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Yr Blues

macrumors 68030
Original poster
Jan 14, 2008
2,804
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I just got back from the Apple store to play with the new iPad and found it to be noticeably heavier to the 2. Not sure if I'll notice it if and when I buy one.

The polycarbonate unibody MacBook was very durable.
 
Considering that the polycarbonate MacBooks were heavier than the Aluminium ones, I doubt it.

Original MacBook: 5.2 lb
Aluminium MacBook: 4.5 lb
Unibody Polycarbonate MacBook: 4.7 lb

And who wants a cheap plastic-backed iPad that will get scratched up and crack eventually?
 
I saw somewhere a breakdown of the iPad components by weight. I believe the heaviest component is the glass screen/LCD panel followed by the battery. The weight savings from switching to a plastic back would be marginal and outweighed by the benefits of using an aluminum back.
 
The key is that aluminium has great dissipation capacities.

We need copper Ipads :)

Only problem is that the heat is then transferred to peoples hands. Hence the complaints about the current ones getting hot.
 
We need copper Ipads :)

Only problem is that the heat is then transferred to peoples hands. Hence the complaints about the current ones getting hot.

Would you rather see an air vent on an iPad? lol

My iPad never even warms up unless I have brightness up around 70% or so, which is rare.
 
We need copper Ipads :)

Only problem is that the heat is then transferred to peoples hands. Hence the complaints about the current ones getting hot.

The "complaints" are weak at best. I've used my new iPad for extended periods of time, and it got warm. Not hot.

The iPad aluminum case is the heatsink for the CPU/GPU. You would much rather have that heat be radiated to the case than kept inside.
 
Would you rather see an air vent on an iPad? lol

My iPad never even warms up unless I have brightness up around 70% or so, which is rare.

Well lets see how reliable it is. It might just be fine. Though be interested how it holds up in the hands of people who use it to play games on that will push the CPU/GPU.

Same cannot be said about my iMac :( its going for another logic board replacement due to heat issues. And touching it while its been gaming, is not a pleasant experience at all! touch it long enough and you will get burned. The fans and everything works fine, it just gets mega hot.

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The "complaints" are weak at best. I've used my new iPad for extended periods of time, and it got warm. Not hot.

The iPad aluminum case is the heatsink for the CPU/GPU. You would much rather have that heat be radiated to the case than kept inside.

Its a passive heatsink. Afraid that if its hot on the outside, its damn hot at the CPU/GPU.

Have you played an intensive 3D game on it? That would give you an indicator or the heat that it can produce. Extended use that is light on the CPU/GPU will not result in high heat, 10 min on a demanding 3D game will warm u up :)
 
Anyone who thinks any iPad is heavy, must be the weakest people in life. People would carry around their laptops at school, and I never heard anyone saying " O MY GOD....THIS LAPTOP IS SO HEAVY, HOW CAN I GO ON "

I still even think the ipad one is extremely light. And before that we had nothing that could compare to this device.

People are just way to spoiled.
 
We need copper Ipads :)

Only problem is that the heat is then transferred to peoples hands. Hence the complaints about the current ones getting hot.

On this occasion, the people moaning about the warmth of iPads, actually are OCD.

A lot of people cant seem to understand that the more powerful the components get, the more heat they'll give off.
 
On this occasion, the people moaning about the warmth of iPads, actually are OCD.

A lot of people cant seem to understand that the more powerful the components get, the more heat they'll give off.

Having used multiple iPad 3s for a few days each, I can attest to the fact that some got much hotter than others, while performing the same tasks.

And one can not "be" Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.
 
Agreed with those on the heat dissipation. I think Apple used aluminum partly for aesthetics, but mainly as a well engineered design to safely remove heat. All electronics generate heat. The more powerful the device, the more heat generated. Bottling up that heat can damage electronics. So I'm glad Apple thought of an elegant and effective way to protect the components inside the iPad. Better to have a little warmth than failed internal parts.
 
I saw somewhere a breakdown of the iPad components by weight. I believe the heaviest component is the glass screen/LCD panel followed by the battery. The weight savings from switching to a plastic back would be marginal and outweighed by the benefits of using an aluminum back.

The back weighs about 138 grams, or just under 5 ounces.
 
This begs the question...

Is it wise to put a back cover on the iPad or use it in a leather folio case? Would these not trap the heat and prevent proper dissipation? The user may not feel the warmth as much, but it could potentially cook the innards of the iPad.

In other words, if Apple designed the iPad to dissipate the heat via the aluminum shell, is it supposed to be only used naked?
 
And one can not "be" Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

I've noticed a minor grammatical mistake and feel the need to point it out even though it's an extremely common phrase and everyone knows exactly what it means!

Would you rather they say "actually are afflicted with OCD" or something similar? It's rather clunky.
 
I just got back from the Apple store to play with the new iPad and found it to be noticeably heavier to the 2. Not sure if I'll notice it if and when I buy one.

The polycarbonate unibody MacBook was very durable.

You only noticed because you read about it. The difference is minor.

I am going to start a thread asking if cast iron would be heavier than aluminum.
 
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