are so many problems with these early mbps, that you'd be extremely lucky not to be affected by any of them. If it's running as hot as it's warping the outer casing, odds are that some of the internal components probably aren't doing too well either.

 

[asherman13]

If I buy AppleCare now, it will extend my coverage to three years from the date of purchase of the MacBook Pro...right?

I'm also noticing that when I close my MBP, the upper left part of the display (if you're looking at the screen as though you were using it) won't close as fully (and touch the lower-left corner of the actual computer) as the upper right part will, so that when you look at the closed MBP (looking at the IR port, the SuperDrive, and the hinge release and stuff) the left side has a few more millimeters of clearance than the right side.

Sorry if this sounds nit-picky, but aesthetic stuff like this really bothers me.

 

[NJuul]

don't worry, it bothers me as well. I see the same when I close mine. Part of buying a mac is the aesthetics, at least it is for me. I find Dells... well, ugly.
And my mbp is just... Pretty.

I'm going to send mine in for a load of repairs as soon as I can be without it, and I'm going to mention the top casing isn't closing properly. Hopefully they'll do something about it. If not, I guess I'll have to live with it.

And yes, AppleCare will last 3 years from the day you bought it, so that'll be around 2 years 3 months from now. It's expensive and shouldn't be necessary, but really, there are so many bugs in these early mbps that odds are it's money well spendt.