Quick 17" MBP review

[Multimedia]

It's DeJa Vu All Over Again - The Fall 2003 Re-Run Begins

When I sit down in front of my 17-inch MacBook Pro, the screen is brighter in areas, hazy in others, and overall unevenly backlit. I tried to take some photos to describe what I am talking about. You'll see the darker haze on the right side, and a little on the left. The area where the dock is noticeably brighter than the rest of the display. Perhaps I am being a little too picky, but I don't know if this is normal. I don't see this problem on my 17-inch PowerBook G4 1.5GHz.

Images:

Oh NO. Not Again. This was a huge problem for the early original Rev. A Aluminum 15" 1.25 GHz G4 PBs in September-December 2003. I remember it vividly because I was one of the victims. Thousands were. I can't believe they let it happen again.

Thanks for the complete inside photo Transeau.

 

[Mechcozmo]

the mbp's have safe sleep. If you take out the battery while the mbp is sleeping, then reinstall it, turn the computer on, it will show a progress bar, and boot to your original screen. I do agree though, dont sleep any computer without saving your work!!!

I tried that. It didn't work. The Apple Tech in store tried it. It didn't work.

Can someone on MacRumors try it? I'd love to be proved wrong as Apple made a colossal mistake by removing the kinetic battery and relying on "Safe Sleep" to sell Macs. Doesn't sound too terribly impressive to say, "It'll die, but don't worry-- hope that it saved everything to the hard drive beforehand and it will start up again correctly afterwards!"

 

[famarm]

I did
It's not the clearest pic, but it works.

Thanks for the interesting picture

Ciao

 

[61132]

I tried that. It didn't work. The Apple Tech in store tried it. It didn't work.

Can someone on MacRumors try it? I'd love to be proved wrong as Apple made a colossal mistake by removing the kinetic battery and relying on "Safe Sleep" to sell Macs. Doesn't sound too terribly impressive to say, "It'll die, but don't worry-- hope that it saved everything to the hard drive beforehand and it will start up again correctly afterwards!"

I tried it on my mbp, worked fine, showed the progress bar when I reinstalled the battery and turned it on.

 

[hidea]

heh...

yeah, I have that problem with the screen as well, but i don't really mind it all that much.

My biggest problem is that the lid doesn't close up properly. there's a HUGE gap betweeen the CPU and my screen. It's atleast 30mm. It's uneven closed.

Should I take it back to apple?

 

[Multimedia]

Picture Please?

yeah, I have that problem with the screen as well, but i don't really mind it all that much.

My biggest problem is that the lid doesn't close up properly. there's a HUGE gap betweeen the CPU and my screen. It's atleast 30mm. It's uneven closed.

Should I take it back to apple?

Am I the only one here who thinks that is a GOOD THING? You don't want the screen to touch the keyboard. It will scratch the screen. Perhaps I don't understand what you are trying to describe with words. Would you take and post a picture of your problem please?

 

[cnakeitaro]

Am I the only one here who thinks that is a GOOD THING? You don't want the screen to touch the keyboard. It will scratch the screen. Perhaps I don't understand what you are trying to describe with words. Would you take and post a picture of your problem please?

Maybe there is a gap in between the cpu and screen when closed which could allow dust and crap to get in there....?

 

[MovieCutter]

Maybe there is a gap in between the cpu and screen when closed which could allow dust and crap to get in there....?

Take care of your stuff, put it into a decent case and you don't have to worry about getting crap in there. Seriously folks, I just don't understand you people. A 3mm "gap" is a cause for concern which only occurs when you're not using the thing and it's off, in a bag, or on your desk? WTF!!!???

 

[Multimedia]

I Use Original Foam Keyboard and Slip Case That Come With It

Take care of your stuff, put it into a decent case and you don't have to worry about getting crap in there. Seriously folks, I just don't understand you people. A 3mm "gap" is a cause for concern which only occurs when you're not using the thing and it's off, in a bag, or on your desk? WTF!!!???

I have a 2.6 year old 1.25 GHz Aluminum G4 PowerBook. I always carry it in a Marware case. Whenever I pack it to move, I put the ORIGINAL FOAM SHIELD that came with it on top of the keyboard after putting a iKlear keyboard cover and trackpad cover directly on each. Then I slip the PB into the ORIGINAL FOAM ENVELOPE that came with it before putting it into the Marware case. Why toss out the protective foam that comes with your MacBook?

I keep both foam parts stored in the Marware case and both are still in like new condition.

 

[hidea]

well, here's the problem.

The lid closes, but, the left side of it is higher than the right side. So, it's slanted. Sorry, it wasn't 40mm, it was more like 5mm, so almost half a centimetre, maybe less. But the left side is higher than the right side, with the middle part actually attached to the latch, holding the LCD and keyboard together. but basically, if you apply pressure to the left side of the screen.. it bouches, but the right side doesnt bounce as much as the left side.

I know there's suppose to be a bit of EVEN gap. mine is uneven.

 

[Multimedia]

Call Applecare and Arrange for a Repair

well, here's the problem.

The lid closes, but, the left side of it is higher than the right side. So, it's slanted. Sorry, it wasn't 40mm, it was more like 5mm, so almost half a centimetre, maybe less. But the left side is higher than the right side, with the middle part actually attached to the latch, holding the LCD and keyboard together. but basically, if you apply pressure to the left side of the screen.. it bouches, but the right side doesnt bounce as much as the left side.

I know there's suppose to be a bit of EVEN gap. mine is uneven.

Definitely call Applecare and arrange for a repair.

 

[eAspenwood]

well, here's the problem.

The lid closes, but, the left side of it is higher than the right side. So, it's slanted. Sorry, it wasn't 40mm, it was more like 5mm, so almost half a centimetre, maybe less. But the left side is higher than the right side, with the middle part actually attached to the latch, holding the LCD and keyboard together. but basically, if you apply pressure to the left side of the screen.. it bouches, but the right side doesnt bounce as much as the left side.

I know there's suppose to be a bit of EVEN gap. mine is uneven.

Mine has the same exact problem. Sometimes it gets knocked out of sleep mode, sometimes not. No time to return to apple. Gotta get some work done.

 

[hidea]

Mine has the same exact problem. Sometimes it gets knocked out of sleep mode, sometimes not. No time to return to apple. Gotta get some work done.

well, mine isn't as severe as yours. It will still be sleeping.

Edit:

I JUST GOT THE WHINE! lol. I'm laughing, this is comedical, too funny to be pissed off at apple's quality control.

 

[Transeau]

The squeaky wheel got the oil again!

After the Apple Store told me that my display not supporting itself, and tech support wouldn't replace it - Apple's Exec Relations is sending me an advanced replacement for my MBP17. I should have my new one in 5~7 days. Here's hoping that the next one is perfect.

 

[eAspenwood]

I'm getting a replacement too.

The accidental awake from sleep issue was driving me nuts. Got home after a 30 minute biking commute yesterday, and the MBP was red hot cuz it was had turned on in my backpack.

Should see a replacement in about a week.


-- J.

 

[eVolcre]

I'm getting a replacement too.

The accidental awake from sleep issue was driving me nuts. Got home after a 30 minute biking commute yesterday, and the MBP was red hot cuz it was had turned on in my backpack.

Should see a replacement in about a week.


-- J.

Are you going for the glossy screen? I just changed my order ...

eV

 

[eAspenwood]

Yeah, I considered doing that but I think I'll just stick with non-glossy. I'd be concerned with getting a glare/reflection. Last thing I want to do I stare at myself all day. But I haven't researched if that's a real issue or not.

Any pro's to going glossy?

-- J.

 

[Mechcozmo]

I tried it on my mbp, worked fine, showed the progress bar when I reinstalled the battery and turned it on.

An Apple Store Genius assured me that the MacBook Pros do have Safe Sleep. He also said that the MacBooks have it. I'm not sure why my test failed, but it is nice to hear from an 'official' source that the MacBooks support it.

 

[bbrosemer]

Transeau CAN YOU please confirm 2 things for me being that my 17'' MBP is on its way.

1.) By some miracle is the CPU socketed.
2.) Is there a thermal paste issue.

 

[iHeartTheApple]

Are you going for the glossy screen? I just changed my order ...

eV

I figure no one has gotten ahold of a 15" or 17" MBP with the glossy screen yet, but when they do...let this post serve as a reminder that you've gotta tell us what you think! I'm pretty sure I don't want my 17" MBP to be glossy, but I'd like to hear from others. Great thread so far, btw!

 

[Transeau]

Transeau CAN YOU please confirm 2 things for me being that my 17'' MBP is on its way.

1.) By some miracle is the CPU socketed.
2.) Is there a thermal paste issue.

The CPU is still soldered in. The notebook is just too thin to fit another 1/4" for the socket, and the thermal paste issue is up for debate...

yes, there is a LOT of paste on there - however, it DOES NOT cause the heat problem. My 17" MacBook Pro 2.167GHz runs at about 37~43c under light use. As a matter of fact, I've been using it for nearly 3 hours on my lap without any discomfort. Try not to freak out about the thermal paste - the only physical problem with it would be if the heat pipes are not applying enough pressure to the chips. I've been a computer engineer for close to 15 years now, and I know that the #1 cause of overheating is lack of pressure between the two surfaces.. Think about it - if the heat pipes WERE NOT working, would the bottom of the notebook get so hot? That's what it was designed to do. The bottom casing is a heat sink. That is the reason that Apple has a thermistor attached to the bottom of the case. In this case, it's really just a matter of making use of the CPU's C1E sleep state, as well as the EIST. (Flame me if you must, but you can't dispute the 37~43c idle temp, while mine has just as much thermal paste as the rest.)

For those with heat issues, i strongly urge you to 1) do the SMC firmware update (this will make the fans come on sooner, and alter the CPU SpeedStep settings) and 2) use InCrew's SpeedIt kext. (The .5 release will help get you to the 35~37 range)

Bottom Line - no worries. The 17" runs much cooler, and quieter than the 15" out of the box. My 15" (yes, I have both) runs much cooler now after the SMC update. and the BOTH run much cooler while using InCrew's SpeedIt.

edit:
Oh Yeah! After a letter to Mr Jobs, and a fax to the Executive Relations Department, Apple is sending me a replacement for my 17". It seems that the top execs feel that it is in fact defective! The LCD should in fact be able to support it's own weight and remain vertical while the base of the notebook is at a 30~45º angle. When the notebook reaches 90º the LCD should close to about 30%, it should NEVER close completely on it's own. (Contrary to the tech at the Apple Store who said that ALL 17" MacBook Pro's would close if they were not on a flat surface)

 

[absurdio]

Oh NO. Not Again. This was a huge problem for the early original Rev. A Aluminum 15" 1.25 GHz G4 PBs in September-December 2003. I remember it vividly because I was one of the victims. Thousands were. I can't believe they let it happen again.

Thanks for the complete inside photo Transeau.

Are you thinking this is the same as the "white spots" issue? It may well be, I have no idea. I just ask because my TiBook (the very last of the Tibooks, just weeks before the aluminum PBs) got a pretty foul case of the white spots, and I had to send it in for service. But in that case, the white spots were much more pronounced/isolated and less like a gradual unevenness across the whole screen. I hadn't heard of the "hazy" screen issue, but man, I hope they get all this isht figured out by the time the Merom editions are ready to roll.

 

[absurdio]

The G4 PowerBooks have a kinetic battery inside them, to keep them in sleep mode for about a minute or so without the battery. The 15" and 17" versions, and the Titanium revision before them, but not the 12" PowerBook, have this feature.

...is there a defensible reason Apple got rid of the kinetic battery feature? Seems like an awfully poor choice...

 

[bbrosemer]

Thanks for the info!!!

 

[Mechcozmo]

...is there a defensible reason Apple got rid of the kinetic battery feature? Seems like an awfully poor choice...

Safe Sleep is the new thing. Now, assuming it goes correctly, your 'book will be asleep until it gets a new battery, whereas before it only had ~1 minute. I see the advantages, but I'm a bit leery of it since I couldn't get it to work. YMMV.

(Fun trick now, BTW. Put your 'book to sleep, pull out the battery, and then put it back in. Next time you want to use your 'book, press the Power button. Like hibernation, but different)