rMBP users who mostly use it while lying in bed?

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ducatiti

ducatiti

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
May 18, 2011
932
153
I admit that I use my macbook pro's 80% while lying down, 10% on couch, and 10% while on my thrown :) jk hehe

Kidding aside, I do mostly use my rMBP while lying down. Just wanted to ask if you guys use a pillow to put it on top of your body while lying down? I try to position the horizontally or parallel to my body so it will not block the vents on the side. I may even have to purchase one of those cooling mats but to only use it as a platform. What do you guys do?

Also, for those with a Kuzy or similar hard case, would this further help to give more clearance off the pillow?

I'm sorry if my thread may seem silly but while I was watching a flash video earlier, the fan speed reached to 4500 and really warmed up...I guess I have to ditch the pillow for now.
 
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iLikeTurtles!

macrumors 6502
Jun 22, 2012
439
0
i watch alot of...uh... ADULT CONTENT whiel in bed to keep me uh busy

and my retina mac sits on the blankets and runs fine, doesn gget to hot.


gotta love that RETINA display ;)
 
K

kjlake

macrumors member
Jul 15, 2010
60
0
I do use mine while horizontal, but it is bad juju to use a pillow to support it because it can impede air flow... usually I just have mine resting on one leg (it does get warm though). If you really want to support it, I would look at laptop tables that are designed for this kind of use. I know that Ikea has a really inexpensive one for about $10 (of course IMO it's pretty ugly...)

You just want to make sure that nothing impedes air flow and cooling by conduction...
 
haruhiko

haruhiko

macrumors 603
Sep 29, 2009
5,065
2,618
I'm not sure if a 15-inch laptop is designed to be used on bed... :confused: If you need retina p*rn on the bed, how about an iPad 3... oh yes... but you need to hold it with your hand/hands....:D
 
D

drmountaindeww

macrumors member
Mar 18, 2012
42
0
Like others have said, you don't want blankets or pillows to impede your air flow, and to keep from doing that, it could be as simple as a flat surface. No need to go to the store. If you have any hardcover books, those would work or plywood. Anything you can think of. It's really cheap to do. And uhh, have fun! Lol ;)
 
T

tenshu2k

macrumors member
Oct 13, 2002
42
0
its usable on top of a sheet.

my previous unibody 15" however would probably leave me first degree burns.
 
A

AzN1337c0d3r

macrumors 6502
Sep 13, 2010
448
1
I have no problems compiling programs or running video games like Starcraft 2 or Diablo 3 with the laptop on bare skin. You're probably not going to experience any problems on the bed with it.
 
C

chrisfromalbany

macrumors 6502
Jun 24, 2010
403
19
AzN1337c0d3r said:
I have no problems compiling programs or running video games like Starcraft 2 or Diablo 3 with the laptop on bare skin. You're probably not going to experience any problems on the bed with it.
Click to expand...
thing I noticed more is the charger can get stuck behind a pillow and overheat very fast in the bed or in couch. The charger gets much hotter then rMBP ever does. I had it a number of times over heat.. Then notice rMBP wasn't charging.. Then need unplug the charger and wait for it too cool.
 
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AzN1337c0d3r

macrumors 6502
Sep 13, 2010
448
1
chrisfromalbany said:
thing I noticed more is the charger can get stuck behind a pillow and overheat very fast in the bed or in couch. The charger gets much hotter then rMBP ever does. I had it a number of times over heat.. Then notice rMBP wasn't charging.. Then need unplug the charger and wait for it too cool.
Click to expand...
That's true, if you get the charger under several layers it gets pretty hot.
 
dusk007

dusk007

macrumors 68040
Dec 5, 2009
3,386
61
Unless the noise annoys you or it reaches 6000rpm a little vent blocking won't break it.
If it would get too hot it will ramp up to full speed. If it doesn't not it probably gets enough air for the load you throw at it.

Heat always affects the projected life time but you cannot really do anything about that anyway, as more air doesn't have all that much effect on it. Mostly it reduces fan speed and noise.
 
M

mac jones

macrumors 68040
Apr 6, 2006
3,257
1
Pillows, and soft surfaces are not good, they will block vents.

Use the lightest hard surface you can find. Forget the junk with fans, you don't need that.

I make stuff myself as it's very easy. It's very simple to make something that suits you perfectly. I use a peice of foam board (poster board) I get anywhere (Walgreens, Walmart, etc). I just cut out a piece and tape up the ragged edges. It weighs nothing, easy to replace, and costs almost nothing. Since it's foam board, it's a perfect heat insulator. But you can't really use this material after a certain weight ; probably no more than 4.5 LBS certainly, and you might have to use two layers for a retina. It would work with one layer, but may fall apart eventually. I have a single layer piece that i've been using with MBAs (13" and 11" models) for over two years, same piece.

I also use .07 gauge aluminum sheets that I buy for a variety of projects (on Amazon). This material can be cut with scissors (large ones), is easliy bendable, but is strong enough for almost anything. Really FANTSTIC hobby material; essentail really. Again, I tape up the edges (carefully as if a ragged edge of this were to...), and tape up and contact areas. I then stick on some furniture bumpers, the kind with sticky that are used to prevent furniture from slipping.

I just don't like the stuff they sell in stores. Plastic junk, that weighs way to much, is bulky, and annoying actually :D

I mean, i'm not really a crafts person and I certainly don't like to do hack jobs on anything, but this is just too easy.



Just a few ideas :)
 
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AzN1337c0d3r

macrumors 6502
Sep 13, 2010
448
1
mac jones said:
Pillows, and soft surfaces are not good, they will block vents.
Click to expand...
In practice, the rMBP doesn't sink down far enough on my ultra-soft comfy pillows to block the vents. Not to mention soft surfaces tend to be very porous anyways.

The cooling system appears to be engineered well enough to run GPU and CPU full-tilt without throttling.
 
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