13" MBP Rocks. Not in a good way.

[Macrimonious]

The foot on the front left palm rest doesn't touch the ground. I didn't notice it until recently, but there is a noticeable rock. I've tried it on several surfaces. When the screen is closed, the rock is even more noticeable.

Is this something that is common? Worth returning for?

 

[spaceboots06]

The foot on the front left palm rest doesn't touch the ground. I didn't notice it until recently, but there is a noticeable rock. I've tried it on several surfaces. When the screen is closed, the rock is even more noticeable.

Is this something that is common? Worth returning for?

I personally think you should return it. There have been several other threads going around about the notebook being crooked. Mine isn't but I wouldn't accept a laptop that was warped.

 

[DoNoHarm]

get a hammer and smack the raised end while holding down the others. should clear that problem right up.

 

[HLdan]

Yep, return it if you're still within your return policy. It's not acceptable, your Macbook is warped.

 

[spaceboots06]

get a hammer and smack the raised end while holding down the others. should clear that problem right up.

I actually read of someone pressing down on their notebook and it gave a little, making it straight.

 

[Macrimonious]

Darn.

Well.

If I installed HD and RAM aftermarket, can I take it to the genius bar and they would swap that stuff out for me? (I have original RAM and HD)

Or do I have to do it myself and pretend that I didn't do anything to it.

Thanks

 

[HLdan]

Darn.

Well.

If I installed HD and RAM aftermarket, can I take it to the genius bar and they would swap that stuff out for me? (I have original RAM and HD)

Or do I have to do it myself and pretend that I didn't do anything to it.

Thanks

I don't think the Apple geniuses will accommodate you that way. It's best to take your 3rd party upgrades out and bring the machine back for an exchange. Generally the most they will do is install ram (you bought from them) and transfer files from your old computer to your new one but don't expect them to remove your 3rd party upgrades and install them on the replacement.

 

[wankey]

I had the same problem with my early 08 MBP. All I did was bend it a little. Now solid as a rock. Even fixed a few other none alignment issues (DVI port was *a tad* off) and the top case was *slightly* off, now it's perfectly on.

If you're afraid to use a little muscle power, send it back to the store. I'm sure they'll give you a new one. But this is a simple problem of finding where to bend it, and usually a lot more things will fall into place.

 

[Richard1028]

But this is a simple problem of finding where to bend it, and usually a lot more things will fall into place.

Wow. Now we're taking factory defects like warping and fixing it ourselves.

Exchange it. Let Apple know the Chinese are slacking again.

 

[Macrimonious]

I had the same problem with my early 08 MBP. All I did was bend it a little. Now solid as a rock. Even fixed a few other none alignment issues (DVI port was *a tad* off) and the top case was *slightly* off, now it's perfectly on.

If you're afraid to use a little muscle power, send it back to the store. I'm sure they'll give you a new one. But this is a simple problem of finding where to bend it, and usually a lot more things will fall into place.

What exactly did you do? Hold the offending edge over a table and put pressure on it? Was it a unibody machine that you fixed?

I'd love to take care of this without the hassle of swapping out HD and RAM, getting a new machine, etc. but I don't want to completely F-up my computer.

Thanks.

 

[DoNoHarm]

What exactly did you do? Hold the offending edge over a table and put pressure on it? Was it a unibody machine that you fixed?

I'd love to take care of this without the hassle of swapping out HD and RAM, getting a new machine, etc. but I don't want to completely F-up my computer.

Thanks.

It'd be funny if you actually did that and there was this loud crunch and the computer didn't turn on again. I'd take it to the apple store and let them stress about it.

 

[J&JPolangin]

...yep, those uMBP's sure are strong... return that thing and let apple worry about the case issue...

 

[Macrimonious]

Apple customer service is above and beyond

Just thought I would share my experience today at the Apple Store.

So I took my warped 13" MBP to the Genius bar today. After demonstrating the problem (front left pad back right pad rock) the guy happily replaced the computer. When I told him I had a friend install 3rd party HD and RAM, he said, "we aren't really supposed to swap that", but he said it was no problem, might take 20 minutes. Awesome.

Before he went in the back I asked him if he could give the new computer he was pulling out of stock a once over, to make sure it was up to his standards if he was buying a new computer, I explained to him I'm a typical mac geek who likes things perfect. He understood.

I came back 15 minutes later and he said that the replacement unit they pulled had an off-center screen and they had to pull a second unit! They opened two for me to find one with no problems. Imagine how pissed I would have been to get that replacement home and realize that the screen wasn't centered!

Anyways, goes to show that with even with such precision engineering problems are not uncommon with these computers...

In fact, when I close the lid on my replacement, one side seems to be a millimeter off...

Whatever, I'm not *that* anal.

By the way, 9CBD on the new one versus 9C9F on the old, no discernible difference for me.

 

[incandenza]

I have a suspicion that when these wobble like this, it's the bottom panel that's bent, not the whole computer. It's just a thin piece of aluminum, so it's not surprising that it would be a little flexible. Even when you take it off and put it back to upgrade the RAM/HD, it might go on a little differently. One of the manuals has a particular order you're supposed to tighten the screws in.

 

[covertyows]

I actually read of someone pressing down on their notebook and it gave a little, making it straight.

that sounds like a bad idea that could work sometimes, but would most likely end in disaster if pushed too far