Air vents and lap use? - New to Mac laptops

[c0venant]

I bought this laptop a couple days ago. It's a MBP 13" (2012), and to my surprise it has no visible vents on the bottom like most laptops do. I searched around a bit and found the vents are located between the screen and the keyboard, underneath the black hinge.

Are there any more vents, particularly below the laptop? Does it get or expell air from the bottom as well, or just the top? (since I can only see the vents from the top). I'm asking this because I'd like to use this laptop on my lap sometimes, or place it on my bed or something, but I want to make sure it's not getting balls of dust into the fan.

So, is it safe to place the laptop in places other than a clean, flat desk?

(below is an image of the only vents I see)

 

[GGJstudios]

For all Mac notebooks except the MBP-Retina, both intake and exhaust has always been through the vents in the rear near the hinge. The new MBP-Retina has intake vents along the sides at the bottom and exhaust through the rear vents, near the hinge. Learn about the fans in your Mac

Mac computers have air vents that allow heated air to exit. The vents are in the back of the computer on the MacBook, MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, and Mac Pro computers.

This arrangement allows for venting with the lid open or closed (for operating in clamshell mode).

 

[GermanyChris]

I bought this laptop a couple days ago. It's a MBP 13" (2012), and to my surprise it has no visible vents on the bottom like most laptops do. I searched around a bit and found the vents are located between the screen and the keyboard, underneath the black hinge.

Are there any more vents, particularly below the laptop? Does it get or expell air from the bottom as well, or just the top? (since I can only see the vents from the top). I'm asking this because I'd like to use this laptop on my lap sometimes, or place it on my bed or something, but I want to make sure it's not getting balls of dust into the fan.

So, is it safe to place the laptop in places other than a clean, flat desk?

(below is an image of the only vents I see)
Image

It's not a particularly marvelous design but it works mostly. It's redeeming feature is MBP's don't get as dusty inside and notebooks with more exposed vents.

 

[c0venant]

For all Mac notebooks except the MBP-Retina, both intake and exhaust has always been through the vents in the rear near the hinge. The new MBP-Retina has intake vents along the sides at the bottom and exhaust through the rear vents, near the hinge. Learn about the fans in your Mac This arrangement allows for venting with the lid open or closed (for operating in clamshell mode).

thanks. I see the bottom part of the vent now, it's very well hidden.

also: is it okay to use a vaccum cleaner to keep the vents/fan dust free from time to time? and should I vaccum from below or from the top of the laptop? any difference?


thank you

 

[GGJstudios]

thanks. I see the bottom part of the vent now, it's very well hidden.

also: is it okay to use a vaccum cleaner to keep the vents/fan dust free from time to time? and should I vaccum from below or from the top of the laptop? any difference?


thank you

Unless you routinely work in a sandstorm, I wouldn't worry about it. I recently opened my MacBook Pro after almost 5 years of use, and there was almost no dust inside.

 

[c0venant]

It's redeeming feature is MBP's don't get as dusty inside and notebooks with more exposed vents.

Unless you routinely work in a sandstorm, I wouldn't worry about it. I recently opened my MacBook Pro after almost 5 years of use, and there was almost no dust inside.

glad to know they don't get as dusty. Thanks