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New MBP with a few minor (but annoying) issues

M

MarkW19

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Sep 13, 2002
1,209
1
Surrey, UK
I've had my MBP for 5 days now, and I've been mostly happy with it. But, a few issues are slightly annoying, and I'm not sure what to do. It if was just one of the issues, I wouldn't be too bothered. But, as there's a few, it's making it extra annoying:-

1. Backlight uneven at the top and bottom - eg. at start up with the grey/blue screens (and any solid colour really), a strip at the top and bottom of the screen is slightly whiter.

2. My "I" and Return keys are wonky (sort of sloping down to the right).

3. When the lid's closed, I can press on the left of it and it sort of rocks, making it not feel solid. This is because the lid isn't fully lined up with the palmrest. The right side doesn't flex or move at all.

4. My hard drive has a "tink tink tink" sound every few seconds, doesn't sound normal.

5. My trackpad button is slightly loose just at the right side - lightly touching it (not actually pressing it) makes it wobble. The left side is fine.

6. I've compared CPU usage in Logic with a friend's Mac Mini (slower processor, half my amount of RAM), and while on the same project/same settings, even though he has a lot more on his computer as it's not brand new, my CPU usage is quite a bit higher than his. Other friends have also done tests, and all expect me to be getting much better performance than them.

7. I've noticed a few dead pixels under extremely close inspection (hardly noticeable as they're so tiny, and they don't pose a problem, but they are there).


I wouldn't usually bother so much about such minor things, but all these things have added up to mean that I'm slightly regretting the £1500 (~$3000) I've spent on the MBP, and more so when spending half as much on the MBP as the the equivalent MacBook, so I'd expect issues like this to be non-existant (particularly the backlight and lid issues) when paying such a premium.

I'm still well within the 14-day return period, so I could return it, but I'd have to pay the £60 transport charge.

Do you think I'd be within my rights to return it as "faulty" (thereby not being liable for the transportation charges), for the small issues above?

Of course, with the new MBP just around the corner, that's what's also pushing me to return it even more.

Any advice? :)

PS. What I do like though is the keyboard - I know others have said they don't like it, but while it's a bit slower and more spongey than the new aluminium keyboard I have, I enjoy typing on it more! But, I'm guessing the new MBPs will have the same black (or maybe silver) keyboard that the MacBook Air has. It would make sense for Apple to produce the same keyboards for all ranges.
 
"My hard drive has a "tink tink tink" sound every few seconds, doesn't sound normal."

can you explain this a bit more?
 
bchamorro said:
"My hard drive has a "tink tink tink" sound every few seconds, doesn't sound normal."

can you explain this a bit more?
Click to expand...

Well, I posted about it in another thread. It's random, and seems to do it mainly when I'm just doing simple stuff like email/web. After researching it a bit, it looks like it MAY be the HD moving tracks so that it's not wearing out certain parts of the disk unevenly (a safety "feature"), but that's meant to be exactly every 15 seconds. As mine varies, I'm not sure. It may be nothing.
 
Im really new to Apple - only ordered my MacBook a couple of days ago. However if this happened to me, I would ring them and say its faulty - definatley. £1500 is loads of money and I wouldnt expect to pay that and then not be 110% happy with the product - return it, thats my advice.
 
I vote for contacting Apple, and possible return.

If it were me, on day 1, I would want absolutely no issues.

God knows over time I will create/cause enough!!!! :D
 
Thanks guys.

You're right - I should be 110% happy with a "flagship" £1500 product.

I have small issues on my iPhone as well - bezel not lined up properly, few dead pixels, but after exchanging it once, and getting worse problems with the second one, I decided to leave it. And, I barely notice the problems now.

But, £1500 is an entirely different story. I'll be keeping the MBP for 3+years probably (I still have a single 1.8 G5 that I use), whereas people tend to replace phones every year, or 2 years max (I certainly do).

I know that these are only small problems, and most (apart from the potential CPU issue) are only a problem when you take notice of them or look for them, but it's still annoying that these issues are THERE (wonky keys, uneven backlight, one side of the lid wobbles, etc.), even if they're not a massive problem.

I would probably have just lived with it, but I bought this MBP knowing that new ones were on the way, just because I needed it for my work. But, as it's not perfect, I know I'll have to live with these issues for years, when I could have waited 1-2 weeks longer and got a brand new model.

So, with the new one out hopefully next week or the week after, I think I'll return it as faulty. With the backlight issue alone, it should be possible, don't you think?
 
The biggest thing that jumps out at me is the HD noise, there shouldn't be any. The only time I hear noise is when I use the drive. I'd definitely get that checked out ASAP.
 
Hankster said:
The biggest thing that jumps out at me is the HD noise, there shouldn't be any. The only time I hear noise is when I use the drive. I'd definitely get that checked out ASAP.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the normal clicking is quiet. This is a different sound. My drive is the CTO 7200rpm 200GB (Hitachi), which drive do you have?
 
You most certainley have grounds for a Faulty Return, im 99% sure. At the end of the day, it doesnt matter if 'small problems' like small pixels being missing or the right of the trackpad being wonky - they are still problems, and as I said before, £1500 is a heck of a lot of money on a laptop, and if I was paying that I would under no circumstances want these problems on my £1500 machine.

No definatley return it and see what they say - 7 problems on one machine is alot, and even though as you said, some are small, they are still evident.

Hope you get what Im saying lol sometimes I can be confusing
 
soupyjnr said:
You most certainley have grounds for a Faulty Return, im 99% sure. At the end of the day, it doesnt matter if 'small problems' like small pixels being missing or the right of the trackpad being wonky - they are still problems, and as I said before, £1500 is a heck of a lot of money on a laptop, and if I was paying that I would under no circumstances want these problems on my £1500 machine.

No definatley return it and see what they say - 7 problems on one machine is alot, and even though as you said, some are small, they are still evident.

Hope you get what Im saying lol sometimes I can be confusing
Click to expand...

Yes, I understand what you're saying :p

The thing is with these problems, most people wouldn't even notice them. It's just because I'm very picky, and pay a lot of attention to details. So, I'm not sure if it's just me having unreasonably high expectations, and striving for perfection, when it's never going to happen...

For instance, the reason I noticed the 2 wonky keys was because I inspected the keyboard closely to see if there WERE any wonky keys. Just using it normally I probably wouldn't have paid any attention to it - at least not for a while. The other issues are the same. If I just picked the computer up and used it - as most people would do - most of these issues wouldn't have even been noticed.

But, coupled with the imminent release of the new MBP, maybe it would be a good idea to return it for a refund, and keep my fingers crossed that the quality of the new one is better, and I don't have any of these small but niggling issues!
 
I would go ahead and return it - and the keys shouldnt be wonky and the screen should be even.... the problems, notice them or not notice them, are still there and they shouldnt be. Go on ahead and return it

Make sure you update us!
 
soupyjnr said:
I would go ahead and return it - and the keys shouldnt be wonky and the screen should be even.... the problems, notice them or not notice them, are still there and they shouldnt be. Go on ahead and return it

Make sure you update us!
Click to expand...

I will, thanks.

I'll have to stop being such a perfectionist though, because I'm constantly left disappointed! I queued for 3 hours to get an iPhone at its release, and the 4 dead pixels I found spoilt the day for me!

Half is wanting these issues sorted, and the other half is knowing that a new MBP is coming very soon. If I'd have been 100% happy with this MBP, I wouldn't have been bothered about the new one (as was the initial plan). But as I'm not, it makes sense to return it.
 
well i agree with everybody, it seems that your laptop was very poorly made. return it and if you decide to exchange or when you buy a new one take it out of the box, before handing them your card (or cash) and look it over inch by inch (even turn it on) to make sure that there are little to no flaws.

if they tell you that you cant do that, try a different store. but they shouldnt have a problem. its not going to hurt them one bit.
 
Shannighan said:
well i agree with everybody, it seems that your laptop was very poorly made. return it and if you decide to exchange or when you buy a new one take it out of the box, before handing them your card (or cash) and look it over inch by inch (even turn it on) to make sure that there are little to no flaws.

if they tell you that you cant do that, try a different store. but they shouldnt have a problem. its not going to hurt them one bit.
Click to expand...

I would do that, but it was a CTO, so I unfortunately didn't have the opportunity to do that, and wouldn't when/if I get the new one (200gb 7200rpm HD, and glossy screen), as well as having to wait 2 weeks! :p
 
MarkW19 said:
I would do that, but it was a CTO, so I unfortunately didn't have the opportunity to do that, and wouldn't when/if I get the new one (200gb 7200rpm HD, and glossy screen), as well as having to wait 2 weeks! :p
Click to expand...

wait... if you upgrade the harddrive you cant leave the store with it?
that sucks as i planned to upgrade the HD as well :(
shoot. that makes me mad.
 
Shannighan said:
wait... if you upgrade the harddrive you cant leave the store with it?
that sucks as i planned to upgrade the HD as well :(
shoot. that makes me mad.
Click to expand...

Well, it's made to order, so most of them come from China (mine did, anyway). Unless they just happen to have one in to your spec (unlikely).

So, it's likely to be delivered to your door, rather than the Apple store. Meaning if there were any problems with it, you'd have to order another one and wait again!
 
MarkW19 said:
Well, it's made to order, so most of them come from China (mine did, anyway). Unless they just happen to have one in to your spec (unlikely).

So, it's likely to be delivered to your door, rather than the Apple store. Meaning if there were any problems with it, you'd have to order another one and wait again!
Click to expand...

that makes me really mad! 120gb is not going to be enough :(
 
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