bad design? or am I just crazy?

jmclarke

The past few days, as i've been playing around with my new Powerbook 1GHz, I've had difficulty unplugging the network cable from the back of the computer. The hinge lops over the side and my fingers just don't easily fit. It makes squeezing the release latch very difficult. Does anyone else have this problem? Is there a solution that I'm missing?



And no, I've never gotten the "your fingers are too fat. please mash the keypad with your palm to receive a special dialing wand" message.



Jason

ti fighter

yup I've alwase had that problem, I feel like its gonna wear out from me struggling with it from time to time. It's really stupid, you think someone would have said "hey when i put a standard ethernet plug in here its hard to take out!"



If there is a trick i don't know one (besides a long thumb nail , but should we really have to resort to tricks to take out the ethernet plug easily

miami craig

Not bad design. Your just crazy.

giant

I just take that piece of plastic off. All of my ethernet cables stay in fine without it.

gargoyle

this is not just the powerbook. I do a bit of network installation work and it seems that some cables and sockets dont leave much room for the socket to be mounted into... ie if the plastic of the case is too thick, the plastic clip no longer sticks out.



if your cable has those "booties" to cover the plug, get rid as that makes them hard to squeeze at the best of times.



you could also have a casual look for a replacement cable (or plug if you have a crimper tool) that has a slightly longer clip. I have had a few different ones... and I dont think they were just snapped!!



If ya wanna hack ya fingers to bits with a craft knife, you can either cut the clip off (as mentioned above) or try "rounding" the angle side of the clip... this might give it a "notch" feel letting you just push in and pull out while being sligtly more secure that completely removing the clip.



[ 12-17-2002: Message edited by: Gargoyle ]</p>

greg123

[quote]Originally posted by Gargoyle:

<strong>

If ya wanna hack ya fingers to bits with a craft knife, you can either cut the clip off (as mentioned above) or try "rounding" the angle side of the clip... this might give it a "notch" feel letting you just push in and pull out while being sligtly more secure that completely removing the clip.



[ 12-17-2002: Message edited by: Gargoyle ]</strong><hr></blockquote>



Well, wouldn't "hack ya fingers to bits" be a solution within itself??? I hardly see why that requires any further steps...

gordy

[quote]Originally posted by jmclarke:

"your fingers are too fat. please mash the keypad with your palm to receive a special dialing wand"<hr></blockquote>

<img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" /> <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" /> <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />

jmclarke

gotta love that episode of the Simpsons. best part is when Homer realizes he can just type "y" instead of "yes" and he exclaims, "Woohoo! I just tripled my productivity!"



Jason

luca

Bad design. They could have put the ethernet plug on the PowerBook upside-down, therefore eliminating the problem completely. If it requries all these tricks to get it to work on just the PowerBook (and not on any other computer that I know of), then it's definitely not the cable's fault. I used to borrow my dad's TiBook when I came home on weekends, and it was alwasy a pain. 'Course, now I have an iBook, so I don't have to deal with it AND the port is much easier to get to.

paul

you cant flip the port because then the PB's port cover would press the nub all the time and it could possibly become disconnected...

luca

Touché.



Maybe it could be sideways?



Come to think of it, that port cover isn't the greatest Apple has made either. My PowerBook 1400 has a really nifty port cover that is partially recessed into the body of the notebook when open. And it snaps shut securely. The TiBook's cover seems really flimsy, just a piece of metal with two little wires holding it on.

paul

[quote]Originally posted by Luca Rescigno:

<strong>Touché.</strong><hr></blockquote>



very good point... it is kinda flimsy feeling... it would be nice if it retracted into the notebook... or maybe a built-in stand?

trevorm

[quote]Originally posted by jmclarke:

<strong>

And no, I've never gotten the "your fingers are too fat. please mash the keypad with your palm to receive a special dialing wand" message.

</strong><hr></blockquote>



<img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" /> Love the Simpsons!!!!

paul

[quote]Originally posted by jmclarke:

<strong>gotta love that episode of the Simpsons. best part is when Homer realizes he can just type "y" instead of "yes" and he exclaims, "Woohoo! I just tripled my productivity!"



Jason</strong><hr></blockquote>



hahaha i liked how the movie theater owner bribed Homer not to go see the porn flick with a garbage bag full of popcorn... he started to protest "do you think just because I am fat that you can bribe me with food?!" and then he breaks down when the guy agrees with him... and takes the popcorn home in a fit of depression hehehe



oh and the very end with mister burns doing the sit-ups with him "one...One...ONE... oh screw it i'll just pay for the liposuction..." "Woo-Hoo!!!" <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />

kickaha

[quote]Originally posted by jmclarke:

<strong>gotta love that episode of the Simpsons. best part is when Homer realizes he can just type "y" instead of "yes" and he exclaims, "Woohoo! I just tripled my productivity!"



Jason</strong><hr></blockquote>



Of course the best part is that he only doubled it:



He had to type 'y' 'e' 's' 'Return', otherwise just hitting the 'y' would finish it.



So it follows that he had to type 'y' 'Return'.



Four keystrokes -&gt; two keystrokes = doubling the efficiency.



I know, I know, nobody likes a math geek.

snof

[quote]Originally posted by Kickaha:

<strong>



Of course the best part is that he only doubled it:



He had to type 'y' 'e' 's' 'Return', otherwise just hitting the 'y' would finish it.



So it follows that he had to type 'y' 'Return'.



Four keystrokes -&gt; two keystrokes = doubling the efficiency.



I know, I know, nobody likes a math geek.</strong><hr></blockquote>



We must also take into account that he doesn't always want to choose 'yes', he also chooses 'no', which adds a whole new complexity to the equation. We would need to know what percentage of the time he answers 'y' and what percentage he answers 'n'.

kickaha

In which case we've re-discovered predictive branching and notice how suavely I bring it back on topic for the forum.

flounder

[quote]Originally posted by jmclarke:

<strong>gotta love that episode of the Simpsons. best part is when Homer realizes he can just type "y" instead of "yes" and he exclaims, "Woohoo! I just tripled my productivity!"



Jason</strong><hr></blockquote>



Bart: "And I'm amazed that for once Dad's butt PREVENTED the release of toxic gas."

flounder

"I heard that one time, your dad went into a restaurant, and he ate all the food in the restaurant, and they had to close the restaurant."



Damn it, I've gotten myself started and now I can't stop!



[ 12-21-2002: Message edited by: Flounder ]</p>

splinemodel

I assume you're referring to Bottomless Pete.



I've had a powerbook 500 since February 3rd 2001, and now a 1Ghz for a week. I haven't noticed any problem with putting in rj-45 plugs. Granted, I also like the puck mouse.

kraig911

try to get one of those fancy belkin rj45 cords i think with the huge plug. I just ordered my powerbook G4 1ghz getting it in thursday super excited.



Craig