New 15"AlBook latch problem

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kabeyunkabeyun
Posted:
in Current Mac Hardware edited January 2014
I strolled down to my local Apple store two days ago and brought home a 1.25/SuperDrive AlBook 15". (If anyone is near a store, I highly recommend just buying it there instead of doing the net/mail order thing. They'll even accept a 24-48 hour reservation if you can't get there that day; they're flying off the shelves.) It's wonderful, BUT...



When I closed it, the latch caught but sprung open after a second. I closed it again, more firmly, but it sprung open again. It was intermittent, but persistent, so yesterday I took it back (another benefit of buying it locally). One of the Apple store guys was skeptical because the damn thing stayed shut when we tried to demo the problem. Fortunately, I took a video clip of it happening (which I'll post soon), but I didn't need to show it when it finally popped open in front of the store manager. They happily exchanged it for a new one (and there's now a big yellow sticker stating "D.O.A." on the box with the broken-latched one).



Based on this glitch, I recommend anyone with a new AlBook putting the closing mechanism through its paces over a couple of days, as the problem with mine was both delayed and intermittent.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 35
    neo79neo79 Posts: 5member
    Let us c the clip!
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  • Reply 2 of 35
    t'hain esh kelcht'hain esh kelch Posts: 1,274member
    CLIP! CLIP! CLIP! CLIP!





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  • Reply 3 of 35
    kabeyunkabeyun Posts: 81member
    On the way! I posted from work, so I've got to get home first! Check back around 7 or 8 EST.
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  • Reply 4 of 35
    kabeyunkabeyun Posts: 81member
    OK, without further ado...the Popping PowerBook! (A little delayed, but hey, it's a PowerBook, right?)

    P.S. Big file (4.8 MB). Sorry.
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  • Reply 5 of 35
    howyoudoinhowyoudoin Posts: 118member
    I had the same problem. Bought an 15in 1.25 alu powerbook at an Apple store and it did the same thing. Except when I brought it in it did popped open right in front of the genius. He kept closing it and it did the same thing again and again. They gave me a new Alu in 2 days (really quick). The weird thing was toward the day I was getting the replacement it stopped opening on its own but I still exchanged it.

    Josiah
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  • Reply 6 of 35
    trailmaster308trailmaster308 Posts: 699member
    Nothing a little duct tape won't fix! Or you could just use it to set your beer cans on top of........we could just start a tread on "Ways to keep the new powerbooks closed"





    I'm not funny am I?
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  • Reply 7 of 35
    igmanigman Posts: 9member
    I noticed this same thing tody at the local apple store on a demo. The manager said it was "first run" and it has been handled like crazy for the last week. Hmmm. I have a reservation on one and it should be here by the weekend. Should I buy and check it out, or wait to see if this is a real issue?
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  • Reply 8 of 35
    eds66eds66 Posts: 119member
    Got my 15" 1.25 Pbook. Does not seem to be any latch problem on mine.
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  • Reply 9 of 35
    howyoudoinhowyoudoin Posts: 118member
    I would go ahead and get your powerbooks and don't worry about the latch problem because not all of them have it. My replacement worked fine. So its only a small # of new Alu powerbooks.
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  • Reply 10 of 35
    murbotmurbot Posts: 5,262member
    Jesus, what do you expect when you push it down like THAT?



    OMFG, RTFM RFN, LOL.
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  • Reply 11 of 35
    buckeyebuckeye Posts: 358member
    Mine just doesn't close all the way. I have gap when it is closed and it seems to want to open very easily. It is a poorly designed latch.



    I bought it a week ago this wednesday. I don't want to take it back, but I wonder if it will get worse. How long do you think I can keep it before they will not do a trade out?
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  • Reply 12 of 35
    alcimedesalcimedes Posts: 5,486member
    yeah, my dad's does the EXACT same thing. we're hoping it goes away at this point.



    although if it doesn't, it's going back.
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  • Reply 13 of 35
    kabeyunkabeyun Posts: 81member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by murbot

    Jesus, what do you expect when you push it down like THAT?



    OMFG, RTFM RFN, LOL.



    It wouldn't latch when I put a feather on it either. Happy with the replacement PB, though. 2nd full day and no latch issues. I'm comforted to hear that it wasn't just my lucky one.
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  • Reply 14 of 35
    ast3r3xast3r3x Posts: 5,012member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Kabeyun

    It wouldn't latch when I put a feather on it either. Happy with the replacement PB, though. 2nd full day and no latch issues. I'm comforted to hear that it wasn't just my lucky one.



    Comforted?! I'm worried about mine!
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  • Reply 15 of 35
    taliesintaliesin Posts: 117member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by Kabeyun

    OK, without further ado...the Popping PowerBook! (A little delayed, but hey, it's a PowerBook, right?)

    P.S. Big file (4.8 MB). Sorry.



    LOL Reminds me of the cartoons when someone tries to pull down a window shade and it pops up up everytime they turn their back.
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  • Reply 16 of 35
    sonofsylvanussonofsylvanus Posts: 579member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by buckeye

    Mine just doesn't close all the way. I have gap when it is closed...



    I noticed that. In the pictures on the Apple UK website you can see the outline of the keyboard keys on the profile of the PB even when its closed.



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  • Reply 17 of 35
    ast3r3xast3r3x Posts: 5,012member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by SonOfSylvanus

    I noticed that. In the pictures on the Apple UK website you can see the outline of the keyboard keys on the profile of the PB even when its closed.







    To allow airflow silly
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  • Reply 18 of 35
    mac man 020581mac man 020581 Posts: 632member
    Wow, that thing really has some spring action going on. Glad the exchange worked out well.
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  • Reply 19 of 35
    gambitgambit Posts: 475member
    Maybe it's an undocumented feature? Spring-loaded lid action anyone?
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  • Reply 20 of 35
    buckeyebuckeye Posts: 358member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by SonOfSylvanus

    I noticed that. In the pictures on the Apple UK website you can see the outline of the keyboard keys on the profile of the PB even when its closed.







    After a few days, i have gotten used to it. Unfortunately, it is a poor latch design. Just glad I do not have the screen problems that some others are having. Burn spots and such.
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