iBook G4 case problem

[old_mac]

My iBook G4 has the same squeak in the left corner. Put a piece of paper towel between the keyboard and the tin shield and it makes the keyboard very quite and more solid feeling. No heat problems.

The keyboard is really cheap.I have managed to pop two key in the first week. What a pain. Just caught it with my finger nail.

Does anyone know who sells replacement key caps?

Chris

 

[LaMerVipere]

Yeah my 12" iBook G4 creaks too.

Specifically, if you push down with even a little pressure on the bottom of the right side, beneath the combo drive, and big creaks if you push down on the bottom of the machine, underneath the display connector. (the part below the label which reads "iBook G4" and on which it says "Designed by Apple in California...")

Also, like you said, the white and gray do not meet evenly all around the machine, kind of annoying, but my next computer will be either a powerbook or iMac G5 after WWDC2004!

 

[LaMerVipere]

I just noticed for the first time that if I press down hard enough on the bottom corners of my iBook G4's trackpad, it clicks and acts as a mouse button

OMG... I was fiddling with it while typing the above, and found that pressing the down the palm rest beside the trackpad/button makes it click 😱

If I use both hands (one either side) I can click it from the middle of the palm rest.

Me too! 😱

Also, there is a large "smoothed" spot on my trackpad, I guess from repeated use. But this screams of "cheap" construction!

I think I will have to take my ibook g4 in to be fixed soon as well, because for no reason at all the trackpad will just go insane and be entirely unusable and eratic and with a mind of its own, so I have to use an external mouse (thank god I have one) and then it will begin working again hours later with no problems! For 2 straight months the trackpad would be eratic and unusable (i couldn't take it in for service because i couldn't afford to be without a computer for a week or 2) and then one day it was back to normal, now its back to not working

stupid cheap ibooks, GAH!

 

[wide]

Do any of you realize that threads like this (mainly about how Apple has terrible support policies and that most of their notebooks are in need of support they do not give) have almost completely turned me off of Macs? I might not get a Mac any more...a plasma screen TV seems like a better option 😀.

 

[blue&whiteman]

Do any of you realize that threads like this (mainly about how Apple has terrible support policies and that most of their notebooks are in need of support they do not give) have almost completely turned me off of Macs? I might not get a Mac any more...a plasma screen TV seems like a better option 😀.

so get one and stop trolling. I don't understand why people want to be here if they don't like macs.. what other reason could it be than to troll?

wide and dopefiend seem like maybe the same person. they both have that always hinting toward being anti-mac way about them.

it seems some pc users are even offended at the idea of macs in general. like just hearing the word mac makes them go "eww" as some I know have. how small does someone have to be to be bothered by computers they don't or hardly use?

the bottom line is that neither platform is perfect but in most mac users opinions the mac is much closer. do you really think we would tolerate higher prices, less software selection, less hardware compatibility if macs sucked?

besides, this is a hardware help area so everything you see pretty much is about a hardware problem. I assure you this is a very small amount of the total amount out there.

 

[Dr. No]

PowerBooks

Someone else on the thread was wondering this-- do PowerBooks have any of the same problems? Namely the 15 inch version, it is the next step up from the 14" iBook.

 

[old_mac]

Someone else on the thread was wondering this-- do PowerBooks have any of the same problems? Namely the 15 inch version, it is the next step up from the 14" iBook.

20 years!!! My first Mac was a Lisa 1982. How time flies when you have a Mac!

I like the iBook and it is good value. My son bought a 1 gig powerbook last year and there is no comparison in quality. The powerbook is like a fine Swiss watch. Perfect fit and finish. Lovely keyboard. The iBook is like a cheap knock-off . Mind you it works well, just has cosmetic problems

The keyboard on the iBook feels nice to use but is very flimsy. Tiny plastic parts. I think they will be trouble in the future.

Chris

 

[gooddog]

The keyboard on the iBook feels nice to use but is very flimsy. Tiny plastic parts. I think they will be trouble in the future.





Chris[/QUOTE]


************

It's an outrage that, after so many complaints from loyal Mac users, the bautifully conceived iBook case STILL seems to be manufactured by The Franklin Mint.

From bad reed switches killing displays, to gull-wing , single latch lid, to lop-sided hinges, to crappy keyboards, to lousy trackpads ( even the cheapest windoze laptops at Fry's have a far better tracking pad and fit and finish ) etc.

Why a simple thing like a CASE should thwart Apple inc. is beyond me.

I see too that the 12" iBook ( my favorite ) is treated (inexplicably) as the "toy" version of the laptops -- just because it has a smaller screen.

Why ? -

I simply want compactness -- not "basic" feature sets.

When it comes to creature comforts and RAM etc., it ought to match the 14" as much as possible.

Certainly, it should have been first in line for ADC connector to 23" Cinema's.

ALL laptops ought to have illuminated keyboards ( USB lamps cast shadows and are uneven, clumsy ).

I can see faster, newer processors for the PRO laptops, and even slightly larger drives, and Superdrive..... but lit keys ? Dual-head ? , RAM capacity ?

My other favorite is the much maligned iMac -- still poised to purchase next rev. --- my 15" original FP iMac G4 800 is built like a tank -- no cheap case here.

It's a crying shame that a tasteless POS windoze design can be built with well-fitted lids, key caps, etc.
while a gorgeous design like the 12" icebook has to be trashed by Franklin Mint level quality controls.

I am so sad and discouraged to hear of the G4 iBooks latest defects 🙁

I thought I saw one at the Apple Store in Glendale with a properly fitted lid ... but now the keyboard sucks huh. Great ! Way to go Apple!

And I simply don't have a need for the PowerBook , so I guess I'll just have to spray paint over the Apple logo on my iBook, stick some decals on the cover, and otherwise cheapen the look of it .... to match the lousy fit n' finish provided by Apple manufacturers.

There's nothing worse than an elegantly attired gentleman trailing a length of toilet paper from his fancy shoe.

---gooddog

 

[old_mac]

It's an outrage that, after so many complaints from loyal Mac users, the bautifully conceived iBook case STILL seems to be manufactured by The Franklin Mint.

[/QUOTE

Yes the fit of some case parts is poor., But in no way would I let this stop me from buying an iBook. There are very few reports about function problems.

I think the Powerbooks are made in Tiawan in Apple's main supplier's factory and the iBooks are made in China. Simply there is a lack of quality control, or engineers are not trouble shooting production like they should.

I have spent 30 years in the plastic industry and some of the die work that is required to produce the iBook is simply amazing! Injection moulding is part science and part magic. Tolerences can be held very close, but since plastic goes from a molten state to a solid, even 5 degrees in air temperature can have an effect on part fitting. A squeak indicates very close tolerences, but poor engineering. The parts should not move.
These troubles can usually be fixed in the dies, buy grinding away material to produce thicker parts etc. It appears Apple is not on the ball here.

All things considered the 1ghz iBook is one of the most powerful laptops for the money.

CD

 

[keysersoze]

Someone else on the thread was wondering this-- do PowerBooks have any of the same problems? Namely the 15 inch version, it is the next step up from the 14" iBook.

I went from a creaky iBook G4 800 to a rev C 12" 1.33 PBook... so I feel all of your pain. The lower left was always creaking when I pushed on it a bit too hard. The battery didn't fit snugly either. I had to have the HD AND Logic board replaced after failures. I just gave up on it 2 weeks ago... thus far my 12" PBook has been solid as a rock. No creaking, white spots, dead pixels or track-pad weirdness. All in all I am happy with it...just wish my iBook had been as solid.

 

[Crikey]

I sympathize with the folks who have discovered problems with their iBooks. It is unfortunate that not all Macs live up to the high standards their fans hold them to. Not just iBooks, but PowerBooks are being made in China now, and starting up the new plants may have led to some of the problems of the last year.

No one has yet mentioned this, so I'll chime in. Ergonomics specialists advise that when you're typing, your wrists should not be in contact with the wrist rest or desktop surface; you should hold your arms so that your wrists float above the surface.

That's one of the nice features of the new PowerBooks: when you let your wrist down on the rest, the heat reminds you of your poor keyboarding technique. It's like a behaviorist's negative reinforcement approach to teaching typing technique.

Personally, I too rest my wrists on the surface, but I've read it's incorrect.

Cheers,


Crikey

 

[gooddog]

These troubles can usually be fixed in the dies, buy grinding away material to produce thicker parts etc. It appears Apple is not on the ball here.

All things considered the 1ghz iBook is one of the most powerful laptops for the money.

CD[/QUOTE]

*************************

I imagine Mr. Ives can't be too happy to see his beautiful designs executed in China in the same way they execute their dissidents.

Ever since I learned just a bit about the amazing complexity living inside computer cases, I wondered why such marvels of mathematics, engineering , etc. were not celebrated with an exterior to match : it seemed that aesthetically challenged engineers were put in charge of industrial design. American - made cabinets were gaudy , ornate dust catchers. Then Sony started marketing their monitors with that wonderful Japanese simplicity and elegance that served up a TV image in a flat black plate -- like a sushi masterpiece, while we obliterated beauty with unnecessary multiple bezels, gold tone paint, and the like.

Then Apple came along and started making their almost-human computers in their eye-candy wrappers and I knew I was in nirvana.

So what happened ?

Let's form a Volunteer Esthetics Rescue Movement International ( V.E.R.M.I.N ) ---- Apple ships their dies to us ... along with some sand paper and files ... and WE put the finishing touches on 🙂

BTW, I heard, in the news, that new developments have made it possible to vacuum mold metals the way plastics are molded. What does it mean for I.D. and Apple ?

---gooddog

 

[Dr. No]

iBooks

Many other threads on MacRumors seem to priaise the iBook G4s, and even recommend them. Have the iBooks gotten better?? These threads have very good things to say about the iBook G4:

https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/68669/
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/69101/


and many others say that the iBook is "more durable" and has very high quality palstics. Does anyone here recommend the iBook? Opinions seem to be varied, and I need a Mac laptop soon (either a 14" iB or a 15" pB) 🙂

 

[old_mac]

Does anyone here recommend the iBook? Opinions seem to be varied, and I need a Mac laptop soon (either a 14" iB or a 15" pB) 🙂

ABSOLUTELY!! For the money the iBook is great! It suffers from a few squeaks if you press the case in the right/wrong place. The keyboard is great in feel, (I prefer it to the Powerbook), however the keys are very flimsy and have been known to come off.

Functionally the iBook G4 is just about a Powerbook. When you get a clock speed of a Gig a few more mhz is meaningless. If you want the status of the powerbook, and very warm wrists when typing and are willing to pay $500+ for the privilege the Powerbook is for you.

My son's Powerbook screen has 4 dead pixels, my iBook has none.

For me it is the iBook...I like the white case..it matches my ipod! Unless you really think you need a 14" screen get a 12" you will appreciate the smaller size in transport. I can do graphics on the 12" easier in some cases than on a 17" crt.

Chris



😎

 

[calebjohnston]

I have all the same creaking problems with the plastic as you guys do on my 12" g4 ibook, but the biggest issue for me is that the button on the trackpad creaks when resting my thumb on it. the noise drives me insane.

and the display creaks when lifting up/down, but that's not a big deal.

EDIT: this thread is years old, quite sorry.

 

[Selenolycus]

EDIT: this thread is years old, quite sorry.

Yeah, I read through the first few posts only looking at months (thinking it was just a couple of months old) then I saw a post from April, saw the year.. "uhhh..."

😛