Apple investigating problems with MacBook Pro's glass trackpad - Page 2

Why is Apple following this trend with the glossy screens? Do you think glossy is now preferred because it degrades better in the environment? I have to agree with the other post that prolonged use would be headache inducing especially for video editing

No, you and Apple 'want' to believe that that is the case.

I wonder what your reaction would be if you had cause to slam on the brake peddle in your car with every ounce of your strength and it broke off, and as a consequence, you submarined under the back of a truck.

From your vantage point in heaven, I am sure you would be reassured by the car manufacturer pointing out to your widow that only a tiny fraction of 'users' would ever have cause to exert as much force as you did, so in the scheme of things, the design flaw was not of great consequence as it only affected a very small minority.

I've owned an old PowerBook G3 -- the one in the old shark advertisements..ate Pentiums for breakfast or something to that nature. Its trackpad worked just fine. It's button was reliable and I never had to think about it. It just worked. I NEVER had a complaint about the screen being matte, nor did I ever hear anyone else complain about it. What a quality product!

Fast forward a few years and now we have glossy screen complaints, trackpads that are so complex that they are not reliable, and screens that are nearly as loose as my now 10-year-old PowerBook. Is this progress? Maybe they are making the screens loose as a way to do away with the screen glare? If your screen is constantly closing, you probably aren't going to notice that you can see yourself in it.

I've also owned the Mighty Mouse as well, and about every week I used to clean the little scroll ball out using a tedious "Scotch tape method" I found online. I eventually replaced it with a nice Logitech MX 400. Now I rarely have a problem. I hope Apple doesn't get too far beyond the realm of simplicity. I really would like for grandparents and computer illiterate folks to continue being a part of Apple's customer base.

"Okay Grandma, um, no the button is there, you just can't see it. You have to push down on this part. No...move your thumb a little more...almost....yep, you've got it! See now wasn't that easy? Now didn't I tell you Macs were user friendly? Oh wait, I think you just changed your font size. Let me just change that back for you."

Hyperbole much? Isn't this complaint from Hard Times, where Sissy argues with Gradgrind over whether a few deaths in a factory are good? Take your fanciful arguments back to the circus.

If Apple is getting complaints they won't talk about them. They'll just appease people with quick responses until the sales charts or Steve tells them to do otherwise.

I used to have that problem. I found that it happens when you click one side while your other finger is still resting on the other side. That's why I bought a proper mouse

I think that is the single most helpful piece of advice I've read on these forums.

My Mighty Mouse is restored to it's original glory.

Thank you very much indeed!

Your welcome. I thank the guy who posted it on YouTube. Some times it takes a couple of tries. I find that if I press harder it works better.
Scroll on!

I too can confirm on the MacBook Pros that the hinge doesn't offer a good deal of resistance to keep the weight of the display from closing it's self when held at "unnatural" angles. When the notebook is held with the bottom parallel with the floor the display does not collapse on itself. When the notebook is tilted to around a 25 - 30 degree angle then the display will then start to close itself.

Other than that the trackpad works great on my model, and the display hinges work well, just not when the laptop is being held in an awkward position. Plus if you are having to tilt your notebook up at those angles, you are going to want to tilt your display back in which case does not affect the display and it does not close onto itself.

I don't really see anything to fix here, other than that twitchy trackpad you may have. The only thing where you may not be registering clicks is if you have another finger slightly touching the trackpad in a corner or something.

Good luck with your problems.

Yeah. You do have to wonder. I suspect there will be a small number of 'old timers' on these forums, all of whom will agree with your post. The days of Apple designing functional kit seem to be behind us. Say hello to an age of pretty, 'unfunctional' kit.

It seems as though Apple are no longer worried about getting the BASICS right. They are more bothered about designing products that look great on the sales floor. So what if it has major functional issues – we got the sale right?

I have say, disappointedly, that this strategy seems to be working. Apple has a larger market share, and more money in the bank, than at any other point in its history.

My experience is exactly like yours. At the Apple Store in San Francisco [Stonestown], every MacBook Pro on display had the loose hinge problem. Apple's statement that it was designed that way doesn't pass the smell test - it's pure cover your a$$. If that were true the new MacBook would have this same "feature." My thought is that they used the same hinges on both models and the MacBook Pro's display is simply too heavy for the hinges to support it when it's tilted at an angle.


Almost everyone I know that has a laptop uses it this way. For me, this ended up being the deal-breaker. I returned my MBP and got my money back. I'll wait for them to announce a fix and I'll get another one.

I wouldn't say that. I've been using Macs since I have a 33MHz Performa with 5MB RAM. The new MB is most durable Mac I've ever owned. I can feel the 1/2 lb pound difference and there is no flex when I pick it up from one hand by a single corner.

The difference may be that there are so many more people buying Macs that those with issues seem like the issues are more ubiquitous. Add in the speed of negativity on the internet, compounded with the tech and consumer attraction to the new Apple and you have normal growing pains making the front page for the page hits.

That isn't to say that Apple hasn't let it self go in both SW and HW QA, but their are other factors to consider, and I don't think they are easily quantifiable.

This statement is ridiculous. How is any angle unnatural?

Every Apple laptop I've ever owned [Original white MacBook, Powerbook G4, iBook G4 14", iBook 12", original MacBook Pro] the display stayed open when the base was tilted to any angle. All current shipping Apple laptops behave the same way - with the exception of the MacBook Pro.

It's bullshit, and Apple needs to fix it.

1) He agrees with you.

2) An unnatural angle in this sense is one that is not natural to a normal computer user. Like holding the keyboard vertical with the keyboard screen facing down in a horizontal position like you are holding it while laying down and looking up. The display should stay where it is without succumbing to gravity. Not enough friction means it'll fall closed.

Not once in the past did I ever see someone say "I wish Apple used glossy screens" on a board such as this. Now I see tons of complaints and I hate them myself. It's beyond comprehension.

I have the clicking issue as well, on my new MBP. Super annoying, I figured it was just mine but I already returned my first MBP for a dead pixel, which it seemed the track pad was fine on....hmmm...I can deal with it but it IS super annoying to have to deal with, especially having to click like 6 times to highlight and delete web browser addresses. \

Other than that I LOVE my MBP with all my heart.

Well, have you ever owned a PowerBook G4 17"? I have one. The behavior of that hinge is exactly like the one complained about here on the new MacBook Pro. I've seen the new MacBook Pros in the Apple Stores and it's exactly like the 17" has been since their intro in 2003.

Oh and in reply to the glossy screen everyone seems to complain about, I have had my MPB since the 17th and have not once wished it was not glossy, I could care less. LOVE IT!

People should watch the video referenced in the article. The diplay only falls when you hold the MacBook Pro with the keyboard perpindicular to the floor....standing the MacBook Pro up vertically on the front edge. Who would ever do that, even in bed? You wouldn't be able to type or view the screen that way, even if it was fully opened.

I like the display in the video...more precise with no more "wiggle room" to get it where you want it.

For me the issue with the MacBook Pro is not the lid falling forward too easily, but rather falling backward too easily. When I put the PB onto the coffee table the screen/lid tends to fall backward unless I am very careful. And falling backwards it has knocked against a firewire drive case that is sitting there. My real concern is with the hinge getting even looser over time.

I have both problems. The hinge thing doesnt really bother me but the missing clicks does annoy me a ton, because I use tab browsing a lot so i have to the command+click more then one. I thought it was just me no clicking properly. Hopefully its just a software issue that they are able to fix with a update

I hope you're right. It may be partially a software issue. I'f had worse problems in Safari than in others. But on my own MBP, there seems to be a particular spot in the trackpad that's more likely to get me a missed-click. I wondered if it was that I click with the base of my thumb insensibly somewhere on the trackpad, and the software is getting confused. But even when I click with my index finger pointed straight down, I miss clicks. I'm afraid that it's going to be a hardware issue, where the trackpad has some areas where it's just not registering. I hear and feel the click, though. It's odd.

This trackpad talk has put me off buying a MacBook. I'm going to wait till next year now.

No kidding. I'm not sure about beyond comprehension, but certainly ridiculous. Look at the various polls - people are pissed about the lost ability to buy a non-glare screen.

I could care less about most of the other "feature" issues. If lack of firewire is an issue, then there you have other options, even if they aren't perfect - i.e. a lower or upper model. If you have particular video connector needs, you can always buy an adapter. Again, not ideal, but manageable.

But the godawful mirror-screen displays on these new machines are unusable for many people, and as of this moment, Apple no longer sells a laptop that I can use - at any price! I can't opt to pay more. Nothing. I can only hope that the MBP 2.2 C2D I am typing on lasts for a long time. If they don't re-think this decision I will probably be forced in the future to consider buying from from another manufacturer and running a hacked version of OS X. This is NOT something I consider lightly!

Don't tell me to go try one. I've seen both the new laptops and the current iMacs in the store, and they suck. I've also used a friend's previous generation MacBook, which is also unusable.

When people say "oh, it's not that big a deal, you'll get used to it", my thoughts are either
1) You have a perfect lighting environment. Good for you. Or...
2) What the fuck kind of drugs are you taking that let you disengage the part of your brain that receives signals from your eyeballs!

If you can't see the mirrored reflections then you have a serious vision impairment! How can people that are generally picky about details, like appearances, be so mind-fkd as to be able to ignore reflections staring at them right in the face, hour after hour?!

Okay, pardon my rant. I am so frustrated with this - beyond anything Apple has done in my 23 years of buying and using their products. They don't make a product I can buy right now, and it's really depressing. :-(

All I can do is laugh at this...How ironic there appears to be a design flaw in "proprietary" hardware.

It's boneheaded design decisions like this with the glossy screens that will get Steve booted from his position at Apple.

Can I have yours? :-p

Am I to understand that the disabled people out here (aka ME) that cannot sit in a chair to work on the computer are always in unnatural positions? I regularly type with my computer at a 45 degree angle and the screen 90 degrees to that. with my new MBP, my fingers tingle a lot from having them slammed between the screen and keyboard. Not all users can or do sit to use there computers. I am working on my PhD in computer science, so I use my computer a lot.... and I just forked out a lot of money to make my fingers numb.

Apple has replaced my computer once, yet the issue remains. They tell me that the screen should not start to close until you are past 45 degrees... guess what?? I need it to stay open past 45 degrees.

You fool!! This topic is about the display closing on someone's hands due to the loose hinges. It has nothing to do with the extra angle introduced... fsckin read or fsck off!!!!!!!!

For others that have a clue an this issue is a major concern this is also relevant in the 17" MBP

example

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJXAzHaCUgc

I would call that unnatural at all. Perhaps unusual compared to most people, but the lid should be staying open. My unibody MB lid is perfect. I can lower it just a couple mm and it won't fall closed. Anything lower than that and it will close because of the magnetic pull.

I'd say you definitely have a problem. If it's been more than 14 days I guess all you can do is call Apple again.

Was there a 2nd generation Mighty Mouse?


Was that outburst really necessary?

When is the next IMAC going to come out?

Anyone with apple laptop experience.... I am switching from PC to Apple for the many obvious reasons. My problem is that I don't know which laptop to go with. I am going back an forth with the Air verses the 15" macbook pro. The priority is battery life followed by best bang for the buck. So my question is should I go for the Macbook Air 64 G SSD (Refirb) for $1799 or the New Macbook Pro 15" for about the same price. I am a little worried about the new trackpad with the Macbook.....

Any help is greatly appreciated.

It'll be announced at MacWorld San Francisco in early January. It'll probably be for sale that day or within a days, following their history.


1) You are going to get a lot of varying answers now that you've breeched the subject.

2) The trackpad issues are a bit annoying but not anything I can't live with, but since you are going to be a switcher I think it'll affect you a less than the multi-touch gestures that Mac users have been used to.

3) The MBP over the MBA any day for battery life and bang for your buck. No question. However, there are other things you may want to consider. I'd suggest going into an Apple Store or reseller to check out the machines first hand before buying.

4) Good luck and welcome to AI.

The MB Pro obviously has a problematic hindge (I hope they modify it, as that's got to be limiting and frustrating) despite any new advantages. I wander if the problem extended to the 17 inch, hence the wait?

The original 17" MBP was released a couple months after the original 15" MBP was released. Since Apple sells less of these, I think the more popular sizes get priority. I doubt that is was due to a hinge issue, but if it was, why wasn't the 15" MBP delayed if their was a known issue?

I agree that it probably wasn't the reason, but think Apple should correct it soon. If it was the reason maybe it was worse than th 15 inch and Apple new it would have too many returns so has waited. In ai's video alone it gives me pause to buy the 17 inch, I really don't want to be limited by a flappy lid, especially an even heavier flappy lid
.

Then I'd wait and then buy yours in the store. Then I'd open it and check it out in the store before you take it home. It's not uncommon for consumer electronics to have issues. There is a lot going on so there will always be issues. I certainly wouldn't deal with a floppy lid.

PS: When the 17" finally comes out, I think we can assume the same basic design elements of the unibody MB and MBP (ie: a battery and HDD along the front). I've measured the space, and there is room to keep FW400 and even add several more ports, but will they keep FW400, replace it with a 2nd FW800 or replace it with a 4th USB port? I think 2xFW800 is the most likely move for the 17" MBP.

The MBP batteries can be replaced by the users, on the spot with a spare.The Air's are built in and require about twice as long to charge as the MBP.
If I was you though,given your post, I would opt for the Air, you'll love it and you'll use it more than the MBP because of it's agility.
I personally would love to get the new 17" MBP when it's finally released because of what I think will be an incredible HD display. Polarizing sunglasses withstanding.

Sorry dude I'm pretty new to computers period. Iv'e only had a computer (actually three) for one year and I've never used Firewire even though I'm a photographer (fine art photographer) Believe it or not it was only reading your post earlier today about FW400 being on the Mac Mini that I checked my Mac Mini and to my surprise it had one. I'm still shooting film (Fuji F film) and have never needed it. However, your reasoning that Apple would scrap in the vein of other moves seemed highly plausible to me. Whatever the latest thing that Apple can do in my opinion is what they will do, adapt or die,survival of the fittest. I've no idea why they couldn't figure blue ray out though however their dealings with those three guys in DC over royalties with their artist certainly makes me think Apple was probably going for an all or nothing deal, and this time around didn't get their way. I guess they didn't have the leverage of publicly saying that they would close down iTunes!!

If you want to continue using a Mighty Mouse, you are going to have to take it apart and clean it.

Here is a video that describes the process in detail.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ap-Kt_9k3ME

I prefer a cheap wired Logitech mouse myself, but I fixed my wireless mighty mouse according to the instructions and it works like new.