Physics of why new Macbook sits flat less often?

[usernames.taken]

Ive noticed desks and tables in coffeeshops now appear not flat when I use my new MacBook (compared to my old 15 inch). I now have to find a flat spot on the desk.

Why is that? Is the 15 inch heaver so you don't notice the unevenness, are the feet sizes different?

(My macbook is flat, I'm not asking about why its not flat, I'm asking why uneven surfaces now seem more uneven)

 

[Kiwi 99]

I just did some measuring on the gaps from how the feet sit, and it's pretty much the same between the 2 machines
I'd guess it's the weight, that the 15" rests into some spot, while the rMB can wobble about a bit more

 

[bibyfok]

I just did some measuring on the gaps from how the feet sit, and it's pretty much the same between the 2 machines
I'd guess it's the weight, that the 15" rests into some spot, while the rMB can wobble about a bit more

Call me crazy, when I noticed that few days ago I began to think that maybe because if the thiness of the computer it could be slightly bent. I slowly applied force on it and its not completly flat. However its never as stable as a MBPr 13 or any other heavier laptop.

 

[TidyWorks]

If the lid is closed then I find mine doesn't 'wobble', but when it's open it appears to rock back and fourth which leads me to believe it's the lid that causes the wobble by not being completely aligned or it warps the machine slightly?

 

[usernames.taken]

Call me crazy, when I noticed that few days ago I began to think that maybe because if the thiness of the computer it could be slightly bent. I slowly applied force on it and its not completly flat. However its never as stable as a MBPr 13 or any other heavier laptop.

Mine is definitely flat. It's just now, it just the "wobblyness" of the tables I normally use that I have never noticed before I guess.

 

[clyde2801]

You're setting it down wrong.

 

[Newtons Apple]

The price of thinness.

As Aplle makes device more and more thin, you risk it not being able to stay structurally in the correct shape. Even my iPad Air 2 has a slight warp when you look down the long side.

 

[ValSalva]

I've had to return a couple of Mac laptops over the past six years because they would not sit flat on any apparently flat surfaces. One was a 13" MBP and the other was an 11" MBA.

Sometimes it's hard to tell if it's the surface or the laptop. Rotating the Mac or moving it on the same surface will often reveal imperfections on the surface which it sits. If it doesn't sit without wobbling on any surface in any orientation it's probably the laptop.

Most Windows laptops flex a bit and will bend slightly to sit flat without wobbling but the price for that is something less rigid which often creaks when you move it. The unibody is pretty rigid and if there is any unevenness it will be readily apparent.

 

[usernames.taken]

If the lid is closed then I find mine doesn't 'wobble', but when it's open it appears to rock back and fourth which leads me to believe it's the lid that causes the wobble by not being completely aligned or it warps the machine slightly?

Yea, I don't know about yours, mine is definitely flat. For now at leat

 

[James.K.Polk]

Just bump to say that, between different colors and upgrading/downgrading, I've now had 5 rMBs in my possession. One of them was physically warped so that it did not sit flat, regardless of condition. My current unit sits flat on a flat table but, like OP, I can readily notice any slight unevenness. Not the end of the world by any means (it's not wobbly-enough to effect typing or anything!) but just a heads up for buyers/owners.